Vol 18, No 2 (2023)

The aim of the study was to analyze possible relationship between fat content in grain of barley varieties and level of their stability for this biochemical trait. The work involved 15 varieties of hulled barley, which were grown for three years in conditions of the Krasnoyarsk foreststeppe (‘Minino’ farm, Emelyanovsky district, the Krasnoyarsk Territory). Climatic conditions in the research years differed significantly in terms of temperature and precipitation during the growing season. After harvesting plants, fat content in barley grain was measured by the chemical method according to GOST 13496.15-97. For barley varieties, two parameters of ecological plasticity (coefficient of variation; stress resistance index) and four stability parameters (indicator of level and stability of variety; homeostatic parameter; stability factor; index of selection value of variety) were calculated according to the indicated biochemical trait. It was found that Simon and Pallidum 4727 had the lowest value of plasticity and the highest value of stability (and, accordingly, the minimum sum of ranks) in terms of fat content in grain for the conditions of the Krasnoyarsk forest-steppe. G 18619, G 19589 and Dygyn were least valuable in terms of adaptability parameters with the maximum sum of ranks. It was shown that barley varieties with a higher fat content in grain were characterized by increased values of all stability parameters for this trait, and the indicated positive relationship was statistically proven for the Cs parameter. The result obtained shows that through the successful selection of barley for the maximum stability of ‘grain fat content’ trait, oil content will not decrease.

Cotton is a valuable crop for the Russian economy. Creation of the initial material for breeding work, as well as the introduction into production of high-yielding cotton varieties adapted to growing conditions are the main tasks set for Russian breeders. The study of agronomic traits of cotton varieties was carried out at Precaspian Agrarian Federal Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, located in the north of the Astrakhan region, in 2017-2019. The research was performed in order to identify productivity potential, as well as to determine the adaptive capabilities to extreme climatic conditions of the Northern Caspian region. Cotton varieties were compared with the standard (AS-1). The results were processed according to methods of mathematical statistics. All varieties studied in the research had good indicators of agronomic traits. UZ-4 and Goliot varieties were characterized by the highest yield values - 3.0 and 2.6 t/ha, respectively.

Onion bacterial blight is a problematic disease affecting onion production in many countries. The disease is seed-transmitted, hence difficult to control. The study was based on the effects of bacteria on germination percentage and germination energy of various commercial onion varieties. Twelve commercial varieties were obtained from the market and inoculated with bacteria and then tested for germination percentage and germination energy. For most onion varieties, the level of germination inhibition increased with increasing bacterial concentration. On the 5th day of recording, the germination of onion seeds of the variety Karantansky which were inoculated with bacteria at a concentration of 108 CFU/ml differed significantly from the germination of seeds in the control variant. At the same time, seed germination was similar to the control when using bacteria at a concentration of 10⁶ cfu/ml. On the 14th day of record, it was found that the highest concentration (10⁸ CFU/ ml) caused the highest level of inhibition in most onion seeds, while moderate levels were observed at 10⁶ CFU/ ml and the lowest concentration (10⁴ CFU/ml) caused the least inhibition. In the cultivar Khaltsedon, seeds did not germinate at any of the bacterial concentrations compared to 8 % germination in the control. Regarding germination energy, the highest concentration of inoculum on the 5th day of record had the greatest effect in 3 varieties: Myachkovsky 300, Carmen MS and Khaltsedon with germination energy of 3, 2 and 0 %, respectively. In most varieties, the highest bacterial concentration of 10⁸ CFU/ml had the least effect on germination energy, followed by 10⁶ CFU/ml and the highest of 10⁴ CFU/ml on the 14th day of record. However, there were no differences in the effect of concentrations for the varieties Karantansky and Khaltsedon, although all treatments differed significantly from controls (p < 0.05).

