One of the forms of activity of a veterinary specialist can be his work in a laboratory. Currently, there is an increasing need for laboratory studies of organs for their detailed study, as well as identification of pathologies. In this connection, there is a need for a more detailed study of the internal organs. The presented materials set out the results of a study of the effect of the food additive E415 on the morphology of the liver of rats. The work proved that the studied food additive does not have a negative effect on the organism of laboratory animals.

Relevance. Phytogenic preparations added to feed neutralize such phenomena as a decrease in the immune status of animals, provide an increase in all types of productivity by improving the consumption, digestibility and assimilation of feed.

Methods. In the closed joint-stock company “Russian pork” of the Kamensky district of the Rostov region, 3 groups of 30 heads of suckling pigs were formed. The first group received the phytopreparation Active Select, developed specifically for pigs. The second group received the versatile phytopreparation Active. The third group served as a control and did not receive phytopreparations.

Results. The advantage of animals receiving Active Select over their peers of the second and control groups in terms of safety, growth, fattening, meat qualities and resistance indicators was revealed. It was proposed to give preference to the specialized preparations Active Select over the universal preparation Active. The methods and dosages of its administration have been specified depending on the age of the pigs.

Relevance. When using rodents as biological models using hepatotoxicants of different structure and mechanism, it was noted that tissue repair plays a decisive role in determining the final result of toxicity. Tissue regeneration is a complex process driven by multilevel cellular signaling involving a number of chemokines, cytokines, growth factors and nuclear receptors leading to the expression of promitogenic genes and cell division. Tissue repair also includes regeneration of the liver’s extracellular matrix and angiogenesis, processes required to completely restore the structure and function of the liver. Stimulating liver tissue through pharmacological correction is critical for recovery from toxic damage.

Methods. The study was conducted on the basis of the St. Petersburg State University of Veterinary Medicine for 21 days. Two groups of white nonlinear rats, nine animals in each group, were used in the experiment. When modeling toxic hepatitis and further pharmacological correction promoting the regeneration of the liver parenchyma the drug “Hepaton” was used based on secondary bile acids (therapeutic dosage for rats – 0.5 mg/kg, duration of pharmacological correction – 21 days).

Results. After 21 days, the experimental animals were euthanized according to the principles of bioethics, after which a histological examination of the liver was carried out. On histological sections of the liver of animals of the second experimental group the drug “Hepaton” reliably positively influenced the regenerative abilities of the liver parenchyma. Based on both experimental and data from the scientific literature, it can be concluded that drugs based on bile acids have an extremely wide range of applications in the future for pharmacological correction of various pathologies of the hepatobiliary system.

Relevance. The use of antibiotics to treat infections of the reproductive tract in cows can cause bacterial resistance to antibiotics and endanger human health. Potentially, preparations from representatives of the lactic acid vaginal microflora (probiotics) can be used as a biological control to reduce the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry.However, the specific composition of the vaginal lactic acid microflora of healthy dry cows and its probiotic properties remain poorly documented.

Methods. The species identification of catalase-negative gram-positive isolates of bacteria forming colonies on MRS agar isolated from utero-cervical mucus of healthy lactating cows was carried out in accordance with standard procedures using a culturedependent approach, biochemical tests and tests for sugar fermentation using API50 CHL strips (bioMеrieux, France). For testing for antagonistic activity by the method of delayed antagonism against test cultures of staphylococci and Escherichia, 14 isolates were selected in accordance with typing assigned to 5 species of the genus Lactobacillus.

Results. The results obtained indicate that the utero-vaginal biocenosis of healthy lactating cows is represented by microorganisms of the Lactobacillaceae family, including lactic acid enterococci and bacteria of the Leuconostocaceae family. The presence of representatives of the genera Aerococcus, Peptostreptococcus and Gardnerella vaginalis was found in the composition of the vaginal biocenosis in cows without signs of pathology of the birth canal. According to the results obtained, the vaginal population of lactic acid bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus has low or medium antagonistic activity against test cultures of indicatory strains of staphylococci and Escherichia.

