Vol 19, No 2 (2024)

 In order to restore heavily degraded unproductive natural fodder lands, increase fodder value, create perennial cultivated pastures and hayfields, prevent soil erosion in arid regions of Russia, it is necessary to study the adaptive potential of various species and varieties of alfalfa and use highly nutritious, high-yielding, drought-­resistant, hardy varieties for reclamation that are able to grow in extreme conditions. The aim of the work was to conduct an adaptation assessment and selection of alfalfa varieties and species for use in the restoration of arid degraded pasture ecosystems in the semi-desert zone of southern Russia. In one-factor field experiment conducted in 2020–2021, 44 alfalfa varieties from the collection of Vavilov Institute of Plant Genetic Resources were studied. The eperiments were carried out in accordance with the methods of Ivanov A.I. et al., 1985; Dospekhov B.A., 1985; Gringof I.G., Lynov Y.S., 1991; Federal Williams Research Center of Forage Production and Agroecology, 2015. According to the results of the second year of competitive testing, 29 accessions of alfalfa which exceeded standard indicators for productivity of green mass and seeds were selected for further study. Only 6 accessions were identified as the best in green mass yield compared to the standard (hybrid alfalfa Pestraya 57, Priuralskaya, Kizlyarskaya; alfalfa Karakalpakskaya 37, Karakalpakskaya 15, Mex-­Son). 19 accessions exceeded seed productivity of the standard by 9.0…154.9 g/m², and 9 accessions had significantly higher indicators (alfalfa Kust, King, Zia, Karakalpakskaya 37, Irtyshskaya; hybrid alfalfa Karagandinskaya 1, Kizlyarskaya, Kizlyarskaya sinegibridnaya, Flora 2). Two accessions — hybrid alfalfa Kizlyarskaya and alfalfa Karakalpakskaya 37 — significantly exceeded standard indicators (green mass and seed). In the future, we plan to continue studying the two accessions for use in breeding.

In the complex of priority directions for development of potato production in the Russian Federation, the most urgent task is to increase efficiency of using varietal resources of the best domestic breeding achievements, as well as development of modern technological schemes for production of initial, original and elite seed potatoes. Recently, many attempts have been made to improve the technology of growing potato mini-tubers, which belong to the category of starting material in seed production, in order to obtain the maximum number of tubers per unit area. The main goal of the research was to study the effect of biological agents: Albit (poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid + magnesium sulfate + potassium phosphoric acid + potassium nitrate + carbamide), BisolbiSan (Bacillus subtilis, strain H-13 + metabolites obtained during the cultivation of the strain), Prorastin (N, P₂O₅, K₂O, Cu, Co, Zn, humic acids, auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins), Polystine (N, P₂O₅, K2O, Cu, Co, Zn, fulvic acids, auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins) and a product based on fungal arbuscular mycorrhiza (Rhizophagus irregularis) on yield of conditioned mini-tubers of potato cv. Ariel and cv. Sadon and their average weight by fractions in protected soil conditions. The one-factor experiment was carried out in a greenhouse of spring-­summer type. Potato micro-­plants were grown in 5L plastic pots filled with soil Agrobalt-­C. Experiment variants: 1) Control (without treatment); 2) Albit, pre-treatment + two foliar dressings; 3) BisolbiSan, pre-treatment+3 foliar dressings; 4) Prorastin + Polystin, pre-treatment (Prorastin) + 2 foliar dressings (Polystin); 5) Product based on the fungal arbuscular mycorrhiza (Rhizophagus irregularis), pre-treatment of micro-­plants. It was found that Prorastin and Polystin and treatment of the root system of micro-­plants before planting with bioagent based on the fungal arbuscular mycorrhiza (Rhizophagus irregularis) provided the best indicators for yield of conditioned mini-tubers cv. Ariel and average weight of tubers of both cultivars.

