Analyzing the genetic composition of accessions from an agricultural plant collection constitutes a critical stage in breeding research that can be optimized through molecular genetic techniques. Among these, DNA marker technology represents a promising approach for determining the genetic structure of breeding material, establishing genetic profiles, and identifying cultivars. The evaluation of genetic polymorphism using SSR markers is widely employed due to its simplicity, accuracy, and reproducibility. This study aimed to evaluate genetic polymorphism via SSR marker analysis and to investigate the genetic relationships among the most promising cultivars of garden strawberry and an interspecies hybrid ‘zemklunika’ ( Fragaria × anaschata Kantor) from the collection of the Federal Horticultural Center for Breeding, Agrotechnology, and Nursery to optimize the breeding process and protect the rights of patent holders and breeders. The analysis was performed via polymerase chain reaction using ten pairs of SSR primers (FG7ab, FG7cd, FG2ab, FG2cd, EMFvi136, EMFn121, UFFa3-D11, ARSFL9, EMFxa380097, and ARSFL11). The quality of the amplification products was assessed via gel electrophoresis, while the size and number of the resulting amplicons were determined via fragment analysis. Unique genetic profiles across the ten loci were established for 27 garden strawberry cultivars (Barynya, Bereginya, Vityaz’, Vostorg, Lyubava, Udacha, Tsaritsa, Nashe Podmoskovye, Alfa, Kokinskaya Zarya, Rosinka, Kokinskaya Pozdnyaya, Kokinskaya Rannyaya, Slavutich, Studencheskaya, Festivalnaya, Sudarushka, Rubinovy Kulon, Honeoye, Clery, Lord, Darselect, Polka, Alba, Baron Solemacher, Borovitskaya, and Elizaveta-2) and one cultivar of the hybrid ‘zemklunika’ (Kupchiha). An analysis of allelic profiles for the studied accessions at these loci revealed a high level of genetic polymorphism. The genetic profiles revealed a total of 143 fragments, 100 % of which were polymorphic. The selected markers exhibited a high power of discrimination (PD), with the mean PD coefficient reaching 0.89 per locus. The cultivar genotyping results were statistically processed using cluster analysis. The studied accessions were clustered predominantly according to the presence of common parental lines, with rare exceptions presumably attributed to genetic recombination. For the clusters grouping closely related cultivars, high support was observed, demonstrating the reliability of the performed analysis. The findings of this study are highly relevant for cultivar evaluation and enable a comprehensive assessment of breeding material when planning crossings to develop new, viable cultivars with target properties.

While micropropagation technology is widely used in modern agriculture to produce high-quality, pathogen-free plant propagation material, optimizing plant growth regulator concentrations for in vitro micropropagation and ensuring successful ex vitro acclimatization remain challenges for different genotypes of garden strawberry ( Fragaria × ananassa Duch.). To produce the required number of plantlets of the Faith cultivar via clonal micropropagation, an optimal growth medium composition was used: Murashige–Skoog formulation supplemented with 0.5–0.75 mg/L of the 6-BAP growth regulator. The multiplication rate reached up to 9.5 shoots per explant in the third passage, and up to 10.5 shoots per explant in the fourth passage. During ex vitro acclimatization, three LED lighting regimes with different spectral compositions (White, Full, and Red:Blue) at approximately 75 μmol photons·m[−2] ·s[−1] were evaluated against the control (white daylight at 40 μmol photons·m[−2] ·s[−1] ). Throughout the experiment, strawberry microplants were assessed for leaf number, total leaf area, chlorophyll content index (CCI), and the effective quantum yield of photosystem II photochemistry. Eighty days after the start of the experiment, the higher light intensity resulted in a 73–78 % increase in the total leaf area and a 46–60 % increase in the CCI compared to the control. The number of leaves per plant varied between 5 and 7 across all lighting regimes without significant differences due to new leaf emergence and the periodic senescence of older leaves. Throughout the experiment, the maximum effective quantum yield was exhibited by control plants. Furthermore, the broad-spectrum LED lighting (Full) resulted in the highest CCI values, with this plant group entering the flowering phase after the experiment concluded. These findings validate the application of higher light intensity during the ex vitro stage, specifically with a spectral composition that incorporates red and blue light wavelengths.

