The mechanisms of fiber flax adaptation to high soil acidity (a review)

Excessive soil acidity is one of the main factors causing significant losses in crop production. Using fiber flax, the effect of soil acidity on the yield and fiber quality of various samples representing the world gene pool of this crop is shown. The optimum acidity for fiber flax is within a narrow range – pHKCl 5.3–5.6. On strongly acid soils (pHKCl less than 4.5) with threshold values of the toxic aluminum (Al3+) content, 10–11 mg/100 g, a decrease in the flax yield is over 50%. Currently, along with the mechanisms of detoxification of toxic aluminum in acid soils, genetic aspects of aluminum resistance have also been determined. It is shown that one of the most significant components of the common defense response of plants to various stresses is their antioxidant systems. An important role in the antioxidant defense system belongs to glutathione transferases. Using high-through put sequencing and quantitative PCR, a change in the expression of genes and microRNAs in flax plants was revealed in response to the toxic effect of aluminum ions. Using flax genotypes contrasting in acid resistance, an increase in the expression of genes encoding UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGT) and glutathione-S-transferases (GST) was established under aluminum stress. The increase in expression was more pronounced in aluminum-resistant flax cultivars than in sensitive ones. Also, the differences in the change of miR390 and miR393 expression between resistant and sensitive genotypes were revealed under the toxic effects of aluminum ions. Understanding the resistance mechanisms makes it possible to accelerate the development of flax and other crop cultivars adaptive to edaphic stress, which is important for obtaining high and guaranteed yields of agricultural products

Biological peculiarities and cultivation of groundnut (a review)

Peanut is one of the most important crops in the Fabaceae Lindl. (Leguminosae L.) family. South America is considered to be the homeland of peanut, but now this crop is cultivated in America, Africa, Australia, Europe and Asia. The modern phylogenetic system of the genus Arachis L. includes 79 wild species and one cultivated species of common peanut (A. hypogaea L.). Diploid species contain 2n = 20 chromosomes of the A, B or D genome, tetraploids have A and B genomes. The А and В genomes are sequenced. Special biological features of all peanut varieties are the presence of chasmogamous and cleistogamous flowers and the development of pods only underground (geocarpy). Along with high requirements for improving the quality of oil and food products, much attention is paid to their safety: resistance to aflatoxin contamination and mitigation of allergenicity. Peanut cultivars vary in plant habit, shape and color of pods and seeds. Their growing season in Africa, Latin America and Asia is from 160 to 200 days, so early-ripening forms need to be selected for the south of the Russian Federation. Breeders from the Pustovoit Institute of Oil Crops (VNIIMK) have developed peanut cultivars with a yield of 2.0–3.3 t/ha and growing season duration of 115–120 days, adaptable to the environments of Krasnodar Territory. At present, there is no large-scale peanut production in Russia, nor any breeding efforts are underway. As for the world, along with conventional breeding practices (individual selection, intra- and interspecies crosses, etc.), peanut is widely involved in genomic studies. A number of cultivars highly resistant to pests, diseases and drought have been released. Over 15,000 peanut accessions are preserved in the world’s gene banks, including 1823 accessions in the collection of the Vavilov Institute (VIR). Utilization of the worldwide genetic resources of peanut and use of modern research technologies will contribute to the revival of peanut cultivation in Russia

Biological features and cultivation of sesame (a review)

Sesame is an ancient oilseed crop grown throughout the arid and subarid climates. Sesame oil has a good taste and is appreciated for its beneficial properties. The genus Sesamum L. (Pedaliaceae Lindl.) includes up to 38 species. The only cultivated species is S. indicum L. (2n = 26). It is grown in areas located between 45° N and 45° S. South Africa is considered the homeland of S. indicum. Sesame seeds contain 50–63% of oil, 25–27% of protein, 20% of carbohydrates, and are sources of such micronutrients as copper, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, vitamins A, B1, C and E. Sesame seeds and oil are used not only in the food industry but also in medicine. Sesame meal is a good animal feed. Recently, thanks to the deciphering of the sesame nuclear genome and the development of various genomic resources, including molecular markers for qualitative and quantitative characters, molecular breeding has become possible for such agronomic traits as high oil content and its composition, drought resistance, resistance to waterlogging, disease resistance, and high yield. The world production of sesame seeds according to FAO estimates for 2019 was about 7 million tons. The largest cropping areas are located in Africa, India, and China. In Russia, sesame can be grown in southern regions: Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, Rostov and Astrakhan Provinces. Breeding work on sesame was carried out at the All-Union Research Institute of Oil Crops, where cultivars resistant to bacterial blight and Fusarium wilt were developed. Currently, sesame breeding programs are absent in Russia. There are over 25,000 sesame accessions in the world’s genebanks, including about 1,500 accessions in the VIR collection

Ecogeographic study of peanut accessions from the VIR collection

Background. It has been shown that southern oilseeds, including peanuts, can be successfully grown in the south of the Russian Federation under the conditions of Krasnodar Territory and Astrakhan Province. Currently, only two peanut cultivars are included in the State Register of the Russian Federation: ‘Otradokubansky’ and ‘Astrakhansky 5’. Development of raw material for obtaining new peanut cultivars adaptable to the growing conditions in Krasnodar Territory and Astrakhan Province is a relevant task.Materials and methods. We examined 57 peanut accessions of various origins from the VIR collection. The study of peanut accessions for agronomic characters was carried out in two ecogeographic sites located in Krasnodar Territory and Astrakhan Province. Cv. ‘Otradokubansky’ was used as a reference. ANOVA was applied for statistical data processing.Results and discussion. A wide range of variability in agronomic characters was revealed during the study of peanut accessions. The most stable character was the 1000 seed weight. The share of the genotype the variability of productivity was from 30 to 40%. A great effect of soil and climate factors and the place of cultivation on the ripening of beans was observed. Seed yield depended on the genotype (60–70%) as well as on the temperature factors and the presence of moisture in the soil. The best accessions were selected according to their agronomic characters; they may serve as promising material for breeding. Some accessions are able to produce a good harvest either in Astrakhan Province or Krasnodar Territory, while others can do it regardless of the place of cultivation. This study confirmed the possibility of growing peanuts in Astrakhan Province on medium loamy soils under irrigation, or in Krasnodar Territory on black earth without irrigation