In recent years, significant breakthroughs are observed in developing artificial intelligence (AI), which radically affects the most diverse areas of human life and activity. This review article examines the introduction of AI in agriculture using the example of China, which is a leader in the pace of introduction of AI into the national economy and seeks to head off the United States in the overall leadership in the development of AI technologies. Thanks to active work in this direction and significant financial investments in this area, China has managed to transform substantially its agricultural sector.  The purpose of the article is to analyze the current trends and opportunities offered by the application of AI in the agricultural sector of the PRC economy. To this end, a series of difficulties that China faces in the development of agriculture is considered, as well as the main currently known areas of application of AI in agriculture and the types of technologies used. Information on Chinese companies using AI technologies in agriculture is summarized, including their specialization, technologies used and benefits gained. Early evidence shows that AI is being applied firstly to improve productivity and manufacturing performance, and secondly to address labor shortages and achieve manufacturing sustainability. Analysis of the situation allows  us to conclude that AI can become the main driving force in the development of agriculture.

Perennial herbs of the Legume family (Fabaceaes L.) are able to provide livestock with valuable feed. To obtain highquality feed for highly productive dairy and beef cattle, different species and cultivars of the family are tested in various regional soil, climatic and agrotechnological conditions of the territory. This article provides an overview of 64 published scientific papers by Russian researchers, mainly over the past 20 years, on the study of the main biological and ecological characteristics and productivity of species and cultivars depending on their cultivation area in the Northern, Northwestern, Central, Volga-Vyatka and Ural economic regions of the Non-Chernozem zone of Russia. It has been established that perennial grasses of the Legume family are cosmopolitan due to the good moisture content of the soil of the territory and the low demands of plants for heat. Cultivation of different types and varieties allows you to get cheap, high-yielding bulky feed (hay, haylage, silage). The quality indicators of feed are influenced by the level of energy and protein saturation, which varies depending on the type, variety of legumes, methods of use (pasture, mowing) and the time of harvesting of herbage. The low protein content in animal feed leads to a deterioration in digestibility, a decrease in feed intake and a weakening of the nutritional parameters of milk and meat. The advantages of species and cultivars of legumes vary greatly depending on the soil and climatic conditions of the areas of cultivation, which does not allow us to draw an unambiguous conclusion about the value of a particular species and variety, to guarantee an annual harvest for forage. This review may be useful for organizations engaged in the search for species and varieties of the Legume family that are more adapted to environmental factors to justify the expediency of their use in production for feed purposes.

Vitamin E (tocopherol) is a fat–soluble vitamin that has a significant effect on the growth and health of animals. Currently, 8 tocopherol isomers have been synthesized; their peculiarity lies in the different distribution of methyl groups in the chromane core. In animals, vitamin E isomers cannot convert into each other and their biological activity varies significantly. Tocopherol has a powerful antioxidant effect, protecting substances from oxidation in the body, and plays an  important role in maintaining normal metabolic processes and physiological functions. Vitamin E protects cell membranes from oxidative damage by hydrogen peroxide, helps maintain the immunomodulatory effect and increases the body's resistance to various pathogens. In addition, it performs an essential function in embryogenesis, nucleic acid metabolism, ascorbic acid biosynthesis and ensures the preservation of structural and functional characteristics of tissues. The α-tocopherol isomer has the highest biological activity. The use of α-tocopherol feed additives in the feeding of agricultural animals is presented in the form of a natural form of RRR or a synthetic form of all-rac, including all eight stereoisomers (four with the 2R configuration and four with the 2S configuration) in equal quantities. This review based on 105 publications offers a set of modern knowledge and research focused on the study of the physiological role of vitamin E in the nutrition of dairy cattle, as well as analyzes the effect of various dosages of α-tocopherol on zootechnical indicators.

