Short Communication. Virulence of barley leaf rust in the South of Russia in 2017-2019

Aim of study: To analyze the structure of Puccinia hordei populations by virulence in southern Russia during 2017-2019. Area of study: South of Russia, the leading Russian region for barley production where barley leaf rust is an important foliar disease. Material and methods: Uredinial samples of P. hordei were collected at the production sites of winter barley in the south of Russia. Single uredinial isolates (total 95) were tested for virulence with 17 differentials with Rph resistance genes. Main results: No isolates found virulent to the host line with the Rph13 gene. There was a decrease in the number of fungal isolates virulent to the host lines with Rph5 and Rph7 genes. In 2017 and 2019, isolates containing a large number of virulence alleles (from 11 to 15) prevailed. In 2018, isolates with low (1-5) and medium (6-10) frequency of virulent alleles prevailed, as well as avirulent isolates. The values of the Nei index via diversity showed high similarity of the pathogen populations in 2017-2018 (N = 0.05) and minor differences in 2017-2019 and 2018-2019 (N = 0.13 and 0.16, respectively). The greatest frequency of virulence alleles in accordance with the Nei (Hs) index was noted for the 2018 population (Hs = 0.36). For the 2017 and 2019 populations, this indicator was average (Hs = 0.29 and 0.20, respectively). Research highlights: Analysis of genetics of the P. hopdei population is important for the strategy of varietal distribution in the region and development of rust-resistant cultivars.

An update on the distribution of the coypu, Myocastor coypus, in Asia and Africa through published literature, citizen-science and online platforms

The coypu, Myocastor coypus, has been introduced worldwide for fur farming and is widely recognized as one of the most invasive alien mammals of the world, affecting natural ecosystems, crops and possibly human health. Here we present a comprehensive up-to-date review of its distribution and status in Asia and Africa. Using a multi-source approach, we collected occurrences from published literature as well as from online biodiversity platforms (e.g. GBIF, iNaturalist), video sharing platforms, and local experts. Additionally, we used an ensemble modelling approach to predict the climatic suitability across Africa and Asia. We present an updated distribution map, including a total of 1506 spatially explicit records from 1973 to 2021, covering 1 African and 16 Asian countries. We find evidence for current populations in Kenya and five new countries since the last review of (Carter and Leonard, Wildl Soc Bull 30:162–175, 2002): Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam, and identify main clusters of coypu occurrence in Western (including Transcaucasia) and East Asia. We show that warm temperate and Mediterranean areas on both continents are predicted to be climatically suitable for the coypu and highlight not only areas of possible spread, but also potential data gaps, i.e. with high suitability and low availability of concrete information (e.g. China, Southern Russia). We emphasize the importance of citizen involvement and the urgency for coypu-targeted studies in data-poor regions to obtain a clear picture of the geographical distribution and to better address management strategies.

THE PUBLICATIONS OF THE MEMBERS OF THE IMPERIAL SOCIETY OF AGRICULTURE OF SOUTHERN RUSSIA IN DEFENCE OF THE ECONOMIC INTERESTS OF THE DNIEPER UKRAINE IN THE 1830'S – 1840'S

The article focuses on the analysis of the publications of members of the Imperial Society of Agriculture of Southern Russia (with the center in Odesa) and related figures, published on the pages of the “Listki” and later of the “Notes” of the Society and the newspaper “Odesskiy vestnik” in 1830`s – 1840's. It was noted that the authors of these publications belonged to various economic courses from conservative to moderately liberal. It was also pointed out the circulations among the members of the Society the ideas of “physiocrats”, which they themselves understood as a recognition of the priority of agriculture, over all other human activities. The publications whose authors insisted on the necessity for immediate government measures to improve transport connections, especially the deployment of railways and improved the river transport vital to the development of agricultural exports were examined by author. The arguments of the members of the Society in their polemics with the authors of the St. Petersburg “Zemledelcheskaya gazeta”, who unjustifiably criticized the traditional forms of Ukrainian economy and accused the Ukrainian peasants of natural “laziness”, were interpreted too. In addition the author of the research analyzed the publications of the members of the Society, who supported the free trade course. It was concluded that, regardless of the general economic views, the members of the Society mostly grouped around the protection of economic interests of Ukrainian lands.

PETRO SOKALSKI’S PUBLICATIONS IN THE “NOTES OF THE IMPERIAL SOCIETY OF AGRICULTURE OF SOUTHERN RUSSIA” (1869-1872)