The bay laurel ( Laurus nobilis L.) is a valuable essential oil plant widely utilized in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries, as well as in traditional medicine, due to its antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. The present article examines the factors determining the variability of volatile essential oil components, which include genotype, vegetative phase, plant organ, and harvest time. The aim of this study was to establish the composition of essential oils from the vegetative and reproductive organs of L. nobilis during different vegetative stages and to identify genotype-specific accumulation patterns of individual essential oil constituents. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was used to analyze four laurel breeding selections grown in the humid subtropics of Russia (the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Krai). The studied essential oil components were transferred into the gas phase by heating a ground sample under agitation in a sealed vessel in the presence of water. Using a mass spectral database, over twenty components were identified, eight of which were common to both the leaves and reproductive organs. It was established that 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol) is the dominant constituent of the essential oil from the leaves and flowers of all studied selections. In addition, both vegetative and reproductive organs contained α-thujene (origanene), (1R)-α-pinene, β-pinene, isoterpinolene, β-thujene, β-terpinene, α-phellandrene, 4(10)-thujene (sabinene), m -cymene, o -cymene, and p -mentha-1,8-diene (limonene). Significant seasonal changes were revealed: the eucalyptol level in the leaves increases from 50 % in June to 90 % in July, whereas the June harvest is characterized by a more diverse chemical profile. The leaves were shown to be richer in volatile compounds than flowers; however, flowers contain approximately 80 % eucalyptol and can serve as an alternative raw material source. Also, genotypic differences were detected: Selection No. 2 shows promise for breeding due to a consistently high 1,8-cineole content, whereas Selection No. 1 stands out for the qualitative diversity of its volatile profile. To obtain essential oil with the maximum 1,8-cineole yield (88–95%), it is recommended to harvest leaves in July; conversely, producing a multi-component oil with a broad spectrum of biological activity requires a June harvest. Future research will focus on the correlation between weather conditions, phenological phases, and the accumulation of secondary metabolites, alongside molecular genetic chemotype profiling.

While apple is the leading crop in Russian horticulture in terms of planted area and fruit production volume, high-quality yields are hindered by plant diseases that drastically reduce the market quality of fruit. The disease resistance of apple trees is largely determined by crop management practices. The most effective strategies include the systematic use of crop protection agents and the optimization of nutrient management. This approach enables a reduction in pathogen activity and an enhancement of natural defense mechanisms in apple trees. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of fungicides in tank-mixes with foliar fertilizers on the efficacy of apple orchard protection against apple scab, as well as on fruit yield and quality. The field trials were set up in the commercial plantings of the Dubovoye Company (Tambov Oblast) over 2023–2024. The evaluated cultivars included Bogatyr and Lobo. During the study period, weather conditions generally favored apple scab development, particularly in 2024. This can be attributed to spring frosts in early May following an early onset of vegetation growth and rapid plant development, subsequent cool weather, and heavy rainfall in June. The study evaluated apple scab development on leaves and fruits, biological efficacy, Zn and Mn concentrations in the leaves, and crop yield. Combining fungicides and microfertilizers within a single tank-mix reduced disease development and enhanced the biological efficacy of treatments. With such treatment, disease severity in Bogatyr trees ranged from 0.08 % to 0.7 %, while on the Lobo plot, it varied from 0.17 % to 2.5 %. The biological efficacy reached up to 96.7% for Bogatyr and 95.4 % for Lobo. Using tank-mixes of crop protection agents and foliar fertilizers secured fruit yields of 73.5 and 58.8 kg per tree, respectively, with the maximum proportion of fi rst-grade marketable fruit reaching 96 % and 92 %. The foliar fertilizer application contributed to an improved macroand micronutrient balance in the plants, which, in turn, enhanced the overall efficiency of fungicide treatments.

