Raspberries (R. idaeus L.) remain an actual and popular crop. The creation of new varieties with a high level of a complex of economically valuable traits is the most important task in the breeding of raspberries for the conditions of the steppe zone of the Southern Urals. Over the past decade, 22 varieties of red raspberries have been included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation. The purpose of this work was to study the red raspberry primocane variety Arisha by a complex of economically valuable characteristics in the conditions of the steppe zone of the Southern Urals. This variety (breeding number 2-20) is one of the results of breeding work of the Orenburg branch of the Federal Horticultural Research Center for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery. The new variety is obtained from free pollination. The research was conducted in 2016-2020 on the basis of the Orenburg branch of the Federal Horticultural Research Center for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery. The variety is of medium maturity, the height of the bush is average, the habit is semi-erect, thorns are greenish-brown concentrated throughout the shoot. The leaves are dark green, wrinkled, and the teeth on the edges of the leaves are medium-sharp. In the irrigated conditions of the steppe zone of the Southern Urals, the average yield of the Arisha variety over the years of research was 3.0 kg per bush, and the average fruit weight was 4.9 g. The berries are large, conical in shape, sweet and sour in taste (4.6 points), with aroma. This promising raspberry variety is characterized by medium drought resistance and heat resistance, and is slightly affected by anthracnose. The potential yield of the variety is realized before freezing by 100 %.

The purpose of the research was to analyze the work on the creation of new varieties of apple, cherry and plum, carried out from 1938 to 2020 in the Tatar Research Institute of Agriculture, as well as the identification of promising crossbreeding combinations and genotypes for use in breeding and transfer to the State variety testing. In the apple breeding orchard, promising seedlings in hybrid families were identified by productivity, taste and size of fruits: Anis Novy×Plodovitoe (1-6-48), Anis Novy×Vityaz(1-7-26, 1-7-27,  1-7-57,1-7-70, 1-7-97), Anis Novy×Ural Souvenir (1-8-88) . In 2021, 4 apple varieties were entered into the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation: Renet Tatarsky, Volzhskaya Krasavitsa, Tenkovskaya and Kamskaya. The apple variety Renet Povolzh’ya is undergoing state variety testing. Promising hybrids 1-1-11, 1-2-11, 1-2-14, 1-10-30, 1-11-6, 1-11-31, 2-2-75,2-2-93 have been selected in sour cherry breeding orchards. In 2015, a new self-fertile variety of Shelangovskaya sour cherry was accepted for State variety testing in the Middle Volga and Volga-Vyatka regions. In 2021, 8 varieties of sour cherries were included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation: Krasa Tataria, Zarya Tataria, Shakirovskaya, Truzhenitsa Tataria, Sevastyanovskaya, Tveritinovskaya, Pamyat Sakharova and Obilnaya. In the plum breeding orchard promising hybrid seedlings 1-1-11, 1-1-20, 1-1-47, 1-1-75, 1-1-84, 1-2-36, 1-2-49, 1-2-57, 1-2-60, 1-3-19, 1-3-58, 1-3-86, 1-8-43 and others were selected according to important economic and biological characteristics. In 2021, the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation, admitted for use, included 8 varieties of home-breeding plums of the Tatar Research Institute of Agriculture: 2 varieties of early ripening — Sverkh Rannya, Sineokaya; 6 varieties of medium ripening — Rakitovaya, Renklod Tenkovskiy, Volzhanka, Tenkovskaya Golubka, Kazanskaya and Pamyat Khasanova.