The article presents an analysis of the results of the veterinary and sanitary examination of pig carcasses. A conclusion is given on the suitability of the presented meat samples for consumption, as well as issues related to the peculiarities of veterinary examination of pig slaughter products for diseases of non-infectious etiology in the conditions of ОАО “Velikoluksky Meat Processing Plant”. Pathological changes in the products of pig slaughter caused by non-infectious diseases were detected after the internal organs were interned. In total, in May 2021 the slaughter products of 962 carcasses of pigs supplied to the slaughterhouse by healthy animals were examined. Mostly 6-8 month old gilts were slaughtered. During the observation period, various pathological conditions were revealed in the slaughter products of the pig herd. Analysis of digital material shows that the most common non-infectious pathology in pigs is pulmonary pathology, which was detected in 176 animals, which is 18.3% of the number studied. We associate the identification of a significant number of pigs with this pathology with long-term transportation. These animals need rest to prevent transport stress, but this is not provided in the conditions of the slaughterhouse. The nature of stress is indicated by such a pathological condition as a stomach ulcer, which was detected in pigs in 134 cases (12.3%). Diseases of the genitourinary system (nephritis) are registered next in the incidence of non-infectious pathology, which in total make up 11.11%. To a lesser extent, veterinary examination of pig slaughter products revealed such pathological processes, as kidney cysts (8.8%), peritonitis (9.3%) and liver cirrhosis (9%). The most common non-infectious pathology in pigs is pulmonary, which accounts for 18.3% of the studied slaughter products. Indicators of pre-slaughter weight of pigs and postslaughter weight of carcasses and organs of pigs with non-infectious pathology are significantly lower than in clinically healthy animals. According to the research results, it was found that the safety indicators in the studied meat samples correspond to the established standards.

Preserving animal populations and improving the quality of life of individual animals largely depends on monitoring their health. This task is especially important in isolated area under the harmful influence of man. The goal of the work was to analyze the mineral composition of the sika deer blood to identify the features of mineral metabolism in isolated area, under conditions of high anthropogenic load. During this research the type of soil on which the habitat of animals is located was taken into account. The object of the study was 59 individuals of sika deer (Cervus nippon) of different sex and age groups living in the territory of the Losiny Ostrov National Park in natural and semifree conditions. The level of serum calcium, phosphorus (and their ratio), magnesium, potassium, iron and chlorides was determined in animal subjects. Biochemical studies of blood samples were carried out on a biochemical analyzer HTI Biohaem SA, using reagents manufactured by ZAO Diacon-DS (Russia). The research results showed that almost all macro and microelements in male sika deer of the younger age group have higher average values relative to those in adult animals. Analysis of mineral metabolism indices in female sika deer revealed that with the same average calcium value in young and adult individuals, the spread between the maximum and minimum levels for this element is more pronounced in the group of adult females (1.7–3.4 mmol/l). Abnormalities of Ca/P metabolism were found in a small number of young males; single deviations in calcium and phosphorus were also observed in males of the older age group. A considerably low magnesium level was found in 31% of the older female deer, while the iron level was 21% higher among the young females. In general, the content of mineral elements in the blood serum of young animals was found to be higher due to the accelerated metabolism and intensive growth. In the course of the work, the indicators of mineral metabolism in sika deer of the Losiny Ostrov National Park were determined, which makes it possible to use this information to observe changes or diagnose metabolic disorders.

Currently, the food problem occupies an important place among the global problems of mankind. Despite a slight increase in food production, the level of nutrition of the population is not reaching optimal levels. This is especially true for Russia. One of the ways to solve this problem is the development of agriculture, in particular animal husbandry. Over the five analyzed years, there has been an increase in the level of milk production in cows of all ages. Milk yield, fat and protein content in the milk of cows of all ages significantly exceed the breed standard. The live weight of cows of all ages for all years also significantly exceeds the breed standard, in particular, full-aged cows are characterized by a weight varying in the range of 599–606 kg. The fat content in milk of cows during this period ranges within 3.70–3.85% with a breed standard of 3.7%, protein content – 3.07–3.26% with a 3.0% breed standard, that is, exceeds the standard for the entire period taken into account. It should also be noted that every year there is an increase in indicators, reaching a maximum in 2020. It should be noted that a number of cows have been in the list of the best in OOO “PskovAgroInvest” for a number of years, improving their milk yield with each lactation. So, from Travinka 1330 in 2018, 10,573 kg of milk with a fat and protein content of 3.63% and 3.12% were milked, and in 2020 – already 11,239 kg with a fat and protein content of 3.71% and 3.18%; from cow Torpedo 234 the corresponding figures for the same years amounted to 9340 kg, 3.75%, 3.06% and 10,504 kg, 3.74%, 3.18% respectively.

