In recent years, assisted reproductive technologies in animal production have included artificial insemination in need of high-quality cryopreserved bull sperm. High-quality freezing depends on the optimally selected parameters of the semen diluent. In this connection, the purpose of this review is to spread the knowledge about the use of various types of diluents and additives to them in the cryopreservation of bull semen to improve its quality. This article provides an overview of 64 scientific papers of domestic and foreign researchers on modeling diluents in order to ensure the maximum yield of high-quality sperm after thawing. Research into the creation of an optimal sperm diluent to ensure sperm protection and save high-quality sperm from cryoinjury during a long time, which can long preserve its properties in liquid nitrogen has been carried out since the mid-20th century. Classic media with a known composition (LPG, Tris, MOPS, etc.) and commercial media (Andromed, BullXcell, OptiXcell, etc.) are used to dilute bull sperm before cryopreservation. The use of different variants of bull sperm extenders by researchers from different countries provides important information on the effect of extender compositions on sperm quality parameters, such as motility, viability, percentage of abnormal sperm, etc., after long-term cryopreservation. Also, recently, the inclusion of additives of natural or synthetic origin in extenders, which exhibit different effects on sperm and spermatozoa, has been widely used. This review may be useful for organizations and laboratories engaged in the development of technologies for creating bull sperm extenders.

The research was carried out in 2022-2024 in order to evaluate 18 promising hulled and naked oat genotypes according to grain yield and grain mass and to identify the mowing and universal genotypes with high plasticity and stability in the conditions of the Kirov region. Cultivar ‘Arkhan’ was used as a standard for hulled genotypes, and cv. ‘Azil’ – for naked ones. The periods of "seedlings – ripening" of oats in the years of the research were characterized by different hydrothermal regimes: HTC – 2.11; 1.64; 0.76. The genotypes were evaluated by grain yield, green mass yield and dry matter yield, followed by an assessment of their adaptive potential on the basis of "grain yield" and "dry matter of the green mass yield" traits.  The linear regression coefficient (bi), stability index (S_i²), homeostatic parameter (Hom), breeding value (Sc), stability factor (SF), coefficients of adaptivity (KA) and multiplicativity (KM) were determined. Covered forms of oats formed a higher yield of both grain and green mass. Covered lines having high grain yield (5.5...5.8 t/ha) and green mass yield (33.9...40.2 t/ha) were selected for universal use – 91h18, 41h18, 23h20, naked lines – 5h18, 1h18, 63h11, 4h18 (grain yield 3.1...3.4 t/ha and 26.5...28.8 t/ha, respectively). A covered oats line 40h20 having a high yield of green mass (35.6 t/ha) is for a mowing purpose. The covered forms showed a high significant direct dependence of both grain yield (r = 0.68) and green mass yield (r = 0.81) on plant height, the green mass yield was in positive relationship of middle degree with leafiness (r = 0.42) in covered oats. The grain yield of naked oats depended on green mass yield (r = 0.83), plant height (r = 0.73), leafiness (r = 0.45), green mass yield depended on the plant height (r = 0.84). As a result of the analysis of some parameters of plasticity and stability by the sum of ranks, there have been identified lines that have high economic value on the basis of "grain yield" and "dry matter of the green mass yield" traits: covered genotypes 50h18, 23h20, and naked genotypes 5h18, 1h18. 

The study has been carried out to evaluate raspberry cultivar samples by productivity, its stability over the years of the research and to identify the components that make the greatest contribution to increasing yields in the conditions of the Bryansk region. The study was conducted in 2022–2024. The objects of the research were 21 raspberry cultivar samples planted in 2020. The biological productivity accounting of cultivar samples and its components, statistical processing of data was carried out using generally accepted methods. The results of the analysis of variance for the period of the research by the productivity components of cultivars and selected forms indicate the presence of reliable differences in the influence of cultivar, year, as well as their interaction. No cultivar samples have been identified as sources of a complex of high-level productivity elements that are consistently evident over the years of the research. The highest number of fruit-bearing stems per bush (5.6 pieces) was formed by selected form No. 8-6-3 (Russia) with genotypic control of the index (70.0 %). The long laterals (more than 20 cm) were noted in cultivars ‘Balzam’, ‘Skromnitsa’ and selection 6-125-4 (Russia) with a high degree of trait control by genotype (41.9–56.7 %). The sources of increased number of laterals on the stem (21.6-27.0 pieces) were cultivars ‘Lavina’, ‘Gusar’, ‘Balzam’ and selection 8-6-3 (Russia) with the influence of genotype on the manifestation of the index from 52.6 to 85.5 %. 