Laboratory experiments on the use of expanded vermiculite for seed germination of five vegetable plant species promising for cultivation in the Kola Subarctic (Beta vulgaris L., Brassica oleracea L., Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis L., Brassica rapa L. Chinese Cabbage Group, Lactuca sativa L.) were carried out. The research used two types of substrates from Kovdor vermiculite differing in firing conditions; agricultural soil was used as a control. Plant growth and development at the juvenile stage of ontogenesis differed significantly (p < 0.005) for three variants of the experiment. The best results were obtained in the variants with the use of vermiculite substrates, which promoted more intensive seed germination, growth of shoots and roots in seedlings of all five vegetable crops, compared to the control (soil). Significant differences in accumulation of green biomass by seedlings were observed only in the experiment with beetroot. In the other four species, the difference in seedling weight was insignificant. New type of thermovermiculite (TV2-H), obtained by firing in an innovative furnace of A.I. Nizhegorodov’s design, had a more pronounced positive effect on seed germination, seedling growth and root length of the studied species of vegetable crops, compared with Vipon-2 thermovermiculite. TV2-H thermovermiculite can be recommended for the use in crop production for germination of vegetable seeds.

The purpose of the research was to study the impact of climatic factors on formation of meltwater runoff, and to establish changes in its indicators from arable land of varying degrees of compaction in the central part of the Rostov region. In the research, both long-term climatic data and current data on the weather conditions of the cold period of the year, intensity of erosion processes formed during snowmelt were used. A close mathematical relationship between the amount of runoff and water content in snow was revealed. Analysis of climatic data showed that the indicators of the cold period 1981–2020 were much higher than the similar indicators of 1881–1980. The greatest divergence was observed in the average temperature, so in the 40-year period this indicator was 1.5 °C, and the same indicator for the 100-year period was only –0.1 °C. There is an increase in temperature in December-­February period from –4.4 to –2.3 °C. Alongside with that, there was also an increase in precipitation for October-­March period and an increase in precipitation for December-­February period to 169 mm and 134, respectively, over a 100-year period. The analysis revealed a significant decrease in runoff indicators in the following twenty years. Thus, the amount of meltwater runoff from loose arable land decreased from 6.1 mm to 2.8 mm in 1981–2000, the values of water content in snow also significantly decreased in 2001–2020. The analysis of changes in the main climatic indicators revealed a significant increase in the air temperature of the cold period and increase in precipitation over the past 40 years. Meanwhile, there was a decrease in water content in snow, which resulted in significantly reduced amount of runoff formed from meltwater. This can largely be the result of both warming of climate in the studied area and favorable influence of anti-erosion measures carried out in the 1970s.

The development of blue-green infrastructure is a new, but dynamic trend in urban ecology and city planning, especially relevant in the global climate change context, that in addition to increasing temperatures leads to intensification of storm precipitation unusual for the middle zone. The situation with surface flooding is significantly worsened not only by the high percentage of impermeable surfaces in the city, but also by small slopes, which lead to the difficulties of surface runoff. This factor is typical for old city districts or former industrial areas. The increasing storm rainfall leads to additional load on engineering communications and forces to think about alternative solutions, such as rain gardens. The paper evaluated the efficiency of flood risk reduction due to the application of rain gardens on the territory of the projected residential complex in the Moscow megalopolis. The results of modeling the surface slopes of the territory showed that ⅓ of the territory excluding highways has an unfavorable slope (less than 0.5%) for the formation of surface runoff in green areas. At the same time, the most unfavorable areas with slope below 0.003 (0.3 %) account for 13.7% of the territory. It was also determined that the predominant type of catchment surfaces of the territory are catchments of depressional landforms, the most suitable solution for surface runoff drainage for which are rain gardens. At the same time, an increase in the area of rain gardens from 1.5 to 5% of the catchment area of various functional zones showed a decrease in the calculated surface runoff rates from 0 to 78%. The greatest reduction was observed when increasing the area of rain gardens up to 3%, and further increase gave insignificant effect. At the same time, for recreational areas, replacing lawn to rain gardens by more than 2% is excessive, so when the proportion of rain gardens in parks in the study area is increased, the value of overflow tends to zero. Thus, the most effective area of rain gardens for the case study (area - 95 ha) is 2.5 ha, while in recreational zones it is recommended to use only 0.5 ha for rain gardens.

