The effects of genotype-environment interaction of nine spring soft wheat varieties and seven hybrid populations F1 - F4 formed using these varieties were determined under the conditions of the Kirov region. The significant influence of environmental conditions on all studied traits was established. The contribution of the “year” factor to the number of grains per head in varieties and hybrids was 10.9 and 13.9%, respectively; to the mass of 1000 grains – 5.8 and 19.5%; to the yield – 47.3 and 41.1%. The genetic component made a significant contribution to the mass of 1000 grains in varieties and hybrids (81.5 and 58.8%), as well as to the number of grains in varieties (38.4%). There was a higher varietal specificity in the manifestation of traits in parental varieties compared to the hybrids. The analysis was done for two component traits of head productivity in a series of generations against the background of the action of various lim-factors, the shifts in their average values and the influence on yield were predicted and determined. The indicator of phenotypic domination (hp) in the first generation was determined according to the number of grains per head (hp = -5.00...+ 7.82) and 1000 grains mass (hp = + 0.23...+ 12.00), the combinations with a high level of heterosis were picked out (Baganskaya 95 x Novosibirskaya 44 and Baganskaya 95 x Aktjube 3). The calculation of the breeding differential and the effectiveness of the selections in contrasting environmental conditions of the second (2016) and third (2017) hybrid generations was carried out. Under the conditions of 2018, the yield of the initial populations varied within 219.0...789.6 g/m2, while the figures for the selected progenies were 317.0...647.6 g/m2. The average yield increase of the progenies that had been selected in the dry year was 56.8 g/m2 in relation to the initial populations (11.1%); the increase of the progenies, selected in the conditions of excess moisture was 10.8 g/m2 (3.0%). The correlation analysis revealed the average positive relationship between the first-generation hp indicator and the selection differential in subsequent generations according to the «1000 grains mass» (r = 0.18...0.63) and «number of grains per head» (r = 0.35...0.37) traits. The correlation was weak between the level of heterosis and the selection reaction (r = -0.12…0.27). The selection of genotypes with a high level of selection differential according to the number of grains per head was more effective than the selection according to the mass of 1000 grains. The correlation coefficient between the degree of phenotypic dominance of traits in the first generation and average values of traits in the F2-F4 generations varied within r = 0.35...0.68 (significant values at 5% level r = 0.75).

In the Siberian District, including the Tyumen region, a great contribution into production of foodgrain has been made by valuable and strong varieties of spring soft wheat Iren, Omskaya 36, Novosibirskaya 31. It should be noted that elements of cultivation technology of these varieties for seeds have been developed insufficiently. In the article, the 2016-2018 data have been analyzed according to the productivity and quality of seeds of the chosen wheat varieties in dependence to the level of mineral nutrition (for planned productivity of 4.5 and 6 t/ha). It has been established that in the conditions of the northern forest-steppe of the Tyumen region the level of mineral nutrition for productivity of 4-5 t/ha provided high quality of seeds. In the variant with NPK of 4 t/ha the yield of seeds of the general productivity was 73.0-77.8%, the mass of 1000 grains – 33.9-38.5, the protein content – 15.3-16.8%, the energy of germination – 58.0-67.3%, the laboratory viability – 94.3-96.5%. The main part of seeds (67-74%) sprouted in 5-6 seminal roots and when resowing in 2017-2018 it gave dense, strong shoots. Seeds from the chosen variant had advantage before the control without fertilizers and before variants with higher level of mineral nutrition in many quality indicators.  It has been established that germination energy of seeds closely correlated with protein content (r = 0.72…0.82) and insignificantly – with the mass of 1000 grains (r = 0.27…0.28). Between productivity and energy of germination of seeds the correlation was negative(r = -0,32…-0,40)

In 2015-2017 under conditions of Kirov region studies with spring covered oat Sapsan bred in FARC North-East were conducted. The scheme of the first field experiment included four variants by sowing terms –the earliest one (at physiological maturity of soil), and three following variants with 5-day intervals. The scheme of the second field experiment included four variants in harvesting terms – the early one (when grains in the upper half of the panicle are fully matured in 70% of plants), and three following variants with 5-day intervals. On the average during the years of studies the highest productivity was obtained at the second term of sowing – 3.03 t/ha. Indicators of germination energy and germination of seeds harvested in 2015-2017 were decreasing from the first sowing term to the last one. The highest percent of germination and germination energy was in seeds harvested in 2017 – 98.6 and 96.5% respectively; the lowest in 2016 – 92.8 and 90.8%. In 2015-2017 the most significant increase in productivity was noted in the second variant of the harvesting term. From 10 to 15 days delay with harvesting lead to the decrease of yield structure parameters. The best indicators of structure elements were in plants of the second term of harvesting. The study revealed a tendency to decrease in test weight and 1000-grain mass at delay with harvesting for 10 and 15 days as compared with the first term; the most significant decrease – in grain at the second harvesting term (488 g/l and 39.4 g respectively). The research defined a weak negative correlation between the protein content in grain and the amount of precipitations in interphase period "heading – wax ripening" (r = -0.28). On the average during the years of studies, the second sowing term was the most optimal (sowing 5 days after the earliest term). The optimal harvesting term is the second one, when 100% of plants reach the full grain maturity.

