Vol 43, No 5 (2017)

Dynamics of technological and baking qualities of winter rye grain were studied depending on flour yield and water extract viscosity (WEV). Initial material consisted in six populations of winter rye obtained after ten cycles of divergent selection for WEV, which was carried out on the basis of cultivars Al’fa and Moskovskaya 12. For each cultivar, three populations contrastingly differing for WEV were identified: low viscosity ones (LV) obtained in minus selection, mean viscosity ones (MV) obtained on the basis of the original populations without selection, and high viscosity (HV) ones obtained in plus selection. For each population, three grades of flour were obtained: wholemeal flour (100% yield), medium flour (87% yield), and pure flour (63% yield). Comparative testing was carried out in 2015 and 2016: in a field experiment on 8-m2 plots in three repetitions. The following traits were studied: weight of 1000 grains, nature of grain, glassiness, protein and starch contents, flour whiteness, falling number, amylogram height, starch gelatinization temperature, H/D ratio, bread volume, and crumb porosity. A prominent feature of LV-populations is the trend towards small grains, low grain nature, and lowered starch contents. For most traits, HV-populations were at the level of MV-populations. It was concluded that, during production of pure rye flour, almost all pentosans together with bran are removed from external layers of caryopsis. As a result, the share of pentosans within endosperm essentially increases. These pentosans belong to the water-soluble fraction, which is proven to be true by a sharp increase in WEV in pure rye flour in comparison with wholemeal flour. An increase in WEV in the grades of thin grinding flour occurs due to water-soluble pentosans, which are contained in bran, in deep layers of endosperm. As compared to rough grinding flour (wholemeal flour), thin grinding flour (pure flour) differed by higher whiteness (by 46.6 units), better amylogram (by 46 a. units), higher H/D ratio (by 0.04), volumetric yield (by 38 cm3), and porosity of crumb of a square loaf (by 9.9%). WEV also had significant influence, which, at high expression, positively affected flour whiteness, falling number, amylogram height, starch gelatinization temperature, and shape stability of toppling bread.

The change in the main quality parameters for brewing barley grain at fractionation has been studied to develop the method of their regulation. The barley grain of different fractions is proven unequal in the biochemical composition and the technological quality. The fractionation of the grain samples collected from the large homogenous grain bulks and the relevant analyses can provide the possibility to determine a wide range of quality parameters for the specific fractions and their grain-size dependencies. The basic parameters for the technological quality of barley grain in a certain bulk may be changed (raised or lowered) to the regulatory standards or the standards that consumers demand with the use of the appropriate top and (or) bottom sieve installation in the grain cleaning machines of secondary cleaning.

To form effective agricultural production in the arid climatic conditions of the Lower Volga region, it is necessary to increase the yield of fodder crops and to introduce high-yielding, drought-resistant varieties of alfalfa. In pastures, the presence of plants that are sharply different in their feed properties makes grazing possible almost year round, although the forage quality is uneven. However, the grazable yields of pasture grasses and the peaks of their nutritional value are distributed very unevenly throughout the season. Accumulation of forage mass by the most valuable plant species is mostly finished by June. At present, it is necessary to obtain high yields of grasses, to provide livestock with sufficient quantities of high-value fodder, and to restore soil structure. During the summer, alfalfa crops are capable of providing enough green mass for haymaking and can be used for grazing. Successful solution of the problem largely depends on the selection of high-yielding varieties and on advanced technologies of fodder production, which reduce the influence of unfavorable environmental factors and increase the yields and their quality.

The article presents the results of investigation of the variability of biochemical parameters of seeds and green beans of vegetable cowpea accessions (Vigna unguiculata ssp. sesquipedalis (L.) Verdc.) introduced for use in breeding. Variations of biochemical parameters of seed quality and green beans (such as protein, fat, ash content, fiber, NFES) were established. New data on the fractional composition of proteins (albumins, globulins, prolamins, glutelins) from seeds and green beans were obtained. These data are of great importance for the evaluation of the starting material and the formation of a breeding program and the selection of rational strategies of individual selection from the source populations.

The biogeocenotic approach in breeding strategies of fodder plants implemented through the development of principles and methods of symbiotic, phytocenotic, edaphic, and ectypic breeding was justified. The biogeocenotic breeding paradigm aims at a more comprehensive and environmentally effective, phytocenotically, physiologically, and genetically informed use of resources and reserves stored in interactions between plant organisms and between plants and soil beneficial microorganisms. Environmentally differentiated specialized and economic competitive fodder plant varieties were produced based on the knowledge of these biogeocenotic relationships for sustainable development of fodder production and environmental agriculture at relatively low energy consumption.

It was shown that crown gall is a chronic disease of the grapevine caused by agrobacteria. The disease causes significant damage to the viticulture industry in Krasnodar Territory. The causative agent of crown gall in the vineyards of this region was identified and studied using the polymerase chain reaction method. Young tumor formations found on grape plants in different areas of Krasnodar Territory were analyzed. The presence of agrobacteria of species Agrobacterium vitis differing in the type of Ti-plasmid (oktopine, nopaline, or vitopine) were detected by using test-systems for Agrobacterium-mediated genes (pehA, virF, and virD2).