The research was carried out in the conditions of the Kirov region. The purpose of the study of 2021…2023 was to evaluate the biological and economic properties of a new cultivar of spring barley ʽYarushnik’, transferred to the state variety testing in 2024. Field research was conducted in a competitive test according to the Methodology of the state variety testing of agricultural crops. The comparison was carried out with ʽRodnik Prikamiya’ standard and the cultivars ‘Pamyati Rodinoy’ (2014) and ʽBoyarin’ (2023) previously included in the State Register. To assess the yield in different growing years and the adaptive abilities of cultivars, the methods described in the works of I. N. Voronchikhina and co-authors (2002), A. A. Goncharenko (2005) and A. V. Kilchevsky (2005) were used. The cultivar was created by the method of intraspecific stepwise hybridization with double selection. The balance in a hybrid combination of high-yielding collection samples Sv 88764 (Sweden) and Annabel (Germany) with the cultivar ‘Duet’ (bred by the Federal Agricultural Research Center of the North-East, Russia) became the basis for the creation of a high-yielding, resistant to region-specific environmental stress factors of the spring barley cultivar ‘Yarushnik’. The new cultivar is mid-ripening, with a high and stable yield over the years (6.21 t /ha), forms a large grain with good technological properties: nature – 705 g/l, protein content in the grain – 13.0 %, grain yield – 55 %. In terms of grain quality, it is a cultivar of grain-forage use. The reaction of the studied barley varieties to environmental conditions was revealed. Comparison with the standard cultivar ‘Rodnik Prikamiya’ revealed the advantage of the new variety in terms of overall adaptive ability (ОАСi = 0.37, standard – -0.41), relative stability of the genotype (Sgi = 35.62; standard – 45.16), breeding value of the genotype (СЦГi = 3.08; standard – 1.76). According to the complex index, the clear superiority of the ‘Yarushnik’ cultivar (1.09) over the standard (0.74) was also revealed.

Field research was conducted in 2021–2023 in the conditions of the Komi Republic. Tubers of 9 potato cultivars were subjected to pre-treatment with weak non-ionizing pulsed alternating electromagnetic fields (EMF). The electromagnetic effect was carried out by the TOR-bio device in the 15/5 mode (15 minutes of exposure, 5 minutes of break, three times a day before planting) with a pulse frequency of 125 Hz. The effectiveness of both a single treatment in 2023 and the consequences of annual EMF treatments of tubers of the 2022 harvest and their offspring of 2021 and 2022 were evaluated. It was found that the effectiveness of the action of an alternating electromagnetic field depended on the cultivar. In EMF-sensitive potato cultivars, an earlier appearance of mass seedlings (‘Pechorsky’, ‘Lux’, ‘Terra’) and an increase in yield by 26–75 % (‘Legenda’, ‘Lux’, ‘Mishka’, ‘Argo’) were observed. The increase in the yield of ‘Mishka’ and ‘Lux’ cultivars can be explained by a fairly significant (p≤ 0.05) increase in the number of tubers formed on the bush after EMF treatment. In the harvest of the ‘Pechorsky’ cultivar obtained in 2023 from EMF-treated tubers, an increased content of dry matter was noted in the autumn-spring storage period and starch in the autumn period. The analysis of the consequences of repeated EMF treatment of tubers revealed a positive effect on the intensity of plant development and the quality of the harvest of the ‘Pechorsky’ cultivar of local breeding, which may indicate the occurrence of stable changes in its genotype.