The objects of research are representatives of the genus Malus growing in the Kuban zone of the North Caucasus region. The purpose of the research is the breeding improvement of the of apple southern assortment on the basis of the development of the scientific direction “Introduction, variety study and breeding of pome crops in the North Caucasus and the creation of promising domestic varieties with improved adaptability and quality. The history of the creation and development of this scientific direction of the scientific school “Southern Horticulture” in the North Caucasus, the founder of which was Lev M. Sergeev (1886-1980. Under his leadership, the first breeding programs for seed crops (apple, pear, quince) for the North Caucasus region were developed, the priority of which was to improve the characteristics of productivity and quality characteristics of fruits; with his active participation, a network of gossortuchastok was organized in the North Caucasus and by the end of 1947 a zoned assortment of the main fruit crops of the south of Russia was formed. At present, the development of the above-mentioned scientific direction has been continued in the works of L. M. Sergeev, original studies of which are based on the use of a complex of classical and improved methods for creating and evaluating breeding material, modern achievements in molecular genetics, biochemistry, cytology, and are aimed at creating domestic varieties with improved productivity and quality of fruits, with high resistance to abiostressors and the main fungal pathogens of the North Caucasus. In recent years, the gene pool of the apple tree has been significantly updated, numbering 436 specimens of various ecological and geographical origin and ploidy, most of which are from Russia (49 %), Western European countries (18 %), and the USA (17 %). Over the years of research, scientists from North Caucasian Federal Scientific Center of Horticulture, Viticulture, Wine-making have created and submitted for State variety testing 81 new apple varieties, including 25 varieties created in collaboration with scientists from All- Russian Research Institute for Fruit Crops Breeding, I. V. Michurin Federal Research Center and others. 36 apple varieties obtained on the basis of the use of spontaneous and induced mutagenesis, an improved method of polyploidy, directed, repeated and geographically distant hybridization were included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements approved for use in the North Caucasus region.

Studies on the frost resistance of sweet cherries were carried out in 2019–2020 in the FSBSI of the Federal Horticultural Research Center for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery in laboratory conditions by artificial freezing in the climate chamber TH-6 JEIO TECH-1000. Objects of research: Tyutchevka and Chermashnaya varieties grafted on 8 clonal rootstocks (Colt, Izmailovsky, AVCH-2, V-5-88, VC-13, Moskoviya, VSL-2, Stepnoy Rodnik). The aim of the research is to study the effect of clonal rootstocks on the frost resistance of cherry buds and tissues during the thaw and to identify the most frost-resistant scion-rootstock combinations for the 3rd component. It was found that after freezing at t = -20 °C during the thaw, the safety of flower buds in the Tyutchevka variety in both years of research was more than 80 %, and in the Chermashnaya variety — from 20 to 30 %, depending on the year. The limits of changes in the frost resistance of generative buds of varieties depending on the rootstock are shown: in the Tyutchevka variety — from 66.8 % (V-5-88) to 96.4 % (Izmailovsky), and in the Chermashnaya variety — from 7.7 % (V-5-88) to 65.5 % (AVCH-2). When using the AVCH-2 and Izmailovsky clonal rootstocks, the safety of flower buds increased by 30 % compared to the Colt rootstock. The most frost-resistant scion –rootstock combinations for each variety were identified: Tyutchevka/Izmailovsky and Tyutchevka/Stepnoy Rodnik, which preserved more than 90 % of the living rudiments; Chermashnaya/AVCH-2 (65.5 %) and Chermashnaya/Izmailovsky (40.1 %). Vegetative buds and tissues of annual branches were practically free of freezing in the studied varieties when grafted on the rootstocks of Stepnoy Rodnik and AVCH-2. In the Chermashnaya variety, damage of about 1 point of the phloem and vascular bundle under the buds was noted when grafting on rootstocks V-5-88 and Colt.

The purpose of attracting thorny plums (Prunus domestica subsp. insititia (Jusl.) Schneid) into the study is to obtain promising forms as a resource for creating adaptive varieties of the genus Prunus for the Middle Urals. In total, the genetic collection included the study of 42 varieties of thorny plums bred by the Sverdlovsk Horticultural Breeding Station, other scientific institutions, and folk breeding. The article contains data on the thorny plum varieties: Tagil, Iset (breeding of the Sverdlovsk Station), Ermak, Sergo(folk breeding) for the study period 2011-2020. The biological and economic assessment of new thorny plum varieties of is given. According to phenological observations, the varieties were characterized by a late flowering period (III decade of May) (which makes it possible to avoid recurrent frosts more often) and by a late ripening of fruits (III decade of September). As a result of a long-term assessment in cold winters (2010/11, 2011/12, 2013/14), it was found that the degree of freezing did not exceed two points, which characterized the varieties as winter-hardy. The yield for 10 years of fruiting averaged 95.7-139.2 c/ha. The maximum yield was obtained for the Tagil (388.3 c/ha in 2013) and Ermak (319.7 c/ha in 2011) varieties. Varieties Ermak, Sergo are classified as selffertile, varieties Tagil, Iset — as partially self-fertile. Fruit weight was 9-11 g. Fresh fruit tasting: Tagil, Ermak — 4.2 points, Iset, Sergo — 4.4 points. Evaluation of natural juice of varieties of thorny plums — 4.5 points, jam — 5 points. The varieties Tagil, Ermak, Iset, Sergo had high rates of chemical composition, including dry soluble substances — 18.90-21.34 %, anthocyanins — 211.80 — 335.03 mg/100 g, which determines their high value. The studies carried out indicate the prospects of introducing the thorny plum into the culture in the Middle Urals. Varieties Tagil, Ermak, Iset, Sergo can be recommended for production, amateur gardening, as well as sources of adaptive and economic traits for further breeding use.

