Background. The harmful organisms affecting potato cause great economic damage in all areas where the crop is grown. One of the most economically important pathogens is the potato late blight (agent Phytophthora infestans Mont. (de Bary)). Also, Potato Virus Y (PVY) and potato cyst nematode (PCN) of the Ro1 pathotype, the only one that occurs in the Russian Federation, cause significant yield losses. Materials and methods. Phytopathological and molecular screening was carried out on original interspecific potato hybrids obtained in 11 crossing combinations, seven of which were studied for the first time. Hybrids resulted from crosses that involved Mexican and South American potato species as sources of late blight and PVY resistance. Field observations of late blight resistance were conducted during three seasons under high infection pressure. A part of plant material was screened in laboratory tests. PCR tests employed 9 DNA markers of genes associated with resistance to Ph. infestans, PVY and PCN of Ro1 pathotype used in our previous study. Results. In field evaluation, hybrid clones mostly expressed high, and a part of them moderate late blight resistance. Of the 6 markers of the used Rpi genes, at least two were detected in most clones, while some had 3 or 4 markers. Some clones were found to have markers of PCN resistance genes and of several genes for resistance to PVY. The cytoplasm type was determined for all plant material. Conclutions. Within a small but pedigree-diverse set of interspeсific hybrids, the markers of resistance genes to all three pests were found. A part of clones obtained by using the sources of PVY and late blight resistance which we had identified, were found to contain two or more resistance genes to these pathogens. According to the results of molecular tests, the clones were found to carry several markers of late blight and PVY resistance genes. Original interspecific potato hybrids with determined late blight resistance levels, cytoplasm type and availability of markers of genes for resistance to three pests can be used in further hybridization.

Cryobanks use plant cryocollections for long-term preservation of crops which cannot be preserved in seed collections. These are vegetatively propagated crops, accessions of species which form either a small amount of seeds, or recalcitrant seeds. Shoot tips (apexes) of in vitro plants are used for cryopreservation for most berry crops, therefore maintenance of in vitro collections is very important. The VIR in vitro collection includes 150 accessions of Rubus L. species, 85 of them are raspberry cultivars, 59 of which were bred in Russia. These cultivars reflect a wide ecogeographic diversity. Among them, there are raspberry cultivars created at the end of the 19^th – first half of the 20^th centuries, including cultivars bred by I.V. Michurin and by the pioneer of northern horticulture V.V. Spirin. More than half of national raspberry varieties (33) are listed in the State Register for Selection Achievements Admitted for Usage. Raspberry cultivars from Russian breeding programs have a very limited representation in foreign genebanks. The first aim of the present work was cryopreservation of mostly folk and old Russian raspberry cultivars received by VIR from 1925 till 1950 and their transfer into the cryobank. The second aim of the work was to monitor post-cryogenic regeneration of raspberry cultivars transferred to the cryobank earlier. A modified protocol of the droplet vitrification method by “DV-biotech” was used for cryopreservation of shoot tips of in vitro plants of 10 raspberry cultivars (7 of which are folk and old Russian ones) from the VIR in vitro collection. Post-cryogenic regeneration was evaluated for 17 raspberry cultivars preserved in the cryobank from one to five years. Ten raspberry cultivars (900 apexes) with an average mean post-cryoregenic regeneration value of 38.2±3.0% determined in control tests, were placed in the cryobank for long-term storage. A statistically significant effect of the genotype on the viability of explants after cryopreservation was noted, while the post-cryogenic regeneration was genotype insensitive. Additionally, levels of post-cryogenic regeneration were evaluated for 17 raspberry cultivars (296 apexes) preserved in the cryobank from one to five years. Post-cryogenic regeneration within the 20-70% range was displayed by four raspberry cultivars preserved in the cryobank for one year, and for 8 cultivars conserved there from three to five years post-cryogenic regeneration was within the 10-50% range. According to the results of monitoring, regeneration displayed by 12 raspberry cultivars was within the 10-70% range, which can be considered as a reliable rate of apex preservation in liquid nitrogen vapors in the VIR cryobank. Monitoring of the post-cryogenic regeneration of the raspberry accessions preserved in the VIR cryobank and cryopreservation of new raspberry cultivars will be continued.

The main biological feature of potato varieties is vegetative reproduction. This mode of reproduction can be associated with problems due to the physiological ageing of the crop and the accumulation of specific pathogens causing reduced tuber yields. In order to avoid these problems, potato seed production widely uses modern biotechnological methods. The use of meristemic technologies allows preserving the identity of the biomaterial in the process of maintaining the potato collection in vitro, but even under these conditions there is a threat that modifications of individual economically valuable traits may get fixed. In potato varieties, such non-heritable deviations manifest themselves in the form of a shift in phenophases and the period of tubers ripening. The use of modern high-tech methods of varietal resources storage implemented on the basis of biotechnological approaches, makes it possible to maintain high quality of biomaterial. At the same time, mobility and practicality remain the main criteria for the effectiveness of different storage methods, depending on the extent to which they can be used in practice. In this review, the collection of varieties at Russian Potato Research Center is used as an example for considering the main stages of the formation and functioning of a modern Bank of Healthy Potato Varieties (BHPV), which supplies various regions of the Russian Federation with high-quality phytopathogen-free potato varieties.

April 2, 2022 marks the anniversary of Lyudmila Andreevna Bespalova, an Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, one of the prominent wheat and triticale breeders, the author of many varieties introduced into agricultural practice both in our country and abroad, which are cultivated in areas encompassing millions of hectares, thus making a significant contribution to solving the global food security problem. Lyudmila A. Bespalova is a recognized classic in the field of wheat breeding and seed production, she has published over 300 scientific papers, and received about 120 copyright certificates and patents. Acad. Bespalova is a bright representative of domestic breeders, who maintains the traditions of one of the largest scientific schools and takes an active part in the life of the community of geneticists and breeders in this country by training young specialists and increasing the prestige of and demand for the profession of a breeder.

January 9, 2022 marks the 75th anniversary of Nikolai Aleksandrovich Kolchanov, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Scientific Leader of the Federal Research Center the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, First Vice-President of the Vavilov Society of Geneticists and Breeders. Acad. N.A. Kolchanov is a prominent specialist in the field of bioinformatics and systems computational biology, under whose guidance the largest domestic scientific school in this area has formed and received global development. He is the author and co-author of about 700 publications in domestic and foreign press, holder of 18 copyright certificates and 8 patents. For almost 20 years, Acad. Kolchanov is the Head and Professor of the Department of Information Biology with the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Novosibirsk State University. He supervised the work of 12 doctoral and 2 senior doctorate students. His students, who work in leading domestic and foreign scientific centers, are the pride of Russian science and make a significant contribution to the world level of development of modern bioinformatics at the global level.