Some aspects of breeding soft winter wheat on the Don under conditions of a changing climate

It is shown that breeding of winter wheat on the Don is being conducted under conditions of intensifying variability of the weather, virulence, and harmfulness of environmental biotic factors. Therefore, its strategy should be based on continuous recombination of heterogeneous populations, use of coadaptation, and continuity of selection against challenging and infectious backgrounds.     

High-throughput identification of catalytic redox-active cysteine residues

Cysteine (Cys) residues often play critical roles in proteins; however, identification of their specific functions has been limited to case-by-case experimental approaches. We developed a procedure for high-throughput identification of catalytic redox-active Cys in proteins by searching for sporadic selenocysteine-Cys pairs in sequence databases. This method is independent of protein family, structure, and taxon. We used it to selectively detect the majority of known proteins with redox-active Cys and to make additional predictions, one of which was verified. Rapid accumulation of sequence information from genomic and metagenomic projects should allow detection of many additional oxidoreductase families as well as identification of redox-active Cys in these proteins.     

Factors and mechanisms of soil salinization under vineyards of southern Taman

The spatial distribution of saline soils under vineyards in the south of Taman Peninsular is discussed. The Paleogene–Neogene clays of the Komendantskaya Mount serve as the source of salts. Vineyards were planted on an inclined plain at the foot of this mount. At present, their state on salt-affected soils worsens. In the upper part of the plain, solonchakous or deep-solonchakous slightly saline and nonsaline (within the upper 2 m) dark quasigley vertic soils (Vertisols) are formed. The salts are of the sulfate–sodium composition. Their vertical distribution has an eluvial pattern with a quick rise in the salt content from the surface layer to the depth of 50–100 cm and with a gradual increase in the salt content in the deeper layers. The absence of chlorides in the soils of flat areas within the slope attests to the predominance of lateral leaching of salts down the slope over their vertical leaching in the soil profiles. In the lower part of the slope, soil salinization mainly takes place in the hollow crossing the plain and the vineyard from the north to the south. In the middle part of the slope, nonsaline (to a depth of 2 m) agrohumus quasigley soils (Haplic Chernozems (Clayic, Aric, Stagnic)) are formed. Slight chloride–sulfate sodium salinization is only seen in the soils of the hollow, which contain fine-crystalline gypsum in the solid phase and display the accumulation of sodium chlorides in the middle part of the soil profile (in the 60–150-cm-thick layer). Heavy loamy agrochernozems with migrational and segregational forms of carbonates (Haplic Chernozems (Loamic, Aric, Pachic) are developed in the lower part of the slope; they are nonsaline to the depth of 2.5 m. In the area of transition from the humusquasigley soils to chernozems, specific horizons are formed in the hollow at the depth of more than 250 cm. Their soil solutions contain sodium, calcium, and magnesium chlorides against the background of the presence of fine-crystalline gypsum in the solid phase, which is typical of secondary salinization.     

Wheat breeding during drought increase

Main parameters of the variety model, methods of creation of the genetic variation, and volume of elaboration of the breeding material are defined with the increased manifestations of droughts. The main focus was concentrated on selection of the form with high efficiency of photosynthesis and harvest index. The efficiency index of the leaves' work was studied. The grain weight of the plant was used as the primary marker.     

Coadaptation role in wheat breeding for adaptability and productivity under conditions of climate fluctuation amplification

The opportunity to create the high-yielding cultivars adapted to negative natural factors in the steppe zone of the River Don at the weather fluctuation amplification through coadaptation across a range of stages has been proven. At the beginning of crossbreeding, the ecologically remote forms were used to create the initial material for further selection with the gene complexes coadapted to the local conditions. Then, their subsequent involvement into hybridization and the use of populations capable of long-term morphogenesis based on recombination and transgressions can offer the opportunity to increase the potential productivity growth and to cope with the negative effects of climate amplification.     

Effect of Long-Term Drip Irrigation of Fruit Orchard on the Transformation of Properties of Chernozems

Eurasian Soil Science - The impact of long-term drip irrigation of apple plantations with low-saline water on the transformation of typical chernozems (Haplic Chernozems) on the Kuban Lowland...     

Problems of increasing winterhardiness of winter barley in the North Caucasus

Winterhardiness has been evaluated under natural and controlled conditions in freezer rooms. Varieties and lines with an increased level of winterhardiness have been distinguished: Nebraska 92716, Nebraska 93761, Dictoo, Kearney, Samson, Dundy, Radikal, Bastion, Larets, and Sadko. A broad genetic variability of the depth of tillering node formation from 2.2 to 7.1 cm and in most registered varieties at a depth of 3.0 cm has been noted.     

Change in properties of chernozems of the north caucasus during drip irrigation of fruit orchards

A comparative study of the effect of drip irrigation in fruit orchards in North Caucasus on the properties of chernozem soils is carried out. During local moistening of ordinary and leached chernozems with saline water, the soil absorption complex is saturated with Na⁺ and Mg²⁺ and depleted in Ca²⁺; a shift of ionic equilibrium is noted mainly at places of localization of irrigation water. The effect of drip irrigation on a change in the physicochemical properties of chernozem soils in fruit orchards is determined.