Relevance. With the development of the application of the achievements of scientific and technological progress in agricultural production, agriculture began to take more from nature, and instead throw in there a huge amount of waste generated as a result of activities. Therefore, the problem of environmental protection in agricultural production, especially in industrial animal husbandry, has become urgent. Livestock and poultry farming with their manure, dung, greenhouse gases and other wastes have begun to pollute the environment more. These pollutants reduce soil fertility and productivity, and deteriorate the quality of water and atmospheric air. As a result, agricultural production itself suffers, agricultural products are received in less amount and the quality of products deteriorates.

Materials and research methods. The material of the study was the data of environmental statistical reporting of the Russian Federation and its subjects over the last 10 years, as well as materials of periodical scientific publications on environmental problems. In the course of the research, abstract-logical, monographic, computational-constructive, comparative analyzes and statistical methods were used.

Results. According to the state reports “On the state and protection of the environment of the Russian Federation”, the agro-industrial complex in modern conditions continues to be the main pollutant of land and other elements of the environment. More than 45 types of pollutants are emitted into the environment from livestock farms and complexes and poultry farms. Atmosphere air is contaminated with microorganisms, dust, ammonia and other animal waste products. Large volumes of manure and droppings generated in the course of the activity of livestock enterprises, the complexity of their processing and disposal indicate the need to use a variety of ways to solve the problem of effective treatment of manure and droppings. In this sense, the chinese waste disposal technology is of particular interest. China is now took the leading positions in the world in the biological disposal of food and agricultural waste with the help of black lion fly larvae.

Relevance. The article presents data on the effect of feeding lactating cows with different doses of natural mineral additives “Stimul” and smectite trepel as part of the feed mixture at the same concentration of metabolic energy in the diets, their effect on increasing milk yield, the amount of milk fat and protein in both the first and second experiments, their impact on increasing profitability and reducing the cost of exchange energy per 1 kg of milk.

Methods. The effect of the inclusion of mineral additives “Stimul” and smectite trepel in the diet of lactating cows in 3.0% and 4.0% concentrations was studied, the composition of which includes about 40 mineral elements in an accessible form for the body, for the realization of the bioresource potential of the productivity of animals with a live weight of 400–450 kg in the conditions of the farm of ООО “Molochnoye”, Trubchevsky district of the Bryansk region. Before feeding, the mineral is subjected to high-temperature activation, grinding and separation into fractions. Crushing and dividing into fractions mineral additives from different deposits facilitate their use in feeding lactating cows.

Results. The results of the research showed, that mineral supplements of different deposits in the diets of lactating cows have a stimulating effect on the mineral metabolism in the body of animals, and are consistent with the data of other authors. The analysis of the results of a comparative study of the productive qualities of cows for the experiment showed, that the inclusion of natural mineral supplements in the diet of lactating cows is cost-effective. The level of profitability when using the mineral additive smektitny trepel in the amount of 3.0% and 4.0% was higher by 5.3% and 18.6%then the mineral additive “Stimul”.

Flax is an agricultural crop for complex use; it is widely used in textile, paint and varnish, electrical, rubber, leather, pharmaceutical, soap-making, as well as food and other industries. The interest in using flax as a food product is explained by its component structure. Flax seeds contain 25–48% oil and up to 30% protein, they also contain nitrogen – up to 5%, ash – up to 4%, fiber – up to 4.5%. Linseed oil contains up to 16–20% oleic fatty acid, 50–60% linolenic acid, 14–17% linoleic acid, 5–7% palmitic acid, 3–4% stearic acid. Recent studies have revealed the amazing healing properties of flaxseed oil, due to the presence of a large amount of linolenic acid in it. Unsaturated fatty acids accelerate the metabolism of cholesterol in the blood and promote its elimination from the body, improve the metabolism of proteins and fats, have a beneficial effect on blood pressure, relieve spasms of blood vessels and prevent the formation of blood clots and tumors. Flaxseed oil significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular and cancer diseases, allergic reactions. Whole flaxseed does not lose its nutritional qualities for 3 years and is widely used in various countries of the world as popular additive to various types of bread and cereal mixtures, for sprinkling confectionery products. The flour obtained from fat-free seeds is used in various mixtures for baking bread and pastry.

