Seed potato production regulatory framework established in top potato producing countries: Comparison of the GOST (Russia) and UNECE S-1 certification systems

The purpose is to evaluate the phytosanitary status and the yields of individual potato varieties planted during the period from 2016 to 2021 on the territory of Kazakhstan. The study was conducted in 2016–2019 in the Almaty region, Kazakhstan. Ten varieties of potatoes were grown in the control and experimental fields. Potatoes were planted according to the state standards (GOST, governmental standard; hole system) in the control fields and according to the Dutch method in the experimental fields. The study found that 7 out of the 10 potato varieties planted in the experimental fields in 2016–2019 had at least 10 tons higher yields as compared to the varieties planted in the control fields (р = 0.01). The yields produced by the remaining 3 potato varieties were 7–10 tons higher in the experimental fields than in the control fields (р = 0.05). According to phytosanitary findings, soft rot was 22 times more common in the control fields than in the experimental fields (р = 0.01). The incidence of blackleg ranged from 1.3 to 3.8% in the control fields and from 0.3 to 0.7% in the experimental fields (р = 0.01). Viral infections were confirmed in 34.9% of cases in the control fields and in up to 15% of cases in the experimental fields (р = 0.05)

Doubled haploids of interspecific hybrids between

Doubled haploids (DH) were obtained from two interspecific hybrids between Brassica napus and Brassica rapa. Seeds of doubled haploid plants differed in colour and size. The hybridity of the obtained doubled haploid is shown using genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) analysis. Evaluation of drought tolerance during seed germination on PEG-6000 showed the advantage of doubled haploid plants of interspecific hybrids over the parent cultivars. The oil from seeds of doubled haploid plants showed good nutritional value

Mulching to improve sweet potato production

Sweet potato ((Ipomoea batatas L.) is a high-yielding nutritious specialty crop. There is a growing need for proactive information on sustainable production of sweet potatoes under short growing seasons. The objective of our study was to evaluate the effects of crop residue and synthetic mulches on the growth, yield, and quality parameters of three varieties of sweet potatoes. Three types of mulch, wheat straw (straw), white polyethylene film (white mulch), and black plastic film (black mulch), and a control (no mulch) were evaluated during the 2021 and 2022 growing seasons in the south-eastern region of Kazakhstan. The vine length, meristem number, tuber per plant, and tuber weight were significantly higher under white mulch and black mulch than under straw, and the results were significantly different from the control. The total yields of sweet potato tubers under white mulch and black mulch also varied significantly among the varieties, ranging from 20.5 t/ha for Rizi 0603 to 54.5 t/ha for Xushu 25. The results of the present study will be used to develop other technological sequences for the cultivation of sweet potatoes in the south-eastern region of Kazakhstan. More research is needed to ascertain the stability of the effects of varieties, mulch treatment, and their interactions on yields and to determine other treatments and varieties with better potential to improve sweet potato yields for cultivation in Kazakhstan

Genetic structure and genome-wide association study of the traditional Kazakh horses

Horses are traditionally used in Kazakhstan as a source of food and as working and saddle animals as well. Here, for the first time, microarray-based medium-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping of six traditionally defined types and breeds of indigenous Kazakh horses was conducted to reveal their genetic structure and find markers associated with animal size and weight. The results showed that the predefined separation between breeds and sampled populations was not supported by the molecular data. The lack of genetic variation between breeds and populations was revealed by the principal component analysis, ADMIXTURE, and distance-based analyses, as well as the general population parameters expected and observed heterozygosity (He and Ho) and between-group fixation index (Fst). The analysis revealed that the studied types and breeds should be considered as a single breed, namely the ‘Kazakh horse’. The comparison with previously published data on global horse breed diversity revealed the relatively high level of individual diversity of Kazakh horses in comparison with the well-known foreign breeds. The Mongolian and Tuva breeds were identified as the closest horse landraces, demonstrating similar patterns of internal variability. The genome-wide association analysis was performed for animal size and weight as the traits directly related with the meat productivity of horses. The analysis identified a set of 60 SNPs linked with horse genes involved in the regulation of processes of development of connective tissues and the bone system, neural system, immune system regulation, and other processes. The present study is novel and introduces Kazakh horses as a promising genetic source for horse breeding and selection both on the domestic and international levels