The first green revolution resulted in increased yields for many crops through the introduction of semidwarf forms responsive to high nitrogen inputs. The yield potential of modern inbred and hybrid rice forms reached a plateau at 10–12 t/ha, largely due to an increase in the yield index from 0.3 of traditional cultivars to 0.50–0.55 of modern inbred cultivars and to changes in both biomass and yield. To overcome the rice yield plateau, new plant types (NPTs) characterized by near-perfect morphology, large panicles, increased photosynthesis and lodging resistance were introduced. In breeding for high yield potential, lodging resistance (LR) is always a key target, as it is a yield-limiting factor in irrigated systems with high water and chemical inputs. The stem traits that affect lodging include: length and thickness of internodes, plant height, stem wall thickness, wrapping of internodes by leaf sheaths and leaf thickness. Many studies have noted that high rates of traits characterizing root development largely determine both drought resistance and the effectiveness of mineral nutrition. A wide range of variations in traits characterizing the size of the root system and stem characteristics in domestic rice cultivars was revealed, as well as sources for traits to improve the efficiency of selection. The root length in the studied cultivars was on average 15.96 cm, in eight selected sources it exceeded 20 cm. Its weight exceeded 4 grams in seven samples (average value 2.33 g). Also, the value was twice as high in sources for the trait than on average in the studied cultivars for the trait weight of a stem segment, one and a half times for the trait width of the stem at the base.

In the field experiment, the effect of pre-harvest treatment with an aqueous solution of various concentrations with the herbicide "Alistair grand" was studied, which includes diflufenicane - an inhibitor of phytoindesaturase (HRAC: F1 group) on the dynamics of accumulation and composition of the essential oil Elsholtzia ciliata (Thunb.) Hyl.  The composition of the oil was determined by the HZHK-MS method. The data obtained showed that already on the seventh day after treatment, the natural hormonal balance of the course of biosynthetic processes is disturbed. At a concentration of the drug solution of 0.05 g/l, the intensity of oil biosynthesis in plants decreases, on the 14th day it drops by almost a third compared to the control. At a solution concentration of 0.005 and 0.0005 g/l on the seventh day, under the influence of the drug, the energy of EO synthesis increases and its content in plants increases by 10% compared to control. However, even at these concentrations, the drug has a strong inhibitory effect on the processes of EO biosynthesis. On the fourteenth day of post processing, the oil content is reduced by 10-20%. Changes in the multi-enzymatic complex can also be traced in the redox equilibrium of the system, which affected the change in the biosynthesis of the main components of the EO. At a solution concentration of 0.005 and 0.0005 g/l on the seventh day after treatment, recovery processes are activated and the content of ketone elscholzium oil increases. 

The results of the studies in the real water deficit dynamics and leaf relative water content (RWC) in some evergreen Ligustrum L. species during the summer 2023 and 2024, as well as changes in water-holding forces and parameters of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) under various combinations of air temperature and humidity have been presented.

It has been shown that under hydrothermal stress increase, the species L. delavayanum Har. and L. ovalifolium Hassk. were characterized by especially unstable water regime indicators. For the species L. compactum (Wall. ex G. Don) Hook.f. & Thomson ex Brandis and L. ovalifeolium, under conditions simulating dry winds, the least resistance to water stress has been revealed.

It has been found out that the dry wind imitation caused balance disruption between photochemical and enzymatic reactions and a slowdown in electron transport from the reaction center of PS II to plastoquinone in Ligustrum species. The functional link of PS II with high sensitivity to the water deficiency increase was a parameter characterizing the processes of primary charge separation in the electron-transport chain (oxidation/reduction of plastoquinones).

During plant development, leaves undergo various ontogenetic changes, including differences in size, shape, and geometric dimensions. An in-depth study of morphological traits showed differences in species and populations according to adaptive traits. The Passiflora incarnata L. species of the Passiflora genus undergoes heteroblastic-significant changes as it grows and develops, showing a morphological distinction between young and mature vegetative phases. Morphological polymorphism of the leaves of P. incarnata L., one of the most promising species introduced to Azerbaijan and grown under in open and in closed conditions, was studied and analyzed mathematically. The leaf area was 135.8 cm² under in open conditions and amounted to 105.5 cm² under in closed conditions; the perimeter of the leaf under in open conditions was 367.48 cm, while in plants grown under in closed conditions this parameter was 355.6 cm. The morphological characteristics of the leaves were found to be higher in the samples grown under in open conditions compared to the in closed conditions. However, in addition to the leaf perimeter, diversity observed in other morphological traits and the coefficient of variation were higher in plants developed under in closed conditions compared to those grown in open. This is attributed to the greater stability of abiotic factors under in open conditions compared to in closed conditions. The high variance indicates the high adaptability of the P. incarnata L. species.

Crimean frankincense (Cistus tauricus C. Presl.) belongs to the group of especially valuable essential oil species. Its qualities allowed in due time to include the plant into culture and to obtain perfumery and medicinal preparations in the Crimean industry in volumes allowing to satisfy the demands of mass production. The negative consequence of the use of natural raw materials of frankincense was the depletion of natural populations, which threatened the disappearance of this species from the natural ecosystems. In order to avoid negative consequences of the use of the species, its industrial exploitation was prohibited and the species was included in the Red Book of the Republic of Crimea. Nevertheless, the demand for raw materials of frankincense remains relevant. The use of foreign hybrids in the culture of the Southern Coast of Crimea (SCC) has shown their incompatibility with the local climate conditions. Only Crimean frankincense is adapted to the climate of the Southern Coast of Crimea, which actualises the need for its reintroduction into culture. In 2023, after a 50-year hiatus, the FSFIS "NBG-NSC" resumed work on the introduction of technically valuable essential-oil species of Cistus tauricus into ex situ culture. The most promising specimens for further research were selected from the array of cultivated plants. The continuation of this work was the use of the original express-method for diagnostics and assessment of the vital state of experimental specimens. The conducted work indicates the prospectivity of further studies on introduction of Cistus tauricus into culture, propagation, breeding and obtaining of highly productive and resistant to local climate hybrids.