Relevance. Creation and introduction of high-yield varieties of soft winter wheat into production is one of the important ways to increase the production of wheat grain and increase its export potential.

Materials and methods. The research was conducted in 2017–2019. according to the methodology of the State Commission for variety testing of agricultural crops. Statistical data processing was performed by the method of one-factor analysis of variance according to B.A. Dospekhov (1985) in Excel. In 2017 55 varieties were evaluated, in 2018 – 98 varieties, in 2019 – 150 varieties of north caucasian, forest-steppe southern (Ukrainian), steppe southern (Ukrainian), Volga forest-steppe, north russian, central european, north european, north american ecological groups of soft winter wheat.

Results. Phenological observations made it possible to establish ecogroups with the minimum duration of the spring vegetation renewal – earing period in the experiments – the north caucasian – 47 days and the maximum – the north russian – 57 days. Under favorable conditions of humidification, the yield of varieties of the north caucasian, southern steppe (Ukrainian), Volga forest-steppe, and north Russian ecological groups was: 7.06; 7.43; 7.24; and 7.08 t/ha, respectively. In the conditions of drought, the varieties of north caucasian, southern forest-steppe (Ukrainian), southern steppe (Ukrainian), and Volga forest-steppe were distinguished by yield: 3.03–3.27 t/ha. Sharply reduced the yield of varieties of the north russian ecogroup – 0.0–1.18 t/ha.

Relevance. Legumes are a source of cheap protein. The importance of the cultivation of leguminous crops at the planetary level in order to combat the starvation of a part of the world’s population was marked by the year 2016, declared the International year of leguminous crops. In the Republic of Bashkortostan the main leguminous crop is peas. In recent years other leguminous cropshave been growing in the region, such as vetch, soy, chickpeas, and forage beans, which play a significant role in the production of protein for food and feed purposes.

Results. Due to the increase in the production of nitrogen mineral fertilizers in Russia, the area of leguminous crops as a source of biological nitrogenbegan to decrease, another problems are low productivity and complexity of cultivation technology. Two-phase harvesting of a mixture of winter vetch with winter rye increases the yield of winter vetch grain by 0.51 t/ha, the protein content – by 1.8% in comparison with direct harvesting. The highest height of the lower bean in soybean plants is formed when sowing with a row spacing width of 70 cm as a result of intraspecific competition. Processing chickpea seeds with the biological preparation Rizotorfin B increases grain yield by 0.27 t/ha with a production profitability of 151.6%.

Relevance. Adaptive plant breeding is considered an effective and affordable tool that allows to develop varieties that are weakly responsive to the emerging unfavorable conditions.

Methodology. The current study of the alfalfa samples was carried out on the experimental plots of the ARC “Donskoy”. The objects of research were the varieties of the ARIPGR (VIR) collection (11 samples from the USA, 16 samples from Canada, 2 samples from France, 1 sample from Peru).

Results. Estimation of the alfalfa varietal samples according to some ecological adaptability parameters according to the trait “seed productivity” showed that the varietal samples from this collection respond differently to the environmental changes in their cultivation. The genotypes K-32783, K-42684, K-42685, K-48773, K-48774, K-48775, K-42694, K-45119, K-45715, K-47800, K-47801, K-47802, K-47803, K-47804, K-39978 and K-42712 had bi < 1 and hardly responded to the changes in growing conditions, and they had stable, although not very high, seed productivity. There have been identified the samples K-32783, K-42694, K-47801 and K-42712 that demonstrated their resistance to stress conditions. The samples K-50545 and K-50561 turned out to be genetically flexible, their “compensatory ability” better corresponded to the environmental factors. The genotypes K-43272, K-50545 and K-50561 were characterized with higher coefficient (σ_d ²) of the productivity stability in comparison with the standard variety.