The highest number of berries per lateral (14.4 pieces) with the lowest variability by years (25.0 %) is formed by selected form 2-90-3 (Russia). The introduced cultivars ‘Glen Magna’, ‘Glen Ample’ (Great Britain), ‘Sokolica’ (Poland), as well as the  genotypes of Russian breeding ‘Lavina’ and 6-125-3 with genetic control of the indicator at the level of 65.3–93.8 % were distinguished by large-fruitfulness (3.6–4.3 g) and stable manifestation of the trait over the years of the research (6.3–31.0 %). Correlation analysis allowed to establish that the contribution of productivity components to the total yield is different and varies depending on environmental conditions, so the selection of highly productive plants in raspberry progeny should be carried out for all components and breeding process to increase the level of each of them.

The creation and promulgation of nomenclatural standards is necessary to fix the name of a cultivar to its appearance and, therefore, to a certain set of genetic information. According to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants, a herbarium sample of the cultivar must be designated as the nomenclatural standard. For the official promulgation of nomenclatural standards, their publication is necessary, indicating the identification number of the herbarium sample and a link to the published descriptions of the cultivar. In the article there have been published nomenclatural standards of 8 gooseberry cultivars bred by the South Ural Research Institute of Horticulture and Potato Growing: ‘Avangard’, ‘Arlekin’, ‘Berill’, ‘Kooperator’, ‘Senator’, ‘Stanichny`j’, ‘Ural`skij Izumrud’, ‘Shershnevskij’. The nomenclatural standards were created on the basis of the gooseberry collection of the Sverdlovsk Horticultural Breeding Station of the Ural Federal Agrarian Scientific Research Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and are designed in accordance with the ICNCP recommendations. The herbarium sample of the nomenclatural standard of each cultivar is represented by one herbarium leaf, which contains parts of one plant collected in two periods: flowers ‒ during flowering; fruits and annual shoots ‒ during fruiting. Herbarium specimens are supplemented with photographs of flowers and fruits. Nomenclatural standards are  registered in the VIR Herbarium database and transferred to the standard fund of the Herbarium of Cultivated Plants of the World, Their Wild Relatives and Weeds (WIR) and to the National Center for Plant Genetic Resources. The created nomenclatural standards can be used as a carrier of authenticity of the genetic information of the cultivar as a breeding achievement.

Decorative landscaping plays a key role in landscape design. The improvement of urban areas with the planting of decorative plants unusual for northern latitudes, such as garden roses, is aimed at creating the most comfortable conditions for human habitation. However, the introduction of roses in the Udmurt Republic is limited by low winter temperatures. The issue of studying the biochemical mechanisms of plant protection from low temperatures and the possibility of enhancing this protection with the help of chemical treatment, in particular, with silicon-containing preparations, is relevant. The aim of the research is to study the effect of an aqueous solution of silicon (IV) oxide in various concentrations (0.002; 0.004; 0.006; 0.008 %) the structural and functional features and resistance of the Fancy Babylon Eyes rose to low ambient temperatures.

For this purpose, annual three-fold (May-June-July) foliar treatment of plants with silicon oxide solution was used during 2019–2021. (control – distilled water treatment). The growth and development of plants during the growing season, the thickness of the epidermis, the content of starch and lipids in the stems in the pre-winter period were studied. Under the influence of non-root treatments, there was a tendency to increase the height of bushes and the number of shoots. Histochemical examination revealed a statistically significant thickening of the epidermis during treatment with all concentrations of the solution, the maximum (by 35.8 and 49.4 %) at concentrations of 0.006 and 0.008 %. An increase in lipids in rose stems was noted only when treated with 0.002 % silicon oxide solution. In order to increase the winter hardiness of rose bushes an aqueous solution of silicon (IV) oxide in concentrations of 0.006 and 0.008% using an annual three-fold foliar treatment should be applied.