The aim of the research was to evaluate the response of 20 modern cultivars of fiber flax of different maturity groups of domestic and foreign breeding to treatment with the herbicide Magnum, VDG (metsulfuron-methyl, 60 g/kg) and to identify stress­resistant forms for use in breeding programs. Field studies (hole nursery) were carried out in 2021-2023 in the Tver region. Flax crops were treated with herbicide at the recommended consumption rate of 0.01 kg / ha in the "herringbone" phase. The test revealed a decrease in the productivity and quality of flax fiber against a selective background compared to the control without treatment, which in the most sensitive variety ‘Levit 1' (Republic of Belarus) was as follows: plant height - 22.9 %, weight of the technical part of the stem - 41.6 %, fiber weight - 47.1 %, technical length - 28 % and rippleness of the stem - 23.1 %. A decrease in seed productivity under the influence of the herbicide Magnum was found only in early and mid-ripening cultivars. Thus, in the early-ripening cultivar ‘Tomich 2' (Russia) in the variant with herbicide treatment, the number of bolls and seeds per 1 plant compared to the control was lower by 54.9 and 57.7 %, respectively. Late-ripening cultivars ‘S-108', ‘Soyuz' and ‘Krepysh' (Russia) showed high resistance to herbicide stress (over 90 %) by the productivity parameters. According to flax fiber quality, the level of herbicide resistance of the mid-ripening cultivar ‘Surskiy' (Russia) corresponded to the standard - the ‘Atlant' (Russia). The mid-ripening cultivar ‘Grant' (Republic of Belarus) combined resistance to herbicide stress both in terms of flax fiber produc­tivity and its quality. The stress-resistant cultivars that stood out against the selective background exceeded the average varietal values for the analyzed characteristics, which indicates their adaptability to growing conditions.

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is an oilseed crop characterized by high drought tolerance. In conditions of increasing climate aridisation in Russia, especially in the southern regions, agricultural producers are becoming interested  in this crop. It is especially important to develop new varieties capable of producing stable yields even in severely arid regions. Experiments were laid in 2022-2023 in the conditions of the Astrakhan region. They studied Carthamus tinctorius L. F1 hybrids which were obtained from crossing seven promising varieties selected from the collection of FRC N. I. Vavilov  All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) and two varieties developed at the Precaspian Agrarian Federal Scientific Centre. Preliminary self-pollination of parental pairs was carried out for three years using insulators made of non-woven material, which allows air to pass through, but does not allow insects and pollen to pass through. Crossing was carried out in 2022 according to the method of T. V. Leus and E. V. Vedmedeva (2013) using pollen flushing followed by pollination for three days. In 2023, seeds of F1 hybrids obtained by crossing were sown in a wide-row method on 2 m² plots for their economic and biological evaluation and comparison with parents. On the basis of the obtained data, promising hybrids (prickly) were identified, which exceeded the parental pairs in yield and oil content: 1/22 (from crossing Oker x Astrakhansky 747) – by 0.18–0.20 t/ha and 3-4 abs.%; 4/22 (ʻCentre 70ʼ x ʻAstrakhansky 747ʼ) – by 0.11–0.29 t/ha and 6 abs.%, respectively. Among non-spiny hybrids, the following hybrids stood out: 5/22 (ʻShahalli-260ʼ x ʻAstrakhansky 646ʼ), 9/22 (ʻTsambuliʼ x ʻShirkasʼ), 7/22 (ʻTsambuliʼ x ʻAstrakhansky 646ʼ), yields of which exceeded parental pairs by 0.17–0.72 t/ha, oil content – by 1–5 abs.%. 

