Vol 19, No 1 (2024): Factors of sustainable animal productivity: from genomics to therapy

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Conservation of cattle breed diversity is one of the urgent problems of animal husbandry. Of special interest is the study of the last remaining population of Red Gorbatov cattle, descended from Tyrolean cattle, which is represented by Tux-Z illertal breed today. The purpose of the research was to study the influence of bloodline of Red Gorbatov breed on dairy productivity of cows. The objectives of the study included analysis of the current state of gene pool population of Red Gorbatov cattle saturated with Angler and Red Danish breeds over the last years. Purebred Red Gorbatov cows and crossbred animals obtained by crossing with Angler and Red Danish breeds were compared according to the following indicators of milk productivity: average milk yield for all lactations, fat and protein content in milk, milk fat and protein yield. Average value, coefficients of variation and correlation were calculated. The results of the study showed some superiority of crossbred animals over purebred Red Gorbatov cattle in the value of milk yields: by 5.7 % in crossbreeds with Angler breed and 12.9 % in crossbreeds with Red Danish breed, however, the differences in the values of the trait were not statistically significant. Differences in content of fat and protein in milk were not significant and were in the range from 0.01 to 0.04 %. The revealed values of correlation coefficients showed a significant unrealized potential of milk productivity.

Comparative effectiveness of veterinary antimastitis drugs in the treatment of subclinical and clinical mastitis of dairy cows was studied. During the experiment, two treatment regimens were used. Cows from the 1st and 3rd experimental groups were treated according to the traditional scheme for this farm - intracisternal administration of Mastiet Forte; for the treatment of cows from the 2nd and 4th experimental groups, Mamikur was administered intracisternally. The effectiveness of therapy was assessed by clinical signs, by the number of somatic cells in milk, response to Kenotest and hematological parameters. It was established that the use of Mamikur as a monotherapy for serous-catarrhal clinical and subclinical mastitis in cows is well tolerated and gives a positive effect when administered intracisternally in the volume of one dosing syringe three times with an interval of 12 hours.

The effectiveness of fractional application of nitrogen fertilizers in cultivation of spring common wheat was studied in the conditions of the Omsk Irtysh region on meadow-chernozem medium-sized medium-humus heavy loamy soil. The research object was spring common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cv. ‘Melodiya’. The purpose of the research was to establish the effectiveness of fractional application of nitrogen fertilizers depending on the level of labile phosphorus in meadow-chernozem soil on yield and grain quality of spring common wheat in the conditions of the Omsk Irtysh region. The field experiment had three factors (2×4×2): Factor A — phosphorus background: 1. No fertilizers; 2. Application of P₃₀ a. i./ha; factor B — main application of ammonium nitrate in increasing doses: 0, N₃₀, N₄₅, N₆₀; factor C — foliar feeding with ammonium nitrate and carbamide at a dose of N₃₀: 1. Once in heading stage; 2. Twice in heading stage and milky ripeness. It was found that the most effective was main application of nitrogen-p hosphorus fertilizers in doses of N_30–45P₃₀; crop productivity in these variants increases by 40…48 % in comparison with the nonfertilized variants due to the gain in 1000-seed weight (r = 0.40…0.42), productive stooling (r = 0.83). The agronomic profitableness of one kg of a. i./ha applied fertilizers in these variants was 21.5 and 19.9 kg of grain with 7.5 and 6.1 kg increase in protein content, respectively. Late foliar sprayings, regardless of their number, did not increase crop productivity and quality of wheat grain. Thus, fractional application of nitrogen fertilizers in years with insufficient moisture levels (hydrothermal index 0.6–0.7) is not effective.

