Russian Agricultural Sciences最新文献

Abstract

The aim of this research is to study the effectiveness of biofertilizers and growth stimulants for modern varieties of spring soft wheat. The work was performed in 2019–2021 under the conditions of the Middle Volga region. The reaction of the varieties (factor A) Kinel’skaya Niva, Kinel’skaya 2010, Kinel’skaya Yubileinaya, Kinel’skaya Zvezda, Eritrospermum 4146, and Eritrospermum 4144 was studied in the experiment. To determine the effectiveness of the applied biological products (factor B), seeds were treated (at the rate of the working solution of 10 L/t) and crops were sprayed two times (300 L/ha) at the tillering and heading phases according to the following scheme: without chemicals (control, water), Mival-Agro (5 g/t; 10 g/ha), AgroVerm (1 L/t; 2 L/ha), Lignohumate (100 g/t; 50 g/ha), Polishans (0.2 L/t of seeds and 0.4 L/ha), Mival-Agro + Lignohumate, AgroVerm + Polishans, and Mival-Agro + Polishans. Over the years of study, all the preparations and their complexes on average contributed to an increase in the yield by 0.09–0.63 t/ha (3.5–23.2%), in the number of productive stems by 20–185 pcs/m², in the weight of 1000 grains by 0.3–3.0 g, in grain weight by 0.10–0.33 g per ear, in grain units to 9 g/L, in the amount of gluten in grain to 4%, and in the protein content to 1.9% relative to the control. The increase in the values of most parameters in comparison with the control was maximal in the variants with Mival-Agro + Polishans and AgroVerm + Polishans complexes: there was an increase in grain yield by 0.27–0.63 t/ha, in the weight of 1000 grains by 0.6–3.0 g, in grain weight per ear by 0.22–0.33 g, in the number of productive stems by 87–185 pcs/m², in grain unit by 2–9 g/L, and in the gluten and protein content by 0.4–3.6 and 0.1–1.9%, respectively. The mean yield in the experiment and the increase over the control were the highest for the varieties Kinel’skaya Zvezda (3.22 t/ha and 0.17–0.61 t/ha, respectively) and Kinel’skaya Yubileinaya (2.99 t/ha and 0.14–0.60 t/ha).

Abstract

The analysis of the current state and trends in the development of the range of pesticides allowed for use in sunflower crops is presented. Based on the results of studies conducted in three soil-climatic zones of the country, the possibilities are outlined and priorities are determined for improving the range of drugs to protect this crop from the main harmful organisms, the principle of which is an increase in the share of combined and domestic drugs. At the same time, the biological effectiveness of protection measures against certain types of pests, major diseases, and weeds is specified, and the characteristics of the latest developments in methods for controlling residual amounts of a number of active substances of pesticides used in the protection of sunflower are presented. Based on the results of field experiments, it was found that the level of biological efficiency in protecting the main oilseed crop from pests is characterized at present in most cases by indicators close to 80%; that from diseases varies in the range of 60–75%, and that from weeds reaches 90% in combination with a decrease in their raw mass to 95%.

Abstract

Over the past decades, the selective breeding process has been accelerating with advances in molecular genetics and identification and analysis of genes partly associated with growth and development of organisms and specific performance traits of economic value. The objectives of the survey are to study calpain (CAPN) and calpastatin (CAST) gene polymorphisms and to analyze their associations with the production parameters in beef cattle livestock of the Kalmyk breed. Six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) including c.947C>G, g.43405930С>G, c.1800+169C>T, c.*479C>T, g.43406123G>A, and g.43422631G>A in the CAPN gene and two SNPs (с.484G>А and g.96121070G>А) in the CAST gene were identified. Three genotypes for each CAPN gene variation within polymorphisms were revealed, including genotypes CC, CG, and GG within polymorphisms c.947C>G and g.43405930С>G, genotypes CC, CT, and TT within s.1800+169C>T and s.*479C>T, and genotypes GG, GA, and AA within g.43406123G>A and g.43422631G>A. The CAST gene recognized genotypes GG, GA, and AA within polymorphisms c.484G>A and g.96121070G>A. Among the animals of the studied population, the highest frequencies of occurrence were observed in the CG, CT, and GA heterozygous genotypes for the CAPN gene within five polymorphisms c.947C>G, g.43405930С>G, c.1800+169C>T, g.43406123G>A, and g.43422631G>A, varied in the range of 42–51%. The GА heterozygous and GG homozygous genotypes for the CAST gene within polymorphisms c.484G>A and g.96121070G>A were characterized by the highest frequencies of occurrence, comprising 50 and 45%, respectively. The carriers of the CC homozygous genotype within the CAPN1 gene c.947C>G polymorphism were characterised by the highest liveweight, which was higher than that in the specimens with the CG and GG genotypes by 22.6 and 21.4%, respectively. The bull carriers of the CC and ST genotypes within the c.1800+169C>T polymorphism had greater live weight than the specimens of the TT genotype did, by 12.6 and 12.1%, respectively. In addition, it was greater in the animals of the GA heterozygous genotype within the g.43406123G>А polymorphism than that in the specimens of the GG and AA homozygous genotypes by 18.5 and 19.9%, respectively. Carriers of the GG genotype for the CAST gene within single polymorphism g.96121070G>A had greater liveweight than the animals of the GA and AA variants did by 6.73 and 5.3%, respectively.

