Relevance. The periods of early postnatal ontogenesis are characterized by high plasticity, intensive metabolism and the need for nutrients and biologically active substances. Young animals weakened by diseases lag behind in growth and development, labor and feed costs for its cultivation increase. Maintaining and preventing the health of calves during growth and development is an important problem in modern animal husbandry.

Methods. The work was carried out at the Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry named after Academy Member L.K. Ernst in 2021–2022 and on the basis of «Agrofirma “Zarya”» LLC, Bogorodsky district, Nizhny Novgorod region. The experiments were carried out on heifers of different age groups (2 months — group I; 6 months — group II; 12 months — group III). In total, 36 female (calves), 12 heads in each group, were used in the experiment.

Results. A significant difference was found between groups I and II in: total protein level, «albumin — globulin» ratio (A/G), cholesterol, iron, AST at the level of p < 0.05; globulin p < 0.01; bilirubin and creatinine p < 0.001. Between groups I and III, the reliability was established by phosphorus p < 0.05; between groups II and III — a highly reliable difference at the level of p < 0.001 in phosphorus, ALT and alkaline phosphatase, as well as the ratio «calcium — phosphorus» (Ca/P).

Relevance. One of the main products for consumption and food production in Russia is milk. Its composition is influenced by many factors, including the seasonality of production. In some seasons of the year, milk supplies (both quantitatively and qualitatively) are quite unstable, which creates significant problems for technologists to produce the planned amount of dairy products and forces them to periodically rebuild their operating modes with an inevitable decrease in its efficiency and profitability. In this regard, the study of the influence of the season on the technological properties of cowʼs milk is relevant and has practical significance.

Results. As a result of the research, it was found that despite the fact that the conditions for the preparation and processing of cream were similar for milk in all seasons of the year, there were significant differences in the technological properties of milk. Cream was churned faster in spring and summer — in 38 min. and 40 min., and in autumn and winter the duration of churning cream ranged from 49 min. to 63 min. accordingly. The milk of cows in summer was distinguished by the best rate of coagulation under the action of rennet enzyme. The total duration of milk coagulation in this season of the year was less than in other seasons by 5'20''–7'20'' (p < 0.001). The highest milk costs per 1 kg of butter were in spring and summer. According to the ratio of the components of milk when choosing it for cheese making, the best milk was obtained in the autumn-winter period, when the optimal content of SOMO, fat and protein was observed. This is explained primarily by the fact that during this period a large number of animals lactated in the second half of lactation after separation.

Relevance. The biosynthesis of milk fat is influenced by a large number of factors, including the feeding habits of animals.

Methods. Milk samples were taken and prepared for analysis according to GOST 26809.1-2014. The fatty acid composition of the fatty phase of milk was determined by gas chromatography in accordance with GOST 32915-2014 on a gas chromatograph «Crystallux 4000M», capillary column SP2560.

Results. Significantly the lowest content of stearic acid was observed in individuals of the second group — 11.362% (p ˂ 0.05). Animals of the second group had a significantly higher mass fraction of monounsaturated fatty acids: decenoic, myristooleic and palmitooleic — by 0.062% (p ˂ 0.05), and in terms of the content of myristooleic and palmitooleic acids — by 0.242% (p ˂ 0.05) and 0.159% (p ˂ 0.05), respectively. In animals of the second group, the content of polyunsaturated linoleic acid compared with the control was significantly lower by 0.385% (p ≥ 0.05). In general, it should be noted that the established mass fraction of stearic acid in the milk fat of animals of the third group was slightly higher, and palmitooleic acid in the milk of cows of all groups was slightly lower than the reference values provided for by GOST 32915-2014. The ratio of fatty acid methyl esters of milk fat in individuals of all groups corresponded to the permissible range of values according to GOST 32261-2013.

Relevance. In recent years, the search and synthesis of new more effective plant extracts have been intensively conducted, which also require extensive scientific and industrial tests. These include the search for local resources and the simplest methods of biotechnology and harvesting plant extracts, including feed additives. In this regard, the study of the use of a plant extract based on larch bark is of great importance and is an urgent area of research. The aim of the work is to determine the effectiveness of the use of larch bark extract as a feed additive to increase the natural resistance and intensity of growth of live weight of cattle calves.

Methods. For the study, we used: larch bark extract and raido remedy in a dosage of 5 g per calfʼs head for 10 days. Hematological studies were carried out on a Beckman Coulter LH-500 analyzer using the Culture method. The activity of blood serum was determined by the methods of V.G. Dorofeichuk, O.V. Smirnova and G.A. Kuzmina.

Results. Studies have found that in order to stimulate the intensity of growth of live weight of cattle in the early dairy period of cultivation, it is recommended to use a plant extract from the bark of larch, which allows to increase the intensity of growth and get an additional increase in live weight by 9.0% compared with calves of the control group. The use of the extract stimulates the formation of nonspecific resistance, which is manifested in an increase in phagocytic (by 8.5%), bactericidal (by 8.9%), lysozyme (by 6.6%) activity of the blood serum of calves compared with the control group

Relevance. The problem of infections resistant to antibiotics has led to a complete or partial abandonment of the use of antibiotics in agriculture as growth promoters. To improve the functions of the rumen microflora, digestive processes, increase bioavailability and utilization of nutrients, biologically active substances from various parts of plants are used, in particular phytobiotics contained in coniferous needles and their processing products. Coniferous needles are a by-product of logging and are recycled, which makes their cheap acquisition recommendable for use as a vitamin feed in poultry and livestock farming. The chemical composition of coniferous needles is represented by a wide range of minerals, biologically active organic compounds with high activity that affect the synthesis and action of vitamins and increase the activity of hormones in the body of animals and birds. Coniferous needles are rich in carotenoids, ascorbic acid, B vitamins, alpha-tocopherol, natural phenolic compounds, carboxylic acids, polyphenols, fatty acids and their derivatives. This stimulates the production of endogenous enzymes, immune, antibacterial, anthelmintic activity and antioxidant properties. Digestibility and availability of nutrients in feed are improved. Fresh coniferous needles are widely used in feeding animals, birds, as well as aquaculture in the form of flour, pastes, aqueous infusions, energy supplements — phytoncidal multivitamin preparations.

