The review presents the achievements in the research of barley stress tolerance molecular mechanisms to improve its economically valuable traits as a crop of agricultural production. Possible genetic engineering approaches developed in order to increase the barley resistance to abiotic stresses have been described. Special attention is paid to the genome improvement through the integration of heterologous genes. The targeted genes and promotors perspective for transformations, their efficiency in dependence to other transformation factors have been summarized and analyzed. The latest technologies of targeted mutagenesis used for genome editing (ZFN, TALEN and CRISPR/Cas9 systems) are observed. The examples of creation of new barley forms with increased resistance to drought, soil acidity, aluminum toxicity and salt stress by using gene technologies are given. It is shown that genetic modification allows not only to accelerate the experiment process of new genotypes creation, but also represents a research tool for the analysis and identification of gene functions. А large number of sequences encoding valuable traits of barley were identified by means of silencing and RNA interference techniques. The prospects of development of post-genomic technologies for use in practical breeding of this culture are discussed.

Eight varieties of spring soft wheat and 16 hybrids of the second generation, formed by the method of complete top crosses have been studied in terms of the development parameters of seedlings (the length of the embryonic roots, the weight of roots and aboveground parts), and the potential resistance to aluminum ions (root length index - RLI) under conditions of a roll culture (control - distilled water, experience - an aqueous solution of aluminum sulfate at a concentration of 1.5 mmol, pH 4.3). Initial varieties are analyzed for general and specific combinational ability (GCA and SCA). High-growth parameters were characteristic of Baganskaya 95 (Russia, Novosibirsk region), Karabalykskaya 98 (Kazakhstan), Jasna (Poland); the values of the RLI are Altaiskaya 530 (Russia, Altai Territory) and Gornouralskaya (Russia, Sverdlovsk Region). Three promising hybrid combinations with a high degree of phenotypic dominance of morphological characteristics were identified (Altaiskaya 530 x Lutescens 30, Baganskaya 95 x Serebristaya, Tyumenskaya 26 x Jasna) and five hybrid combinations for resistance to stress (Altaiskaya 530 x Serebristaya, Altaiskaya 530 x Jasna, Baganskaya 95 x Lutescens 30, Karabalykskaya 98 x Lutescens 30, Tyumenskaya 26 x Serebristaya). As a result of the research, it has been shown that aluminum ions exert the greatest influence on the length of the embryonic roots, reducing it by 5...25% depending on the genotype. Variety differentiation of characters is more evident in control conditions. The total inheritance ratio (h²_O) of the parameters studied was 0.61 ... 0.87, which indicated the possibility of effective selection for potential productivity and resistance to aluminum. The influence of the paternal components on the root length of the hybrids was insignificant; the values of the root length index were determined mainly by the maternal components, which should be taken into account when planning crosses involving these varieties.

Biodiversity is closely related to human health and ecological environment. It has become very important due to its influence on the economic and political strategies of various countries. Fungal diversity is an important part of biodiversity and is of great significance in maintaining the balance of ecosystems. On the basis of fungal diversity studies the innovative conservation system “One district, one herbarium and five banks” was proposed and later applied on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. In order to protect important fungal resources a conservation district of Yajiang Matsutake Reserve was established  in Sichuan Province. To preserve the species, genetics and local natural fungal resources, the herbarium, the spawn bank, the viable tissue bank, the gene bank, the compound bank, and the comprehensive information bank were created, which resulted in the systematic protection of fungal diversity on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and provided support for the sustainable use of fungi. Innovation and integration of the protection system of fungal resources and key technologies for sustainable utilization not only restore the ecological environment of important wild Fungal resources but also screen and cultivate new varieties of edible and medicinal fungi It has been promoted and demonstrated and gave significant ecological, social and economic benefits.

The article reviewed the main directions of the state policy in the field of use and protection of hunting resources. They were set forth in the Concept of development of hunting industry of the Kirov region until 2020. The history of creation, the principles, purpose, objectives, methodology and structure of the concept, as well as the main problems, goals and aims of game resources use in future are presented. Attention is drawn to the fact that the purpose of the concept is formulated not as an equilibrium position of various sectoral research institutes – public, industrial and state, but, mainly, by the institute of public administration with regard to its functions. Due to this, the concept is addressed, first of all, to state bodies, as their task is to create the necessary conditions for the positive development of public relations in the sphere under study. The mechanisms of solving the existing problems and the current results of the implementation of the basic provisions of the concept have been analyzed. The features of regional regulation of relations in the field of hunting and hunting industry have been examined. These features were influenced by changes in sectoral legislation, implementation of administrative reform, the deterioration of the economic situation in the region, increase in the amount of threats connected with the spread of diseases among game animals. The article informs on the factors affecting the execution of the decisions and achieving the concept goals and objectives. The expediency of the regional state policy implementation in the field of hunting and hunting industry on the basis of strategic documents of branch development has been confirmed. It is proposed to increase the level of interregional interactions in the preparation of sectoral development documents.