Abstract

Currently, the search for B. thuringiensis strains to be used as biological control agents is based on their toxicity to insects in laboratory tests. At the same time, a number of strains of these bacteria are able to exist in symbiotic relationships with host plants, including being endophytes. The ability of B. thuringiensis strains to penetrate into the internal tissues of plants was evaluated by counting colony-forming units (CFU) of microorganisms 7 days after inoculation of sterile potato plants in test tubes; insecticidal activity was tested on larvae of the III instar obtained from overwintered adults of the Colorado beetle collected from fields in the Chishminsky and Iglinsky districts of Bashkortostan. It was shown that the strain of B. thuringiensis B-5351, which inhabits the surface (50.01 ± 8.10 CFU × 10⁵/g) and internal tissues (38.92 ± 9.62 CFU × 10⁵/g) of plant shoots, but has less insecticidal activity than the strain B. thuringiensis B-5689, which exhibits high insecticidal activity and colonizes mainly plant roots (25.37 ± 3.82 CFU × 10⁵/g), reduced colonization of potato crops by the Colorado potato beetle, and also increased the yield of tubers in a 2-year experiment (2020–2021). Under the influence of B. thuringiensis B-5351, a decrease in the number of larvae of early age was observed, in contrast to B. thuringiensis B-5689, which caused longer metamorphosis processes. Apparently, the effect of B. thuringiensis B-5351 was the death of insects. It is important that processing B. thuringiensis B-5351 contributed to a significant decrease in the number of late-instar larvae on crops treated with this strain as well as the degree of defoliation of plants by the pest, which was not observed with the action of B. thuringiensis B-5689. On plots treated with B. thuringiensis B-5351, the yield of commercial tubers and the total yield increased. A method is proposed for studying the endophytic potential of strains in relation to the terrestrial part of plants to search for biocontrol agents as a basis for creating algorithms for constructing microbiomes in agrocenoses.

Abstract

The process of fertigation, which consists in providing plants with minerals contained in irrigation water, is widespread, despite a number of negative effects. The overwhelming majority of studies are aimed at studying the spatial distribution of salts during irrigation; in interirrigation periods and at the end of the irrigation season, the processes of salt migration and concentration in soil under conditions of reduced moisture (drying conditions) are hardly covered by studies. The purpose of this research is to model the drying regimes of light and dark gray forest soils in the Chuvash Republic (Russia) after fertigation. The studies were carried out from 2020 to 2023. Since the state of soil prior to drip irrigation significantly influences the drying process, the paper considers situations that make it possible to reduce the negative effects of this process. Modeling of the movement of soil moisture during and after the end of drip irrigation makes it possible to identify different cases of the formation of a salt “fringe.” The identification of such regimes makes it possible to preliminarily prepare the soil for fertigation, taking into account the features of the initial distribution of moisture. This paper shows that salts can concentrate mainly in areas with a sharp moisture gradient, i.e., at the boundaries between dry and moist soil, during drying. This is explained by the fact that soil moisture enters an area with an already increased salt concentration due to the resulting pressure drop. The developed model makes it possible to analyze the effect of salt fringe formation according to the set initial and boundary conditions in the form of moisture gradients, porosity, specific soil surface, irrigation intensity and duration, and salt concentration.

Abstract

The effects of a spontaneously generated, rapid turf fire in January were analyzed in an extensive meadow utilized by the Achilleo-Festucetum pseudovinae grassland community in Karcag. In comparison to the control grassland, the burned grassland exhibited higher initial tallgrass cover values and increased soil carbon dioxide emissions. However, it had lower soil moisture values. In the fire-affected grassland, the proportion of uncovered areas increased and the plant diversity of the grassland decreased. It is advisable to continue and refine these studies under different site conditions and during various times of the year.

Abstract

The aim of the study was to study the state and reaction of cytoskeletal elements, microtubules and actin filaments, in root cells of Samsun tobacco plants and its transgenic line expressing the FeSOD1 gene from Arabidopsis thaliana with the pea rbcS leader sequence for the localization of the gene product in chloroplasts encoding Fe-dependent superoxide dismutase, constitutively inducing intracellular oxidative stress, by increasing the H₂O₂ pool for a long-term effect of moderate concentrations of NaCl and Na₂SO₄. The main hypothesis was to identify the positive protective effect of controlled constant oxidative stress on the stability of the most sensitive system that provides growth by division and growth by extension (the tubulin cytoskeleton) and effective intracellular transport and structural stability (the actin filament system). Localization of the microtubule cytoskeleton and actin filaments using antibodies to tubulin clone DM1α and actin clone 10-B3 by transmission electron microscopy and immunocytologically, detected by treatment with the second antibodies conjugated with Alexa‑488, made it possible to establish signs of reorganization and disassembly of the actin filament network under the action of NaCl and Na₂SO₄ as in control and in transgenic plants. At the same time, in transgenic plants, differences can be noted even without exposure, which indicates the effectiveness of this method for stimulating a protective response. These data suggest that the state of the system of the tubulin cytoskeleton and actin filaments may be an indicator of the resistance of FeSOD1 transgenic plants to salinity. A relationship has also been established between the reorganization of the cytoskeleton and vacuolization, especially with Na₂SO₄.

