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Background. Cowpea Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. has long been a cultivated crop in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Americas. Cowpea seeds are renowned for their delicious flavor and high protein, carbohydrate, macro- and micronutrient content, and bioactive compounds. The crop is known for its antioxidant, anticarcinogenic and antibacterial properties. Food products made from cowpea seeds have nutritional value and are a staple in the diets of health-conscious individuals. The aim of the work was to determine the nutritional value of seeds of V. unguiculata accessions from the VIR collection of different ecogeographical origin, having different colors of the seed coat. Materials and methods. Thirty-nine accessions from the VIR collection were chosen for the study. The content of nutritious and bioactive compounds, i.e. protein, starch, anthocyanins, carotenoids, β-carotene and chlorophylls was determined. The variation of the anthocyanin content was revealed depending on the seed color. The amount of anthocyanins in seeds was determined by spectrophotometry, of protein by Kjeldahl, and starch by Evers. Chlorophyll, carotenoids and beta-carotene were determined spectrophotometrically. Results. The range of variation of the anthocyanins content in seeds is quite wide from 1.8 mg% to 404.4 mg%. The highest values were noted in black seeds (124.3-404.4 mg%). The content of total protein was within 18.8-30.5%, the range of starch variation was 42.6-57.1%, the content of chlorophylls a and b ranged from 0.13 to 3.7 mg%, and carotenoids and β-carotene were found in minimal quantities of 0.07-0.72 mg% and 0.01-0.14 mg%, respectively. Conclusion. In our experiment, the anthocyanin content of seeds influenced the color of the seed coat, but did not affect the protein, starch, carotenoid, and β-carotene levels. A significant association was also observed between the carotenoid content of seeds and the ecogeographical origin of the accession. A positive correlation (r>0.8) was found between the chlorophyll and β-carotene content, and between β-carotene and carotenoids, while a negative correlation was found between the starch and protein content (r= –0.81). The accessions k-1738 ‘Sibirski Razmer’ (Russia) and k-567 (India) demonstrated the best nutritional value for the complex of traits studied.

Background. Brown rust of bread wheat caused by Puccinia triticina Eriks. is one of the most harmful diseases in the temperate climate of the Russian Federation, causing significant crop losses and reducing grain quality. In this regard, an urgent task is to assess the resistance of wheat cultivars and the diversity of Lr genes in Tatarstan. Of greatest interest are the genes Lr9, Lr19, Lr24, Lr26, Lr34, Lr37/Yr17/Sr38 and Lr46, which provide resistance at various stages of plant development. The aim of the study was to comprehensively assess the brown rust resistance in spring bread wheat cultivars bred in Tatarstan using field and molecular genetic methods. Materials and methods. The resistance of 15 cultivars of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was assessed in 2023-2025 by the degree of damage to the flag and pre-flag leaves in field conditions at the experiment base of the Tatar Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture of the Kazan Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Resistance genes were identified using diagnostic DNA markers associated with six Lr genes. Results and discussion. The most resistant cultivars in field conditions were ‘Nastavnik’, ‘Khazine’ and ‘Chistopol’skaya’ characterized by the presence of combinations Lr9+Lr24+Lr46, Lr19+Lr24 and Lr9+Lr24+Lr34, respectively. The cultivars ‘Al’ Varis’, ‘Balkysh’, ‘Bulyak’ and ‘Sakara’ had an average level of resistance (resistance index 0.4-0.6) in the epiphytotic year. It has been shown that high and long-term resistance is formed due to a combination of race-specific and age-related genes. The data obtained indicate differences in the informativeness and specificity of molecular markers used to assess the resistance of cultivars. Conclusions. The manifestation of resistance in field conditions is determined by the genetic background of the cultivars, agroclimatic conditions and the race composition of the pathogen. The results of the study can be used for the targeted selection of source material and the implementation of a strategy for pyramiding resistance genes in spring wheat breeding programs.