Lilac, as one of the most decorative and unpretentious to growing conditions shrubs, is very popular in landscape industry. Comprehensive introduction studies on the formation of an assortment of Syringa L species and cultivars resistant to the conditions of the Bashkir Cis Urals were conducted from 1999 to 2024. The research area belongs to the 3rd zone of plant endurance, the climate is continental. The objects of the research were 260 lilac taxa from the collection of the South Ural Botanical Garden-Institute of the UFIC RAS. According to generally accepted methods of phenological observations and winter hardiness, there have been identified 10 species, 52 cultivars of common lilac and 3 cultivars of hyacinthocolor lilac, which have successfully passed acclimatization and consistently show decorative signs at maximum values. Data on the size of the bush of each taxon, the timing and duration of flowering, color, shape and size of flowers and inflorescences are provided. Recommendations are given on variants for the use of lilac species and cultivars in landscape design. These lilac taxa can be recommended for further use in landscaping settlements of the Bashkir Cis Urals and adjacent regions.

In conditions of climate aridisation and desertification of territories leading to secondary soil salinisation, more and more lands are subjected to premature degradation and their further withdrawal from agricultural use. In vitro modelling of stress factors for selection of tolerant lines of salt-tolerant genotypes of tree species helps to accelerate the breeding process. In the study, the effect of NaCl on morphogenesis of regenerant plants of poplar F1 interspecific hybrids (Populus L.) was investigated, and in vitro selection of potentially co-tolerant genotypes was carried out. After controlled crossing of selected parental lines with economically useful traits (Populus deltoides × P. alba; P. nigra f. piramidalis × P. alba; P. deltoides × P. bolleana f. piramidalis) by the method of isolated embryos, aseptic explants of interspecific hybrids were obtained and micropropagated. Sixteen genotypes of 10 clones each were tested on selective media with NaCl at concentrations of 0.2; 0.5;1.0 % in three replicates. The ratio of surviving and regenerating explants, the frequency of rhizogenesis and the percentage of chlorosis among the tested accessions, as well as shoot length and number, multiplication factor and number of nodes were determined.  The inhibitory effect of salt stress was manifested in the inhibition of morphogenesis, including the absence of rhizogenesis processes, chlorosis, partial deformation and necrosis of leaf plates. A dose of 0.5 % NaCl was determined to be sublethal and 1 % was lethal. Among the sixteen genotypes tested, 4 genotypes had high % of surviving explants (96.2–96.7 %), two of which maintained high % regeneration (82.6–96.6 %) at sublethal concentration of selective agent. These results suggest that in vitro testing for NaCl tolerance is a promising tool for accelerating the breeding process and selecting potentially tolerant genotypes to the abiotic stress factor for further field trials.

The purpose of the research is to evaluate the effectiveness of the selection of covered oats on an artificial infectious background of U. avenae for resistance to dust smut when creating breeding lines. The studies were conducted in the Kirov region in years with different hydrothermal vegetation conditions: 2023 (НTС – 1.66); 2024 (НTС – 1.10). In terms of resistance to smut, there have been studied 13 lines of covered oats, created by the method of mass selection of forms immune to smut on an artificial infectious background of Ustilago avenae (Jens. Pers.) from the samples of the gene pool of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Federal Research Center All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources named after N. V. Vavilov" (VIR). Against the natural background of the pathogen development, there was no damage in the created lines and collection samples, and the level of the trait in the indicator cultivar ‘Medved’ was 0.77 %. Artificial inoculation of seeds revealed practically stable lines (11h10, 14h10, 16h10, 18h10, 20h10, 22h10 – damage up to 2 %), which is significantly lower than the initial forms, as well as immune lines (6h10 and 19h10), with damage to the indicator cultivar of 74.8 %. Among them, the 20h10 line significantly exceeded the standard yield on an infectious background – the ‘Arhan’ cultivar highly resistant to dust smut. There was a significant (at p<0.05) correlation dependence of yields on both backgrounds of the smut infection of the study on the main elements of plant productivity: plant height (r = 0.37...0.50), panicle length (r = 0.47...0.52) and its mass (r = 0.58...0.72), the number of spikelets (r = 0.56...0.65), grain weight from the panicle (r = 0.60...0.72) and from the plant (r = 0.51...0.84).  A significant relationship was established (at p<0.05) between the dusty smut damage of oat plants and the mass of the panicle (r = -0.40), the number of spikelets (r = -0.37), the number of grains (r = -0.36), the mass of grain from the panicle (r = -0.37) and from the plant (r = -0.38). When the seeds were infected, a high harmfulness of dusty smut was detected: a decrease in the mass of the panicle by 18.3 %, the number of spikelets by 16.6 %, the number of grains by 18.3 %, the mass of grain from the panicle by 22.0 %, and the mass of grain from the plant by 27.6 %. Thus, there have been created resistant to dust smut (5h10, 6h10, 11h10, 14h10, 16h10, 18h10, 19h10, 20h10 and 22h10) and high-yielding (6 h10 and 20h10) covered oat lines. 