The purpose of the research was to study promising soybean cultivars from the collection of the N. I. Vavilov All–Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) of various ecological and geographical groups in the conditions of the Chuvash Republic (northern Volga Region of the Volga Federal District of the Russian Federation) and identify sources of breeding valuable traits for their further use in hybridization. Under observation, study and comparison were 161 samples of the VIR collection and 40 cultivars of Russian and foreign breeding (Belarus, Canada, USA, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Austria, Sweden, etc.).  The ‘SibNIIK-315’ cultivar approved for cultivation in the Volga-Vyatka region (Russia) was taken as the standard. The research was carried out in 2021–2023 in the field on a natural background (gray forest heavy loamy soil). According to the productivity of one plant in the very early ripening group the ‘Memory Fadeeva’ and ‘Kasatka’ (Russia) cultivars had the best indicators of 17.0 g, in the early ripening group it was ‘Doka’ (Russia) with 18.0 g and sample 1029/2 (Poland) with 18.5 g. The productivity of the standard cultivar was 14.1 g/plant, LSD₀₅ = 2.6 g. According to the seed size the following promising cultivars were identified: ‘Lumaria’ and ‘Belgorodskaya 7’ (Russia), which had maximum weight of 1000 seeds of 206g and 186 g, respectively, that was 41g and 21 g more than the standard cultivar, LSD₀₅ = 12.6 g. As to the height of attachment of the lower bean, 8 samples and three cultivars were positively characterized. They had the placement of the upper layer of beans to the soil surface more than 17 cm, that was 6 cm higher than this indicator for the standard cultivar, with LSD₀₅ = 5.4 cm.  All the studied source material was highly resistant to phytopathogens and lodging. The cultivars identified during the research process are valuable source material for the development of new highly competitive soybean varieties of the northern ecotype for cultivation in conditions of 56^o north latitude. 

Nigella is currently becoming a very popular essential oil plant, which is used in various industries. The article presents a comprehensive assessment of 5 varieties of nigella of Belarusian breeding in the forest-steppe conditions of the Middle Volga region (Penza region). Over the years of research (2021–2023), it has been established that nigella, in the conditions of the research region, completely goes through all stages of growth and development, forming a full-fledged harvest. The growing season of the crop varies from 96 to 107 days. The crop yield was 1.44–1.58 t/ha by cultivars. The highest seed productivity was noted in the ʽRadasts’ and ʽBelaruski Dukhmyany’ cultivars, which amounted to 1.58 and 1.57 t/ha, respectively. All varieties were characterized by high adaptive capacity, the adaptability coefficient was 0.95–1.04. The highest level of stability of yield formation was noted in the ʽRadasts’ and ʽZnakharka’ cultivars (13.0 and 13.3). The varieties ʽRadasts’ and ʽIskra’ had the highest fat content in seeds – 41.6 and 41.9 %, respectively. It should be noted that the ʽSunichny Vodar’ and ʽBelaruski Dukhmyany’ cultivars had lower seed oil content (39.7 and 39.4 %), but this indicator was the most stable over the years  (the stability index was 6.1 and 7.4, respectively). In the oil composition linoleic (49.5–64.8 %) and oleic (17.5–30.5 %) acids predominated. Analysis of the crop structure showed that all cultivars formed rather large seeds with a 1000-seed weight from 2.76 g (ʽZnakharka’) to 3.54 g (ʽRadasts’). Evaluation of nigella cultivars showed its high adaptive capabilities in the climatic conditions of the Penza region. Nigella sativa is a promising oilseed crop for introduction into the Middle Volga region. 

The article informs on the nomenclatural standards of 8 strawberry cultivars bred by Sverdlovsk Horticultural Breeding Station: ‘Akvarelʹ’ (WIR-108162), ‘Altyn’ (WIR-108163), ‘Viola’ (WIR-108166), ‘Gejzer’ (WIR-108167), ‘Darenka’ (WIR-108168), ‘Due`t’ (WIR-108169), ‘Torpeda’ (WIR-108171), ‘Forsazh’ (WIR-108172). Plant material for nomenclatural standards was selected and identified in the collection of the originator organization by the curator of the strawberry collection. The herbarium sample of the nomenclatural standard of each cultivar is represented by herbarium sheet containing parts of one plant collected in two periods: flowers ‒ during the flowering period; fruits and annual shoots ‒ during the fruiting period. The herbarium label indicates: the herbarium number of the sample in the VIR Herbarium, the scientific name of the species, the name of the cultivar, the origin (the name of the organization in which the cultivar was created), the place of reproduction (where the plant was grown), the dates of collecting, the names of collectors. Herbarium sheets are supplemented with photos of fruits, flowers and general habitus of the plant. Nomenclature standards are made in accordance with the recommendations of the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP), registered in the database "VIR Herbarium" and included in the type collection of Herbarium of cultivated plants of the world, their wild relatives and weeds (WIR). The nomenclatural standards store the original genetic and morphological information on the studied strawberry cultivars and serve as an official document of the cultivar as a breeding achievements.

