Most commercially grown Asian plum cultivars worldwide were developed using cultivars bred by L. Burbank in the late 19th and early 20th centuries through hybridization of Prunus salicina Lindl. with other diploid species. The pedigrees of 82 Chinese plum and 47 cherry plum cultivars were analyzed to assess the contribution of these cultivars to the development of Russian breeding programs. The analysis revealed that 19 Chinese plum cultivars (23%) and 32 cherry plum cultivars (68%) are interspecifi c hybrids derived from crosses involving P. salicina. Their pedigrees include the following cultivars: Burbank (P. salicina × P. armeniaca), Climax (P. salicina × P. simonii), and Wickson (P. salicina × P. simonii). Russian cultivars were developed under diverse environmental and climatic conditions beginning in the 1940s under the guidance of scientists and breeders A. N. Venyaminov, R. F. Kostina, H. K. Enikeev, G. V. Eremina, and A. V. Isachkina. The “fi rst-generation” cultivars were obtained by crossing introduced U.S. cultivars with local P. cerasifera and P. salicina var. ussuriensis. This generation included 7 Chinese plum cultivars and 10 cherry plum cultivars. The “second-generation” cultivars (11 Chinese plum cultivars and 10 cherry plum cultivars) were obtained by hybridizing fi rst-generation cultivars with one another and with P. cerasifera, as well as through open pollination. Among the first-generation cultivars, the Chinese plum cultivar Skoroplodnaya was involved in the largest number of successful hybrid combinations. It was used to develop five Chinese plum cultivars and seven cherry plum cultivars, including the cherry plum cultivar Kubanskaya Kometa. Most third-generation cultivars (11 of 13) were developed using Kubanskaya Kometa, indicating its high combining ability. The genome of Kubanskaya Kometa includes genetic contributions from P. salicina, P. salicina var. ussuriensis, P. simonii, and P. cerasifera.

This article describes the new wine grape cultivar Khatmi Stabil’nyi (hybrid form G-13-6-13) developed at the Dagestan Breeding Experimental Station of Viticulture and Vegetable Growing (DBESVVG). Its botanical characteristics, agrobiological characteristics, as well as production and technological potential are presented. The native cultivar Khatmi was used as the female parent, while the cultivar Pervenets Magaracha was used as the male parent. Khatmi Stabil’nyi is classifi ed as an early- to mid-season cultivar, with a growing season of 130–134 days from bud break to full berry ripeness at a sum of eff ective temperatures of 2,810–2,938ºС. The cultivar exhibits a high rate of shoot maturation (90–93%). The clusters are medium to large, conical, and moderately compact. The berries are medium-sized, round, greenish-yellow, with a light waxy coating. The fl esh is juicy and free of off -fl avors, and the skin is of medium thickness and fi rmness. Khatmi Stabil’nyi is characterized by a high yield (7–8 kg per vine) and favorable juice characteristics, including a soluble solids content of 190–210 g/dm³ and titratable acidity of 4.1–5.5 g/dm³; juice accounts for 75.7% of cluster weight. Compared with other zoned wine grape cultivars recommended for cultivation in the region, Khatmi Stabil’nyi exhibits high resistance to fungal diseases and pests. Therefore, it can be recommended for winemaking, particularly for the production of dry and semi-dry white wines, as well as for juice production. The results indicate that Khatmi Stabil’nyi has good potential for commercial cultivation in the Republic of Dagestan. Its introduction into commercial production could expand the range of wine grape cultivars and help optimize the supply of locally produced grapes.