Spring oats in extreme conditions of the Russian North is one of the main annual fodder crops. Therefore, assessment of the source material for adaptability and stability is the basis for creation of new competitive varieties. The purpose of the research was to identify the most plastic varieties of hulless spring oat with the greatest stability in grain yield and 1000 seed weight in the conditions of the Northern region. The experiments were carried out in the southern zone of the Arkhangelsk region in 2020–2022. Seven hulless spring oat varieties developed by Nemchinovka Federal Research Center were studied in the experimental field. Nemchinovsky 61 variety was used as a standard. To evaluate samples by productivity and 1000 seed weight, the parameters of ecological plasticity and stability were calculated: yield in contrasting years (Y1 + Y2)/2; index of ecological plasticity (IEP); stress resistance (Y2 — Y1); linear regression coefficient (bi); coefficient of variation (V); stability index (L’); measure of stability (S²d); swing yield (d); indicator of variety stability level (IVSL). According to the data obtained, the varieties were evaluated, and appropriate conclusions were made about the plasticity and stability of hulless oats in terms of grain yield and 1000 seed weight. The average yield of hulless oat varieties over the research years was 2.20 t/ha, 1000 seed weight was 31.57 g. In favorable 2022, grain yield was the highest (3.45…3.90 t/ha), the index of environmental conditions was positive (Ij = 5.49), in unfavorable 2020–2021, grain yield was 1.18…2.11 t/ha and Ij was negative –2.13, –3.36. Regarding 1000 seed weight (31.8…35.0 g), the most favorable was 2020, the index of environmental conditions was positive (Ij = 1.95). In unfavorable 2021–2022, 1000 seed weight was 27.7…36.3 g and Ij was negative –1.71, –0.24. The following cultivars were pliable and stable in grain yield: 52h2467 (bi =1.04, IEP = 1.91, L’ = 116.99, IVSL = 14.644), H 2895 (L’ = 102.25, IVSL = 11.188), H 2979 (L’ = 103.12, IVSL = 12.044); and in 1000 seed weight: H 2895 (IVSL = 1524.711; IEP = 1.145; V = 1.051; (L’ = 139.999). The variety H 2895 combined high characteristics both in 1000 seed weight and in yield.

The apple tree (Malus × domestica Borkh.) is the most important perennial fruit crop widely cultivated and used in agricultural production around the world. The problem of extending shelf life and sale of fresh fruit crops is of great importance due to the year-round active use and demand among the population. To create commercially attractive, popular and valuable apple varieties of Russian breeding with genetically determined long-term keeping quality of fruits, the role of pre-breeding based on the study and mobilization of available biological resources including the use of DNA marking to identify the most valuable genotypes for the desired priority trait, is significant. The purpose of the study was to study allelic polymorphism of Md-A CS1 gene in 37 apple accessions to identify sources of long-term storage of fruits for further breeding use. The research was carried out in the Center for Collective Use ‘Research and Breeding Collection of Genetic Resources of Horticultural Crops’ using generally accepted programs and methods for variety study and selection of apple trees. The methods of DNA analysis were applied in the work. For DNA extraction, the CTAB method modified at North Caucasian Federal Scientific Center of Horticulture was used. According to DNA marking data, carriers of homozygous allelic combination (Md-ACS1–2/2) were identified among the studied apple accessions of Russian breeding: Persikovoe, Georgiy, Azimut, hybrid 17/1–6–47 (Champion × Modi), and foreign varieties: Smeralda, Fuji Mimo. The selected varieties and forms are promising in creating Russian genetic resources with improved commercial fruit traits including genetically determined increase in length of storage period. They can be used in breeding using DNA-marker selection for several target genes of quality, keeping quality and density of fruit pulp. 

Fungicide application has been reported to effectively manage fungal disease that causes 10 to 80 % of the average annual estimated loss, including management costs to potatoes during the production cycle in Russia. The annual agricultural losses caused by these pathogens are highly significant. A field experiment was conducted for two consecutive years (2022 and 2023), using a potato varietal line and two fungicides (Zummer and Shirlan) to assess the efficiency of newly introduced and previously used fungicides on potato disease Phytophthora infestans (potato blight), Rhizoctonia solani (Black scurf), Streptomyces scabies (Common scab), and Fusarium spp. (Fusarium dry rot). The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Generally, treatment 5 exhibited the highest pathogen severity population and lowest fresh tuber yield of potatoes. Treatments 2 and 4 (Zimmer and Shirlan at 0.4 L/ha) concentrations had the lowest pathogen severity population and highest fresh tuber yield of the crop studied in the experiment. Both treatments 2 and 4 had a statistically similar high tolerance to the disease pressure, contributing to an increase in fresh tuber yield of 10.25 t/ha. Treatment 5, which had the highest pathogen population, exhibited the lowest fresh tuber yield of 9.36 t/ha. This research demonstrated that the fungicides Zimmer and Shirlan significantly lowered the severity and interaction of all potato diseases studied. Therefore, the study confirmed that the application of Zimmer and Shirlan fungicides at four spraying intervals at a concentration rate of 0.4 L/ha within the developmental stages (budding, beginning of flowering, flowering, and end of flowering) effectively reduces disease development, damage caused by these potato diseases, and increases yield.