In order to grow high-quality seed potatoes more efficiently, it is necessary constantly to improve cultivation technologies and accelerated reproduction of in vitro material under aseptic conditions. During the research it has been established that inoculation with a local strain of Streptomyces minoensis KR-10, which was isolated from the rhizosphere of Urtica dioica L. with the help of selective reception, allows to optimize the conditions of in vitro cultivation of the material at the cloning stages. The strain is characterized by phytostimulating activity, the ability to synthesize auxins (18.7±1.0 µg/ml), high radial growth rate (65.7±8.8 µm/h) and colonizing ability (10⁵–10⁸ CFU/g depending on the type of plant tissue). The optimal inoculation method was identified, which provides for sequential dipping of micro gears into a bacterial suspension, and the titer of the bacterial suspension (10⁵ CFU/ml) was determined, contributing to an increase in the reproduction coefficient of the promising breeding number 172-13 and the ‘Pransa’ cultivar. The severity of bacterization effects depended on the genotypic characteristics of potatoes. Inoculation with S. minoensis strain KR-10 made it possible to reduce the proportion of morphoses among in vitro material number 172-13 by 2.5 times. The developed techniques are able to increase the efficiency of growing potato biomaterial in the process of accelerated clonal reproduction. 

Changes in the morphological and agrochemical parameters of agrogray forest soils over a fifty-year period of agricultural use were identified based on data from a monitoring survey of the soil cover of the Udmurt Republic. The studies were conducted on reference plots and based on soil survey data over an area of more than 9 thousand hectares. It was established that the fertility level of agrogray forest soils depended on their genetic characteristics (origin) and agricultural technology used on land plots. Throughout the observation period, agrogray forest soils were well differentiated by fertility level into three subtypes: dark gray (humus content – more than 5 %, sum of exchangeable bases – more than 35 mmol/100 g, soil reaction – close to neutral or neutral), light gray (2.5–3.5 %; 20–30 mmol/100 g; slightly acidic or close to neutral) and gray (the above mentioned indicators occupied an intermediate position). During the observation period, the properties of agrogray forest soils changed as follows: the thickness of the arable layer increased by an average of 2–4 cm, the humus content in the arable layer decreased by 0.2–0.3 abs.%, or 2.5–10.0 rel.%, and the soil became acidified within the initial grouping of soils according to the degree of acidity. The content of nutrients did not depend on the genetic characteristics of the soils, but was determined by the level of agricultural technology on the land plots. The identified patterns will make it possible to make a long-term forecast of further changes in these soils as a result of their agricultural use in order to develop measures to restore fertility.

Based on the results of the work carried out by the authors in 2023-2024 the article describes the use and level of fertility of soils of agricultural use of the southeastern Baikal region (Bayandaevsky and Ekhirit-Bulagatsky districts of the Irkutsk region). The area of agricultural land in the region is 48 %, of which more than half is not used in agriculture, abandoned since the 1990-s, after the «restructuring» of the government system. The region has relatively good natural and climatic conditions (levelled relief, the sum of active temperatures up to 1800°С, the duration of the warm period to 104 days, the absence of permafrost, etc.). There was proposed a scale of qualitative assessment of the possibility of using land in agriculture, developed an assessment of the state of soil fertility, taking into account their regional characteristics. It has been established that the soils of most of the territory according to the main agrophysical and agrochemical indicators (density, content of the fraction of «physical clay», humus, nitrates, agronomically valuable aggregates, mobile phosphorus and potassium) are  assessed as «good» (sometimes «excellent», rarely «unsatisfactory»). «Excellent» soil condition is observed in the background territories untouched by human economic activity. According to such agrophysical indicators as the content of the fraction of physical clay, and sometimes agronomically valuable aggregates and soil density, they are mainly «unsatisfactory» and «bad» for their use for growing agricultural crops, which is mainly due to natural factors (rocks). There is a reserve of agricultural land for use in the form of abandoned land. The soils of most of the abandoned lands of the studied areas have a good and average level of fertility and can be introduced into agricultural circulation.