 In modern felinology, cat owners are increasingly interested in behavior of their pets. Based on the study of testosterone levels, methods for determining the gender temperament of cats were proposed. Estradiol and prolactin levels in combination with testosterone concentrations remain less studied in cats of the Russian selection. The aim of the research was to study the relationship between the level of aggressive behavior and blood concentrations of testosterone, estradiol and prolactin in Felis catus. The experiments were carried out in Omsk, Lugansk, Moscow and the Moscow region in 2015–2023. The study used 162 mature cats aged 2 to 11 years, which belonged to 9 different Russian breeds. Concentration of hormones in blood serum was determined by the enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) using kits from HEMA (Russia), Sigma (USA), Vector-­Best (Russia) on semi-automatic Multiskan FC analyzer (Termo Fisher Scientific; USA). The highest concentration of testosterone was in young cats, which was 16.8 and 35.8 % more (р < 0.01) compared to full-aged and old cats, respectively. The highest concentration of estradiol in blood serum of Russian cats was in old animals, which was 4.3 and 33.3% more (р < 0.01) compared to full-aged and young males, respectively. The highest concentration of prolactin in blood was in old animals, which was 9.6 and 48.8% more (р < 0.001) than in full-aged and young males, respectively. The largest amount of estradiol was detected in female cats with the calmest type of behavior without any aggressive signs — in melancholics, which was 66.7% more (р < 0.001) than in phlegmatics; 54.8% more (р < 0.001) than in animals with average level of aggressive behavior towards animals of the same species — sanguines, and 2.5 times more (р < 0.001) in comparison with animals that showed the maximum level of aggressive behavior towards animals and humans — cholerics. Therefore, it can be concluded that increase in estradiol level contributes to a calmer behavior of Felis catus males in homes.

In modern breeding work, considerable attention is paid to genetic resources of cattle, genetic assessment of which, with proper crossbreeding and selection, can increase efficiency of the entire industry. One way to realize the genetic resources of animals is to use information about polymorphism of milk productivity genes. The aim of the study was to determine polymorphism of β-lactoglobulin gene in in Kholmogorsky cows and to identify its effect on economically valuable milk indicators. The experiments were carried out on the breeding stock of Kholmogorsky breed in “Kholmogorsky Plemzavod”. The genotype of the studied animals for LGB gene was determined by PCR RFLP using Hae III restriction endonuclease. It was established that the allele B of the β-lactoglobulin gene was dominant in the genome of the studied sample of cows and its frequency of occurrence was 68%, while the most common genotype was AB (47.4%). To assess the effect of different LGB genotypes on milk productivity and milk quality of Kholmogorsky cows, productivity indicators for the last completed lactation were combined into subgroups depending on the genotypes and compared with each other. Most likely, the uniqueness of the Kholmogorsky breed, expressed not only in terms of milk productivity, exterior and constitution, but also in the gene pool, influenced the discrepancy between the obtained results and general patterns. Firstly, in our case, B allele has a positive effect both on qualitative and technological characteristics of milk, and on quantitative indicators of milk productivity. Secondly, the largest value of milk yield and the mass fraction of dry matter belongs to animals with the AB genotype. We recommended to include the procedure for assessing polymorphism of LGB gene in a set of breeding and production work activities to increase the economic efficiency of the enterprise. Such a step will also contribute to the further comprehensive study of this gene as a breeding marker.

This research presents novel insights into the temporal dynamics of clinical and instrumental parameters pertaining to the emergence of cardiorenal syndrome in feline patients afflicted with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. It elucidates that within pedigreed felines, the progression of congestive heart failure syndrome may precipitate the subsequent evolution and exacerbation of secondary renal damage, thus significantly complicating the trajectory of the primary pathological process. This study establishes, for the first time, the prevalence of cardiorenal syndrome, affecting 51.0% of the population within the broader cohort of cats afflicted with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (n = 49). Moreover, it substantiates the role of the cardiorenal continuum in felines as a predictor of a more severe course of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Manifesting as concentric myocardial hypertrophy in domestic felines, cardiorenal syndrome is characterized by dyspnea, hypothermia, and circulatory insufficiency. Statistically significant findings include an elevated median nocturnal respiratory rate of 34.0 breaths/min (p < 0.001) compared to clinically healthy counterparts (18.0 breaths/min) in affected felines. Additionally, felines afflicted with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and cardiorenal syndrome exhibit a statistically significant (p < 0.001) elevation in median mean arterial blood pressure to 140.0 mmHg compared to clinically healthy counterparts (104.0 mmHg), sinus tachycardia at 199.0 beats/min (171.5 beats/min in healthy felines), resulting in a statistically significant (p < 0.001) reduction in PQ intervals by 67.0 ms (75.5 ms in healthy felines), and an increase in QT interval by 204.0 ms (165.5 ms in healthy felines). Electrocardiographic assessments reveal indications of compromised intra-­atrial and intraventricular conduction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-­afflicted felines with cardiorenal syndrome, along with an augmented amplitude of the ventricular complex. Echocardiographic evaluations confirm alterations such as pulmonary vein dilation, pronounced left atrial anteroposterior enlargement, interventricular septal and left ventricular free wall hypertrophy, decreased longitudinal contractility of the left and right ventricles, and clinically significant diastolic dysfunction.

