Vol 42, No 3-4 (2016)

In this paper, the opportunity to reveal pseudogamous apomixis in maize inbred lines when tetraploids are used as pollinators is demonstrated for the first time. Kernels with hybrid endosperm, from which plants of maternal type developed, were obtained in five of ten studied lines. Hybrid nature of these kernels was proven using SDS electrophoresis of endosperm proteins. In addition to apomictic kernels, the normally developed kernels with di-, three- and tetraploid hybrid embryos were obtained.

The genetic polymorphism of 12 microsatellite loci was revealed and unique DNA-profiles were obtained for initial lines of sugar beet. Two loci were monomorphic, other loci exhibited polymorphism. The genetic distances between the breeding materials were determined; the dendrogram of cluster analysis reflecting the probable divergence of samples was constructed. The data about the distance of the selection material will be used in the selection of pairs in heterotic breeding.

The article presents the importance of plant genetic hybrid shift in the elements of productivity, allowing the prediction of the conduct in the selection of promising lines obtained by interspecific hybridization spontaneous soybeans for further study in the selection process. The maximum shift of genetic selection on the basis of elements of efficiency in terms of the number of marked beans in combinations Volzhan × KZ-671, KZ-Rosinka × 1236, and Luch nadezhdy × KZ-6332 in terms of the mass of 1000 seeds only in the combination Luch nadezhdy × KZ-6332.

A field experiment was conducted on silty clay loam soil in the years 2011–2012. Two sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) cultivars (Local Black and Local White) were evaluated using various 3 different sowing dates (20th June, 10th and 30th July) and four agrotechnical level (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg N ha^–1) at New Developmental Farm The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of sowing dates on growth, yield and oil fatty acid composition of two sesame cultivars grown under different nitrogen fertilization. Results showed that cv. Local Black was characterized by significantly higher content of oil (47%), seed yield (696 kg ha^–1) and oil yield (335 kg ha^–1) while cv. Local White had higher palmitic acid (8%) and linoleic acid (38.7%). Yield and its main components were positively affected by the earlier sowing date. With regard to fatty acid composition, a decrease in oleic and stearic acid and an increase in linoleic and palmitic acid were observed. At early sowing, oleic and palmitic acid decreased whereas linoleic and stearic acid increased. The decrease in the oleic/linoleic acid ratio observed at early sowing, suggests a possible role of temperature on the activity of oleate desaturase in the developing seeds. Intensive technology of cultivation (120 kg N ha^–1), compared to the economical technology (40 kg N ha^–1), significantly increased the seed yield of both sesame cultivars. This was due to higher number of branches, Capsules m^–2, capsules plant^–1, seeds capsule^–1 and 1000 seed weight (g). The intensive technology of cultivation had a beneficial effect on the content of palmitic acid, linolenic acid and oleic acid in sesame seed.

This paper presents the results of evaluating the effect of such insecticides as imidacloprid, thiacloprid, chlorantraniliprol, and thiamethoxam on representatives of beneficial arthropods, including Miridae, Anthocoridae, Cecidomyiidae. The insect mortality was determined upon treatment with insecticides in recommended application rates. The results of laboratory and field studies of the effect of insecticides on beneficial arthropods are compared.

The that the arid regions of Russia and Central Asiatic countries have an inexhaustible potential for the development of the raw materials base of biofuel power engineering is shown: vast territories of yet uncultivated lands, surplus of solar energy, large reserves of saline water, and significant genetic resources of halophytes that are plants with maximum resistance to salt stress. According to the data of experiments, in case of irrigation with saline water, halophytes form 15–18 and more t/ha of dry biomass in the arid regions of Russia, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, which is comparable with lucerne irrigated with fresh water. The task of expanding and deepening the research into the use of halophyte resources for obtaining biofuel in the arid regions of Russia is stated to be urgent.

The harvest of seed and green mass of alfalfa cultivars and population went down meaningfully during the last 2 years (2014, 2015). This period was characterized by higher values of average air temperature (by 1.0°С) and decreased relative air humidity (by 6.0%) and rainfall during the vegetation of alfalfa (by 107.0 mm). New varieties Sirena and Natali, as well as populations 2/08 and 6/04, were characterized by the highest yield of green mass and seeds in competitive variety trial.