This paper presents the results of an investigation of the economically important trait associated with the FaRPc2 locus, which confers resistance to late blight, in 28 garden strawberry and zemklunika cultivars, as well as 10 garden strawberry (F. × ananassa Duch.) hybrids bred at the Federal Horticultural Center for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery. The study employed the molecular genetic HRM markers UFPc2HRM01 and UFPc2HRM04, which are associated with the H2 and H3 haplotypes (sets of alleles located on the same chromosome that are typically inherited together from one parent) of resistance to P. cactorum, respectively. The cultivars Kupchikha, Barynya, and Rubinovyi Kulon, which demonstrated increased resistance to late blight under fi eld conditions, were used as positive controls in two experimental groups. The susceptible cultivar Festival’naya Romashka was also included for comparative analysis. The garden strawberry cultivars Barynya and Rubinovyi Kulon, as well as the zemklunika cultivar Kupchikha carried the fi rst resistance allele of the haplotype H2 in a heterozygous state. In addition, the cultivars Lord and Lyubava were found to carry the H2 haplotype in a stable heterozygous state, whereas the cultivar Baron Solemacher carried the H2 haplotype in a stable homozygous state. The group of genotypes potentially resistant through the H3 haplotype included the cultivars Darselect and Elizaveta 2, both of which carried the haplotype in a homozygous state. A more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying resistance and host responses to the pathogen requires the identifi cation of haplotypes associated with susceptibility to P. cactorum (H1 and H4). This will provide a more detailed characterization of the genetic profi les of the studied cultivars and forms. The cultivars Kupchikha, Lyubava, Barynya, and Rubinovyi Kulon show potential for use in breeding programs. The obtained results may contribute to a better understanding of the inheritance of investigated haplotypes and thereby support the development of more precise and eff ective breeding methods and agricultural practices.

Powdery mildew is a particularly damaging disease of garden strawberries grown both in open fi elds and under protected conditions, as it can reduce plant productivity and adversely aff ect fruit quality. Therefore, an important objective of strawberry breeding is the identifi cation and development of genotypes resistant to this disease. The present study aimed to screen a collection of garden strawberry cultivars and selected breeding forms for the presence of Pair1PM DNA marker linked to the FaRPa1C locus, which is associated with resistance to powdery mildew. The study was conducted using cultivars and selected forms of garden strawberries bred at the Federal Horticultural Center for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery (FSBSO ARHCBAN). High-resolution melting (HRM) analysis was used to classify the studied accessions into three groups based on the melting temperature of the amplifi cation products and their putative allelic states: stable homozygous genotypes C/C, heterozygous genotypes T/C, and unstable homozygous genotypes T/T. Among the studied cultivar accessions, the stable homozygous genotype C/C predominated (42.9 %), whereas heterozygotes and nonresistant homozygotes T/T account for 35.7 and 21.4%, respectively. The distribution was nonuniform, which may indicate a selection preference for the C allele among the studied accessions. The stable homozygous haplotype identifi ed in the cultivars Vostorg, Bereginya, Nashe Podmoskovie, and Tsaritsa, as well as in the selected breeding forms 3-5-1 and 3-731-3, makes these accessions promising for further breeding. The selected form 3-5-1 (Divnaya × open pollination) demonstrated the presence of a stable homozygous genotype for the Pair1PM marker. The Divnaya cultivar should be genotyped using the same marker to clarify its resistance status and probable routes of inheritance. Another breeding form of interest is 3-731-3 (3-387-20 × Barynya). One or both of its parental forms presumably carry a polymorphism at the FaRPa1C locus associated with resistance to powdery mildew. Both parental forms should be analyzed in future studies to identify the donor of this gene. Thus, the obtained results demonstrate the potential of molecular genetic methods in selecting source material for breeding garden strawberries resistant to powdery mildew.

The study aimed to analyze the calendar dates of the onset and duration of phenological phases in 21 raspberry cultivars (fruiting on two-year-old stems and on one-year-old shoots) grown in Orenburg Oblast, Russia. The heat requirements of diff erent raspberry cultivars varied depending on the phenological phase. At the onset of fl owering, the sum of eff ective temperatures for summer-bearing raspberries with two-year-old fruiting stems ranged from 596.6 to 868.7°C, whereas for remontant raspberries, it ranged from 1674.5 to 2196.9°C at ∑t > 5°C. For summer-bearing raspberries, the fi rst fruits began to ripen at a sum of eff ective temperatures ranging from 1119.2 to 1575.7°C (∑t > 5°C), whereas remontant cultivars began to ripen at 1895.9–2231.6°C (∑t > 5°C). The total harvesting period ranged from 37 to 51 days for cultivars fruiting on one-year-old shoots and from 16 to 22 days for summer-bearing cultivars. In Orenburg Oblast, the raspberry cultivars in the genetic collection were classifi ed according to their ripening time. Among cultivars fruiting on two-year-old stems, the early-ripening group included Rannii Syurpriz, Beglyanka, Vol’nitsa, and Zhuravlik; the midseason group included Kolokol’chik, Zevs, Patritsiya, Krasa Rossii, Taganka, Izobil’naya, and Mishutka; and the late-ripening group included Peresvet, Samarskaya Plotnaya, and Brigantina. Among cultivars fruiting on current-year shoots, the early-ripening group included Gerakl; the midseason group included Arisha, Oranzhevoe Chudo, Rubinovoe Ozherel’e, and Poklon Kazakovu; and the late-ripening group included Karamel’ka a nd Zhar-Ptitsa. Thus, the study results enabled the classifi cation of the evaluated cultivars according to fl owering and fruit-ripening dates.

