The quantative classification and comparative syntaxonomic analysis of subalpine shrub communities with participation of tall-forb species from South Siberian mountain systems was performed. All syntaxonomic units were included in the class Betulo pubescentis–Alnetea viridis Rejmanek ex Boeuf, Theurillat, Willner, Mucina et Simler in Boeuf et al. 2014 nom. corr. and order Aquilegio glandulosae–Alnetalia alnobetulae (Ermakov, 2025). Proposed new alliance Doronico altaicae–Salicion glaucae Ermakov all. nov includes subalpine (Salix glauca, S. krylovii, S. lanata) communities of the Altai-Sayanian mountain region and Western Transbaikalia. New alliance contain the associations Aquilegio glandulosae–Salicetum glaucae (Ermakov, Shaulo et Maltseva, 2000), Calamagrostio langsdorfii–Salicetum glaucae (Zibzeev, 2010), Doronico altaici– Salicetum glaucae (Krasnoborov ex Ermakov, Shaulo et Maltseva, 2000), Saussureo latifoliae–Salicetum glaucae (Korolyuk in Artyomov et al., 2021), Aconito rubicundi–Salicetum krylovii (Chytrý, Anenchonov et Danihelka, 1995). The ecological-floristic differences between two alliances – Doronico altaicae–Salicion glaucae and Aquilegio gladulosae–Alnion alnobetulae occurring in mountains of Southern Siberia are demonstrated. The corrected concept of the class Betulo pubescentis–Alnetea viridis was proposed. The actual range of this class occupies high mountains of Europe, Urals and those mountain systems of Siberia which are under the western (Atlantic) humid air-masses transferring. These areas are characterized by high values of precipitation and low continentality indices as a result of the “rain barrier” effect in frontal mountain ridges in the Urals, western and northern macro-slopes of the Altai-Sayanian mountain region. The ecological-floristic differences between classes Betulo–Alnetea viridis (Rejmanek ex Boeuf, Theurillat, Willner, Mucina et Simler in Boeuf et al., 2014) and Hylocomio splendentis–Salicetea glaucae (Sinelnikova, Lavrinenko, Sekretareva, 2026) are revealed.

The article examines the morphometric characteristics of Berberis aquifolium in natural phytocenoses on the southern coast of Crimea. The species is an evergreen shrub of North American origin, introduced to Europe in the 19th century. It has been cultivated in Crimea since the 20th century and has the second invasive status. The studies were conducted in seven localities in three Protected Areas (Nikitsky Botanical Garden, Yalta Mountain-Forest and Mys Martyan State Nature Reserves). Eight morphometric parameters were analyzed (bush height, number of leaves, leaf length and width, petiole length, number of leaflets per leaf, leaflet length and width). Multivariate analysis (cluster, discriminant, correlation, and principal component analysis) was used to assess intraspecific variability and differentiate cenopopulations. It was found that cenopopulations differ significantly in a number of parameters. Groups of cenopopulations with similar and most contrasting morphological characteristics were identified. The highest values of morphometric parameters were observed in cenopopulations with more favorable growing conditions in thalwegs and on ravine slopes, while the lowest values were characteristic of cenopopulations described on southern slopes at an altitude of over 400 m above sea level. The main limiting factor is the soil moisture regime. Correlation analysis revealed close positive relationships between most traits, reflecting their coordinated development. The results of the analyses confirmed the morphostructural heterogeneity of the cenopopulations and made it possible to identify the most informative traits determining their differentiation. Bush height was found to play a leading role in cenopopulation differentiation. Leaf width, petiole length, and leaf number, reflecting the characteristics of habit and foliar structure, also make significant contributions. The number of leaflets in a leaf and the width of the leaflet showed the lowest discriminatory ability, which allows us to consider them as relatively stable characteristics of the species.

The study examined the effects of drip irrigation, mineral fertilizers, and phosphogypsum on the properties of dark chestnut soil, as well as the yield and quality of onions in the northern Black Sea region. It was found that drip irrigation, while increasing the total salt concentration in the soil (by 0.0357% in the moistening zone), simultaneously raised onion yield by 3.3 times compared to the non-irrigated control. Phosphogypsum played a key role in regulating the soil's salt regime. It caused the greatest increase in total salt content (by 0.023–0.091%), but due to its non-toxic components, it improved the calcium-to-sodium ratio. The combined application of phosphogypsum (1.9 t/ha in the row) and calcium nitrate (variant 8) ensured the highest yield. Mineral fertilizers increased yield by 33.1–42.8% and also improved bulb quality by raising sugar and vitamin C content. Analysis of variance showed that the main factor affecting yield (70.8%) was drip irrigation combined with fertilizers and soil amendment.