The results of research for 2022–2024 on the biological efficacy of fungicide preparations, their effect on the growth and development of plants, yield and quality of hemp products of a new cultivar of hemp ‘Ludmila’ under the conditions of Penza region are presented. The scheme of the field experiment included treatment with fungicides: soil of the experimental plot – Sterniphag, SP; seeds – Celest Top, CS; Bacsis, ZH; Bactofit, SP; Celest Top, CS+Bacsis, ZH; crops - Bacsis, ZH; Bactofit, SP. In the control variant fungicides were not applied. On average, during the years of the research, seed treatment with the studied preparations allowed increasing laboratory germination from 89.7 % in the control to 93.0–96.0 % in the protection variants, the best result was obtained with application of insectofungicide Celest Top, CS. Application of the studied preparations to hemp seeds allowed to increase the resistance of seedlings to pathogens, the biological efficiency of fungicides amounted to 40.6–77.9 %. On the plot with treatment with biological fungicide Sterniphag, SP the formation of more productive plants was noted, the increase in seed yield to the control amounted to 0.07 t/ha, or 5.6 %. The highest increase in seed yield  (0.11–0.15 t/ha) was obtained with the use of biological preparation Bacsis, ZH and insectofungicide Celest Top, CS, as well as their combination. The content of total fiber in hemp stems varied from 24.2 to 33.9 %, long fiber – from 11.3 to 20.9 %, the use of soil fungicide Sterniphag, SP increased the total fiber content by 0.93 % and long fiber by 1.52 %. Seed treatment before sowing increased the yield of long fiber by 1.04–1.92 % at 15.11 % in the control.

The article examines the impact of various aggregates for primary autumn tillage of dark gray forest soil on its agrophysical parameters, productivity and economic efficiency of the crop rotation link. The experiment was carried out in the conditions of the Chuvash Republic in the "spring wheat – peas – winter rye" crop rotation (2022–2024). Autumn tillage variants were: moldboard ploughing with PLN-3-35 plow to a depth of 20–22 cm (control); nonmoldboard tillage - stubble cultivation with KOS-3.0 to 14–16 cm, disking with BDM-4-3.2 unit to 12–14 cm; without autumn tillage. Pre-sowing cultivation for all experimental variants was carried out with a combined Pauk-6 implement to 6–8 cm. According to the values of the hydrothermal coefficient (HTC), the vegetation conditions in 2022 were optimal for crop cultivation (HTC = 1.0), and in 2023-2024 they were severely arid (HTC = 0.6). The greatest effect among the autumn tillage variants was obtained with nonmoldboard stubble cultivation: the soil density slightly differed from plowing, and the reserves of productive moisture in the 0-30 cm soil layer exceeded the control by 1.9–5.5 %; a higher soil pedality coefficient (3.3) was noted compared to the other experimental variants (3.0...2.7); the productivity of the crop rotation link (8.53 t/ha grain units) was obtained at the control level (8.83 t/ha grain units); the profitability of crop cultivation in the crop rotation link was 25.1 %, by 11.1 % above control. A variant of the experiment without autumn tillage (pre-sowing cultivation with a combined Pauk-6 unit), despite a significant decrease in the productivity of the crop rotation link (6.94 t/ha of grain units), stood out in terms of profitability of production (59.4 %) due to a significant reduction in direct costs. In addition, the beneficial effect of minimal tillage on the soil structure (the portion of fractions <0.25 mm is 58 % lower than after plowing) and the preservation of productive moisture reserves was noted.