The brown marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys (Stål, 1855) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is a phytophagous species of oriental origin that became naturalized on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus over a decade ago. To curb the population of this alien pest, which is dangerous to many agricultural crops and has quarantine status, it is crucial to find effective solutions, with the greatest possible emphasis on the use of biological control agents, particularly entomoparasitic fungi (EPF). The aim of this study was to evaluate the biological effectiveness of the bioinsecticide Lovchiy, WP (based on infectious spores of strains of 4 species of EPF: Beauveria bassiana , Cordyceps farinosa , Akanthomyces muscarius and Metarhizium anisopliae ) on adult H. halys in field conditions in the humid subtropics of Russia. The experiment was conducted in 2021 and 2022 in a experimental orchard in the Khostinskiy district of Sochi on apple trees (cv. Prima), where this mycoinsecticide was used twice with an interval of 14 days in both growing seasons during fruit ripening at consumption rates of 4 and 8 kg/ha. Biological effi cacy was assessed by two indicators: the mortality of H. halys adults and a decrease in the number of damaged fetuses. As a result, it was shown that the double application of the bioinsecticide Lovchiy, WP with a consumption rate of 8 kg/ha (2.4×10[13] spores/ha, the concentration of spores in the working suspension during spraying 2.4×10[7] in 1 ml) led to a decrease in the number of live adults by 14 days after the second treatment an average of 97.4%. In variants using a bioinsecticide, the death of the pest from the development of a fungal infection was confirmed by the formation of mycelium with daughter sporulation of EPF on most dead bugs at high humidity, among which B. bassiana was dominant. It is important that with the double use of the bioinsecticide Lovchiy, WP at a consumption rate of 8 kg/ha, the level of biological efficiency was comparable to the effect of the chemical insecticide Borey Neo, SC (Etalon variant). According to observations, the motor and trophic activity of bedbugs infected with EPF decreased significantly long before their death, starting as early as 3-5 days. Due to this and, probably, the presence of the repellent effect of EPF spores, which causes insects to avoid treated surfaces, the number of damaged apple fruits decreased by an average of 77.5 % compared to the control variant.

Oxygen serves as a critical regulator of metabolic processes in stored apple fruits. Reducing oxygen concentrations to the minimum permissible level—which prevents metabolic disorders while maximally suppressing metabolic activity—is of paramount interest driven by rising consumer demands for product quality and environmental safety. The present study aimed to determine the effect of atmospheric oxygen levels during storage on the physiological status, fruit quality, and storage potential of various apple cultivars. Conducted in 2023–2024, the study analyzed apple fruits of five commercial cultivars (Gala, Granny Smith, Jeromine, Red Delicious, and Fuji) grown in the North Caucasus Federal District (Stavropol Krai, Sady Stavropolya). Apple fruits of each cultivar were stored for eight months at a constant temperature of 1°C using three storage technologies with different oxygen levels: regular atmosphere (21.0% O2; 0.03% CO2); ultra-low-oxygen controlled atmosphere (1.2 ± 0.1% O2; 1.0 ± 0.1% CO2); dynamic controlled atmosphere (< 0.8% O2 depending on the cultivar; 0.8 ± 0.1% CO2). After the eight-month storage period, the oxygen concentration was found to significantly affect the physiological status and biochemical parameters of all studied cultivars, including endogenous ethylene levels, α-farnesene oxidation products (CT281), flesh firmness, soluble solids content, titratable acidity, and the development of physiological disorders and fungal diseases. The minimum permissible oxygen level under a dynamic controlled atmosphere was found to enable significantly more effective control over numerous physiological disorders in fruits, while preserving their quality (flesh firmness, juiciness, flavor, and aroma), compared to an ultra-low-oxygen controlled atmosphere and especially a regular atmosphere. The dynamic controlled atmosphere storage, based on maintaining the lowest possible yet safe oxygen level for the fruit, is becoming of particular importance for enhancing storage efficiency and extending shelf life in the absence of, or with limited, postharvest chemical treatments.