An attempt has been made to substantiate approaches to seed monetization based on a business model application with methods of marketing analysis, economic and statistical analysis, and expert assessment. The state model of breeding prevails over the private one in Russia. The business model structurally includes blocks with characteristics of consumer segments, value propositions, supply channels, customer relationships, revenue sources, key activities and key resources, as well as the cost structure. The commercialization of self-pollinating crop cultivars is carried out according to the following models: royalty, in which the Licensor transfers the right to sell its seeds to partners based on a license agreement, and retail/tolling, as wright of seed sale is not transferred to partners, but is implemented by the Licensor himself. The development of the agro-industrial complex requires an inventory of the required results of its activities, the systematization of developments into a single information knowledge base with the construction of scenarios for the development of breeding science and related areas. The retail model is able to improve the integration of government, science, education and business activities for the systematic implementation of innovative activities in the field of breeding. The government should develop the "rules of the game" of the breeding innovation market based on improving the market infrastructure and legislation to create an environment conducive to private investment in research and development.

The article presents the results of a comprehensive introduction study of two tropical medicinal species – Aerva lanata Juss. and Orthosiphon aristatus (Blume) Miq., which were cultivated in the dry subtropical climate zone of the Southern Coast of Crimea in open and protected ground during the period of 2019–2023. The relevance of this work is due to the need to import-substitute medicinal plant raw materials and introduce valuable species included in the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation into industrial cultivation. During the research, the ontogenetic cycles, seasonal dynamics of growth and development, flowering and fruiting characteristics, seed productivity, and seed quality were studied for the first time in the region. It has been established that A. lanata completes its full development cycle in open ground as an annual plant, forms full-fledged seeds with a germination rate of 56–64 % that lasts for five years, and has a productivity of 141.8 g/plant, with a content of flavonoids in the raw material that is twice as high as the pharmacopoeial requirements. It has been revealed that O. aristatus is successfully cultivated in the open ground as an annual with subsequent overexposure of queen cells in a greenhouse, it is easily propagated by cuttings (rootability 86– 95 %), however, the setting of full-fledged seeds is limited due to disorders in the development of generative structures and pollen sterility. The productivity of raw materials in the open ground is 147.3 g/plant, and the content of extractives exceeds 25 %. Based on the research results, an introduction assessment was conducted, which confirmed the prospects of cultivating both species in the conditions of the Southern coast of Crimea in order to obtain high-quality medicinal raw materials as part of the import substitution strategy.

The article is devoted to the evaluation of the efficiency of the ultrasonic cavitation method for the extraction of biologically active substances from the plant raw materials of medicinal crops. The relevance of the use of high-energy extraction methods, allowing to intensify the process, increase the yield of target components and preserve their native activity for further use in pharmacy and medicine, is substantiated. The aim of the study was a comparative examination of the yield of extractive substances during traditional (passive) water extraction and during ultrasonic extraction (UBE) from the raw materials of 13 plant species of the collection of aromatic and medicinal plants of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden - National Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences - sources of valuable biologically active substances (essential oil, flavonoids, phenolic acids, polysaccharides, etc.). Extraction was carried out with water at a hydromodulus of 1:10 and a temperature of 50°C for 15, 30 and 45 minutes. The experiment established that the use of ultrasound significantly (p < 0.05) increases the yield of extractive substances for all studied samples. The yield increase ranged from 1.3 to 2.3 times. The greatest increase (2.3 times) was recorded for plants with rigid cell walls and lipophilic components (immortelle, lemongrass, rosemary), confirming cavitation's ability to destroy hard-to-reach tissues. Passive extraction was shown to be ineffective for extracting terpenoids (citral, thymol, carvacrol), while ultrasonic cavitation promoted their release into solution. The obtained data confirm the high efficiency of ultrasonic cavitation as a method for intensifying the extraction of biologically active substances. The results of the study have practical significance for the development of technologies for producing plant extracts with high active ingredient content, which can be used in the creation of pharmaceuticals, bioactive films, and food products.