Sorghum-sudanass hybrids (SSH) are hybrids of sugar or grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) and Sudanese grass (Sorghum xdrummondii (Steud.) Millsp. & Chase), which have a higher potential compared to the parent forms.  The study of SSH ‘Navigator’ as a new fodder crop for the conditions of the Novgorod region was carried out for eight years (2016–2023) on sod-podzolic medium-cultivated soils. The purpose of the research was to identify the influence of the agrometeorological conditions of the region on the duration of interphase vegetation periods and the yield of the green mass of sorghum-sudangrass hybrid ‘Navigator’. Correlation and regression analysis methods were used to identify the dependencies. According to the values of the hydrothermal coefficient (НTC), of the eight years of testing, three years were arid (НTC –

0.98...1.10), one was optimally humid (НTC – 1.37), four were excessively humid (HTC – 1.73...2.65). As a result of the research, a close relationship has been established between the sum of active temperatures and the duration of interphase vegetation periods: “sowing – young growth” (r = 0.94); “sowing – tillering” (r = 0.92); “young growth – tillering” (r = 0.98); “young growth – shooting” (r = 0.96); “tillering – shooting” (r = 0.91). It has been established that the increase in yield is closely related to the amount of precipitation during the “sowing – tillering” period (r = 0.88) and with the hydrothermal coefficient (GTC) during the “sowing – shooting” period (r = 0.70). The revealed dependencies confirm the prospects of promoting the area of sorghum-sudangrass hybrid ‘Navigator’ cultivation as a fodder crop to the North-West of the Non-Chernozem zones of the Russian Federation.

The physiological bases for Sudan grass tilling capacity and methods for its regulation have not been sufficiently  studied, since this trait is affected by both a genotype and the environment. The purpose of the research was to identify the dependence of tilling capacity of Sudan grass cultivars on external growing conditions (weather factors, sowing methods), to determine the effect of the trait on productivity, green mass quality of the crop. The study was carried out in the Rostov region in 2018–2024 using generally accepted methods. The objects of the study were 4 Sudan grass cultivars developed by the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” and 8 samples as the sources of high tilling capacity. Weather conditions during the “seedlings - heading” period varied from very severe drought in 2024 (HTC – 0.29) to insufficient moisture in 2020, 2021 and 2023 (HTC – 0.90 ... 1.02). With wide-row sowing (70 cm between rows), the tilling capacity was higher on average among the cultivars with 2.2 stems per plant, than that with row sowing (15 cm) with 1.7 stems per plant. There has been found that Sudan grass tilling capacity correlates with the sum of active temperatures for both wide-row (r = 0.26±0.19) and row sowing (r = 0.39±0.18). The tilling capacity of plants with wide-row sowing also depends on precipitation (r = 0.40±0.18) and affects green mass productivity (r = 0.28±0.16). There has been no correlation with seed productivity. There has been established a mean positive correlation between tilling capacity and protein percentage in green mass both with wide-row (r = 0.52±0.16) and row (r = 0.65±0.15) sowing methods. There was 12.9–14.3 % of crude protein in green mass of the identified sources of high tilling capacity with 5.0...8.5 stems per plant, such as ‘K-447’, ‘K-384’, ‘Priobskaya 97’, ‘Mechta Povolzhiya’, ‘Penzenskaya rannyaya’, ‘K-335’, ‘Golubovskaya’, ‘Voronezhskaya’, when the standard cultivar ‘Alexandrina’ was characterized with 2.4 stems per plant and 10.4 % of crude protein.