Materials were collected from Guba, Salyan, Sabirabad, Lankaran and Ganja. At the end of the study, 162 samples belonging to 11 species and 11 genera were collected from Pentatomidae family. Among the identified species, Aelia acuminata, Eurydema ornatum (Linnaeus), Rhaphigaster nebulosa (Poda) and Dolycoris baccarum (Linnaeus) were identified as phytophagous species that are remarkable in terms of density and prevalence. Palomena prasina (Linnaeus), Eurydema ornatum (Linnaeus), Graphosoma semipunctatum (Fabricius), Dolycoris baccarum (Linnaeus) species are harmful to agricultural plants.

Relevance. Crop rotations remain a key element of modern agricultural systems and solve the whole range of tasks for the rational use of land, the reproduction of soil fertility, its protection from erosion, the protection of the environment and the entire agricultural landscape.

Methodology. Field studies were conducted on leached chernozem with a close occurrence of pebbles in the conditions of the forest-steppe zone of the RSO – Alania. The experiment was placed by the method of organized repetitions, the repetition of the experiment is three-fold, the variants were placed by the method of trial plots, the shape of the plot is rectangular. The total area of the plot is 240 m², the accounting area is 186 m². The tab of experiments, phenological observations, and statistical processing of the obtained data were carried out according to the generally accepted methods described in the educational and methodological manual of Adinyaev E.D., Abaev A.A., and Adaev N.L. (2013).

Results. In the conditions of the foothill zone of the RSO – Alania, the studied crops of the grass-field crop rotation had a positive effect on the structural and aggregate properties of the soil, the water resistance of soil aggregates, as well as on the productivity and energy potential of the cultivated crops. Clover and winter wheat had the most favorable effect on the soil structure, having a longer growing season, a welldeveloped root system, providing better protection of the soil in autumn and spring from the destructive effects of atmospheric precipitation. Row crops in this respect had a low rating. The ability to form structures in potatoes is particularly weak. As a result of the research, it was found that the studied soil has a good structural condition, since it contains from 52.1 to 55.8% of water-bearing aggregates. It was found that the volume mass varied for all crops of the crop rotation. By the end of the growing season, almost all variants showed a tendency to increase the volume mass. In general, the average soil density under all crops was optimal throughout the study period. The highest yield of feed units was noted for the following variants: oats + clover – 9.83 t/ha, clover – 9.49 t/ha, corn – 9.49 t/ha. More digestible protein was contained in the clover crop, the rest of the crops were about the same level. The grass link is more productive, where the collection of feed units and digestible protein significantly exceeded the indicators of the rowed link (7.96 t/ha – grass link and 6.33 t/ha – rowed link).

The process of pasture resources management in Western Kazakhstan is complicated by the deterioration of vegetation cover with the manifestation of degradation and desertification processes as a result of unsystematic grazing. The aim of the research is to study distant pasture grazing on the productivity of pastures for their rational use. Field experiments were carried out in 2018–2021 on the pastures of the semi-desert zone of the Western Kazakhstan region on the territories of the “Miras” peasant farm in the Bokeyurdinsky district. As experimental plots, 4 pastures were selected, used in different ways: unsystematic, seasonal and distant pastures. 3 pasture areas are located on the relief part of the semi-desert zone, and the distant-pasture area is located in the sandy part of Ryn-Peski. To study the influence of the methods of use on the productivity of pastures on the polygon areas, regular observations of the quantitative and qualitative parameters (projective cover, height, species composition, yield) of phytocenoses were carried out. The research allowed to prove the seasonal organization of pasture economy using the distant pasture. In the summer period, an increase in the number and occurrence of valuable pasture plants Kochia prostrata, Agropyron desertorum, Festuca valesiaca, Leymus ramosus, Koeleria cristata was noted on seasonal pastures. On the distant site of sandy pastures, 23 plant species of different economic and botanical groups have been determined, and due to the natural conditions of sands in the phytocenosis, the occurrence of valuable plants in the forage ratio was high. By the middle of summer, in the area of seasonal and distant pastures, despite the loss of forbs from the vegetation composition and drying of cereals, the yield of green phytomass was 8.09–10.25 c/ha, which is higher than in the area of unsystematic grazing by 4.28–6.44 c/ha. In this work, it was concluded that to improve the efficiency of pasture resource management, it is important to use seasonal pastures with the inclusion of a distant site in pasture rotation, which is the scientific novelty of the research.