Currently, the most urgent task in improving the industry of feed production is the creation of green and raw materials conveyors, which will allow an uninterrupted supply of vegetable raw materials from early spring to late autumn for feeding farm animals and preparing high-quality feed. The research has shown that the most optimal time for mowing alfalfaclover-cereals mixtures with high fodder values is the budding phase - the start of flowering of legume grasses in the conveyor system with 10.6-15.2% of raw protein content in the crop. It was noted that the cultivation of meadow clover varieties of various ripening time mixed with a wide range of alfalfa and cereal grasses lead to the decrease in the effect of unfavorable weather conditions and to 15-20% increase in grass mixtures productivity. The article presents recommendations for the extension of the productive longevity of grass stands up to five years using mixtures with different ripening varieties of meadow clover and alfalfa with grass components of a new generation with productivity up to 32.8 t / ha of green mass.  According to the field test of 2013-2017, the article provides data on the green mass productivity of alfalfa-clover-cereals grass stands with the addition of early ripening varieties of grasses, which for two mowings averaged 29.4 t / ha in 2013-2014 and 30.1 t / ha in 2015-2017.  The methods of creating and using grass mixtures have been indicated, the best time for mowing has been defined by conveyor use of them in the Upper Volga region. The scheme of the green and raw materials conveyor with the use of differently ripening grass mixtures, consisting of new species and varieties of forage grasses of different periods of ripening, is given. It has been established that the use of legume-grass mixtures allows to obtain high-quality raw material for the production of bulk feed within 110-120 days, which acts as the way to increase the efficiency of fodder production. An expanded range of fodder grasses creates the conditions for improving the sustainability of fodder production in less dependence on extreme weather conditions. 

Perennial grasses are less dependent on weather and soil conditions than other crops due to their plasticity, low demand for growing conditions, and a large variety of species. In 2013-2017 in the conditions of the Udmurt Republic the biological properties of meadow tetraploid clover (Trifolium pratense L.), alfalfa changeable (Medicago x varia Martyn), birds-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), eastern galega (Galéga orientális Lam.) and timothy grass (Phleum pratense L.) in double and triple agrocenoses were studied according to the age of the grass stand and the term of mowing. Plant density of perennial grasses in agrocenoses depended on the biological characteristics of the species, the age of grass stand and the term of mowing. In the first year of use of agrophytocenoses the density of stalk stand was at the level of 374-542 pcs /m2, in the second year of use it was a little higher (348-688 pcs /m2), in the third year of use – 240-594 pcs /m2. High density of meadow tetraploid clover in the grass stand was noted in the second year of use – 266-520 pcs/m2. The number of timothy grass stems (122-194 pcs/m2) in the grass mixture was high even in the first year of grass stand use, in the following years there was a further increase of this indicator to 196-412 pcs/m2. By the third year of use there was an increase in the number of stems of alfalfa changeable to 86-148 pcs/m2 and birds-foot trefoil – up to 108-200 pcs/m2. The plant density of the eastern galega in agrocenoses was low. The agrometeorological conditions of the year and the term of mowing affected the height and leafiness of perennial grass plants in agrocenoses. The leafiness of meadow tetraploid clover reached 64%, of the eastern galega – 74%. Timothy grass plants were less leafy – 23-38%. The height  of meadow clover plants was at the level of 51 cm, of timothy grass – 75-78 cm. Birds-foot trefoil was the shortest component of grass mixtures. High yield of dry mass of single-species sowing of meadow tetraploid clover was obtained in the first two years of use – 7.8 and 6.5 t/ha, respectively. By the third year of use, the productivity of clover decreased to 2.9 t/ha. The highest yields for the years of research were formed by the following agrocenoses: clover + alfalfa, clover + timothy, and clover + alfalfa + timothy – 5.9-6.3 t/ha.