Copy number variations (CNVs) are repetitive regions of the genome, ranging from one thousand to several million base pairs in size, that vary between individuals in a population. Due to their greater genome coverage compared to SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms), CNVs are an important source of genetic variability and are currently considered an alternative type of DNA marker. To date, there are studies in animal husbandry indicating the effect of CNVs on phenotypic variability. However, few studies have focused on the associations of CNVs with blood parameters, which could help identify subtle mechanisms underlying the physiological regulation of phenotypes associated with health and selection-important traits. The aim of this work was to identify CNVs associated with alanine aminotransferase (ALT), urea (Urea), red blood cell (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC) counts in Large White pigs and to identify candidate genes that may be considered as 

genetic markers in hematopoietic functions, physiological processes and productivity phenotypes. The study was conducted on Large White pigs. Genotyping was performed using the GGP Porcine HD Genomic Profiler v1 biochip containing 80,000 SNPs. Functional annotation was performed according to the Sscrofa11.1 assembly using the Ensembl Genome Browser.  As a result of the study, CNVs (deletions/duplications) associated with ALT, Urea, RBC, and WBC levels were identified in Large White pigs. Genes overlapping CNV regions associated with the studied blood parameters in pigs were identified: ALT (BBS9, TTC14, KCND3, TRPC1, PSMD1, MMP16, KCNJ3, ADAM2); Urea (ESR1, USP8, CAST, CNBD1); RBC (PSMD1, TTC14, FUT8, CSMD3); WBC (BBS9, KCND3, BMPR2). According to the functional annotation, these genes can be considered promising genetic markers for hematopoietic functions, physiological processes, and productivity phenotypes in pigs.

The purpose of the research is to establish the most effective methods of breeding dairy cattle for working with the herd in the future. The research was conducted according to the data of zootechnical and breeding records. The object of the research were 286 cows and 7 sires of two Holstein lines: Vis Back Ideal and Reflection Sovering. The following indicators of daughter productivity were analyzed for the first lactation: milk yield for 305 days of lactation, mass fraction of fat, mass fraction of protein in milk, as well as the sum of milk fat and protein in kg, also daughters were compared with mothers and peers. Correlations and heritability of productivity traits in mother-daughter pairs have been determined. Good adaptability of Mikhailovsky type of cows of the Yaroslavl breed, a positive effect of breeding under intensive technology conditions at a dairy complex have been established. The best sires for future breeding have been identified. In addition, the results of the BLUP assessment of these sires in breeding farms of the Russian Federation conducted at VNIIplem are reflected. At the same time, the best stud bull, a prepotent improver of daughters' milk productivity, Tracer 3125479393, with a high breeding effect on a set of quantitative and qualitative indicators, was identified. It is advisable to use it in re-selection for the improvement of dairy cattle. It has been established that the actual indicators of daughters are quite high: from 7764 kg to 8777 kg in milk yield, from 3.87 to 4.08 % in MFF (Milk Fat Fraction) and from 3.34 to 3.66 % in MPF (Milk Protein Fraction). Daughters significantly surpass their mothers in milk yield from 1348 kg to 2399 kg (Р≤0.01)) and in protein – 0.17 to 0.66 % (Р≤0.01); in terms of milk fat content, they are significantly inferior to mothers – from -0,1 to -0.43 % (Р≤0.1). The total content of milk fat and protein in kilograms is also higher in daughters than in mothers – from 16.6 to 41.1 % (Р≤0.01).

The aim of the work was to study the effect of various fat sources in sheep nutrition on the indices of rumen digestion and the release of methane and carbon dioxide using the in vivo method. The experiment was conducted in the physiological yard of the L.K. Ernst Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry in 2024 on Romanov rams and crossbreeds with Katadin with chronic rumen fistulas using the group-period method. During the control period, animals received the main diet (hay and concentrates), in the I experimental period – in addition to it, palm oil, in the II experimental – sunflower oil, in the III experimental – fat from the larvae of the Hermetia illucens fly at a dosage of 0.5 % of the DM (dry matter) of the diet  (7.5 g per day). Animals received the daily amount of feed in 2 doses. At the end of each period, all animals were examined  for rumen metabolism dynamics and gas emission in vivo. Supplementation of various fat sources in the specified dosage did not have a negative effect on the consumption of basic feed. The use of fly larvae fat in sheep diet contributed to an increase  in the concentration of VFA (volatile fatty acids) by 29 % (p<0.01), a decrease in the level of ammonia nitrogen by 12.91 %. The use of palm and vegetable fats led to a decrease in the concentration of ammonia nitrogen in the rumen by 28.7 % (p<0.05) and 29.5 % (p<0.05) compared to the control, respectively. During the control period, 20.66 l of methane were excreted from the sheep's body, in the I experimental period it was 12.0 % less (18.18 l), in the II experimental period – 6.20 % less (19.38 l), in the III experimental period – 20.33 % less (16.46 l) (p<0.01). Using additional fat sources in ruminant feed may be an effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