As a result of 65 years of intensive large-scale apple breeding work, the Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding (VNIISPK) created and included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements 56 apple cultivars of different fruit ripening periods. Some of them are already widely known and occupy large areas in industrial and amateur gardens. Among these cultivars, Venyaminovskoye, Veteran, Rozhdestvenskoye and Sinap Orlovsky are approved for use in four regions of the Russian Federation; Kandil Orlovsky, Kulikovskoye, Orlik and Orlovskoye Polosatoye are grown in three regions; 10 cultivars are zoned in two regions of Russia; the remaining 37 cultivars are allowed for use so far in one region of the country. For the first time in Russia and in the world, 17 triploid apple cultivars were created from intervalent crosses. These cultivars are characterized by more regular fruiting and more beautiful and larger fruits. Some of them are immune to scab. In total, more than 20 apple cultivars immune to scab have been created, including the first domestic scab-immune cultivar Imrus (immune russian). The long-term work has shown that only a large interdisciplinary team can create apple cultivars that meet the ever-increasing production requirements. The disadvantage in our breeding work with apples, as well as in other breeding institutions, is that it usually takes too much time to create a cultivar (often more than 25 years). As our experience shows, it took no more than 20 years to create individual cultivars: Rozhdestvenskoye – 16 years, Priokskoye – 18 years, Imrus and Poesia – 19 years, to create Alexandr Boyko, Venyaminovskoye, Kandil Orlovsky, Maslovskoye, Solnyshko, Stroevskoye, and Pamyaty Khitrovo it took 20 years. The greatest number of years was spent on the creation of the following cultivars: Pepin Orlovsky – 48 years, Orlovskaya Zarya – 45 years, Pamyat Voinu and Radost Nadezhdy – 38 years, Kulikovskoye – 37 years, Sinap Orlovsky – 34 years, Den Pobedy – 33 years. This article presents techniques that accelerate the selection process in apples. In the coming years, the goal is to obtain triploid cultivars that are immune to scab and have columnar habit (“three in one”).

Abstract. The issues of horticulture development, improvement of the assortment taking into account the vertical zoning of the territory of the republic, which are sharply distinguished by heterogeneity in climatic factors and cannot be used for fruit crops with equal efficiency, are highlighted. For the development of horticulture in the Primorsky lowland, the southern part is of great importance, which is characterized by relatively mild winters and hot summers, with an average annual air temperature of 11, 6–12,6 °C and the sum of active temperatures of 4000–4600 °C. The south-eastern foothills are represented by a more arid climate. The average annual air temperature is 11.80 °C, the sum of active air temperatures is reached up to 3500 °C, on average, 300–400mm of precipitation falls per year. The Central Foothills play an important role in the gardening of the republic. The climate here is moderately warm, the average annual air temperature ranges from 9.7 to 10.3 °C, the sum of the average daily temperatures above 10 °C reaches 3420 °C., the average annual precipitation in.

The article considers the influence of hydrothermal conditions of the Kursk region on the yield of winter wheat grain under different agricultural technologies. The Central Chernozem region differs from other regions of Russia and over the past decades there has been an increase in temperature, the amount of precipitation exceeds long-term data and is unevenly distributed by seasons. The current situation creates a certain climatic risk of crop loss. During the research period, it was found that the hydrothermal regime is unstable over the years and it largely determines the yield of winter wheat for various types of agricultural technologies, especially in 2017–2018 and 2018–2019. The paper shows that the spring reserves of productive moisture did not affect the yield. The correlation analysis allowed us to assess the degree of correlation between the yield of winter wheat and hydrothermal factors.

Relevance. The article is devoted to the topical problem of studying the influence of soil conditions and the relief of an agricultural landscape on the yield of clover-timothy herbage on drained soils, knowledge of which makes it possible to optimize the production process of crops in the mode of adaptive landscape farming.

