Echinococcosis of dogs in the North Caucasian Subjects (infrastructural, epizootological and sanitary-hygienic analysis)

Based on the official statistics the situation of parasitic diseases in the Russian Federation is still quite unfavorable. The issues of soil contamination with Echinococcus granulosus eggs are understudied that’s why the objective of the research was to study canine echinococcosis which poses a threat to animal and human disease freedom in the North Caucasian countries. Helminthological tests of the guardian dog feces were performed in seven North Caucasian Subjects: the Stavropol Krai, the Karachay-Cherkessia Republic, the Kabardino-Balkaria Republic, Republic of North Ossetia −Alania, Republic of Ingushetia, the Chechen Republic, and the Republic of Dagestan. As a result, it was determined that the average frequency index of echinococcosis occurrence was 85.07%. The moderate fecal egg count in 1,400 samples was 22.73 ± 1.49 eggs per 10 grams of dog feces. The data obtained are indicative of the disease unfavourable situation in the Subjects and the zoonosis spread at the regional level. Helminthological tests of 14,000 soil samples from near-village pastures for contamination with tapeworm eggs, including Echinococcus granulosus, showed that the invasion rate in the Stavropol Krai was 65.80%, in Karachay-Cherkessia republic − 79.00%, in Kabardino-Balkaria − 82.60%, in North Ossetia − Alania − 74.65%, in Ingushetia − 88.20%, in Chechnya − 83.75%, in Dagestan − 79.85%. The results obtained testify to the high level of soil contamination with the infective eggs. It was demonstrated that there is a relationship between the distribution of viable Echinococcus granulosus eggs in pasture soils and ecological characteristics of the Subject: the largest number of viable Echinococcus granulosus eggs was observed in submountain areas, fewer eggs were observed in flatlands, and the least number of eggs – in the mountain areas. The number of eggs detected in the soil samples from pastures is indicative of the disease persistence in humans and animals. Results of the helminthological tests of 7,500 soil samples from 119 cattle-driving routes of the North Caucasus demonstrate 100% contamination with parasitic agents which poses a threat of epidemiological and epizootological situation of echinococcosis in the Subject.

Comparative Nationalisms and Bibliographic Black Holes: The Case of the Turkmen of the North Caucasus

The centuries-old Turkmen community of Stavropol’ Krai in southern Russia, while currently numbering only about 15,000 people, is an integral part of the famously diverse ethnolinguistic landscape of the North Caucasus. To the extent that Euro-Atlantic scholars have noted the existence of this community at all, their comments have been rather cursory and dismissive, and it has been claimed that the North Caucasus Turkmen (virtually alone among the dozens of similarly small ethnic groups of the region) have never published anything in their own language. Intensive investigations in the bibliographic record (and in secondary sources in Russian, Turkish, and Turkmen) show that this is not actually the case, and that the North Caucasus Turkmen do have a modest record of Turkmen-language publishing stretching back a century or more. What are the implications of these published works for our understanding of Turkmen identity, the Turkmen diaspora, and the complicated multiethnic and multilingual environment of the North Caucasus? What does it mean when groups like the North Caucasus Turkmen are made all but invisible in Euro-Atlantic scholarship and Euro-Atlantic library collections?

Ecological features of plant communities containing Globularia bisnagarica L. in the Middle and Lower Volga Region

The present article investigates the plant communities of the Middle and Lower Volga region that contain Globularia bisnagarica L. (G. punctate Lapeyr., G. willkommii Nylan) – the species listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Republic of Tatarstan, the Stavropol Krai, the Orenburg, Samara, Saratov and Ulyanovsk Province, and Kazakhstan. The paper provides the geo-botanical description as well as the ecological and coenotic properties of 13 plant communities located in the Middle and Lower Volga region (the Ulyanovsk, Saratov and Samara Provinces). It is shown that the studied communities are confined to the elevated elements of relief where soil erosion usually takes place and bedrock gets exposed. Most communities grow on proto-soils – namely, carbonated. In general, the communities under study include 141 vascular species. In individual communities, the total projective cover fluctuates from 25 to 90%; the number of species varies from 29 to 43. Furthermore, the study subdivides the communities containing G. bisnagarica into 10 types. The level of set similarity is rather low (IBD is mere 19.5%). Finally, based on the bio-morphological content, most species in the studied communities are classified as hemicryptophytes, which is typical for the moderately cold zones of the Holarctic realm. Among trophomorphs, mesotrophs are predominant (62%); while oligotrophs are a third as many.

EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF FOLIAR FEEDINGS WITH NITROGEN-CONTAINING FERTILIZERS AS EXEMPLIFIED BY MAIZE

The studies were aimed at determining the methods for the effective use of nitrogen fertilizers on maize. In the course of the studies, the authors put forward a hypothesis that the foliar use of nitrogen-containing agrochemicals can significantly increase the productivity of maize. They assessed the economic efficiency of foliar application of conventional nitrogen fertilizer (urea) and new nitrogen-containing agrochemicals to maize hybrids of different ripeness groups. The study purpose was to make a comparative effectiveness assessment of the foliar feeding of maize hybrids belonging to different ripening groups with urea as well as organic fertilizer Batr 40 Azot and antistressant stimulant Vuksal Aminoplant. The studies were conducted on the experimental field of the All Russian Research Institute of Maize located at a distance of 3 km from the Pyatigorskiy settlement in the Prdgorniy District of the Stavropol Krai, at an altitude of 541 m above sea level, 44° north latitude, 43° east longitudes in a zone of sufficient moisture. The effect of two factors was studied in the field experiment: factor A – maize hybrids, factor B – foliar fertilization. The varieties used in the study of factor A included early ripening maize hybrid Mashuk 185 MV (FAO 180), mid-early ripening maize hybrid Mashuk 220 MB (FAO 220), and mid-ripening maize hybrid Mashuk 355 MB (FAO 350). The following options were studied Ь as factor B: without fertilizers; foliar application of Batr 40 Azot (3.0 l/ha), Vuksal Aminoplant (1.5 l/ha), and urea (N10). It was found that in the zone of sufficient moisture on the ordinary carbonate thick heavy loamy chernozem of the Stavropol Krai foliar application of nitrogencontaining fertilizers had a positive effect on the growth and productivity of maize hybrids. On average for 2018–2020, foliar feeding of plants in the phase of 7–8 leaves with agrochemicals Batr 40 Azot (3.0 l/ha) and Vuksal Aminoplant (1.5 l/ha) increased the yield of green mass of hybrid Mashuk 185 MV by 3.63–3.97 t/ha (11–12%); the yield of green mass of the hybrid Mashuk 220 MV increased by 6.85–7.46 t/ha (24–26%); the yield of green mass of the hybrid Mashuk 355 MV increased by 4.63–5.05 t/ha (14–16%). The grain yield of the hybrid Mashuk 185 MV increased by 0.21–0.47 t/ha (3–8%); the grain yield of the hybrid Mashuk 220 MV increased by 0.37–0.49 t/ha (7–9%); the grain yield of the hybrid Mashuk 355 MV increased by 0.30–0.33 t/ha (5–6%). Fertilizing maize hybrids with agrochemicals Batr 40 Azot (3.0 l/ha) and Vuksal Aminoplant (1.5 l/ha) at a dose of N10 provided higher green mass and grain yield as compared to urea (carbamide). The mid-early ripening hybrid Mashuk 220 MB was most responsive to foliar application of nitrogen-containing fertilizers. The costs of using fertilizers Batr 40 Nitrogen (3.0 l/ha), Vuksal Aminoplant (1.5 l/ha), and urea (N10) for foliar dressing were compensated by the income received. The highest average payback of 1 ruble spent on maize hybrids was noted for foliar feeding of plants with the fertilizer Batr 40 Nitrogen at a dose of 3.0 l/ha (1.31 rubles of income) and Vuksal Aminoplant at a dose of 1.5 l/ha (1.11 rubles of income).

Scientific support for the innovative development of the economic space of rural territories as an area of natural functioning of the agro-industrial complex elements

The article summarizes the results of the analysis of the causes of fragmentation, dissociation, and polarization of the economic space of rural territories, primarily the southern regions of Russia, which are the leading agricultural and industrial regions of the country (Rostov region, Krasnodar Krai and Stavropol Krai), determines the impact of infrastructure deficits, conventionality of farming for the outflow of economically active population to areas with a higher level of competitive advantages, determines the need to align the development of rural territories, primarily through the formation and development of poles of economic growth of the “second order”, which should serve as intermediate links for leveling the discreteness of economic space of agricultural and industrial regions. The author considers a set of innovative measures that contribute to the generation of impulses for the development of rural territory economy and transformation of their economic space towards depolarization and the elimination of “dissociation”, which is the key to increase the economic potential of the agro-industrial complex (its resource, agricultural and raw material, processing and production components), increase of its functioning efficiency, which is especially important for the agricultural and industrial regions of Russian South.