The second essay in the cycle of the researches of the activities of the Ukrainian composer, publicist, active participant of the national movement of the second half of the XIX-th century Petro Sokalskyi (1832 - 1887) in the Imperial Society of Agriculture of Southern Russia focuses on the analysis of the authorial articles published in the volumes of «Notes of the Imperial Society of Agriculture of Southern Russia» during 1869–1872. Therefore, the classification of publications by thematic categories and their review in chronological order are the main tasks of the study. It was found out that Petro Sokalskyi not only held the positions of the secretary of the society and editor of “Notes” (from 1869 to 1871), but also actively wrote on agricultural topics. Author's articles of this period were the reviews of the problems of agriculture in the south of the empire in different years; the discussions of measures of encouraging the sheep farming and winemaking in the region; the descriptions of the results of the exhibition of viticulture and winemaking; and so on. The publicist also responded to questions that worried the farmers, winemakers and workers throughout the empire: economic and customs policy, the “wool issue”, the labor issue and more. In fact, on all the above issues, Sokalskyi expressed professional and deep thoughts, and also drew upon the international and European experience, which underscored his general intelligence in different fields of knowledge. The characteristic of this part of the author's journalistic heritage allows not only to supplement the available biographical information, but also to draw the attention of researchers to individual members of the Imperial Society of Agriculture of Southern Russia. In addition, the authors' articles will be useful for agricultural researchers.

Political evolution of the Sevastopol workers and the far left of ‘Southern Russia’ during the French intervention in 1918–1919

This article describes and analyses shifts in political preferences among Sevastopol workers during French intervention (November 1918 – May 1919). After outlining the social landscape of the city during the Russian Civil War, this paper focuses on the interactions between workers, foreign sailors and political parties. The aim of this article is to study the Bolshevisation of Sevastopol's working class based on the paths of several local workers. From the distribution of revolutionary leaflets to agitation in cafés, canteens, and factories, and many other illegal activities, what were the Bolsheviks' tactics to rally local workers to their cause?

The effect of weather conditions in southern Russia on the frost resistance of apricot generative buds

One of the reasons limiting the apricot expansion in the world is the short period of winter dormancy in the plants and the rapid development of generative buds in the spring. Apricot flower buds often die even after small spring return frosts that limit the commercial culture of this fruit crop. The aim of this investigation was to study collection-breeding plantations and select frost-resistant genotypes that have promise for commercial and breeding use. To solve this problem, the frost resistance of generative buds in 50 apricot cultivars and the breeding forms of various origins were studied by freezing treatments of the branches in a climatic chamber. The Czech cultivar ‘Leala’ was selected due to its best frost resistance. In late winter 2020–2021, six cultivars and breeding forms, which kept 41.8 to 65.9% of the generative buds alive, were identified. These genotypes are characterised by a slow development that prevents any negative freezing temperature effects. Thus, the results of the study confirmed the dependence of the adaptation mechanisms in apricot plants on the rates of their morphogenesis and abiotic factor pressures.

Variability in the Chemical Composition of a New Aromatic Plant Artemisia balchanorum in Southern Russia

Lemon wormwood Artemisia balchanorum was recently introduced to southern Russia as a new aromatic plant. Based on biological and chemical characteristics, several populations with dominant citral, linalool, and geraniol production were selected for further development and maintained by seed propagation. Chemical analysis of five outstanding populations at three stages of annual development: vegetative, flower buds, and full flowering, confirmed that the seed populations retain the distinct dynamics of the dominant and minor components during the annual cycle and can be used for the commercial production of citral, linalool, and geraniol. Micropropagation in vitro allows for efficient clonal micropropagation and mass reproduction of elite cultivars and promising forms of A. balchanorum on a commercial scale but cannot serve as a source of direct and efficient production of secondary metabolites.

A Prototype of Vadim Roshchin in the “White” Version of Alexey N. Tolstoy's Trilogy The Road to Calvary

The article is devoted to the reconstruction of the idea of the white version of the second volume of A.N. Tolstoy's trilogy The Road to Calvary , created by the writer in the emigration in 1921-1923. This idea was fundamentally different from the one embodied by A.N. Tolstoy after his return to the USSR. Materials published in 1918 in the Rostov magazine Donskaya Volna ( Don Wave ) are used for the reconstruction. Those materials help to identify Colonel V.K. Manakin as a supposed prototype of one of the main characters, Vadim Roshchin, in the final chapters of the first volume of the trilogy and in the first chapters of the second volume of the white version. The prototype makes it feasible to reconstruct the possible idea of the second volume of the white version of The Road to Calvary . A.N. Tolstoy's notebooks are also used for the reconstruction. The reconstruction of A.N. Tolstoys plan turned out to be more logically consistent compared to the only existing Soviet version of the second and third volumes of the trilogy The Road to Calvary. Both Roshchin and Telegin, in the emigrant version of the first volume of the trilogy act as ideologists of the White Movement, find themselves in the White Armies of Southern Russia, and then in exile. The study shows that the transition of the main characters to the Red Movement in the Soviet version of The Road to Calvary is artistically unconvincing, since it does not correspond to the original plan of A.N. Tolstoy, embodied in the emigrant version of Sisters .

Arboridia kakogawana. [Distribution map].

A new distribution map is provided for Arboridia kakogawana (Matsumura), Hemiptera: Cicadellidae. Host: grapevine (Vitis vinifera). Information is given on the geographical distribution in Asia (China, Xinjiang, Japan, Honshu, Kyushu, Korea Democratic Republic and Korea Republic) and Europe (Bulgaria, Romania, Russia, Russian Far East, Southern Russia, Serbia and Ukraine).