Psylla pyri L. is the pear dominant pest, which damage can reach 70…90 %. 5–7 generations of the insect can develop during one growing season in the south of Russia. Phytophage is difficult to control due to development of insecticide resistance and presence of different growth stages at the same time in summer. Therefore, the research aim was to identify the most effective insecticides with various modes of action that restrain the number and development of pear psylla nymphs. The research tasks were to clarify biological features of pear psylla development and to determine effectiveness of insecticides with various modes of action in controlling P. pyri L. population. Pear psylla development in Prikubansky zone of the Krasnodar region was studied and the results were presented. During the research years, the sum of effective temperatures necessary for: start of egg laying was 40 °C (at a threshold of 6 °C); beginning of larvae hatching was 121…122 °C; period from egg to imago — 300 °C. Pest development monitoring showed that the insect has 6 full generations in the growing season. Field experiments were conducted with ‘Leven’ pear variety in Prikubansky zone, central gardening subzone of the Krasnodar Territory on the basis of genetic collection of North Caucasian Federal Scientific Center of Horticulture, Viticulture, Winemaking in 2021–2022 to determine biological effectiveness of insecticides. The results revealed that chemicals based on juvenoids and chitin synthesis inhibitors were not inferior in effectiveness to chemical insecticides. The two-year studies showed that the highest effectiveness after a single application of the chemicals Akarb, WDG (250 g/kg fenoxycarb) and Dimilin, WDG (800 g/kg diflubenzuron) was on the 10th day and amounted to 83.3…91.7 %, which was higher than the effectiveness of the standard.

Recreational load affects the quality of the environment, which is confirmed by the change of fluctuating asymmetry of silver birch leaves. The deviation level of the environmental quality is minimal when the quality is normal. However, when the environmental quality level is declining it leads to decrease in stability and state of biome, which is observed by the sign of the magnitude of changes as the integral indicator of developmental stability. The purpose of the research was to study fluctuating asymmetry of leaves of silver birch ( Betula pendula Roth) in the green zone of Astana. The objects of research were 19-year-old artificial plantings of silver birch, some of which underwent intercropping practice simultaneously on the same field 7 years after planting. The planting site was conventionally divided into high and low latitudes due to the vertical elevation change in a landscape. All the studied forest plantings to some degree exhibited a weakening state. The condition of the trees is gradually declining, which constitutes 66.9…71.2 points on replanted plots and 72.3…72.4 points - on non-replanted trial plots in 2022. Prior to the creation of a recreational zone in transplanted crops at a high latitude, an initial stage of deviation from the conventional norm was observed. After the forest crop improvements were implemented, fluctuating leaf asymmetry indicator reached its highest magnitude in 2022 in all the studied crops, except for transplanted crops at a low latitude, which had a 3rd-4th score for all the years of observation. So far, in these forest plantings, the quality of the environment has not reached a critical level, but they also display a strong anthropogenic impact, because of compression of topsoil due to the settling of unorganized paths. Therefore, it is necessary to take silvicultural and other measures to increase sustainability and improve condition and state of artificial forest plantings. It is imperative to carry out plants trimming and utilize soil amendments, organize a regulated road and footpath network, and strengthen control over travelers.

The cross-interaction between BMP, Wnt and Shh signalling pathways in developing epithelial skin tumours remains poorly understood. To study the role of Wnt and Shh signalling pathways in tumour development upon BMP inhibition, we utilized a transgenic mouse model, overexpressing BMP antagonist noggin in the skin epithelium and leading to the development of hair follicle-derived tumours shortly after birth. Comparative gene and protein expression analyses revealed up-regulation of Wnt and Shh signalling systems in the skin of transgenic mice at various stages of follicular tumour development. Furthermore, recombinant BMP-4 suppresses the expression of Shh in the culture of tumor cells, while pharmacological inhibitors of Wnt and Shh significantly slow down the formation and development of tumors in noggin-expressing transgenic mice. These results enhance our knowledge about the role of growth factors in carcinogenesis and may lead to finding new targets for specific therapies for oncological diseases.