Gisela 6 is one of the semi-dwarf own-rooted rootstocks of stone fruit crops, which is used to create and develop modern intensive stone fruit orchards. Reproduction of the rootstock in large volumes using traditional methods is expensive and labor-intensive, which determines the use of the clonal micropropagation method, which will allow you to get a huge number of genetically homogeneous and virus-free plants in a short period of time. As a result of the studies, a protocol for clonal micropropagation of Gisela 6 was developed. It was found that the MS nutrient medium supplemented with growth regulators 6-BAP, GA3 and IBA at concentrations of 1 mg / l, 0.5 mg / l and 0.1 mg / l, respectively (on the 30th day, the multiplication factor was 6.5) is the most optimal medium for cultivation. The most effective medium for rooting is MS, supplemented with IBA at a concentration of 4.0 mg / l (on the 28th day, the efficiency of rhizogenesis reached 100%). The efficiency of adaptation to soil conditions of protected ground was 83.3%.

A comparative analysis of the component composition of the essential oil obtained from vegetable raw materials of the fruits of three species of the citrus genus (Citrus L.) was carried out. The essential oil is isolated by water vapor distillation using a modified Ginsberg receiver from the skin of tangerine fruits (Citrus reticulata Blanco), red orange (Cithrus sinensis L.), white grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Masfad.). The main component of the essential oils of the studied species is limonene. Differences are observed in the quantitative ratio and content of minor components with a percentage in the essential oil of less than 0.1%. 

Leaf anatomical characterization of five Echinacea species: E. angustifolia DC. (introduction number 9295), E. pallida (Nutt.) Nutt. (14709), E. paradoxa (Norton) Britton (6607), E. purpurea (L.) Moench (5807, 15309), E. tennesseensis (Beadle) Small (6106)) are given in the frame of drought resistance in the conditions of the Southern Coast of Crimea. With light microscopy, the dorsoventrality of the leaf apparatus was shown and the quantitative parameters' variability on the cross-sections was established in the studied plants. Based on the data obtained from the leaf blade cross-sections, clustering was carried out and three plant groups were distinguished: 1) E. angustifolia, 2) E. purpurea and E. tennesseensis, 3) E. pallida and E. paradoxa. An additional assessment in points (from one to six), where the maximum value corresponded to the trait that best-reflected xeromorphism, made it possible to arrange several drought-resistant plants as follows: E. tennesseensis > E. purpurea (15309) > E. purpurea (5807) > E. pallida > E. paradoxa > E. angustifolia. It has been established that the most adapted were E. tennesseensis and E. purpurea (15309, 5807).

To confirm the anatomical features based on the genetic similarity between plants, RAPD-PCR was carried out with primers OPA1-10, which gave reproducible bands and generated 209 amplicons with a length from 203.9 to 1000 bp or more. A dendrogram was constructed on the amplification data. According to the results obtained, the following clustering was observed: 1) E. paradoxa, 2) E. purpurea (5807, 15309) with E. tennessensis, and 3) E. angustifolia with E. pallida. The formation of cluster 2 confirmed the genetic similarity of E. purpurea (5807, 15309) and E. tennessensis and anatomical analysis data.

The neurotropic activity of motherwort tincture in alcohol was assessed on white Wistar laboratory rats using a battery of behavioral models: CBC, PCL, OP. The dynamics of behavioral reactions in animals after taking the herbal preparation indicated a decrease in fear and anxiety reactions in all experimental models used, as well as an increase in search and orientation activity, which together indicate the anti-stress effect of the studied extract. In addition to the known sedative effect, motherwort in a battery of stress-producing behavioral tests also showed an anxiolytic effect, manifested in a pronounced antiphobic effect of the test drug. The results of a comparative analysis of the antibacterial activity of the tested medicinal plants revealed more significant biological effects in plants growing at an altitude of over 1900 m above sea level. in relation to pharmaceutical raw materials.

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between the antimicrobial activity of extracts and the component composition of essential oils from plant materials Monarda fistulosa L., M. didyma L. and M. x hybrida hort. It was found that the mass fraction of essential oil in dry raw materials of the studied species is 2.49-2.50%, monoterpene phenols (thymol and carvacrol) and monocyclic monoterpenes (γ-terpinene and pcymene) predominate in it. The main components of the essential oil of M. fistulosa are thymol (mass fraction 60.95%) and γ-terpinene (16.6%), M. didyma – γ-terpinene (46.18%), thymol (18.73%), p-cymene (15.07%), M. x hybrida – carvacrol (28.83%), p-cymene (22.90%) thymol (22.85%). The results of the study of the antimicrobial activity of aqueous and alcoholic extracts from plant raw materials of the studied species on natural luminous bacteria Aliivibrio fischeri F1 and the recombinant strain Escherichia coli MG1655 (pXen-lux) showed that M. x hybrida extracts have high antimicrobial activity, which, in our opinion, can be explained by the accumulation of essential oil with a high content of thymol and carvacrol in the aboveground mass of this species, the antibacterial effect of which, according to literary data (Lapina et al., 2018; Dukhanina et al., 2019) consists in the destruction of the cytoplasmic membrane, which increases its permeability and depolarizes its potential, as well as the presence of thymohydroquinone (3.21%), which causes the antitumor effect. The obtained results indicate the potential of using M. x hybrida raw materials for the creation of herbal preparations with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and regenerative activity.