Background. Durum wheat (BBA^uA^u, 2n=28) carries the D₂ and D₃ hybrid dwarfing genes. A study of the nature of D genes and a research of their influence on the adaptive and selectively valuable traits of hybrid plants with hybrid dwarfing genes is of theoretical and practical interest. It was previously established that the dominant alleles of the D₂ and D₃ genes significantly reduce the height of durum wheat hybrid plants and positively affect the kernel size and vitreousness. The purpose of the present work was to study the inheritance of height in hybrids obtained by crossing a semi-dwarf durum winter wheat cultivar with lines carrying hybrid dwarfing genes. Material and methods. The material of the study was four lines of durum wheat: L-961, L-962, L-963 and L-964 carrying hybrid dwarfing genes D₂ and D₃, a cultivar of semi-dwarf winter durum wheat ‘Krupinka’ (k-64725) with the rht1 gene, and hybrids of these lines with this cultivar. ‘Krupinka’ was used as the female parent in hybridization by controlled pollination. The degree of dominance was determined according to Beil and Atkins. Statistics were performed using the Pearson’s -x² test. Results and conclusions. The analysis of plant lines of durum wheat with the D₂ and D₃ hybrid dwarfing genes showed that the average height of the ‘Krupinka’ × L-962 and ‘Krupinka’ × L-963 hybrids was 30 cm lower compared to the tall parent, the degree of dominance was 0.9 and 1.9 respectively. In hybrids with lines L-961 and L-964, there was no dominance of short stature. The height variability in F₂ hybrids was continuous and prevented combining them into any phenotypic classes. The F₃ families of ‘Krupinka’ × L-962 and ‘Krupinka’ × L 963 hybrids segregated by height into three phenotypic classes. The actual ratio of phenotypic classes did not contradict the theoretical one of 10:3:3. The obtained numerical ratios of F₃ families are generally similar to those found in the literature. A distinctive feature is the absence of recessive alleles in D genes. It is assumed that the latter are regulators of phytohormone gene depression and do not have recessive alleles. It will be more correct to designate the observed phenotypic classes as D₂D₂ ⁱ and D₃D₃ ⁱ, where D₂ⁱ  and  D₃ⁱ denote homologues of chromosomes with a different number of multigenes. Conclusion. The study of height inheritance in the obtained hybrids indicated the presence of dominant D₂ and D₃ genes in the L-962 and L-963 lines and of the semi-dominant D₃ gene in the L-961 line. A distinctive feature of height inheritance in durum wheat lines with the D₂ and D₃ hybrid dwarfing genes is the absence of recessive alleles in the D genes, i.e. no dominance of short stature.

The publication presents a synopsis of the segetal flora of the Saratov Province. The list is based on the results of our own research over the years using the Herbarium of cultivated plants of the world, their wild relatives and weeds (WIR). For each species, the agrobiological group (according to the classification of weeds), the life form according to Christen Raunkiær, the ecological group in relation to moisture, as well as the occurrence in crops and floristic areas of the Province are indicated. To indicate the geographical distribution, we used the floristic zonation of the Saratov Province by Yuriy Bulany (2011). Saratov Province is situated in the southeast of European Russia, it spreads for 101240 km² and is divided by the Volga river in almost equal parts, i.e. droughty Zavolzhye (Transvolga region) and Pravoberezhye (the Right Bank region) where the climate is more mild. The segetal flora includes 206 species of vascular plants belonging to 141 genera of 32 families. The families that lead in terms of the number of species are Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae and Chenopodiaceae, while such genera are Artemisia, Chenopodium, and Amaranthus. The highest occurrence and abundance are characteristic of Amaranthus retroflexus L., A. blitoides S. Wats., Chenopodium album L., Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop., Convolvulus arvensis L., Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb. ex Prantl, Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv., Euphorbia virgata Waldst. & Kit., Fallopia convolvulus (L.) Á. Löve, Lactuca tatarica (L.) C.A. Mey., L. serriola L., Lamium amplexicaule L., Lappula patula (Lehm.) Menycharth., Setaria viridis (L.) P.  Beauv., S. pumila (Poir.) Roem. & Schult., Sonchus arvensis L. The list for the Volga Left Bank Region is supplemented by Avena fatua L. and Fumaria vaillantii Loesel., while that for the Right Bank Region ‒ by Camelina microcarpa Andrz., Galeopsis ladanum L. and Persicaria lapathifolia (L.) Delarbre.