Most early-flowering herbaceous peony cultivars are of hybrid origin. Their popularity is attributed to the wide range of fl ower colors. Thirteen early-flowering herbaceous peony cultivars from the collection of the Federal Horticultural Center for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery were evaluated in biennial and perennial plantings from 2024 to 2026 to assess their performance under the conditions of Moscow Oblast. Based on their morphological characteristics, the cultivars were classified into groups according to flower color: cream Lunnaya Doroga, Starlight, and Early Daybreak; coral – Coral Charm; red and dark red – Orlyonok, Tiny Tim, Carina, and Dandy Dan; lilacpink – Novost’ Altaya and Anna Zahler; and crimson – Goody, Ofeliya, and Paula Fay. The cultivars Lunnaya Doroga, Orlyonok, Tiny Tim, Starlight, Novost’ Altaya, and Early Daybreak had single flowers with one or two rows of petals. The flowers of Coral Charm, Carina, Anna Zahler, Ofeliya, and Paula Fay were semi-double, with three to eight rows of petals. Goody and Dandy Dan had double fl owers. Most cultivars had erect stems 60–75 cm in height and a compact growth habit. The exceptions were the tall cultivar Novost’ Altaya (95 cm) and the cultivars Tiny Tim, Dandy Dan, and Coral Charm, which had semi-spreading or spreading growth habits. Flowering in the second year after planting was observed in Orlyonok, Lunnaya Doroga, Tiny Tim, Coral Charm, Dandy Dan, Starlight, and Paula Fay. In perennial plantings, Orlyonok and Tiny Tim produced the highest number of shoots per plant. The highest proportion of flowering shoots (80.0–90.9%) was observed in cultivars producing 18–23 shoots per plant: Carina, Starlight, Novost’ Altaya, Ofeliya, Coral Charm, Dandy Dan, and Paula Fay. Most cultivars produced one to three buds per peduncle, whereas Lunnaya Doroga produced five to eight buds per shoot. Orlyonok, Novost’ Altaya, and Coral Charm were notable for their ability to produce seeds. Thus, the results of this study were used to determine the suitability of these cultivars for different applications in ornamental horticulture.

This paper presents the results of an introduction trial of contemporary tall hybrid iris (Iris hybrida hort.) cultivars conducted from 2017 to 2026 in the Altai Ob region. The trial aimed to identify promising tall I. hybrida hort. cultivars for expanding the range of plants suitable for landscaping. The Federal Altai Scientific Center for Agrobiotechnology evaluated 90 cultivars for winter hardiness, ornamental characteristics, biological growth traits, and flowering productivity. Over the ten-year trial period, the I. hybrida hort. plants were exposed to a range of weather conditions, including unfavorable ones. According to the results of this long-term trial, a total of 70 adaptive cultivars were recommended for landscaping in the region. Under the forest-steppe conditions of Altai Krai, these cultivars demonstrated the ability to maintain high ornamental qualities. Depending on the cultivar, flower diameter ranged from 11.0 to 17.3 cm, the number of flower stalks per plant reached 10–12, and the number of flowers per flower stalk reached 10–14. The flowering period averaged 14 days, ranging from 9 to 24 days.