Methods and results. The studies were carried out in 1998–2020 at the test site of the All-Russian Research Institute of Reclaimed Lands (VNIIMZ) – a branch of the Federal Research Centre Soil Science Institute named after V.V. Dokuchaev (Tver region), located within the end-moraine hill. The purpose of the research is to study the influence of soil conditions and the relief of the agricultural landscape on the yield of clover-timothy herbage of 1 year of use. Grass productivity monitoring was carried out on a transect – a field crossing the main microlandscape positions (relief elements) and elementary soil combinations of the agrolandscape. Crop productivity and other parameters of the vegetation and soil cover on the transect were taken into account on 30 systematically located plots, within which there are 4 replicates, 23 m² in area, spaced 10 m from each other.

Results of studies on productivity were processed by correlation and multivariate analysis of variance. Studies have shown that the relief and soil features of the agricultural landscape have almost the same effect on the crop yield. Each of these factors, on average, determined 18–16% of the spatial variability in productivity. About 2/3 of the variability in the yield of herbs depends on factors that are difficult to take into account. It was found that the degree of influence of the relief and soils on the yield of grasses is not constant over time and ranges from 2 to 33%. In the time series of observations, periods of synchronous and asynchronous fluctuations in the degrees of influence of soil and relief on the yield were distinguished. Synchronization of temporal fluctuations in the degrees of impact on the productivity of grasses of different elements of the landscape occurs with a decrease in the amount of precipitation and active temperatures. On the basis of the revealed patterns, it is possible to develop measures to adapt technologies for growing perennial grasses to the natural conditions of farms in the mode of adaptive landscape fodder production.

The article is devoted to the study of the effect of heavy metals on the enzymatic activity of gray-brown soil in Sumgait. It was found that soil contamination with heavy metals leads to a significant decrease in the activity of microorganisms, including cellulosedecomposing ones. According to the inhibitory effect on the number of cellulosedecomposing microorganisms, metals can be arranged in a row: Рb < Сu < Zn. The decrease in cellulose-decomposing activity under the influence of high doses of Сu was 51%, Zn – 45%, Pb – 54%. A significant decrease in enzymatic activity was found in the presence of heavy metal contamination. With an increase in the amount of lead in the soil, a decrease in the activity of invertase was observed, at the same time, the greatest response to soil contamination with lead was found in the catalase enzyme. Thus, in comparison with the control, an increase in the activity of the catalase enzyme in the presence of lead in the soil occurs at a concentration of 1 MAC, which is more than 33%. A further increase in the values of catalase activity by more than 2.0 times is detected when the lead content in the soil is about 4 MAC. This allows the catalase activity of soils to be used as an indicator of soil contamination of the city of Sumgait with heavy metals, including lead.

Relevance. The introduction of digital technologies into the flax industry is an integral part of increasing production efficiency. Competently adapted new digital solutions are prerequisites for expanding opportunities and strengthening of the competitive position of both individual economic entities and the industry as a whole. One of the main reasons of limitation of the introduction of new, including digital, technologies in flax cultivation is a high proportion of physically worn out, with depreciation up to 100%, and obsolete equipment, which often leads to critical deviations in technological operations, from pre-sowing tillage to post-harvest works. This is reflected in the effectiveness not only of the individual operations carried out (poor-quality performance, lagging behind the deadlines, etc.), but also on the efficiency of flax cultivation and, ultimately, on the profitability of the flax-growing business itself. Considering that many farms still use equipment manufactured in the 1970s initially there is a question of widespread introduction of complex mechanized and automated technologies, and then the transition to the use of digital technologies and automated control systems. In this regard, the task of scientists is to create conditions for the introduction of innovative technologies and the development of agricultural services for the digital transformation of agricultural production.

Methods. The work used a wide range of analytical methods used to study economic phenomena in the agro-industrial complex, in particular, in flax growing.

Results. The main advantages of digital transformation of agricultural production processes in flax growing are considered, scientifically grounded developments of the Federal Scientific Center for Bast Crops and JSC Scientific Research Institute of Information Technologies in the field of information and analytical system of crop production management are proposed, a model for managing business processes based on digital transformation and state support for the introduction of digital technologies at all stages of the production process is proposed.