The research was conducted in 2017-2018 in the Nizhny Novgorod region on light-gray forest soil in the link of “spring wheat-pea” crop rotation. The article presents the results of study of the influence of soil tillage systems (traditional moldboard tillage with moldboard plow; non-moldboard “deep” tillage with boardless plow; non-moldboard “shallow” tillage with chisel cultivator Pottinger Synkro 5030 K; minimum tillage with disc harrow XM 44660 NOTHAD; zero tillage (No-till) with grain drill Sunflower 9421-20, mineral fertilizers (N60P60K60 kg of active ingredient) and straw destructors (ammonium nitrate in the dose of N10 kg of active ingredient per 1 t of straw and biological preparation  Stimix®Niva 2 ltr/ha) on the change in the indicator of biological activity of the soil and the yield of pea variety Krasivy. In the conditions of insufficient precipitation of the growing season of 2018, No-till technology resulted in a decrease in the average biological activity of the soil  by the tillage systems under study in pea plantings of Krasivy variety: by 6.3 % (from 18.6 to 12.3 %) compared to the traditional moldboard tillage system with moldboard plow; by 4.7 % (from 17.0 to 12.3 %) compared to the non-moldboard “deep” tillage with boardless plow; by 3.5 % (from 15.8 to 12.3 %) compared to the non-moldboard "shallow" tillage with a chisel cultivator; by 4.9 % (from 17.2 to 12.3 %) compared to the minimum processing with disk harrow. The use of the biological preparation Stimix®Niva as a straw destructor in arid conditions of 2018 was more effective than the use of ammonium nitrate in field test variants without application of mineral fertilizers (N60P60K60). The biological activity of the soil increased on fall plowing with moldboard plow by 3.8 % (20.8 and 17.0% respectively); on fall plowing with boardless plow by 5.3 % (18. 8 and 13.5 %); on minimum tillage with a disc harrow by 4.8 % (18.9 and 14.1 %). Under the weather conditions of 2018, the highest yield of Krasivy pea variety was obtained in the variant of field experiment where fall plowing with soil overturning to the depth of 20-22 cm with the use of ammonium nitrate as a straw destructor in a dose of 10 kg of active ingredient per 1 ton of straw was used as basic cultivation. The use of mineral fertilizers (N60P60K60) by this system of soil tillage in dry conditions did not affect the yield of Krasivy pea variety (2.70-of 2.76 t/ha). When using the No-till technology of pea production, the obtained yield in the conditions of the Nizhny Novgorod region in 2018 ranged from 0.74 to 2.24 t/ha.

Ketosis in ewes is one of the limiting factors for the development of sheep farming.  But the lack of knowledge about this disease is an obstacle in the development of effective treatments and reliable methods of prevention. This article presents the results of studying the peculiarities of the state of metabolism in the body of ewes of the Tsigai breed of the Black Sea type during ketosis. To do this, in the farms of the Crimea the identification of ewes infected with ketosis, which had been subjected to clinical and laboratory research methods, was carried out. It has been established that with this pathology there is an increase in the intensity of ketogenesis against the background of severe energy deficit.  This was manifested by a statistically significant increase in the concentration of the total amount of ketone bodies from 0.43±0.01 to 1.57±0.06 mol/l (p <0.001), which occurred mainly due to acetone and acetoacetic acid.  Their relative share in the total number of ketone bodies was 28.66%, while in healthy ones - 5.58%.  The blood glucose level was reduced by 28.6% compared with clinically healthy sheep.  The presence of a negative correlative relationship was revealed between the concentration of glucose and the level of ketone bodies - r = -0.64.  Besides, in ewes infected with ketosis, symptoms of hepatocyte damage were noted: an increase in the concentration of total serum protein, hypoalbuminemia, dysproteinaemia, an increase in the level of total bilirubin, total cholesterol, increased activity of AsAT, ALAT and GGTP. It proved the occurrence of the same polymorbid pathology (ketosis and hepatodystrophy) in the same animals. This was confirmed by the revealed positive correlative relationship between the concentration of ketone bodies and the activity of the enzymes under study: AsAT ‒ r = +0.57, ALAT ‒ r = +0.49, GGTP ‒ r = +0.55; and between the level of ketone bodies and total bilirubin ‒ r = +0.44.  It has been concluded that the progress of liver dystrophy aggravating the course of the pathological process should be taken into account when developing or improving methods for treating ketosis in pregnant ewes.