Diseases of the digestive organs in animals in the conditions of industrial pork technology are widespread in all technological groups. Diarrhea syndrome is the most frequent in piglets on nursery, especially at the beginning of the period, which is associated with abrupt weaning and diet change. The aim of the work was to carry out a comparative assessment of fecal intestinal microbiota in healthy piglets and saplings with diarrheal syndrome using a molecular genetic method. Biological material was collected at a large pig-breeding complex. The object of the study was healthy and sick young pigs in the technological group of nursery. The real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method was used as a molecular genetic method. According to the results of laboratory studies, it was found that the development of the disease in animals was accompanied by an increase in the total number of bacteria in the contents of the rectum by 10^7.32. In the structure of the fecal microbiota, the content of desirable microorganisms in young animals with clinical manifestation of diarrhea was 82.19 %, which is 15.40 % less than in healthy animals. These changes occur due to an increase in the contents of the rectum in sick piglets of representatives of undesirable microorganisms. When diarrhea occurs in piglets, a decrease in the majority of representatives of the normoflora belonging to the genus Lactobacillus spp., Lachnobacterium spp., Clostridium spp., Megasphaera spp., Veillonella spp., Dialister spp. is recorded in the biological material and an increase in the number of opportunistic and pathogenic microorganisms, in particular Peptostreptococcus spp., Mobiluncus spp., Corynebacterium spp., Atopobium spp., Staphylococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., as well as the Enterobacteriaceae family. Understanding the structural changes of the microbiota in normal and pathological conditions will allow for the correct interpretation of the experiments aimed at correcting the microbiome using probiotic agents aimed at the competitive replacement of opportunistic and pathogenic microflora.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of an experimental phytobiotic supplement on morphological and biochemical parameters of blood and live weight gain in post-milk calves. The subject of the study was a phytobiotic  conditionally called Fitostim-L, the main active ingredients of which were biologically active compounds of meadowsweet (F. ulmaria (L.) Maxim.) and probiotic microorganisms. The experiment was conducted for 30 days on black-and-white calves, starting from the age of 2.5 months. The animals were divided into experimental (Fitostim-L) and control (farm ration) groups of 10 heads each. The calves of the experimental group received Fitostim-L orally, at a rate of 5 grams per head per day, after dilution in milk. At the beginning and at the end of the experiment, blood was tested twice for biochemical and morphological parameters. Morbidity, survivability, and live weight gain were taken into account. By the end of the experiment, blood analysis of calves in the experimental group, compared to the control, showed an increase in erythrocytes by 9.7 %, hemoglobin – by 18.4 % (Р<0.05), total protein – by 13.1 %, total Ig – by 18.9 % (Р<0.05), globulins – by 15.8 %, albumins – by 10.8 % (Р<0.05), a decrease in ALT activity by 19.1 %, AST – by 38.2 % (P < 0.05) and urea concentration by 12.8 % (P < 0.05). 

The average daily live weight gain of calves after using Fitostim-L exceeded the same indicator in the control by 0.27 kg.

No sick animals were recorded in the experimental group, survivability was 100 %.