Relevance. The development of large-scale agricultural production is focused on powerful large-sized machinery using. Over the past decades, a lot of small profitable farms have been created in Russia – farms and personal subsidiary farms, where owner is a direct products’ manufacturer, using small and narrow-sized equipment, for example compact mixers and feed dispenser mixers – MK-3G(5G) mini. This new generation “smart” mini-equipment for small cattle fattening’s farms supports the animal breeding technologies adopted in production, and also has such useful properties as accuracy, maneuverability, compactness, successfully replaces various manual and semi-automatic labor items.

Methods. The study was conducted on farms whose fattening livestock is a multiple of 50 heads of cattle: 100, 150, 200, 250. In accordance with the rations of intensive fattening of young animals of 12–14 months age for meat purposes, its daily ration contained 25–30 kg of feed, which included high-quality hay, silage, haylage, dry grain, root-tubers. Feed was fed to animals kept on pastures under sheds, 6–8 times a day, which is every 2–2,5 hours during the light day, with a break at night for rest and sleep.

Results. A small feed dispenser Nifty Livestock Feed Dispenser E3592, made in various forms of a bunker: trailer, semi-trailer-body or optional trailer-station, allows by one person to ensure the distribution of feed for 250 or more heads of cattle due to the volume of the capacity of a round bunker for 1480 kg, which with a slight increase in the volume of the bunker is consistent with the volume of daily and single portions of various types of feed for a farmer’s herd on fattening in the Russian Federation, and with bunker volume increased by 15,5% – for feed mixtures in full.

Relevance. In the normative legal documents and scientific publications, various options for the policy of providing Russia with seeds are considered. In most of them, the emphasis is on increasing the share of the sown seeds of domestic selection (including those produced in the country or abroad), the share of seeds of domestic production (including seeds of domestic selection and seeds of foreign selection localized in Russia), the share of varieties of domestic selection allowed for use in the Russian Federation, the number of newly developed varieties of seeds. Business does not always select seeds in accordance with the recommendations of the authorities and science: its policy is aimed at sowing seeds of high quality, which in many cases leads not to an increase, but to a decrease in self-sufficiency in the seeds of domestic selection and production.

Methods. Various options for the policy of seed production in Russia have been studied, including the production of seeds of domestic selection, the localization of production of seeds of foreign selection in Russia and Russian selection abroad, import and export of seeds of domestic and foreign selection. Indicators for the economic assessment of each of the crop-specific policy options have been developed. The comparison of the results of the Russian policy of seed provision with the policy of Germany and Poland is carried out. As one of the indicators of the quality of domestic seeds, it is proposed to use the ratio of prices of exported domestic seeds and similar seeds exported by other countries.

Results. The necessity of transition from the threshold level of seed self-sufficiency established by the Doctrine of Food Security 2020 to its differentiation for individual crops, taking into account the seeds of domestic and foreign selection produced in Russia, is substantiated. With regard to sunflower, along with the localization of the production of foreign-bred seeds in Russia, special measures are needed to replace the import with domestic-bred seeds. For peas and soybeans, the task of import substitution has been solved due to the localization of the production of seeds of foreign selection (the share of imported seeds is less than 1%). A forward-looking policy should be aimed at achieving a positive export-import balance in seeds.

Relevance. The purpose of this study is to identify trends in the formation of the contingent of students in the specialty 36.05.01 “Veterinary medicine” in Russian universities in 2013–2020.

Methods. The study used methods such as analysis, synthesis, source analysis. The main aspect of the study is the change in the number of students in the specialty 36.05.01 “Veterinary medicine” in Russian universities.

Results. Based on the analysis and assessment of data on changes in the structure of the contingent of students in the specialty 36.05.01 “Veterinary medicine”, it is possible to draw conclusions about the presence of the following trends. 1. Increase in demand for educational program 36.05.01 “Veterinary medicine”. 2. Assistance from the state in increasing the availability of the educational program 36.05.01 “Veterinary medicine” by increasing the number of regions with the training of veterinarians and developing markets for full-time and part-time education. The increase in the admission target figures for these forms of education contributed to the more active development of these forms of education by universities and the attraction of citizens not only to budgetary, but also to paid places. 3. Feminization of higher veterinary education.