Chrysanthemum is one of the leading crops of commercial floriculture. Within garden groups and classes, chrysanthemums are divided according to cultivation methods, shape and size of the inflorescences. For varieties grown on a cut, a group of large-flowered (with a diameter of inflorescences of 12-25 cm), small-flowered (4-10 cm) chrysanthemums and santini (from 2 to 4 cm) is distinguished. Having a limited assortment of chrysanthemum garden, in a humid subtropical climate, it is possible to form a largeflowered (single-headed, disbud) and small-flowered (spray) cut. The purpose of the research was to study the peculiarities of formation of large-flowered chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum×hortorum Bailey) to obtain cut in the humid subtropics of Russia. The objects of research were large-flowered and small-flowered varieties of chrysanthemums of foreign and domestic breeding. The studies were carried out in the open ground of the Department of Agricultural Engineering and Nursery of the Federal Research Center the Subtropical Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Scientific research was carried out according to the methodology of State variety testing of agricultural crops and the methodology of testing for distinctness, uniformity and stability of chrysanthemum (perennial) Chrysanthemum spec. ‘Sevan’, ‘Baltica White’, ‘Granada’ and ‘Zembla Brasil’ are large-flowered varieties, which have bush peduncles of good commercial quality with large inflorescences of saturated shades. In turn, from small-flowered garden forms ‘Zembla White’, ‘Annecy White’ and ‘Westland Regal’ with regular pinching, you can grow a large-flowered cut of chrysanthemums. It was revealed the relationship between biometric characteristics in order to determine additional diagnostic features of the possibility of the formation of large-flowered inflorescences. So, the diameter of the inflorescence is the most significant parameter for research which has significant positive relationships with the diameter of the peduncle and the length of the extreme ray flower. It will allow determining the possibility of growing the variety in one form or another, depending on the needs of production, at the initial stages of introduction and variety study.

The article presents data on the identifying of apple varieties resistant to scab for their further use in breeding. The research was carried out on the basis of the Orenburg branch of the Federal Horticultural Research Center for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery from 2010 to 2020 in the orchard established in 2004. The objects of research were introduced apple varieties and local hybrids. Scab (the causative agent is the marsupial mushroom Venturia inaequalis (Cooke) G. Winter) causes great damage to the apple tree. This disease affects the fruits and leaves, while dramatically reducing the apple productivity and marketability. According to the results of the studies, the greatest development of scab was observed in 2011, 2013 and 2016. In dry years (2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017-2020 years) scab lesions were not observed. We have identified apple introduced varieties, which over the years of observation had a weak scab lesion and few spots on the apple leaves. In the control variant, in summer varieties in 2011, the scab on the leaves of the Serebryanoe kopytse variety was 0.9 points, all other studied varieties had a lower parameter. In autumn varieties, the varieties Sverdlovchanin and Gornist had the lowest parameter — 0.3-0.4 points, respectively, with a control parameter of 0.8 points (Prizemlennoye variety); in winter varieties, all the studied samples were lower than the control variant — 0.9 points. Weather conditions 2013 and 2016 also showed apple varieties less susceptible to scab in the conditions of the Orenburg region. As a result, we identified apple varieties that are weakly affected by scab: summer varieties — Letneye polosatoye, Mechtatel’nitsa, Solntsedar, Chudnoye; autumn varieties — resident of Sverdlovsk, Hornist; winter — Anis Sverdlovsky, Krasa Sverdlovsk, Persian. The obtained data can be used in breeding to create new apple varieties resistant to scab in the conditions of the Orenburg region.