Data characterizing the distribution pattern of the main morphometric parameters of chernozems in the Kamennaya Steppe are given. Variable thickness of humus horizon within a flat test plot typical for the central part of the chernozemic zone of Russia is shown. It has been revealed that annually exerted strong anthropogenic impact causes a pronounced drop in the thickness of humus horizon. The investigated objects on the test plot—fallow land, plowed filed, and forest shelter belt—were situated side by side. The statistical parameters of the thickness of humus horizon in different subtypes of chernozems have been calculated. They mainly differ by the depth of continuous impregnation with calcium carbonate (effervescence depth varies from 1 to 95 cm). The deepest effervescence is seen in the soils of the fallow and under the forest belt (68 and 63 cm, respectively).

With a view to closing the nutrient loop between sanitation and fish culture, advanced fry of different species of fish (rohu, bata, mrigal, common carp, tilapia, punti) and larvae of freshwater prawn were reared in twelve experimental tanks in a mixed culture system for 120 days using three treatments (fresh urine, stored urine and mix of fresh and stored human urine) and control in triplicate. The total weight for all the species of fish and prawn in the stored urine (420.0 g) was 18 and 27% higher compared to fresh (356.0 g) and mixed urine (332.0 g) treatments, respectively. Likewise, primary productivity of phytoplankton and heterotrophic bacterial load related to phosphate level of water were also highest and lowest in the stored urine (GPP—508 ± 39.87 mg C m^–2 h^–1; heterotrophic bacteria—38.38 cfu × 10³ mL^–1) and control system (GPP—214 ± 38.09 mg C m^–2 h^–1; heterotrophic bacteria—13.53 cfu × 103 mL^–1), respectively. The mean count of E. coli, on the other hand, did not differ between urine fed treatment and control. As a possible mechanism, it is suggested that stored urine upon transfer to aquaculture pond underwent degradation and mineralization that induced the autotrophic and heterotrophic food webs conducive to fish growth.

Research findings in the morphological and biochemical indices of blood of semicourse wool sheep of the Aginskaya breed, according to different sex and age groups, have been reported. It is ascertained that ewes surpass the young ewes and young rams in the blood erythrocytes concentrations, the hemoglobin levels, and hematocrit levels by 77.8 and 39.1%, 44.3 and 40.5%, and 63.8 and 48.5%, respectively. Some excess of the physiological norm limits within the biochemical indices of blood serum was indicated.

The results of the study demonstrated the immunosuppression in albino rats under a complex impact of T-2 toxin and Salmonella, manifested by the significant increase of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β content in the blood and a slight increase of IL-4, stimulating the humoral immunity, the decrease of concentration of other anti-inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-8), immunoregulatory interleukins IL-2, interferon-γ and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, and interferon–γ/IL-4 ratio, indicating an evident T-deficit and a more significant suppression of Th-1 lymphocyte function.

The cytotoxic in vitro effect of water turpentine oil liozols, intended as adjuvants for a number of vaccines, is investigated by the acid erythrogram method. It is found out that the acid resistance of erythrocytes does not change at a turpentine oil concentration below 0.0013 g/L in liozol and increases at a concentration of 0.0013–0.0125 g/L. If the concentration continues to increase, however, the acid resistance of erythrocytes decreases to reach the value of EC50 at a concentration of 0.1–0.125 g/L; then follows the zone of direct hemolytic action of liozol.

The artificial neural network algorithm has been used for the classification of rice, corn, pigeon pea, green gram, other crop and non-crop classes in Varanasi District, Uttar Pradesh, India. The C-band, dual polarimetric, temporal satellite datasets of RISAT-1 have been carried out in the present study. The separability analysis using transformed divergence and Jefferies Matusita distance methods were compared. The transformed divergence method has shown better separation between the classes in comparison to Jefferies Matusita distance method. The classification results were ground validated. The overall achieved accuracies were 74.21 and 77.36% for satellite data acquired on 9 August 2013 and 28 September 2013 respectively. Results have shown the better classification accuracy using 28th September 2013 data because of almost crops were in the reproductive stage and high reflectivity of the crops at this stage.

The effect of rising Caspian Sea level on the environment has been studied. The changes in the work of the collecting-drainage network and in the ecological-ameliorative status of lands in the affected zone have been analyzed. The sea transgression has resulted in the groundwater rise at a distance of 20–30 km from the sea, which caused the disturbance of the work of the collecting-drainage system in the Mugan–Salyan massif located in the Caspian Sea zone. The modified groundwater regime initiated quick soil salinization.