The study was aimed at quantitatively assessing the adaptive potential of introduced species of the genus Juglans based on the morphometric characteristics of the stomatal apparatus. The index of relative transpiration area (Iot), defined as the ratio of the total stomatal area to the total leaf surface area, was used as an indicator of adaptation to the conditions of introduction. The objects of the study were three taxa cultivated in the N.V. Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow): J. regia L., J. mandshurica Maxim. and J. nigra L. The smallest number of stomata was observed in J. regia (136-165 stomata/mm2), in J. mandshurica the number of stomata is one and a half times higher – 212 stomata/mm2, and in J. nigra – 263 stomata/mm2, which is 1,8 times higher than that of J. regia. The largest stomata were observed in J. regia samples (668-752 μm2), followed by J. mandshurica (653 μm2) and J. nigra (451 μm2) in descending order. These results confirm the inverse relationship between stomatal size and their number (correlation coefficient – 0.82). The highest Iot values were observed in invasive J. mandshurica (13.9%), while the lowest were found in the least resistant genotypes of J. regia (9.6-12.2%). It was shown that Iot reliably reflects the level of physiological resistance of species to the soil and climatic conditions of Moscow. The obtained results confirm the possibility of using the relative transpiration area index as a selection criterion for the early selection of adaptive genotypes of nut crops under introduction conditions.

Mountain savory (Satureja montana L.) is a valuable essential oil and medicinal plant, the processed products of which are used in medicine as an antimicrobial, antifungal, antispasmodic, antiviral agent, mainly due to the high carvacrol content in the essential oil. For introduction of new highly productive cultivars into production, the use of biotechnological reproduction methods is relevant. The aim of the work is to study the features of explant development at the four main propagation stages and to develop clonal micropropagation protocol using three S. montana cultivars as an example. Culture media were selected for introducing explants (stem segments with 1 node) into in vitro culture for the Argentum and Electrum cultivars (MS medium with 0.5 mg/l kinetin) and the Melchior cultivar (MS with 0.5 mg/l kinetin and GA3). It was established that at the 2nd stage of micropropagation, the maximum multiplication index (4.2–5.6 per subcultivation) for the Electrum and Argentum cultivars were provided by the MS medium with kinetin (0.5 mg/l) and GA3 (0.5 mg/l), and for the Melchior cultivar – by the hormone-free MS medium. When culturing on these media, unlike media with BAP and TDZ, no undesirable vitrification of shoots or callus formation was observed. Genotypic differences were revealed: of the three studied cultivars, higher morphometric parameters and multiplication index were observed in ‘Electrum’. For in vitro rooting, a culture medium of ½ MS with 0.5 mg/l IBA is recommended, on which the rooting frequency reached 93.8%. During ex vitro adaptation, the greatest efficiency was demonstrated when using perlite as a substrate, which ensured the maximum survival rate (up to 88.2%) and plant weight. As a result of the research, a protocol for S. montana clonal micropropagation was developed for the first time, which is intended for the accelerated propagation of valuable samples in breeding and obtaining high-quality planting material for agricultural production.

Cultivating plants at low positive temperatures is effective for in vitro preservation of valuable peach cultivars. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of chlorocholine chloride (CCC) concentrations added to the culture medium for long-term cultivation on the viability, physiological, and morpho-anatomical parameters of microshoots of peach cultivars Bailey and Nemaguard for subsequently optimization of conditions for long-term in vitro preservation at low positive temperatures. Leafless microshoot apices were placed in vitro on 1/4 MS medium + 60.0 g/l sucrose and 0.2-1.0 g/l CCC. The explants were placed in refrigerated chambers at 6°C. Explant survival after 12 months of storage was 89-99%. Overall, the vegetative structures of the studied cultivars were anatomically formed during deposition and subcultivation. In plants exposed to deposition conditions, changes in leaf blade thickness were observed, due to both epidermal and mesophyll thickness, while parenchymal tissue density also changed. The palisade ratio did not change significantly. Stored microshoots of the two peach cultivars were of good quality, with no signs of hydration or necrosis, and immediately restored their proliferation potential when cultured on MS medium with 0.75 mg/l 6-BAP after storage. The highest percentage of regrowth (100%) was obtained for storage of explants storage on medium supplemented with 0.2- 0.4 g/l CCC. Obtained results suggest the possibility of increasing the deposition time of peach explants of the studied cultivars at lower positive temperatures.