Vol 19, No 4 (2024)

The relevance of the study is determined by the need for timely assessment of spring wheat varieties, including newly created ones, depending on changing weather factors in the cultivation area. The purpose of the study was to analyze the indicators of the ear of spring wheat varieties, which is the main element of sowing productivity. The materials for the research were yield data, indicators of the yield structure of spring soft wheat varieties obtained in field experiments conducted in the conditions of the Orenburg Urals during 2019—2020 and 2022—2023. The research methods included field experiments, structural analysis of accounting sheaf material, ranking of varieties by years of experiments and their final ranking, correlation and regression analysis of dependence of yield on ear productivity. The growing conditions of spring wheat in the years of research were characterized by significant aridity. The grade assessment of the varieties showed a significant dependence of their productivity on weather conditions and their ecological adaptation. The graphs showed that the theoretical yield in the range from 14.9 c/ha to 19.1 c/ha corresponds to: 25.7 grains per ear, 35.8 g — weight of 1000 grains, 13.6 spikelets per ear, 0.75 g — weight of grains per ear. The actual indicators of ear productivity elements were given by years of experiments with an analysis of their varietal differences and depending on the conditions of the year. We can conclude that weather factors cause differences in the response of varieties to their variability, expressed in their yield level under similar conditions. Varieties created at a later time are characterized by greater ecological plasticity with increasing yields and formation of a much more complete ear. Such varieties include Ulyanovskaya 105, Orenburgskaya 30, Tulaykovskaya zolotistaya. The varieties least adapted to the stress factors of the weather include Uchitel, Saratovskaya 42.

Modern accelerated development of agricultural production actualizes the development of new technologies aimed at more economical and environmentally friendly production of high-quality products with specified quality and properties. In this regard, the method of molecular markers, which significantly increases the efficiency of breeding, is gaining wide popularity and demand. The technology of marker-­assisted selection accelerates selection of the required characteristics of plants at early stages of their development until their manifestation in the adult state, increasing its efficiency regardless of the environment influence. This technology is widely applied to a huge range of crops, including white cabbage. This crop is cultivated over significant areas worldwide and is important due to its high demand and health benefits. Although a significant number of new varieties and hybrids of white cabbage with individual characteristics have been developed by breeders to date, the demand for increasing its yield is becoming increasingly high. Therefore, interest in molecular marker-­assisted breeding is increasing and manipulation of agronomic and economically important traits of promising lines is becoming relevant. The lack of generalizations of material in this area is essential. Therefore, the aim of this work was to review the current state of the issue, to identify the main and most demanded directions of research in the field of marker technology in application to white cabbage and to draw attention to this currently relevant topic. Accordingly, we conducted a search and systematic review of available modern specialized literature and relevant recent scientific data over the last two decades on marker-­mediated breeding of white cabbage. In the study, markers of biotic and abiotic stress as well as quality of white cabbage were analyzed. As the collected information on markers shows, scientific research in these areas is prioritized but poorly covered in the literature. A very small proportion of promising KASP markers was observed, as well as insufficient research on the different ripeness groups of white cabbage varieties. The systematization of the available knowledge with emphasis on problem areas undertaken in this review may be important and useful for breeders and producers for their practical application in practice.

Propolis is produced by honeybees (Apis) from a series of non-toxic, mucilage-­based resinous and balsamic substances collected from the leaf buds of various tree species and mixed by the bees with their saliva secretions. It is used as an insulating, sealant, and disinfectant in the cell. Because of its antimicrobial properties, propolis has become a popular alternative biocide or food additive for health protection and disease prevention. It has been shown that the abundance of a huge number of flavonoids, essential oils, phenolic compounds, and antioxidants is responsible for most of the biological and pharmacological activities of propolis. This study aims to provide a critical analysis of various studies evaluating the activity of propolis against fungi and to identify the chemical components responsible for this activity. Discussion of the methodological approaches used, and results released is a key point of this review to highlight knowledge gaps. In this review, we will first learn about the chemical composition of propolis, and the contrast agents used in their ability to inhibit pathogenic fungi. The study showed that increasing the concentration 12.5, 25, 50, 100% of propolis extract led to an increase in the rate of fungal growth inhibition Fusarium oxysporum, Pythium aphanidermatum, Rhizoctonia solani, we find that the concentration of 100 ml/L was superior, which achieved the highest percentage of inhibition of the growth of the three fungi, Fusarium oxysporum, Pythium aphanidermatum, and Rhizoctonia solani. The average percentage of inhibition was 85.36, 85.77, and 83.14 respectively.