The article presents the results of a comparative study of the milk productivity and reproductive ability of the first-calf cows of the black-and-white Holstein breed in the context of genealogical lines. The initial material was information from the primary zootechnical and breeding records of cows (n = 3211). For comparative analysis, groups of animals were formed in accordance with their linear affiliation: the first group – individuals of the Vis Beck Ideal 1013415 line, the second – the Montwick Chieftain 95679 line, the third – the Reflection Sovering 0198998 line. It was found that the animals of the  V. B. Ideal line differed in the highest coefficient of lactation (1363 kg) and the coefficient of lactation constancy (93.2 %). According to the level of milk yield between the groups, the differences were not significant. Cows of the R. Covering line had the best indicators of reproductive ability. They had the lowest age of first fruitful insemination (16.7 months) and calving (26.8 months), as well as the shortest interbody period (13.4 months). They also outperformed the animals of the compared lines in terms of reproductive ability (0.91) and fertility index (46.3). In terms of calf yield per 100 heads (82.8 %), the best were cows of the M. Chieftain line. In all lines, positive correlation coefficients were obtained between milk yield and service and interbody periods (+0.237...+0.278), which indicate that with an increase in milk yield, the duration of service and interbody periods increases, and this indicates a process of deterioration in the reproductive abilities of cows. Cows were evaluated according to the fertility index (according to I. Dokhi). It was found that cows with a rating of "good" fertility, compared with animals rated "medium" and "low", had lower milk yield, shortened duration of the service period and increased reproductive ability. The line of R. Sovering was distinguished by the largest number of cows (56.9 % heads) with good reproductive ability, the average value of the fertility index was 51.2. The presence of low negative correlation coefficients between the fertility index and milk yield, against the background of an increase in milk yield, indicates a decrease in the fertility of cows.

Searching biomarkers, that have an early prognostic trait and determinate functional status of male gametes Gallus Gallus is a promising direction for improving ejaculate’s quality reproductive characteristics. In context of a decreasing reproductive performance due to breeding selection of birds aimed to improving economically useful traits, this approach to selecting males, based on their sperm quality production will make it possible to evaluate sperm in a short time and identify potentially the best producers at early stages. The study determined possibility of using exDNA as a potential biomarker that determines quality indicators of native sperm obtained from roosters. Significant correlations were revealed between exDNA and proportion of cells with damaged plasma membrane (r = 0.35, p<0.05), which indicates a possible connection of this  biomarker with necrotic and apoptotic processes occurring in cells. Variation coefficient of exDNA indicator was 30.28 %, demonstrating the possibility of using the proposed biomarker (exDNA concentration in the seminal fluid of Gallus Gallus)  as a predictive criterion for assessing quality of male gametes. Significant correlations (r = 0.51, p<0.05) were established between proportion of cells exposed to oxidative stress, proportion of cells with damaged plasma membrane and high mitochondrial activity, which indicates negative impact of reactive oxygen species on the plasma membrane integrity and relationship increased generation of reactive oxygen species with functional status of mitochondria. On the basis of the analysis of research results, the indicator “exDNA content in seminal fluid” should be considered as a preventive non-invasive biomarker of the functional state of male gamete Gallus Gallus.