Background. The S-locus, which controls the system of gametophytic incompatibility in the species of the Rosaceae family, is characterized by a high degree of allelic diversity, which is successfully used for S-genotyping and molecular certification, as well as for clarifying the phylogenetic relationships between species. In practical aspect, the study of the S locus is also important for identifying self-fertility mutations affecting pollen specificity. Recently, an association of this trait with the presence of the S17 allele in the genome of the domestic plum Prunus domestica L. has been established, and specific primers for its identification developed. The aim of our work was to identify markers of this allele in accessions of stone fruit collections maintained at the Maykop Experimental Station – a branch of VIR and the Pushkin and Pavlovsk Laboratories of VIR, and to determine their effectiveness in parallel phenotypic analysis. Materials and methods. Molecular screening was performed using S17 allele specific primers and consensus primers PruC2/PCER. In parallel, over the course of two years (2023 and 2024), plum and cherry plum accessions were phenotyped for self-fertility using the methodology adopted at VIR. Results and discussion. A subset of 266 stone fruit accessions was studied, including 76 accessions of cherry plum Prunus cerasifera Ehrh., 150 accessions of domestic plum P. domestica, one accession of North American plum Prunus americana Marsh., one accession of Canadian plum Prunus nigra Aiton, three samples of Russian plum Prunus× rossica Erem. and 35 of blackthorn Prunus spinosa L. Sixteen accessions were identified as carriers of the S17 allele. In parallel, a significant part of the experimental subset, 124 accessions of domestic plum and cherry plum, was phenotyped, and the ability of plants to form fruits when pollinated with their own pollen assessed. The portion of self-fertile accessions of hexaploid European plum was 56.1%, while for cherry plum only 7.4%. These results are fully consistent with the phenomenon of widespread self-fertile forms among polyploid organisms described in the literature. Most self-fertile accessions did not have the S17 allele, that is, their self-fertility should be explained by some other reasons. On the other hand, almost all accessions of European plum with the S17 allele were self-fertile. Conclusions. Comparison of the molecular screening results and phenotypic analysis data showed that the S17 allele in the domestic plum does indeed exhibit an association with the self-compatibility property, but P. domestica may also have other mutant variants that disrupt the degradation mechanisms of its own pollen tubes. No such association is observed in diploid cherry plum. The self-fertile accessions with markers of the S17 allele identified during the analysis are of great interest for breeding, since they can be directly used in marker-assisted selection.

Background. Cryopreservation is an effective method for long-term preservation of plant specimens. Cryogenic collections of accessions of the genus Rubus exist in few foreign genebanks, which contain virtually no national raspberry cultivars. The overwhelming majority of studies on the cryopreservation of Rubus specimens are based on the use of in vitro plant apices as explants. The in vitro collection of Rubus accessions at the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) comprises 160 accessions, including 79 home-bred raspberry cultivars. Long-term storage of raspberry accessions from the VIR in vitro collection in the VIR cryobank was initiated in 2017. The objective of this study was to arrange cryopreservation and long-term storage of 11 Russian raspberry cultivars from the VIR in vitro collection. This study also summarized data on the entire VIR cryo collection of raspberry, which currently includes 27 Rubus idaeus L. cultivars. Materials and Methods. Accessions of modern raspberry cultivars obtained from five Russian breeding centers were added to the VIR in vitro collection. Cryopreservation of microplant apices was performed using the droplet vitrification method modified at VIR. Statistical analysis of variance and principal component analysis were used for data processing. Results and Discussion. Eleven Russian-bred raspberry cultivars were introduced into in vitro culture and cryopreserved. Post-cryogenic regeneration rate for these specimens ranged from 27 to 65%. Currently, the entire cryogenic collection of raspberry cultivars preserved in the VIR cryobank comprises 27 cultivars with post-cryogenic regeneration rates ranging from 24 to 89%. Using the principal component analysis, the cultivar accessions were grouped on the basis of their response to immersion in liquid nitrogen in control experiments. Conclusions. The cryogenic collection of raspberry accessions in the VIR cryobank has been expanded with 11 cultivars. Currently, the cryogenic collection includes 23 released cultivars and four landraces. All 27 cultivars were placed in long-term storage in the VIR cryobank at a rate of at least 90 explants per accession.