The existing classifications of peach cultivars are based on the morphological characteristics of vegetative and generative organs, and are of economic importance. The classification by N. I. Ryabov (1939) gained the greatest popularity. The entire cultural assortment of Persica vulgaris Mill. was divided by him into two varieties distinguished by the type of flower. A variety with a rose-shaped flower, P. vulgaris var. rosaeflora Rjab., is divided into 4 groups: 1. American early ripers; 2. Northern Chinese peaches of the ‘Chinese Cling’ type (with cartilage-like flesh texture); 3. cultivars of the Turkestan-Transcaucasian type; 4. South Chinese ‘Honey’ type peaches (honey peaches). A variety with a bell-shaped flower, P. vulgaris var. campanuliflora Rjab., is divided into two groups: 1. Iranian, the ‘Phillips Cling’ type (with cartilage-like flesh texture); 2. Iranian, the ‘Crawford’ type (with a fibrous flesh texture). The work was carried out in the collection orchard of the Research Institute of Plant Genetic Resources of Uzbekistan.
Research has shown that the groups do not have a specific geographical area and consist of cultivars from all around the world. Peach cultivars are grouped according to a set of morphological characteristics, therefore, the average values of basic biological properties within a group are very close and the differences are insignificant, which complicates the use of the classification for scientific purposes.
The proposed classification of peach cultivars is based on the botanical-geographical principle (Vavilov, 1935). It is proposed to divide all common peach cultivars into groups according to their geographical origin: 1. Chinese; 2. Transcaucasian; 3. European; 4. American; and 5. Central Asian. Each of these groups has its own distribution area. The biological properties of cultivars were formed under the influence of various soil and climatic conditions. Chinese peaches are frost and winter hardy and have a long dormancy period. However, in terms of commercial and taste qualities they are inferior to modern cultivars. They can be used in breeding for creating large-fruited, frostresistant, late flowering varieties. European cultivars were forming under different conditions and they should be used differentially; they are good source material for breeding cultivars with high commercial and taste qualities of fruits. Transcaucasian varieties are superior to other groups in terms of transportability. These are cultivars for canning and high quality processed products. They are relatively resistant to fungous diseases. American cultivars are distinguished by high commercial and taste qualities of fruits. Most cultivars are highly frost-resistant, but they are poorly winterhardy. They can be used for breeding highly productive cultivars with high commercial and taste qualities of fruits, with different ripening periods. Central Asian varieties have a long dormancy period, they are frost-, drought-, and soil salinity resistant. However, they are weakly resistant to fungous diseases. They can be used in breeding according to the indicated characteristics.

The purpose of the collecting mission was to replenish the collection of perennial forage crops with crop wild relatives (CWR) of interest for breeding purposes, as well as for the subsequent preservation of forage CWR diversity in natural populations. The mission was tasked to conduct a survey of the territory along the middle and lower Tsna river and collect seeds of wild perennial and annual forages. Coordinates of collecting sites were recorded and sites mapped together with the collecting mission route. Two districts of the Tambov and two districts of Ryazan provinces were explored. As a result, 93 seed samples were collected. Out of these, 47 samples were perennial forage grasses, 39 perennial and annual forage legumes, and 7 belonged to other families. The main part of legumes was represented by Medicago species (11 samples of Medicago falcata L., M. varia Mart., M. lupulina L.) and clover (11 samples of Trifolium hybridum L., T. incarnatum L., T. medium L., T. pratensis L., T. repens L.); among the grasses there were Bromopsis inermis (Leyss.) Holub, Poa angustifolia L., Dactylis glomerata L., and Phleum pratense L.