An installation that changes the unilateral action of the Earth’s gravitational field on a plant has been developed. Microgravitation is provided by simulating the weightlessness condition by rotating the vessel with the growing plants in a vertical plane with a constant slow speed (2 rpm), at which the action of centrifugal forces does not significantly affect the spatial orientation of the plants in the process of their development. Furthermore, the plants are affected by the gravitation vector from different sides, and it does not have time to adapt to the gravitation force. It is shown in terms of the KVS-701 corn hybrid that, in the conditions of microgravitation, the depolarization of the axial bioelectric polarity of the plant and depression of the gradients of the bioelectric potentials (BEP) to the values 0.1–0.2 mV/cm—under which a significant deterioration of the growth and development of the plants is observed—takes place. The restoration of the axial bioelectric polarity of the plants by the external low-energy electric potentials (LEP) to the natural level (approximately 1 mV/cm) leads to an increase of the adaptive capabilities of the grain crop to the microgravitation and restoration of the growth indicators, which is confirmed by the biometric data.

The findings of the studies on the influence of intermediate crops' sowings in double or triple harvests fields system on the agrophysical indicators of Irragri Gipsic calcisols and Irragri Kastanozems in dry subtropics of Azerbaijan are presented. The optimum variant that provides the greatest supply of plant residues to the soil (18.50 and 19.69 t/ha) and the improvement of agrophysical indicators of the studied soils— decrease of bulk density, improvement of particle density, increase of total porosity and water permeability, increase of the coefficient of structural properties in comparison with other variants, and also enhancement of the food potential in this part of the republic—was established.

The aim of this survey was to study water consumption and development of the reasonable irrigation modes of the wheat and alfalfa according to the optimal water–soil–yield ratio. In the first experiment on the sandy and loamy-sandy soils, nine irrigations of the annual alfalfa with the total rate 4338 m³/ha in the first mode, 3700 m³/ha in the second mode, and 3048 m³/ha in the third mode and eight irrigations of the biennial and triennial alfalfa in the modes, respectively, 5842, 4927, 4091 m³/ha were carried out. The fourth mode was nonirrigated plot. The yield of the annual alfalfa in the first irrigation variant (75% of the minimum moisture capacity) was 32.8% more than in the second and 45.8% more than in the third mode, and the yield of the biennial and triennial alfalfa was 12.6 and 27.1%, respectively. The decade values of the biological water consumption coefficients of the alfalfa in May–September made 0.61, 0.46, 0.45, and 0.18 in the first, second, third, and fourth variant, respectively. In the second experiment on the medium-weight loamy and clayey soils, two irrigations of the winter wheat and three irrigations of the alfalfa with the total rate 1985, 1689, 1389, and 1091 m³/ha in the first, second, third, and fourth irrigation modes, respectively. The yield of the winter wheat in the first variant (75% of the maximum moisture capacity) was 2.1% more than in the second mode, 4.5% more than in the third mode, 8.92% more than in the fourth mode, and 36% more than on the nonirrigated plot (the fifth variant). The yield of the alfalfa in the first irrigation mode (75% of the minimum moisture capacity) was 4.7% higher than in the second mode, 8.5% higher than in the third, 13.9% than in the fourth, and 30.8% than in the fifth mode.

The efficiency of iodine-bound tyrosine (or histidine) in boars' feeding on their reproductive capacity, metabolic health, and morphological and hematological parameters has been investigated. Inclusion of 200 mg of Prost fodder additive, containing 7 mg of iodine in 1 g, in the diet for 3 months had a positive impact on iodine metabolism and semen quality. Iodine content in the blood of boars of the experimental group was 94.5 mg/kg, serum thyroxin was 37.4 nmol/L, and bristle thyroxin was 374 mg/kg. This is higher than that for the control group of boars by 43.6, 6.5, and 246.3%, respectively. Blood leukocyte content of boars from the experimental group was lower and reached 94.5%, and the content of erythrocytes, hemoglobin, and hematocrit were higher by 22.1, 17.5, and 17.1%, respectively. The motility of spermatozoids of the grade A + B of the boars from the experimental group was 70%. Whereas more than 60% of spermatozoids of the animals from the control group were motionless (class D 38.85%) or have oscillatory motion (class С 23.60%) and 40.64% had abnormal morphology.

The aim of the work is to study the elements of the industrial technology for rearing young muskrats in rooms with a controlled microclimate and concentration of a large number of animals in small spaces. The mechanization of labor-intensive processes and dry feeding type were used. In case of keeping in two-tier mesh blocks using automatic drinkers, hopper feeders, and feces cleaning mechanisms and applying complete granulated compound feed in the work related to service of animals, the spent time is 3.2 times less than in case of the traditional method of keeping.

The results of the study of the content of fatty acids in the meat of Yakut carp are given for the first time. It has been found that Yakut carps accumulate much more polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and arachidonic acids) by winter, which contributes to their safe overwintering in long extreme winter in Yakutia. The fat of female individuals contains a higher volume of saturated and monosaturated acids; among polyunsaturated acids, their fat manly contains linoleic and linolenic acids.

Introduction of the FC-135 strain of an attenuated African swine fever (ASF) virus to immunodeficient swine did not cause clinical signs of the disease and protected them against the virulent strain France- 32. However, inoculation of an attenuated strain MC-200 was the cause of death from ASF of approximately half of animals with immunodeficiency and provided partial protection from further infection with the virulent strain Mozambique-78. Since reversions of virulent properties of the MC-200 strain have not been registered, the cause of death of pigs inoculated with the strain is the development of ASF against the background of immunodeficiency induced by radiation.

The economic-mathematical model is presented to choose the optimum size of the dairy farm taking into account a set of local factors: places of trade, road condition, geometrical form of the field’s territory, and other factors. Criterion of optimization is the maximum profit and profitability maximum.