Antimicrobial activity of antibacterial agents (benzylpenicillin, methicillin, amoxicillin, cefazolin, ceftriaxone, cefquinome, cefepime, gentamicin, tylosin, lincomycin, enrofloxacin, marbofloxacin) and herbal medicines (extracts of Eleutherococcus, Echinacea purpurea and Hypericum perforatum) was studied. The purpose of the research was to determine sensitivity to antibiotics and phytobiotics in microorganisms isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid collected from calves with acute catarrhal bronchopneumonia. Calves with acute catarrhal bronchopneumonia (n = 37) aged 1–3 months were studied in the research. Bronchoalveolar lavage was collected into sterile test tubes from sick calves using silicone sterile catheter. Bacteriological studies were carried out in LLC “Vettest”, using generally accepted methods. Determining the sensitivity of isolated opportunistic microorganisms to antibacterial drugs showed that the vast majority of them have rather low efficiency. It was found that all 115 isolated microorganisms were sensitive only to three antibacterial drugs: fourth-­generation cephalosporin antibiotics — cefquinome and cephepime, and third-­generation fluoroquinolone antibiotic — marbofloxacin. Of the phytobiotics studied, Hypericum perforatum extract had the most pronounced antimicrobial properties against the main initiators of acute catarrhal bronchopneumonia in the calves. Moreover, it showeda more powerful antimicrobial effect against gram-positive bacteria. This makes it possible to use it widely in complex therapy in calves.

The productive longevity of sows leads to an increase in production of marketable products. However, more than half are discarded after the first farrowing due to impaired reproductive qualities under the influence of various factors including infectious diseases. The seminal material of boars can be a source of infection for sows. There is evidence of the relationship between the influence of infectious agents on the reproductive tract of producers and on inflammatory processes in the generative organs of females, which leads to a decrease in reproduction rates. In males, contamination of the sperm-­carrying ducts by microorganisms directly affects the quality of sperm production and the function of spermatozoa, which in turn leads to the production of antibodies, reactive oxygen species and DNA fragmentation. To study the effect of bacterial contamination on the biological integrity of sperm in breeding boars, three groups of animals were formed depending on the activity of spermatozoa. For the study, ejaculates of Large White, Landrace and Duroc breeding boars (n = 46) were taken. The age of the producers ranged from 18 to 40 months; ejaculates were collected in January — December. To determine qualitative and quantitative parameters of spermatozoa, Argus CASA program (ArgusSoft, St. Petersburg, Russia) was used based on CASA technology, using single-­factor analysis methods. A comprehensive assessment of the ejaculates of boar producers showed the presence of yeast and yeast-like fungi (mold) in 44% of the studied samples, in which the total number of colony-­forming microorganisms was 4895 ± 37.5 CFU/cm³, which is 8.1 times more than in samples without contamination, and the proportion of progressive motile spermatozoa was lower by 10%. In the group with high microbial contamination (4895 CFU/cm³), activity was 1.2 times lower (p < 0.001), the proportion of abnormal spermatozoa was 1.7 times higher (p < 0.001) and the level of DNA fragmentation was 3.1 times higher (p < 0.001). Correlation analysis between microbial contamination and progressively motile spermatozoa showed a negative bilateral correlation r = –0.51 (p < 0.01) and a positive correlation with abnormal morphology r = 0.42 (p < 0.05) and DNA fragmentation r = 0.56 (p < 0.01). Reproductive indicators of boars-­producers in the group with high bacterial contamination were established: fertilizing ability was 23% lower, and the number of abortions was 2.3 times higher, and the frequency of stillbirths and mummified piglets in the litter was 3 times and 2.5 times higher, respectively.