Research carried out in 2019-2020 in four regions of central Russia, showed that three species of fungi from the genus Cytospora (Cytospora ambiens, C. grossularia and C. ribes) are found on the desiccating branches of black currants, red currants, golden currants, and gooseberries. In the Moscow region, two species have been marked: C. grossularia and C. ribes. The species Cytospora ribes was the most widespread. In the Yaroslavl region, 3 species of the genus Cytospora were mentioned on black currants, red currants, and gooseberries, these are Cytospora ambiens, C. grossularia and C. ribes. The fungus C. ambiens on red currants was found twice as often (33.3 %) than C. ribes (16.7 %). In the Bryansk region, the fungus Cytospora ambiens was revealed from the desiccated branches of black currant. The fungus Cytospora ribes was identified from plant samples of black currants taken at the Fruit station of the Timiryazev Agricultural Academy (Moscow), and from the gooseberry C. grossularia. Currant infect ability records of currants and gooseberry to cytosporous desiccation showed that the most affected by Cytospora spp. there was golden currant with an average score of 1.32, and gooseberries were the least affected crop with an average score of 0.32.

The results of daily phytosanitary monitoring of fruit plantations and literature data on biology, ecology, harmfulness of tobacco thrips (Thrips tabaci Lind.) are presented. In the apple agrocenoses of the Kuban and Black Sea zones of Krasnodar Territory, an increase in the harmfulness of representatives of the order Thysanoptera is observed. An increase in the number of tobacco thrips was noted, which led to a decrease in the quality of fruits. In the growing season of 2018, isolated symptoms of fruit damage by phytophagous were noted, in the growing season of 2019, fruit damage reached up to 2 %, in 2020 — 5-30 %. It was revealed that during the flowering period the number of T. tabaci Lind was 1-2 specimens per inflorescence; at the end of flowering, the amount of the pest increased by 5 times. High temperatures and lack of precipitation led to an outbreak of the pest population; in the first decade of June, 15 to 40 individuals were fixed per leaf. A high degree of damage to the tops of shoots, leaves and fruits was observed, the tissue in the feeding places of the pest was deformed, discolored, acquiring the appearance of whitish spots, which grew during the growth and ripening of fruits. It is known that the intensive development of thrips takes place in dry and hot years; the optimum temperature for the development of T. tabaci Lind is +25 °C. As a result of our monitoring, it was revealed that the maximum amount of the pest was observed during the period when high temperatures and low relative air humidity were noted — June and early July. The greatest number of the pest was found in areas bordering the fields of grain and tilled crops, while the number of phytophages at the time of registration reached 45 individuals per leaf and more. It should be noted that when the air temperature rises above +35 °C, the development of the phytophage stops, and the mortality rate of all stages sharply increases. To ensure a stable phytosanitary situation in fruit agrocenoses and prevent loss of fruit quality from damage by thrips, it is necessary to develop a set of measures to control the number of pests.

The article outlines the ways for the development of horticulture in the Republic of Kazakhstan, provides data on the study of apple, pear, cherry and plum rootstocks. The results of many years of research in order to optimize scion-rootstock combinations suitable for setting up intensive plantings are analyzed. The original plants isolated as a result of such observations should be propagated without disturbing productivity and genetic stability, and mother planting and field repositories should be established with the resulting planting material of the highest quality categories. To obtain basic seedlings, it is necessary, first of all, to use seedlings of the Sievers apple tree (Malus siversi) and the Niedzwetzky apple tree (Malus niedzwetzkyana), growing in the forests of the northern Tien Shan, and for the pear, seedlings of low-growing rootstocks of the East Asian group: Xiang Li, Tszy Li, Yue li, Bai li, Chang bai li, because the seeds of pome crops are free from harmful viruses. Before harvesting stone fruit seeds, it is necessary to test trees, since a harmful viral infection is transmitted with pollen.