The determination of the granulometric composition of ground grain is of great importance when feeding farm animals and poultry. The sieve method of determining the granulometric composition is traditionally used. With the development of modern digital technologies, it has become possible to determine the granulometric composition of grain without using special sieves. We have proposed a method for determining the particle sizes of crushed grain using color clustering and  morphological segmentation. However, this method does not solve the problem of particle overlap, when several contacting components are perceived as one large particle, which ultimately affects the final result of the analysis and gives a serious error relative to the traditional sieving method. In this regard, it was decided to improve the method by additional image analysis using the watershed method. The article presents the results of estimating the particle sizes of crushed grain when they intersect and overlap each other. The sizing technique consisted in the implementation of the following operations: image acquisition; entropy filtering of a grayscale image; calculation of the average color value for each color cluster of the image; construction of a refined binary mask; calculation of the gradient representation of the image with grains; calculation of foreground  markers; calculation of background markers; removal from the gradient representation of the image all local brightness  minima outside the constructed markers; application of the watershed method; determination of the area and maximum diameter of the Feret and sorting of all areas by size. As a result of the analysis of images of crushed grain particles, histograms of the particle distribution by their areas and lengths were constructed according to the proposed method. The complexity of estimating the size of crushed grain by existing classical methods has been revealed and it has been established that the watershed method gives a sufficiently high error (about 32 %) in determining the particle area, but can be used to determine the linear particle sizes through which their equivalent diameter can be expressed.

Federal Agricultural Research Center of the North-East has developed a basic model of a tillage unit with replaceable working bodies in the form of flat-cutting hoes or duckfoot shovels, the combination of which with disk sections allows in compliance with basic agrotechnical requirements to perform primary non-moldboard tillage of 14–25 cm and a complex of operations of pre-sowing soil cultivation operations of 5–14 cm. Further development of the unit design is aimed at improving the quality of processing the surface layer of soil by equipping the basic model with replaceable adapters for additional soil processing. Initially, a set of replaceable adapters was manufactured for the research, including the following types of rollers: tubular, spiral-tubular, rod and bar-tooth. The purpose of the research was to evaluate the effectiveness of using a unit with replaceable adapters for processing the surface layer of soil during basic non-moldboard and shallow tillage. The research was conducted in the form of field tests, during which the main indicators of the quality of soil cultivation were determined:  fractional composition of the soil, density, stability of the depth of cultivation and surface ridge. It was revealed that when the unit performed the basic non-moldboard tillage of light loamy soil, the degree of its crumbling, depending on the type of adapter, was 82.7...95.3 %, when performing shallow tillage, the content of the soil fraction less than 25 mm was 82.5...89.7 %, which fully met the agrotechnical requirements. The parameters of processing depth during basic non-moldboard and shallow tillage indicated a sufficiently high stability of the depth of the working body travel. Agrotechnical assessment during primary soil cultivation showed that the surface ridge during autumn cultivation of clean fallow was 30...36 mm, and during cultivation of grain stubble – 46 mm. In the variants of the unit equipped with working bodies for shallow tillage, this indicator varied within the range of 20...28 mm. The soil density after basic non-moldboard tillage was 1.22...1.31 g/cm³, after shallow tillage – 1.16...1.24 g/cm³. The obtained data indicate that the operation of the unit in all configuration options meets the agrotechnical requirements for pre-sowing and autumn tillage.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the current level of beekeeping and its economic efficiency in the zone of northern Russia, where previously, despite attempts to use honey bees, the industry failed to gain a foothold. In the post-Soviet period, socio-economic conditions favoring the emergence of small private apiaries have developed, and locally produced honey, which is in quite high demand, has appeared on the markets. The need of such regions in local beekeeping is substantiated in the article. The necessity is caused by the progressive problem of honey adulteration on a global scale. Observations carried out by the authors served as a source for the basic data. Analytical, comparative and systematic approaches were used during the research.  Based on the analysis of the work of a medium-sized amateur apiary (30 bee colonies), located in the Kamchatka Territory and operating as a private subsidiary farm, the profitability level of honey (540 kg per year) and wax (30 kg per year) production was calculated. The indicator size was 22.5 %. Only actual costs were taken into account, the size of which in 2024 reached 728.9 thousand rubles. Deductions for labor costs amounted to 64.4 %. The cost of production facilities and overhead costs were also taken into account. The selling price of honey was 1600 rubles/kg. Such farms can operate quite stably and gradually develop, but for the owners they will remain only a source of additional income. Establishment of larger beekeeping enterprises with industrial scale is complicated by difficulties in increasing the productivity of beekeepers due to the need to implement an individual approach in servicing each bee colony in such harsh conditions at the current level of knowledge and technology. The success of selling larger volumes of products at a cost-effective price also remains unknown. The material can be used to make decisions on state support in the organization or re-equipment of farm beekeeping enterprises.