Studies on the optimization of basic tillage techniques were carried out in the foothill part of the Chechen Republic. The purpose of the research was to determine the optimal reception of basic tillage on the slope landscapes of the Chechen Republic in the cultivation of grain and leguminous crops. The results of the optimization of basic tillage techniques on the sloping landscape of the Chechen Republic have shown that the smallest number of weeds on average in 2017-2021 was recorded on winter wheat crops after moldboard tillage (12.3 plants/m²), the largest number of weeds was registered on spring barley crops after minimum disc tillage (36.1 plants/m2). The smallest dry biomass (2.79 t/ha) was found in peas in the variant with minimum disc tillage. The maximum dry biomass (5.15 t/ha) was recorded for winter wheat in the variant with deep moldboard tillage. The lowest net photosynthetic productivity (1.82 g/m² per day) was found in peas in the variant with minimum tillage. The highest net photosynthetic productivity (3.39 g/m² per day) was noted for winter wheat in the variant with minimum disk tillage. On average for 2017-2021, the maximum economic yield of grain on the sloping landscape was formed in winter wheat after deep tillage and amounted to 4.25 t/ha. The minimum economic yield of grain was formed in peas after deep tillage and was 2.14 t/ha. Thus, optimal conditions for growth and development of grain and leguminous crops on the sloping landscapes of the Chechen Republic are formed after moldboard tillage to a depth of 0.20…0.22 m with a nonmoldboard deepening to 0.35…0.37 m.

Possibility of detecting soil fertility parameters based on the use of thermal survey data was studied on the test area of Yasnogorsky District, Tula region, Russia. The test area has gray forest slightly eroded arable soils located in the flat part of the slope. During the field works, an open soil surface was photographed using a FLIR VUE 512 thermal imager (range 7.5-13.5 mkm), soil samples were also taken from a layer of 0-5 cm and soil moisture was measured in a layer of 15-20 cm. For almost all parameters of soil fertility (pH, humus content, potassium content, exchange cations - Mg++, K+, Na+), a statistically significant correlation was established (r =0.4-0.7) between them and the survey data in the thermal range of the spectrum. For moderate correlations, polynomial regression equations were compiled. Among the studied fertility parameters, the pH of the salt extract, the content of potassium oxide and potassium exchange cations had significant coefficient of determination (R² > 0.60) with the thermal range of the spectrum - R²= 0.61, R² =0.60 and R² = 0.63, respectively. The obtained results have shown that thermal imaging can be used to map some parameters of soil fertility for the region. Nevertheless, it turned out to be impossible to reliably detect all the main parameters of soil fertility of the test field on the basis of thermal survey data. However, the thermal soil survey data can be used as auxiliary data when shooting in the visible and nearIR ranges, which helps to improve the accuracy of contactless soil monitoring.

The results of macro and micromorphological studies of vesicoprostatic complex in dogs Canis familiaris aimed at establishing normative morphofunctional patterns and features of the urogenital apparatus were described. The morphometric parameters of the organ in non-castrated males, determined by somatotype and breed affiliation, were presented. Data reflecting the variability of the norm structure of the gland are basic in predicting the development of latent pathologies of prostate and in developing effective methods for their therapeutic correction.

The impact of nano-selenium supplementation on lipid metabolism, liver enzymes, renal function, and protein levels in male lambs was investigated in this study during a 60-day period. Lambs were divided into two groups - control and experimental, which were administered nanoselenium orally at a dosage of 0.5 mg/ kg of feed once a day, daily. Each group consisted of five male lambs. According to the findings, cholesterol levels dropped significantly at days 45 (P < 0.01) and 60 (P < 0.05), whereas triglyceride levels significantly rose at days 15 and 30 (P < 0.01). Throughout the trial, the levels of uric acid and creatinine were constant. At days 15 and 60, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were significantly decreased (P < 0.05), while at days 45 and 60, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels declined (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). At days 15 and 30, albumin levels dropped significantly (0.05), but day 60 saw an increase in globulin levels significantly (P < 0.05). The drop in AST and ALP levels might be a sign that liver function has possibly improved. However, the drop in albumin levels and rise in globulin levels raise the possibility that taking nano-selenium supplements may affect how proteins are metabolized. The findings of this study concluded that the effects of nano-selenium supplementation on lipid metabolism, liver enzymes, renal function, and protein levels in male lambs were time-dependent. In addition to possible improvements in liver function based on decreased AST and ALP levels and changes in albumin and globulin levels, the study also noticed an initial transient increase in triglyceride levels that was followed by a decline in cholesterol levels. To determine the time-dependent changes in liver function, liver enzymes, as well as renal function in response to nano-selenium supplementation in male lambs was objective of this study.

