Vol 11, No 1 (2026)

The study is devoted to the comparative study of entomocomplexes on the above-ground organs of soft spring and winter wheat in the field agrocenoses of the Kaluga region in the zone of mixed forests on turf-podzolic, medium- and heavy-loamy soils. The main goal of the work was to identify the composition and dynamics of the number of arthropods that live on the vegetative parts of spring and winter wheat, as well as to assess their impact on grain damage during the periods of milk, soft-dough, and full ripe in experiments without the use of insecticides during the vegetation period of the crops. The research was conducted in 2024-2025 in the Kozelsky and Iznoskovsky districts of the Kaluga Region at the experimental sites of LLC «Kaluzhskaya Niva» and «APK Izvolsky». The method of mowing with an entomological net was used, as well as laboratory analysis of grain damage by pests. The main results of the work were the following observations: a high biodiversity of sucking and gnawing phytophagous insects, saprophages, predators, and parasites was observed in spring and winter wheat crops without the use of insecticides. However, the number of phytophagous insects did not reach their economic thresholds of harmfulness and was lower than their thresholds by more than 15-20 times. In spring wheat crops, Psammotettix striatus, Trigonotylus ruficornis, the cereal aphids, Phyllotreta vittula, and Haplothrips aculeatus were the most common phytophagous pests, while in winter wheat crops, Psammotettix striatus was the most common. In years with a rainy second half of summer, Oribatei mites and saprophagous springtails (Collembola) were found on the leaves, stems, and ears of unharvested winter wheat crops. The damage to wheat grain by pests was 8–59%, and the pests were dominated by the larvae of Haplothrips tritici and Eurygaster testudinaria. The study showed that competitive relationships between different groups of arthropods and the regulatory effects of predators and parasites prevent phytophagous pests from reaching threshold levels of harmfulness, which preserves the potential of wheat yield even without the use of insecticides. The results obtained are important for the development of environmentally balanced pest control measures in agrocenoses and substantiate the need for in-depth study of trophic links in agroecosystems.

This article addresses the current challenge in potato breeding focused on developing high-yielding varieties with improved biochemical characteristics for Russia's growing processing industry. Particular attention is given to the North Caucasus region, where specific soil and climatic conditions, namely intense solar radiation and sharp diurnal temperature fluctuations in mountainous areas, promote the accumulation of dry matter and starch in tubers. The research aimed to conduct a breeding evaluation of potato hybrids from combination 133 (Ladoghsky × Goluboy Dunay) for dry matter and starch content, with subsequent selection of promising forms that combine high quality with yield. The study was conducted over two years (2024-2025) in the mountainous zone of North Ossetia at an altitude of 1400 m. The starch content was determined using the gravimetric method. Out of 21 studied hybrids, 16 met or exceeded the requirements of the ideal cultivar model for the region. The absolute top performer was hybrid 18.133/855, which showed the record values: starch content – 20.5%, dry matter – 26.46%, yield – 42.4 t/ha, and starch yield – 8.69 t/ha. The hybrid 18.133/32 also stood out (starch content – 18.7%, yield – 29.6 t/ha). These hybrids were deemed suitable for the production of dehydrated potato flakes. The results of 2025 confirmed the stability of the identified traits in the selected promising forms, indicating the genetic fixation of these properties. The scientific novelty of the work lies in demonstrating the effectiveness of the used parental combination for overcoming the negative correlation between yield and starch content. In conclusion, it is noted that the selected hybrids have high potential for creating competitive potato varieties adapted to the conditions of the North Caucasus, but further comprehensive research is necessary.

