History and prospects of development of the Institute of Agro-Biotechnologies of Komi Science Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Agricultural science in the Komi Republic dates back to 1911, when the Pechora Agricultural Experimental Station was opened on the initiative of the Northern researcher A.V. Zhuravsky. It was the first scientific institution of such specialization in the north of Russia above 65° north latitude. Zhuravsky identified the main tasks facing the agricultural science of the North: the development of agriculture (improvement of soil fertility, development of swamps for agricultural use), meadow and crop production, including vegetable growing, floriculture and fruit growing. He also defined the basis of agricultural production in the North – animal husbandry. While carrying out the studies, A.V. Zhuravsky Institute of AgroBiotechnologies solves all the problems raised. The modern structure of the Institute has three departments: the Department of Agriculture of the Far North, the Department "Pechora Experimental Station" and the Department of Agricultural Genomics organized on the basis of the youth laboratory in 2019. Over the past 20 years, the Institute has produced 12 varieties of perennial grasses, seven of which have been zoned. Among new breeding achievements are Pamyati Zhuravskogo Serpukh crowned (Serratula coronata L.) variety with an increased content of biologically active substances, potato varieties Zyryanets and Vychegodsky for food purpose, resistant to drought, cancer pathogen and golden nematode, highly resistant to late blight. Research on the technology of production of complex forms of nematocidal and insecticidal bio-preparations as a means of protecting agricultural crops from various soil-dwelling phytophages has begun. Thanks to the efforts of the Institute staff, in close cooperation with the farmers of the Arctic region of the Komi Republic, the Pechora sheep breed was preserved, and breeding work with rare native groups was widely developed. The Institute is the only agricultural research institution in the Komi Republic that provides scientific support for Nothern reindeer husbandry.

Wild relatives and interspecific hybrids of potato as source materials in breeding for resistance to golden nematode

Background. Predominant use of the H1 and Gro1-4 genes of resistance to golden nematode (PGN) in potato breeding requires widening the gene pool of resistance to this pathogen.Materials and methods. Thirty-four genotypes of wild potatoes from North and South Americas, 14 interspecific hybrids, and 10 Russian potato cultivars were studied for PGN resistance. Screening for resistance to PGN pathotype Ro1 and molecular screening for the presence of H1 and Gro1-4 gene markers were performed. Amplification products of the Gro1-4 gene marker were sequenced.Results. Only seven among the studied 34 potato genotypes (two of S. brachystotrichum (Bitt.) Rydb., four of S. lesteri Hawkes et Hjerting, and one of S. kurtzianum Bitt. et Wittm.) were susceptible to PGN, while the rest demonstrated high or medium resistance. Molecular screening for the presence of H1 and Gro1-4 gene markers allowed us to identify Gro1-4 in 13 South American genotypes of S. alandiae Cárd., S. × doddsii Corr., S. kurtzianum, S. leptophyes Bitt., and S. yungasense Hawkes. The remaining 14 genotypes may supposedly contain resistance genes non-identical to H1 or Gro1-4. Hybrids of S. tuberosum L. with medium-resistant wild accessions of S. kurtzianum, S. leptophyes, S. sparsipilum (Bitt.) Juz. et Buk., S. alandiae, and S. × doddsii inherited PGN resistance determined either by the Gro1-4 gene or genes non-identical to H1 or Gro1-4. Sequencing a fragment of the Gro1-4 gene showed that changes in the structure of this fragment in orthologous genes did not affect the feature of resistance to PGN pathotype Ro1.Conclusion. For the first time, sources of resistance to PGN were found among the North American species S. brachystotrichum (k-23201) and S. lesteri (k-24475). Among the wild South American Solanum spp., sources of resistance determined by genes different from H1 or Gro1-4 were identified. Resistant interspecific hybrids can serve as donors of the Gro1-4 resistance gene or new resistance genes.

Current Distribution of Golden Potato Cyst Nematode Globodera rostochiensis (Tylenchida, Heteroderidae) in Ukraine

Globodera infestation was evaluated in soils of private farm plots in Chernihiv and Kyiv regions of Ukraine in 2017–2018. Soil samples were taken at 88 farms, 15.02 ha in total, in 11 settlements of 6 districts. The nematode abundance in the examined areas was graded as follows: less than 1000 eggs + larvae/100 cm3 — low rate of infestation; 1000–5000 eggs + larvae/100 cm3 — average rate; more than 5000 eggs + larvae/100 cm3 — high rate. 85.4 % of study area is infested with the golden potato cyst nematode. The mean abundance of pest was 3331 (15–23,237) eggs+larvae/100 cm3: including 8730 (91–21,486) eggs+larvae/100 cm3 in Kyiv Region and 1829.6 (15–23,237) eggs+larvae/100 cm3 in Chernihiv Region. The highest number of assessed plots per district (29) was in Koryukivsky District, and the mean abundance of G. rostochiensis (Rо-1) was 1549 (20–15,757) eggs + larvae/100 cm3e+l/100cm3. We also analyzed the results of golden nematode monitoring conducted by the State Service of Ukraine for food safety and consumer protection in 2018. According to those, the golden nematode is found in 18 regions of Ukraine. In most of those (14 regions), the pest infests rather small areas, less than 500 ha. Globodera is not recorded in the other 7 regions of Ukraine and Autonomous Republic of Crimea for now.

Testing of potato breeding material for resistance to Globodera rostochiensis (Ro1)

The results of laboratory and field estimate of stability of newly created potato breeding material against Globodera rostochiensis (Ro1) are presented. During 2016—2018, 640 breeding samples sent by the leading breeding institutions of the state, namely: the Institute for Potato Research of the NAAS of Ukraine, the Polessky research department the Institute for Potato Research of the NAAS, CJSC NGO “Chernihivelitkartoplya” and the Institute of agriculture of the Carpathian region were tested in laboratory conditions. Among the potato material we studied, most of the samples belonged to the Polessky research department the Institute for Potato Research of the NAAS — 305 (47.7% of the total), where 172 samples (56.4%) of the sent hybrids of the first and second year of the testing were resistance. A higher percent of the resistance of the breeding material was in the potato material of the Institute for Potato Research of the NAAS, which was 68.0% (115 breeding numbers). In laboratory conditions, most of the samples — 57.7% showed resistance to golden potato cyst nematode (GPCN), 16.2% of the samples were weakly resistant and the rest samples — 26.1% of potato hybrids were classified as susceptible. During the field testing, 32 samples were tested, of which 28 were classified as resistance, 2 selective samples were weakly resistant and 2 were susceptible. The majority of resistance selection material on the high-invasive background showed high nematode cleanse ability and good yield, which exceeded control in 1.5—2 times. All resistant forms are a valuable material for introducing into the breeding process for the production of nematode resistant potato varieties, which will keep the crop in the infected areas and will have the ability to clear the soil from golden nematode potatoes.