Background. The use of modern agrobiotechnological methods allows for obtaining qualitatively new highly profitable Actinidia cultivars with an increased content of bioactive substances. Achieving such results is possible through a comprehensive study and use of genetic resources of plants from the VIR collection, including in vitro aseptic conditions. In this regard, it is relevant to study the issues of callusogenesis induction with subsequent proliferation of promising cultivars of Actinidia chinensis var. deliciosa (A. Chev.) C.F. Liang & A.R. Ferguson in vitro with the aim of preserving them for further selection. Materials and methods. The objects of the study were the cultivars: ‘Hayward’, ‘Bruno’, ‘Monty’, and ‘Allison’ of A. chinensis var. deliciosa from the VIR collection. Young shoots of plantlets from seeds germinated in culture vessels in a climatic chamber were used as explants for introduction into artificial culture conditions. At this stage, three variants of sterilizing agents were tested for identifying the main substance for multi-stage sterilization of explants. Shoots were placed in test tubes with a nutrient medium according to the Murashige and Skoog (MS) prescription. On day 10, the efficiency of introduction applying different types of sterilizing substances was assessed. To induce callusogenesis, leaf segments from Actinidia microplants were planted on four variants of the MS nutrient medium with different combinations of growth regulators. In order to determine the efficiency of 3-Hydroxytetrahydrofuran (Riftal) plant growth regulator, a steadily growing callus was transplanted onto four variants of the MS nutrient medium with the addition of 1 ml/l of the growth regulator at different concentrations. Calluses of Actinidia cultivars maintained in vitro for three years were used directly for the induction of organogenesis. Results and discussion. The best result in terms of sterilization efficiency and explant viability was shown by the variant of shoot sterilization with a 10% solution of “Belizna”, a universal detergent, disinfectant and bleaching agent. Primary callus formation was noted on all variants of nutrient media for callusogenesis induction. However, the subsequent cultivation of callus tissue on MS nutrient media containing 2,4-D, resulted in formation of loose, hydrated, chlorophyll-free calli. In the experiment focused on the effect of Riftal, steady callus growth was noted on all variants of nutrient media and root formation was recorded in cultivars ‘Hayward’, ‘Allison’, and ‘Bruno’. Organogenesis was noted in callus tissue of all studied cultivars. Conclusions. Evaluation of the regenerative potential of A. chinensis var. deliciosa cultivars ‘Hayward’, ‘Allison’, ‘Bruno’, and ‘Monty’ has shown that ‘Hayward’ and ‘Allison’ have the highest number of regenerants per organogenic callus: 2.2 and 3.7, respectively. The obtained results will serve for intensifying the breeding within the genus Actinidia using modern molecular genetics and biotechnological methods, including CRISPR/Cas genome editing.

The study of genetic resource collections has led to the development of modern biotechnology methods. Today, with the accumulation of big data in genomics and omics, biological collections are of paramount importance for the development of personalized approaches in medicine and nutrition. Interdisciplinary comprehensive research in the field of healthy nutrition, based on classical nutrition and dietetics, now encompasses human nutriogenomics using omics approaches, nutritional and nutriogenomic experiments on model animals, nutritional phenotyping of plant genetic resources along with their biochemical and metabolomic analysis, and science-intensive methods for processing plant materials. It is emphasized that such an integrated approach not only forms the basis for important developments in personalized nutrition but also opens the door to personalized plant breeding for the human diet. Emphasis is placed on the study of the genetic resources of cultivated plants with geroprotective properties and the importance of biofortification of plant varieties used in the production of everyday foods.