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the problem of preserving the genetic diversity of farm animals and poultry. However, an indispensable condition for the economic feasibility of preserving any breed is not only its uniqueness, but also the possibility of practical use. An example is the Russian snow-white breed of chickens in the VNIIGRZh bioresource collection. It was developed by breeding of Russian white chickens for thermal resistance at low temperature conditions, as well as for resistance to neoplastic diseases. Currently, this breed is specialized for the purposes of the bio-industry (raw materials for the production of embryonic viral vaccines). The change in the direction of breeding work led to a modification of the genetic structure of the population. Constant selective pressure on one particular trait can lead to a decrease in variability around the genomic regions associated with that trait. Therefore, understanding the genetic mechanisms leading to phenotypic differentiation requires the identification of regions in the genome that were under selection pressure. The study of runs of  homozygosity (ROH) rates can provide useful information about the history of population selection, as well as allow for a better understanding of the genotype-phenotype relationship by discovering genes that are or were under selection pressure. In ROH islands specific to two generations of chickens, the most relevant candidate genes associated with adaptive traits are annotated. It has been established that genetic analysis based on changes in ROH can be used to characterize the genetic profile of chickens and to change the structure of the population under the influence of selection pressure. These data are especially important to take into account when evaluating qualitative phenotypic features, such as the adaptive capabilities of chickens.

The effect of titanium tetrapolyethylene glycolate dissolved in polyethylene glycol (ratio 1:10) (abbreviated TTP_EG*10PEG) on granulosa cells (GC) of the antral ovarian follicles of Sus scrofa domesticus in the dynamics of in vitro culture was assessed. Granulosa cells aspirated from post mortem ovarian porcine follicles (ø 3-5 mm) obtained at the Tosnensky Meat Processing Plant, were cultured without and in the presence of 0.1, 0.01 and 0.001 % TTP_EG*10PEG.  After 22 and 44 hours, the GC were analyzed by flow cytometry. A comprehensive analysis of viability indicators (mitochondrial activity, apoptosis), as well as the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the GC after exposure to TTP_EG*10PEG, revealed that the addition of 0.1 % TTP_EG*10PEG to the culture medium after 22 and 44 hours causes disturbances in the functional activity of the GC, accompanied by a decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential compared to control (by 8 and 9 %, respectively, p<0.05) and cell death (the proportion of cells in apoptosis was 45 and 41 %, respectively, p<0.001). In the groups cultured in the presence of 0.01 % and 0.001 % TTP_EG*10PEG, no significant differences in the level of GC in the state of apoptosis were detected when cultured for either 22 or 44 hours. At the same time, an increase in mitochondrial  activity was shown in these groups in comparison with the control and the group containing 0.1 % TTP_EG*10PEG (by 11 and 13 %, respectively, after 22 hours, p<0.001 and by 15 and 27 % after 44 hours, p< 0.001). No significant differences were found between the study groups in the rate of ROS generation in cells. In general, a dose-dependent negative effect  of TTP_EG*10PEG (0.1 %) was identified. TTP_EG*10PEG at concentrations of 0.01 and 0.001% did not have a destructive effect on the studied cell population, which indicates the possibility of using TTP_EG*10PEG at the above concentrations (0.01 and 0.001 %) to simulate the composition of media used in porcine granulosa cells culture systems.

The design features of the device and the process of operation of the new KS-0.3P clover grater and scarifier when wiping seeds from a bunch of meadow clover pad are provided in the article. Compared with the analogue KS-0.2, the new clover grater has an increased drum diameter of 0.45 m and a deck of 0.7 m and is additionally equipped with a pneumatic separation device, which contributes to an increase in productivity by 25...30 %. The purpose of the research is to study the effect of the drum rotation frequency of the KC–0.3P clover grater and scarifier and the feed of the starting material on the quality of seed wiping, to determine the range of their optimal values when agrotechnical requirements are met. During  the experimental research the starting material was meadow clover wad obtained after having been cleaned of light, large, small impurities and seeds free from shells using an air sieve seed cleaning machine. The quality of the clover grater and scarifier was evaluated by two indicators - the degree of wiping and crushing of seeds. The supply of clover wad was regulated in the range from 0.3 to 0.5 t/h. The rotation frequency of the drum was changed from 700 to 800 min^-1. The experiments were carried out three times. Adequate (with probability p = 0.95) regression models of the degree of wiping and crushing of seeds were obtained, the analysis of which let to determine the ranges of the optimal drum rotation speed of 775...800 min^-1 and material supply of 0.48...0.50 t/h, when the specified agrotechnical indicators were provided: the degree of wiping not less than 95 % and crushing not more than 1.5 %.