The research was carried out on the basis of the breeding farm «Ababkovskoe» Nizhny Novgorod region. In the period of 2006-2015 518 heads of animals dropped out the herd. They formed the electronic database for studying the influence of paratypical factors on indicators of productive longevity of red Gorbatov cows. The analysis involving the method of grouping animals had been carried out. In the course of the study it was established that the increase in milk yield during the first lactation lead to an extension of productive life (r = 0.17). The best indicators (5.70 lactations) were observed in first-calf heifers having the yield of 5001-6000 kg of milk. Lifetime production and milk yield during the first lactation had a weak positive relation (r = 0.30). Cows with productivity of 5001-6000 kg of milk during the best lactation had the longest productive use (5.58 lactations). In general, there was an average positive relation between these indicators (r = 0.48). Power of influence of the highest lactation milk yield on the lifetime milk yield was 22.47% (F > Fst). In conditions of the red Gorbatov breed gene pool preservation the recommended milk yield for the first-calf heifers should be 4000-5000 kg of milk. The growth of milk production in subsequent lactations resulted in extension of the economic use of cows and increase in other productive indicators. Half of the animals in the herd (50.7%) had a coefficient of milk yield 751-1000 kg of milk per every 100 kg of live weight In this group there was the highest level of live weight (455 kg, р<0,001) and economic use (4.95 lactations, р<0,001). Great influence on the duration of red cow productive longevity had live weight during the first calving (power of influence 19.6% F > Fst).  The most optimal live weight for red Gorbatov cows during the first calving is not less than 460 kg. Low weight leads to a rapid drop out of animals from the herd

The article provides the results of 2016-2018 study of morphogenetic markers in honey bees producing royal jelly with different content of 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA). Working bees and royal jelly from Kirov  region, Tomsk region, and Krasnodar Krai were used as the material for the research. Evaluation of honey bee origin was carried out according to morphometric and phenotypic characteristics with population and genetic analysis using PCR method with assessment of the intergenic locus COI-CОII mtDNA, microsatellite locus mrjp3. It has been established that honey bees having larger size of the abdomen (with the width of the third tergite and sternite of 4.8 and 4.7 mm, respectively) produced royal jelly with a higher content of 10-HDA (more than 3.0%), that is 1.2-1.4 times higher (P≤0.05). Working bees having yellowness on tergites produced royal jelly with 13.7% lower concentration of 10-HDA (P≤0.05) compared to the bees with no yellowness in the phenotype. Honey bees with locus mtDNA – PQQ or PQQQ in the  genotype produced royal jelly with 10-HDA concentration on the average 38% higher (p≤0.01) than bees in genotype of which mtDNA – Q locus had been recorded. The change of 10-HDA concentration in royal jelly of honey bees having different allele registration frequency in the mrjp3 locus has been established. Maximum concentrated 10-HDA (3.45%) was recorded in the bees with domination of allele 392 with frequency R≥0,38 in the mrjp3 locus. Minimum 10-HDA content (2.39%) was observed in bees with domination of allele 406 registration frequency in the mrjp3 locus. Honey bees with domination of alleles 485 and 518 in the mrjp3 locus had no significant differences of 10-HDA content in royal jelly at 3.0% and 2.8% indexes respectively.

The article presents the results of analytical studies of the main economic characteristics of pig production in Russia. Theoretical and methodological basis was developed according to the works on the theory of strategic management. The information base for the study was formed upon the data from the Federal State Statistics Service of Russia, National Union of Swine Breeders, AFK Group of Companies (St. Petersburg), expert-analytical center of agribusiness (Maykop), annual reports of the largest Russian agricultural holdings. On the whole, the industry is attractive in terms of opportunities for development and viability of investment. Annual production volumes are 3.5 million tons of pork in slaughter weight, or about 300-400 billion rubles. The market is growing at a rate of at least 5% per year, but growth rates are slowing. The industry is highly consolidated; 20 large vertically integrated holdings provide 62% of output. Pig products are standardized and intended for further processing; price competition prevails in the markets. Self-sufficiency in domestic products has exceeded 90% in recent years.  The share of import has significantly decreased. The industry is characterized by high capital intensity; the cost of investment projects is estimated in the billions of rubles. Innovative development of pig production in Russia has been adopting imported technologies and developments. The level of dependence on imported machinery and equipment, breeding materials, feed additives and veterinary drugs is critical. The industry is attractive upon profitability criterion (industry profitability rate is above the average for the economy).

The current situation in agricultural production is challenging. During the last 2 decades, the agrarian production system has been deteriorating. It concerns crop rotations, moisture accumulation and moisture conservation technologies, ways of increasing soil fertility and growing environmentally friendly grain, reducing production costs and increasing product profitability. But there are forced late sowings and artificial “drought”. All this provides reasons to consider domestic breeding and seed production obsolete and to introduce the foreign analogue, which has planned negative impacts not only on quantitative, but also on qualitative safety. The article provides the solution to this major strategic problem. Under the research program of the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, a highly competitive technology for the production of grain and fodder was developed on the basis of only domestic equipment that 2-5 times predominates over the best foreign analogues in functional indicators. It was confirmed by a number of state tests in 1990-2016 and approved by numerous meetings of the Scientific and Technical Council of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, RAS. The units of domestic tractors and functional machines that can compete with the best foreign counterparts have been developed.