This study presents the result of topsoil (0—10 cm) soil organic carbon (SOC) mapping in two areas of Moscow Region (2007 status): 1096 km² — Podolsky District, and 1101 km² — Serpukhovsky District. Based on 2007 legacy soil sampling data (n = 282) within these areas, we have created a statistical model between the target variable (SOC stocks, kg/m²) and numerous covariates (legacy maps and remote sensing data). GBM model has explained 56% of soil organic carbon stocks variability. Differences in stocks within different land use types were shown quantitatively. At the same time, the spectral reflectance in the near infrared band (B5) of Landsat‑5 TM made the greatest contribution in explaining the differences within individual types (among fallow lands and urbanized areas), and the spectral index NDVI has explained the spatial variability of soil organic carbon among forest ecosystems. The root mean square error of cross-­validation (RMSE_cv = 0.67 kg/m²) was chosen to describe the uncertainty of soil organic carbon stock prediction. According to the model, the total soil organic carbon stocks in the upper 10 cm soil layer of the Podolsky District were 2.65 ± 0.72 Tg, for the Serpukhovsky District — 2.77 ± 0.73 Tg.

 The aim of the study was to monitor and assess the suitability of surface water in the intake area of the Bereslav Reservoir for irrigation. During the growing season, water mineralization varied from 0.998 to 1.601 g·dm^‑3. According to Kostyakov A.N., the water is characterized as slightly mineralized and belongs mainly to group III. According to Alekin O.A., water at the beginning and end of the growing season is classified as sodium sulfate-­chloride class; in July and August, the water chemistry changes to sulfate class of magnesium-­sodium group. Observations of seasonal changes in the main components of mineral composition of water relative to their maximum permissible concentrations revealed an excess of sulfate anion in May and August by 7 and 91 mg·dm^‑3, respectively, and in July — almost 1.5 times. In the cation series, the main pollutants were sodium (in combination with potassium), its highest concentration in May was 299 mg·dm^‑3, in July it decreased to the maximum permissible value, as well as magnesium, concentration of which in July exceeded the standard by 28 mg·dm^‑3. In terms of concentration of sodium chlorides and sulfates, the irrigation water is of satisfactory quality. Actual values of mineral composition of the water and calculated values of irrigation coefficients, considering variability of chemical composition of the water over time, indicate its possible negative impact on ionic equilibrium in soil absorption complex. As a result, in order to maintain ameliorative state of the soils, it is necessary to develop and regularly carry out agrotechnical and agroameliorative measures to prevent salinization processes.

The portal vein is a large venous collector that collects venous blood from the organs of the gastrointestinal tract located in the abdominal cavity, with the exception of the caudal part of the rectum. The purpose of this study was to study ways of formation of portal vein in a domestic cat, to give the veins a morphometric characteristic. The material for the study was the corpses of cats, delivered to the Department of Animal Anatomy of the Saint Petersburg State University of Veterinary Medicine from veterinary clinics in St. Petersburg. In total, 15 cats were included in the study, the selection criterion for which was the absence of a history of infectious diseases, as well as diseases from the gastrointestinal tract; an average weight of the cats was 3500…3800 g. The research methods were fine anatomical dissection and morphometry. Previously, for fine anatomical dissection, the portal vein was injected with tinted latex. Four large veins take part in the formation of the portal vein of a cat. Splenic, right gastric, and gastrointestinal duodenum drain blood from the stomach of a domestic cat. Splenic and gastrointestinal veins are also involved in formation of blood outflow routes from pancreas and descending part of duodenum. The fourth branch of the portal vein, common trunk of mesenteric veins, is formed by fusion of cranial and caudal mesenteric veins. The cranial mesenteric vein collects blood from jejunum (along large jejunum veins), from iliac, caecum and ascending colon (iliac-­colon vein). From transverse and descending colon, as well as the proximal rectum, blood outflow occurs through caudal mesenteric vein system.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary ginseng, Panax ginseng, essential oil (GE) on the growth performance and digestive enzyme activities in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Fish were fed diets containing 0 ml/kg (control; CTL), 0.5 ml/kg (GE0.5), 1.0 ml/kg (GE1.0), 1.5 ml/kg (GE1.5), 2.0 ml/kg (GE2.0), 2.5 ml/kg (GE2.5), 3.0 ml/kg (GE3.0), and 3.5 ml/kg (GE3.5) GE for 8 weeks. Results indicated that the highest growth performance and feed efficiency were achieved with the GE2.0 and GE2.5 treatments. The GE2.5 and GE3.0 treatments exhibited the highest activities of gut trypsin, chymotrypsin, and lipase. But there were no significant differences in the gut amylase activity among the treatments. In conclusion, dietary GE at 2.5 ml/kg is recommended for trout feed supplementation to reach the highest production.