The article provides an analysis of existing feeding technologies on dairy farms, which are divided into four types and evaluated by the accuracy of dosing concentrated and bulky feeds into a mixer. In the first type of feeding, the feed  is prepared by a trailer mixer-distributor, where each component is dosed by a loader, the accuracy of the feed dosage was measured by the onboard weighing system "Dailly TMR Manager". The second type involves the use of a self-propelled feed dispenser mixer with self-loading. The third feeding scheme in a stationary feed mill provides for the use of a stationary mixer-distributor of feed and automated distribution means (a wheeled robot or a feed wagon). The fourth type of feeding technology is presented in the form of a self-propelled chassis, on which the feed mixer capacity and an autonomous dosing system of concentrated feeds for different age and gender technological groups are installed. The high dosage error of concentrated feeds was shown by the first feeding technology, the maximum recorded value of 17 % out of 100 measurements. When dosing bulky feeds, the first and fourth feeding technologies showed a high error of up to 6 %. The technology of feeding in a stationary feed mill has a high accuracy of dosing of all types of feed, but the main disadvantages of this technology are high metal consumption, energy consumption and bulkiness of the structure, which increases the cost of equipment and its maintenance. The specific gravity of concentrates in the feeding diet requires the use of high-precision dosing equipment, eliminating dosage errors associated with the human factor. An overdose of concentrated grains increases the cost of milk, increases the risk of acidosis, and a lack reduces the efficiency of animal nutrient metabolism. Based on the above analysis of existing technologies, a feeding technology is proposed using a self-propelled mixer distributor with an automatic weight control system and a self-loading device for bulky feeds, and for concentrated feeds – a robotic device equipped with an accurate dispenser of concentrated feeds and mineral additives with a maximum error of 2 %.

The article provides a method for assessing the intensity of apple blossom for the thinning technological operation, including dataset preparation and training of YOLOv8-seg convolutional neural network models (n, s, m, l, x) for image segmentation. Transfer learning technique was applied in the research, utilizing pretrained models on the COCO dataset (Common Objects in Context). The apple blossom image dataset was captured using a GoPro HERO 11 camera. Image annotation was performed on the Roboflow platform using tools for bounding box and polygon annotation and labeling. To expand the dataset and improve the models' generalization during training, augmentation of original images was conducted, including horizontal flipping, horizontal rotation by 90°, rotation from -15° to +15°, adding noise up to 5% of pixels, blurring up to 2.5 pixels, horizontal and vertical shifts from -10° to 10°, and color hue adjustment from -15° to +15°. Binary classification metrics such as Precision and Recall were used to evaluate the performance of trained models in recognizing apple blossoms in images using bounding boxes and mask segmentation. The Loss(Box/Mask) loss function was used to assess model errors in determining bounding boxes and segmentation masks of objects in images during training. The hyperparameters of the YOLOv8-seg model for image recognition, classification, and segmentation of apple blossom images were identified through the YOLOv8x-seg (mAP50 metric = 0.591) and YOLOv8l-seg (mAP50 metric = 0,584) models demonstrate higher performance in apple blossom recognition. The frame processing speed (Frame Rate, FR) of  convolutional neural network models ranged from 10.27 (YOLOv8x-seg model) to 57.32 (YOLOv8n-seg model). The average  absolute error of the models in recognizing apple blossoms and counting their quantity in the test dataset does not exceed 9 %.