The article presents a study of the eff ects of growth-promoting bacteria on the growth, viability, and physiological condition of apple seedlings. The experiment was conducted in 2024–2025 in the area adjacent to the Pervomaysky Culture and Recreation Park (Ufa, Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia). The study used two-year-old seedlings of the Terentyevka apple cultivar (Malus terentyevka, Malus plodovitka) grown in a forest nursery (Ufa district, Republic of Bashkortostan). For plant treatment, two strains of gram-negative growth-promoting bacteria from the Сulture Сollection of the Ufa Institute of Biology, Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, were used: Pseudomonas protegens DA1.2 (No. B-3542D in the All-Russian Collection of Microorganisms) and P. chlororaphis 4CH (No. UIB-57 in the Culture Collection of the Ufa Institute of Biology). Both strains possess nitrogen-fi xing activity and the ability to synthesize auxins. Treatment was performed by applying bacterial suspensions twice to the soil in the root zone in 2024. During the experiment, biometric parameters (changes in stem length), as well as the content of pigments (chlorophyll, fl avonoids, and anthocyanins) and oxidative stress markers (malondialdehyde [MDA] and proline) in leaves were assessed. The results demonstrated a stimulatory eff ect of both bacterial strains, expressed as accelerated shoot growth. The growth of apple seedlings treated with P. protegens DA1.2 and P. chlororaphis 4CH was 69 and 40 % greater, respectively, than that of the control plants. Treatment with both strains increased leaf chlorophyll content and nitrogen balance index by up to 28 and 33 %, respectively, relative to untreated plants. Moreover, an antistress eff ect of the bacterial strains was observed during adaptation to external environmental conditions, as indicated by decreases in proline (by 3545 %) and MDA (15–32 %) levels in treated plants. The results demonstrate the potential for developing microbiological fertilizers based on the studied growthpromoting Pseudomonas strains for use in apple seedling production.

 This paper presents a comparative analysis of the spectrophotometric characteristics of total RNA isolated from berry crop plant material using various extraction methods. Evaluation of isolation protocols in berry crops has either not been conducted or has been limited in scope. The protocol that demonstrated the most favorable spectrophotometric characteristics was optimized by investigating the effects of lithium chloride coprecipitation time, lysis time, washing with absolute ethanol, sodium lauryl sulfate (SDS) addition, and modification of the chloroform extraction step. Six modifications affecting different stages of RNA extraction were developed for the protocol that produced values closest to the optimal range. For garden strawberry, black currant, and raspberry, the most favorable spectrophotometric characteristics were obtained using the modified protocol combining prolonged coprecipitation (16 h) with an increased concentration of the alcohol solution. The low standard deviations of the measured parameters indicate a high degree of method reproducibility, which is an important indicator of its reliability and accuracy for molecular research. One-step RT-PCR using internal control primers targeting the nad5 gene was performed to confirm the absence of polymerase chain reaction inhibitors in RNA samples obtained using the modified method. These results demonstrate the suitability of the isolated RNA for highly sensitive diagnostics of phytopathogenic viruses. Further research will focus on applying the optimized RNA extraction protocol and evaluating primers for the identification of phytopathogenic viruses during the certification of plants in the highest quality categories.

Industrial orchards worldwide are experiencing a shortage of seasonal labor, with the costs of manual labor for harvesting and pruning apple trees in high-density orchards accounting for as much as 60–65 % of total production costs. Over the past decade, a market for robotic solutions for pome fruit crops has emerged internationally, comprising two main segments: fruit-harvesting platforms (TRL 7–8) and research and experimental pruning prototypes (TRL 4–6). This study aimed to conduct a systematic comparative analysis of foreign robotic platforms, identify their key technical and economic limitations, and formulate specifi c recommendations for the development of a competitive Russian solution. The methodology included an analysis of 34 sources published between 2014 and 2026, including publications indexed in Scopus and Web of Science, relevant industry media reports, as well as an interview with the founder of FFRobotics and fi eld observations conducted in commercial orchards in Krasnodar Krai. According to the interview, the FFRobotics platform achieves a productivity of 20 t/day at a harvesting rate of 90–95 % when the fruiting wall is up to 50 cm wide; when the width increases to 1 m, the harvesting rate decreases to 50 % or less. The comparative analysis revealed a critical gap among the considered platforms: no existing system integrates apple harvesting, pruning, and thinning into a single multifunctional platform, limiting its practical operating period to 2–3 months per year. In addition, the existing literature contains no analysis of the Advanced Farm Technologies platform, despite its advanced design incorporating six manipulators and vacuum grippers. As a result of the analysis, a concept for the proposed solution was developed. The concept comprises a self-propelled platform equipped with 12 fully independent Cartesian-coordinate manipulators with CNC control, rotatable vacuum suction cups mounted on thin angled tubes, pneumatic track-width adjustment (3.5–4.5 m), an integrated conveyor with a soft-chute discharge, and interchangeable attachments for pruning and thinning. Implementation of this concept could extend the practical operating period of the system from 2–3 months to 6 or more months per year, thereby potentially reducing the payback period for commercial horticultural enterprises.