Abstract

The paper reports the evaluation of wild forms of alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum L.) of different geographical origin in the year of sowing (first year grass canopy) under unstable moisture level conditions in the Central Black Earth Region compared to the local varieties. Twenty cultivars and wild forms were studied, including the Novator (standard), Pervenets, and Fregat cultivars, and wild forms from the Northwestern, Central, Volgo-Vyatka, and Central Black Earth Regions, Tatarstan, Chuvashiya, Canada, etc.). The work was carried out in two collection nurseries in the Belgorod oblast on typical black soil in 2022–2023. Novator (standard) and Pervenets, as well as the wild forms from Canada (VIK 8), Tatarstan (VIK no. 753), and the Moscow (M-2/21) and Belgorod (B-2/20) oblasts showed the highest 2-year average of dry matter yield in the year of sowing (0.411–0.504 kg/m²). The M-2/21 form is of particular value. With the dry matter yield in the year of sowing in 2022 at the level of the standard (0.416 kg/m²), this accession gave the yield of 0.672 kg/m² in 2023, which statistically significantly exceed the standard by 0.165 kg/m², or by 32.5%. On average for the 2 years, the samples showed significant morphological diversity and variation in the stem length (43.1–57.6 cm), weight of one stem (1.6–3.5 g), and foliage rate (26.5–50.1%). When evaluating hybrid clover forms for productivity in the year of sowing, the most reliable characters may be stem length (r = 0.514) and weight (r = 0.599), the degree of anthocyanin coloration of the stem (r = 0.501), and leaf area (r = 0.521). Cluster analysis allows for identifying valuable breeding samples based on a combination of correlated breeding traits with high level of significance.

Conformation scores, body constitution characteristics, and phenotypic correlations between liveweight and body measurements and body condition indices in the Trans-Baikal stud horses were analyzed to improve the breeding efficiency. The surveys were carried out with stud horse sires (n = 7), mares (n = 20), and foals at birth and at the age of 6, 18, and 30 months (n = 48) in the Trans-Baikal krai. The stud horse sires and mares were more efficient in liveweight than the breed standards by 27.2 and 19.3%, respectively. The values for the stallion and mare heights at the withers, oblique body lengths, chest circumferences, and cannon bone circumferences were higher than that for the breed standards by 3.2 and 2.5%, 2.2 and 2.4%, 8.7 and 4.6%, and 7.9 and 8.9%, respectively. Distinct muscle shapes in horses for meat production are typical of the animals. In addition, stocky, large, and long body with strong constitution characterizes the males. The average body weight in the 30-month old foals became 8.0 times greater, while their height at withers, oblique body length, chest circumference, and cannon bone circumference increased by 47.1%, 2.1-fold, 1.9-fold, and 55.6%, respectively. Considering the body condition indices, the Trans-Baikal stallions and mares are characterized as the animals with distinct muscle shapes, ranking closer to carthorse breeds. In stud horse sires, positive relationships between liveweight, cannon bone circumference (r = 0.922), and chest circumference (r = 0.716) were revealed. With respect to the mares, low correlations between the analyzed traits were only observed. Considering the youngstock, positive conjugations of liveweight with all the main body measurements at birth were found. In addition, the closest relationship between liveweight and chest circumference was recorded (r = 0.719).

Abstract

The study performed in 2019–2022 was aimed at the identification of the possibility and prospects of using resource-saving technologies in a six-field grain–fallow–row-crop rotation on ordinary black earth. Four technologies of field crop cultivation were tested, including the conventional technology, direct sowing, and two differentiated tillage systems. During the period of study, the prospects of resource-saving technologies with a complex of intensification tools were revealed. Compared with the conventional system, the yield increase in other technologies was 0.30–0.57 t/ha (11.0–21.0%). The maximum crop rotation productivity (2400 grain units/ha) was observed for the differentiated tillage technology combined with the use of intensification tools and exceeded that for the direct sowing by 200 grain units/ha (9.1%) and those for the conventional and resource-saving (with the extensive background) technologies by 380–610 grain units/ha. Based on the obtained results, the following technological operations have been proposed for the cultivation of field crops using a universal AUP-18.05 sowing unit (direct sowing of grain crops) or a Kuhn seeder (for sunflower): differentiated tillage in a crop rotation (including soil loosening by 25–27 cm using a PCh-4.5 chisel plow for sunflower and soybean, no autumn treatment for the bare fallow, and a direct sowing for barley and spring wheat) or direct sowing to provide the maximum recoupment of investments; application of ammonium nitrate at a dose of N40 (presowing introduction for spring wheat and barley or spring fertilizing of winter wheat); the main application of azophoska (N15P15K15) for the cultivation of sunflower and soybean; and a crop treatment with Bionex Kemi fertilizer, Phytosporin biofungicide, and Soligor fungicide (Borogum fertilizer for sunflower).