The relevance of the study lies in the possibility of purposeful formation of a highly productive dairy herd of cattle with the most desirable gene combinations based on the identified patterns of genotype inheritance. The aim of the study was to determine patterns of inheritance of desired genotype in daughter offspring from various genotypes of their mothers and compare them with indicators of milk productivity. The study was conducted on two generations of cattle of Kholmogorsky breed (cows and their offspring) on the basis of ʺAgrofirma ‘Kholmogorskaya’ʺ and ʺKholmogorsky plemzavodʺ. Determination of beta-casein gene polymorphism in Kholmogorsky cows was carried out by Allele-­specific polymerase chain reaction method. There was a predominance of heterozygous beta-casein genotype in two generations, which was 58.5 and 60.0% in mother cows and 49.1 and 48.0% in daughter offspring. In both herds, the dominance of A1 allele was observed, which, accordingly, affects the inheritance of A1 allelic variants of genotypes, but A1A2 genotype was more common. In order to determine the most promising genotype for further breeding work, an assessment of milk productivity was carried out in terms of milk yield, fat and protein in milk for 305 days of the first lactation. Cows with A1A2 genotype were mainly characterized by higher milk yield. In the studied herds, the dominance of A1 allele and the predominance of cows with heterozygous A1A2 genotype were observed. On average, in farms for 305 days of the first lactation, cows carrying genotypes with A2 allele variant (A1A2 and A2A2) had the highest indicators for qualitative and quantitative composition of milk. Thus, in order to produce high-quality dairy products and effectively conduct breeding work on farms, it is necessary to increase the number of animals carrying A2A2 genotype.

Nowadays intestinal lymphoma is considered to be the most common tumor of alimentary tract in cats. The disease is characterized by severe course and poor response to chemotherapy. Since this tumor shares clinical and ultrasound characteristics with inflammatory bowel disease, the diagnosis is challenging and requires a variety of diagnostic modalities, including blood tests. Thus, the purpose of the research was to evaluate hematological parameters of cats with intestinal lymphoma. The diagnosis was confirmed using cytological and histological examinations. The objects of the research were cats of various breeds (20 animals in total), various sex and age groups. All animals underwent a clinical examination using standard methods, ultrasonographic examination of the abdominal cavity, and hematological studies. It was established that there was no correlation between disease stage and blood parameters. It was found that the first stage was not accompanied by changes in hematological parameters, the second stage was characterized by an increase in urea concentration (15.9 ± 7.9 mmol/l), the third stage was accompanied by an increase in ALT (115.6 ± 120.7 U/l) and AST (97 ± 96.1 U/l), fourth stage was characterized by an increase in leukocytes (19.4 ± 18.96), AST (134.6 ± 242), urea (18.5 ± 20.1) and creatinine (239.8 ± 257.1). The level of the blood parameters’ increase can be characterized as moderate and its origin is associated with progressive destruction of muscle mass, presence of concomitant diseases, but not with the tumor growth. The exception is an increased content of leukocytes in the blood, which can be explained by the body’s increased need for phagocytosis.

Malassezia otitis is very common disease among animals. In previous years, successful, published work was carried out on modeling Malassezia otitis in rabbits using a Malassezia pachydermatis strain taken from dogs. We reproduced this experiment — we induced a clinical picture of the disease in order to try different treatment regimens on this model. The study involved 35 rabbits. The animals were divided into 7 groups of 5 rabbits each. Each group received one of the following drugs: Surolan; Otifri; Otoxolan; Surolan + Farnesol 200 μM/ml; Otifri + Farnesol 200 μM/ml; Otoxolan + Farnesol 200 μM/ml; control without treatment. All drugs were applied to the entire affected surface of the ear. The treatment was carried out once a day, the duration of treatment was 30 days. It was found that the use of drugs in combination with Farnesol in animals of the experimental group reduced the clinical signs of the disease; elimination of fungi in smears occurred more quickly; clinical parameters of rabbit blood improved.