The study involved 30 dogs with otitis complicated by Malassezia pachydermatis . The animals were divided into 2 groups: experimental (n = 15) and control (n = 15). The experimental group was prescribed veterinary ear drops Surolan + a solution of the drug Farnesol; the control group - Surolan. The study showed that when Farnesol is added to the treatment regimen for fungal otitis etiology in dogs, small changes in the clinical composition of the blood are recorded, characterized by an increase in the number of erythrocytes and hemoglobin, a decrease in the number of leukocytes, with a decrease in the indicators of eosinophils and rod-shaped neutrophils in the experiment compared with the control. In addition, the complete absence of Malassezia pachydermatis in the smears of the ear contents after two weeks of therapy with a combined drug was proved. That is, in the experimental group, there were no cases of the presence of yeast-like fungi (YLF) in the smear after combined therapy with Surolan + Farnesol. And in the control group of 15 animals, YLF were observed in two with microscopy of ear exudate smears, but not in high concentration. The use of a combination of Surolan and Farnesol in dogs of the experimental group led to a decrease in hyperemia, itching, edema, ear fetid fluid on the 5th…7th days of treatment, and complete clinical recovery of the animals occurred by the 10th…14th day of therapy. In the control group, only Surolan was used, and improvement of clinical condition occurred on days 12…14, and recovery only after completion of the full course. As a result, both treatment regimens were successful, but the scheme with Farnesol gave faster results due to the wide spectrum of action of this drug: both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory.

Immunohistochemical study is one of the modern methods of disease diagnostics used in practical veterinary practice, as well as in scientific developments in differential diagnostics of animal diseases of tumour and non-tumour nature. Prenatal influence of estrogens results in reproductive system disorders in an adult organism which is accompanied by parallel growth of steroid dependent cancers of the offspring: testicles and ovaries. The aim of the study was to perform immunohistochemical analysis of Bcl-2 marker during prenatal exposure to different doses of the synthetic estrogen analogue Sinestrol in the testes of the offspring of white non-pedigreed laboratory mice. After fertilization, the pregnant females were divided into 3 groups, one intact and two experimental groups. The intact group was unaffected (n = 10). The first experimental group, C-25 (n = 13), was injected with the estrogen drug Sinestrol in the form of a 2 % oil solution at a dose of 25 µg/kg. The second experimental group (n = 13) was given the estrogen preparation Sinestrol in the form of 2 % oil solution in a dose of 40 mkg/kg. When the offspring reached sexual maturity, they were removed from the experiment. Immunohistochemical analysis was carried out on sections from paraffin blocks of testes of progeny intended for standard morphological study, the marker of apoptosis inhibitor Bcl-2 was determined on indices of cellular elements of male glands of progeny: spermatogonia, spermatocytes, sperm-tides, spermatozoa and Leydig cells. Expression of Bcl-2 marker upon exposure to the synthetic drug Sinestrol at doses of 25 and 40 µg/kg showed that the number of positively stained cells in spermatogonia increased by 8.6 and 9.4 % respectively compared to the intact group. When the intact group was compared with experimental groups C-25 and C-40, the expression of Bcl-2 marker in spermatocyte cells and spermatozoa showed no difference, a slight increase in positively stained cells in spermatids was observed. Bcl-2 marker expression rate in experimental groups C 25 and C-40 decreased in Leydig cells by 56.0 (P < 0.05) and 60.0 % (P < 0.05), respectively. Administration of the synthetic estrogen analogue Sinestrol during fetal gland initiation resulted in impaired morphology in the testes in adulthood. The expression index of Bcl-2 marker in experimental groups C-25 and C-40 decreased in Leydig cells, resulting in apoptotic cell death, which is responsible for production of male sex hormone testosterone. The results can be used to select optimal doses of the synthetic estrogen analogue Sinestrol in the prenatal period.

The stages of development and implementation of the project for solving the main issues of breeding programs were considered. The studies were carried out using empirical methods and a marketing strategy. Project management is a part of the enterprise management system, in this case, Omsk Agrarian Research Center. Having a clear, predetermined risk mitigation plan as well as effective change management is a key success factor for project management. Given the well-known limitations of this approach: financial, time and human - the authors focused on the third component, in particular, organizational structure, role, responsibility and interaction of each of its members. It was shown that, under the condition of a clear division of roles, stabilization of work and minimization of deviations from the plan approved by the customer were achieved. It led to an increase in net income at minimal cost - the main criterion for economic efficiency in the agricultural sector. As a result, in modern realities, it is necessary to build breeding programs not on an intuitive approach, but with well-organized planning, starting from the stage of expert assessment of significance and ending with an economic assessment of its effectiveness. A basic project was developed - a plan for the implementation of breeding programs, applicable in production conditions of breeding enterprises.