In the system of measures for pre-sowing tillage, special attention should be given to leveling the soil, ensuring an increase in the uniformity of seeding in depth, which has a significant impact on increasing yields. The main solution to this problem is to improve the design of aligners using a mechanical-bionic approach for the analytical description of the optimal forms and parameters of their working bodies. The design of the working body of the spring soil leveler is proposed, the cutting edges of the undercutting wings of which have ridges and hollows in the form of a logarithmic curve with a positive convexity of curvature inside the depressions, developed by the bionic prototype of the mole cricket (Gryllotalpa). Using the methods of agricultural mechanics, the theoretical dependence of the rational depth of the working bodies and the value of the tractive resistance of spring soil leveler on the travel speed, design parameters and physical-mechanical soil properties, which are proved by the results of experimental research on the south carbonated middle loamy black earth have been established. The experimental spring soil leveler provided the reduction of traction resistance by 7...8% (40...49 N) and had the best stability of motion in depth by an average of 1.5 times (± 0.5 cm) in comparison with the serial model of the working bodies of the leveler VPN-5.6 A.

Russia is one of the largest milk producing countries in the world (over 30.0 million tons per year), but in some parameters western countries predominate.  In our country the cost of feed per 1 centner of products exceeds 1.3 times, labor and electricity consumption 2.5-3.5 times, cow milk production is 1.6-2.2 times lower. The cause of low indexes lies in outdated technologies such as tie-up housing, a significant proportion of manual labor, low feed quality and skills of the staff. The implementation of modern livestock keeping technologies, automated machinery of a new generation, intelligent system of technological processes control will result in a leap forward in dairy farming by establishing smart farms. Smart farms with intelligent control of technological processes will lead to significant increase in production efficiency. The smart farm control is carried out through a number of automated units. The human role is reduced to the general control and industrial complex management. The final part of this system is an automatic block of the company activities results analysis and management decisions correcting. Milk quality is also influenced by the somatic cells content, the level of which reaches 18-29%. The laboratory created by the institute and the computer developed program allow to carry out more than 15-20 thousand of milk individual samples’ analyses with evaluation of the main milk quality indicators and physiological condition of animals. The created system of smart dairy farms intelligent control with developed computer programs will reduce the cost of a cattle stall to 400,000 rubles, the cost of 1 kg of milk - to 20 rubles. At the same time, the production profitability will be 45-50%, the economic use of cows - up to 4-5 lactations.

The article is devoted to theoretical and experimental substantiation of technical capability of the differentiated recording of milk when milking into the milk line. The pilot studies were carried out in 2017 … 2018 in the cowshed for 200 heads of one of the enterprises of the Kirov region. Milking duration depending on intensity of milk secretion was divided into three stages: initial, main and final. The theoretical analysis of the process of milk secretion from an udder nipple of a cow was made. Analytical expressions for definition of the current flow rate of milk were received during milking. The vacuum mode in under-mamillary chambers of the duple milking machine and integrated schedules of milk yield were studied and analyzed during the whole process of milking into the milk line. The weak interrelation between the current milk yield and corresponding vacuum in the under-mamillary chamber of a teat cup was revealed during milking (R² = 0.06…0.15). Very close interrelation (R² = 0.95) between milk yield and duration of milk secretion confirmed a possibility of differentiated recording of milk yield by measurement of the real time of milk outflow during each working cycle. Mathematical models of an algorithm of functioning of devices of the differentiated recording of milk have been developed during milking. Differentiated milk recording during milking can be technically carried out by addition into the device of udder on-quarters milking monitoring of milk secretion intensity the blocks of measurement of time of the real milk flow during each working cycle, calculation and indication of milk yield. Use of milking machines with function of differentiated recording of the milk yield will allow to increase the duration of productive use of animals, quantity and quality of the milk yield.

The article is devoted to the issue of sustainable rural development, with particular focus on biogas. It presents legal regulations in this area used in the European Union, including Poland. Additionally, the article provides the results of operational tests (conducted in 2011-2012) of a small biogas plant with total capacity of two reactors 411 m³. The cost of electricity production was on the level of 113.76 PLN•MWh^-1 and heat production costs - 206.06 PLN•MWh^-1. The construction cost of biogas plant was equal 1100 PLN per cubic meter. The exploitation costs of biogas plant were 42450 PLN•year^-1 as the cumulative costs: the annual cost of installation maintaining 27 000 PLN•year^-1 and cost of use of the biogas plant was 5450 PLN•year^-1. The calculated profit from the sale of produced electricity was 100622 PLN•year^-1. The calculation has been prepared in accordance with the level of prices in Poland in the years 2011-2012.

The problem of forecasting the qualitative indicators of onion harvesters was solved using the methodologies of the system analysis and synthesis, physical modeling, based on the theory of artificial neural networks. Analysis of the mathematical model of the working process of onion harvesting machine showed that the increase in the quality indicators of onion harvesting can be ensured by the optimal ratio of internal unregulated parameters of separate executive devices. A change in the process parameters of mechanical means for onion harvesting within design limits does not ensure keeping to agrotechnical requirements. This neural network model for the assessment of quality indicators of functioning elements of the machine for harvesting onion set allows to predict the quality performance indicators on the basis of a large number of external impacts X, affecting the harvesting process. The theory of artificial neural networks allows to describe the technological working process of the machine for harvesting onion set, its individual functioning elements, to predict and evaluate the quality performance indicators both of separate executive devices and the entire machine.