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of herbicides on the yield of various soybean varieties. The study analyzed the following soybean varieties: «FARTA», «SK Optima», and «SK Veda». The experiment was conducted in the Koshekhablsky district of the Republic of Adygea on leached chernozems, using the newly regionalized variety FARTA, under the following treatments: control (no herbicides); Frontier Optima, EC (STANDARD RATE); Basagran SL; Harmony Pro; Panthera, EC; Frontier Optima, EC + Basagran SL; Frontier Optima, EC + Harmony Pro; Frontier Optima, EC + Panthera, EC. After soybean emergence, the first assessment of herbicide effectiveness was carried out at the 1st trifoliate leaf stage, where it was found that the effect of individual herbicides varied from 92.2% to 93.7% over the years of the study. The combined application of herbicides increased their effectiveness by 3.3% to 4.8%. The research established that by the pod formation stage, soybean plants could compete with weeds, and their quantity decreased in the treatment with Frontier Optima, EC - 1.2 l/ha by -1.9%, Basagran SL - 3.0 l/ha by -1.6%, Harmony Pro - 8.0 g/ha by -1.5%, Panthera, EC - 1.5 l/ha by -1.8%. Their combined application increased the competitive ability of soybean plants and significantly reduced the number of weeds when counted per unit area. The results obtained provide a basis for formulating recommendations for the optimal use of herbicides in soybean crops on chernozems in the Republic of Adygea, taking into account economic and environmental factors.

The objective of the study was to investigate the most important economically valuable traits of pear scion-rootstock combinations in the arid conditions of the Northern Caspian region. The studies were conducted in 2023-2025. The growth and development characteristics of pear trees in combinations of different varieties and clonal rootstocks were studied, and the performance of pear scion-rootstock combinations in a young orchard was determined. In the studied scion-rootstock combinations, all pear varieties demonstrated high survival rates, reaching 86.8...100.0%. The earliest vegetation (March 19) was observed in the summer varieties Krasivaya (k) in combination with the PG 17-16 rootstock, Nadezhda – PG -12, Moldavskaya rannyaya – PG - 12. Early vegetative bud break began in the autumn variety Banketnaya (k) on March 21 on the PG -17-16 rootstock. The following varieties were characterized by intensive growth: Krasivaya (k) - 51.2 cm on the PG-2 rootstock, Nadezhda 41.6 cm on the Quince S rootstock, Moldavskaya rannyaya - 44.6 cm, Zimnyaya Mlievskaya - 71.2 cm on the PG-12 rootstock. In terms of trunk circumference increase, the best values were recorded for the summer variety Moldavskaya rannyaya on the PG-12 rootstock - 2.2 cm. The best growth of annual shoots reached 17.5 cm in combination with the Quince S rootstock and 17.3 cm with the PG-2 rootstock was noted for the Zimnyaya kuborevidnaya variety. The maximum calculated values of the crown projection area were noted for the varieties Zimnyaya kuborevidnaya (2.3 m2) and Tikhyi Don (2.2 m2) on the "cup-shaped" crown type variant. The analysis showed that the use of the "cup-shaped" pear shaping method on the semi-dwarf rootstock PG-12 gives the best results for the active shoot-forming ability of plants, where the total shoot growth was 58.4 cm per plant.

The purpose of the research is to monitor the dynamics of agrochemical properties and crop yields during the long-term use of straw in the conditions of Ozyornoye LLC in the Tselinny Municipal District of the Kurgan Region. The research was conducted in a dynamic manner, and the data from previous years was obtained from the farm's archival records. In recent decades, due to a decrease in the number of livestock, farms have faced the challenge of accumulating straw in their fields. Straw is an organic fertilizer that primarily improves soil structure, increases soil biological activity, enriches the soil with carbon, and returns biophilic elements and trace elements to the biological cycle. By monitoring the dynamics of agrochemical properties and crop yields in the study farm over a period of more than twenty years, it can be observed that the content of humus has increased from 3.70% to 3.97%, while the content of mobile phosphates has decreased from 0.02% to 0.01%. It has been established that the use of crop straw has a positive effect on the agrochemical properties of soils and the yield of cultivated crops.