Breeding beef calves using different feeding technologies

The article presents the findings on the dynamics of the live weight of calves of various breeds in similar climatic conditions in arid regions of the Stavropol Krai of Russia and the steppe zone of Ukraine. It has been established that the live weight of calves of the Hereford, Kazakh white-headed and Kalmyk breeds when raised according to the traditional technology of beef cattle breeding when calves are sucked under cows up to 6-7 months of age, is in relationship with the milk qualities of mothers. At the same time, the live weight of the gray Ukrainian calves was interrelated regarding the live weight at birth and the feeding technology. A positive relationship was shown in the live weight of calves at birth and during their implementation at 15 and 18 months of age. Most effectively animals used pasture fodder in spring and summer. In an arid climate, it is more appropriate to breed specialized cattle belonging to the Hereford breed and then sell them for breeding in other farms in the region.

Effect of the next-generation stimulants on the yielding capacity of winter wheat in moisture deficit conditions

In the conditions of the Stavropol Krai arid region the single nutrient fertilizer treatment of winter wheat does not always justify the costs expended due to the moisture deficit during the growing season. In this regard, one of current promising areas is the additional combined use of chemical fertilizers, growth-stimulating agents and micronutrients intended for seed and vegetative plant treatment. In 2018–2020 a research was conducted into the effect of the VL 77 growth stimulants and the Orakul Semena, Orakul Multikompleks, and Orakul Sera Activ micronutrient complexes at different growth and development stages during winter wheat cultivation in the volatile weather conditions of the Stavropol Krai arid region. The research establishes the effectiveness of the combined use of the next-generation stimulants during winter wheat cultivation on chestnut soils in the conditions of the Stavropol Krai arid region. The highest yield of the Idilliya winter wheat variety (4.68 t/ha) was achieved by initially dressing the seeds with the VL 77 growth stimulants combined with the Orakul Semena micronutrient complex and treating the seeds with the VL 77 growth stimulants in combination with the Orakul Multikompleks micronutrient complex during the spring growth resumption period. The second treatment of vegetative plants during the flag leaf stage stimulated their growth, but moisture deficit reduced the yields by 2.3%. Still, the yields obtained exceeded the test yields by 4.3%. On average, during the three years of research the growth stimulant and micronutrient complex treatment boosted the yielding capacity in moisture deficit conditions by 4.6–5.1%. The cost effectiveness concurrently increased from 66.0% to 89.0%.

STATE OF EREMURUS SPECTABILIS BIEB POPULATIONS IN THE STAVROPOL KRAI

The study of the floral composition, including rare species on the territory of the Stavropol Krai, started from the first days of the operation of the botanical garden in Stavropol, the 1960s. Between the 1960s and 1970s, the garden staff identified the growing areas of Eremurus spectabilis Bieb. in natural conditions, as well as studied the questions related to biology, morphology, morphogenesis, photoperiodism and methods of its reproduction. In 2009, the garden employees set the task of studying the dynamics of the current state of populations of the Eremurus representative in the vicinity of Stavropol, in the Yankulskaya (Shatyr Kurgan mountain) and Sengileevskaya hollows (Balka Trety Log). The survey of the territories according to the first level of monitoring was carried out in the Andropov region and in the Caucasian Mineral Waters (Kavminvody) region. As a result of long-term expedition trips, some deterioration in the state of the Eremurus spectabilis populations has been recently established in the Trety Log hollow (balka): a decrease in the habit of peduncles and inflorescences, seedcase setting, the manifestation of inflorescence deformation in almost all populations. This can be attributed to deteriorated weather conditions – a prolonged dry spring-summer period against the background of a heavy clay composition of the soil. No diseases or pests have been found. The populations are stable, since the renewal of plants in the populations at this stage is equal to their decrease. According to the ratio of age groups, growing populations are currently noted on Shatyr Kurgan, where young, not yet reproductive individuals prevail. Observations of the state of Eremurus spectabilis in natural habitats should be continued in dynamics (once every 3–5 years) in order to note the success and stability of a particular cenopopulation in the community or toanalyze the critical points of its development.