The aim of the research is to perform experimental investigations to ascertain the impact of mechanization and natural and climatic environments on the productivity of cultivating crops within the "risky" farming zone. One of the areas of increasing the efficiency of the use of mechanization is their adaptation to the natural and climatic conditions of the region where they are used. Improving the efficiency of agricultural production remains the main focus of all agricultural producers. In recent years, due to the use of energy-saturated tractors and combined mechanization capable of performing a number of operations simultaneously, soil fertility has not always been beneficial. The main task is to get the maximum profit without regard to the consequences that may arise in subsequent years. At the same time, in most cases, crop rotation is disrupted, which subsequently leads to the emergence of various diseases of cultivated crops. This issue is especially acute where the efficiency of production of a particular crop still largely depends on the natural and climatic conditions of the region. These conditions affect mechanization involved in the production. The Amur Region belongs to the so-called zone of "risky" agriculture, a characteristic feature of which is a sharp drop temperature drop - in winter from -30... up to -48 degrees below zero, and in summer from + 20 to + 45 degrees Celsius. It should be noted that all agricultural field work directly depends on the natural and climatic conditions of the region - the inability to prepare the soil for sowing in the fall due to the late deadlines for the end of harvesting work (the first frosts), which leads to the combination of simultaneous work in spring - soil preparation with subsequent sowing. Melting of snow cover, thawing of soil frozen in winter and simultaneous precipitation during spring work sharply affects the bearing capacity of the soil, which affects the full use of energy resources (normal pressure of propulsors on the soil). All of the above has a negative impact on the efficiency of crop cultivation in the region. The proposed article proposes to modernize a fertilizer spreader capable of applying several types of fertilizers in one pass, depending on its need for soil.

The objective of this study was to identify the relationship between blood and plasma markers in dry cows before parturition and the occurrence of patrimonial and postnatal complications in high-yielding cows. The study was conducted at the Kupinskoye dairy complex in the Samara Region. A group of 30 cows was taken after 30 days of the dry period, with a gestation period of 7.5 to 8.0 months. Blood samples were collected from the entire group of cows 27 to 30 days before parturition to study morphological and biochemical parameters. During parturition and the postnatal period, visual observation and timing were used to determine the occurrence of parturition and postnatal complications in the cows. Based on the study results and the manifestation of obstetric and gynecological pathologies, the animals were divided into two groups: the first group consisted of cows with pathological parturition and the postnatal period, and the second group consisted of cows that did not exhibit pathological parturition or the puerperal period. Based on a comparative analysis of blood and serum parameters, it was found that animals with pathology manifested themselves 30 days before parturition: a decrease in hemoglobin content by 10.49 g / l, eosinophils 2.63%, monocytes 0.80%, with an increase in band neutrophils by 3.80%. Blood serum parameters in animals in the group without pathology exceeded the parameters of animals that had pathology in terms of content: total protein by 6.22 g / l, total calcium - 0.31 mmol / l, inorganic phosphorus - 0.18 mmol / l, alkaline reserve - 4.79 vol.%, CO2, carotene - 0.16%, albumins - 5.51%, and the content of β and γ globulins is less. The data obtained as a result of the study can serve as an algorithm for developing a method for preventing pathology of the genital organs.

The purpose of research is to analise the influence of the genotype of Holstein heifers and first-calf cows on their reproductive function from high-producing cows of the Reflection Sovering and the With Back Ideal crossed lines. Four groups of newborn calves, 12 in each, were formed for the study. The first group of heifers belonged to the Reflection Sovering line, the second group belonged to the With Back Ideal line, the third group of calves was obtained by crossing Reflection Sovering bulls with With Back Ideal cows, and the fourth group of calves was obtained by crossing With Back Ideal bulls with Reflection Sovering cows. Throughout the study period, the animals were maintained under identical feeding and housing conditions. The study revealed that the genotype of animals in intrabreed reciprocal crossbreeding influences the reproductive performance of heifers and first-calf cows. The age at first fruitful insemination in heifers in the first experimental group was 13.20 months, which is 1 month less than in the second group, 0.60 months more than in animals in the third group, and 0.45 months less than in animals in the fourth group. The conception rate during the first heat in animals in Groups I and III was 41.70%, which is 8.40% higher than that of Group II heifers and 8.30% lower than that of Group IV heifers. Uterine involution in Group IV heifers was completed 2.36 days earlier than that of Group III, 8.03 days earlier than that of Group II, and 4.93 days earlier than that of Group I. The period of successful insemination in Group II was 122.16 days, which is 5.11 days longer than that of Group I, 7.87 days longer than that of Group III, and 9.48 days longer than that of Group IV.