Relevance. In an in vitro study, changes in the taxonomic scar and the course of fermentation processes in response to the addition of various lipid additives to the ruminant diet were studied.

Methods. Three samples were formed: control — without the addition of oil, the experimental ones were supplemented with sunflower oil (3%) (I) and soy (3%) (II). The object of the study is the scar content obtained from Kazakh white-headed bulls with chronic scar fistula (n = 3) by the Latin square method. Studies of the digestibility of SV were carried out using the incubator «ANKOM DaisyII» according to a specialized technique. Laboratory studies: the level of volatile fatty acids (VFA) in the contents of the scar was determined by gas chromatography on a gas chromatograph «Crystallux-4000M», determination of nitrogen forms according — to GOST 26180-84. Microbial biodiversity of the rumen contents was carried out using MiSeq («Illumina», USA) by the new generation sequencing method (NGS) with a set of reagents MiSeq® Reagent Kit v3 (600 cycle).

Results. The addition of oils had a stimulating effect on the digestibility of SV feed in the rumen, increasing this indicator by 2.7%. Compared with the control, the addition of oil reduced the concentration of total and protein nitrogen in the scar content, while the content of non-protein nitrogen increased (by 5.4%) when using sunflower and (by 7.8%) soybean oil. The additional inclusion of oils showed an increase in the level of acetic and butyric acids, respectively: in the group using sunflower oil — by 46.8% and 55.6%, in the group with soybean oil — by 51.5% and 60.5% relative to the control. The additional inclusion of sunflower oil in the diet showed a change in the number of microorganisms in the RYE, but the qualitative composition of the microbiota relative to the control group did not change significantly.

Relevance. The products of fiber fermentation by autochthonous microorganisms are called postbiotics. Postbiotics are a complex of substances that have a synergistic effect on the metabolism and intestinal contents in the host organism. These products of the vital activity of lactic acid bacteria (capronic, capric and lauric acids) have a pronounced antibiotic effect on the putrefactive intestinal microflora. The influence of the isolated and synthesized blend of short-chain fatty acids in the form of calcium salts on the productivity, safety and blood composition is considered.

Methods. To confirm its effectiveness, the experiment has been conducted on the basis of the educational and scientific poultry farm of the Educational and Scientific Innovation Center «Agrotechnopark» at FSBEI Belgorod State Agricultural University in February — April 2022. The object of research is broiler chickens, on which the effect of calcium salts of fatty acids «Calcifid Chicken» was studied. Three groups of 240 heads (with a breakdown of 40 heads in each cage) were formed from a batch of chickens of the daily age of one brood of the Ross 308 cross. The experiment lasted 42 days. Productivity and safety indicators were considered.

Results. The use of the new product contributed to a decrease in conversion in the diets of the 1st and 2nd experimental groups. The safety of the control group at the end of the experiment was 97.08%, the 1st experimental group — 97.08%, the 2nd experimental group — 96.7%. The use of the «Calcifid Chicken» product contributed to an increase in profitability: in the 1st experimental group — by 4463 rubles / 1000 goals, in the 2nd experimental group — by 3684 rubles / 1000 goals in comparison with the control.

Relevance. The article is devoted to the study of the nutritional and energy value of feed from perennial rare silage crops — goatʼs rue eastern and pierced leaf sylphia, ways to improve the quality of their silage using low-cost methods of conservation.

Methods. The research was carried out in 2019–2021 at the Gubino agricultural polygon of VNIIMZ (Tver region). Highly productive silage crops were studied: eastern goat, freshly mown eastern goat, plus meadow fescue (60:40%); eastern goat, plus pronzennolistnaya silfia (60:40%); eastern goat, slightly dried; pronzennolistnaya silfia; pronzennolistnaya silfia plus otava eastern goat (60:40%); corn plus from the eastern goat (60:40%); corn (control). The area of the experiment is 6.1 hectares, the placement of options is randomized, in three tiers, the repetition is three-fold, the use is twoaxis.

Results. The preparation of high-quality silage from perennial, uncommon silage crops requires special technological methods: the choice of the vegetation phase in which the culture has the optimal ratio of nutrients, the use of carbohydrate additives, and wilting of the mass. In the course of the research, silage samples from all varieties of crops and grass mixtures were analyzed in a comparative aspect. It was found that the total content of organic acids in the silage was high (1.68– 3.22%). Lactic acid fermentation prevailed in all variants, which ensured the production of silage of the 1st class. The largest share of lactic acid (more than 80%) falls on silage from the eastern goat, silfia pronzennolistnaya and corn. The concentration of the exchange energy was highest in the silage from the eastern goat (11.8 MJ/kg), a mixture of goat and meadow fescue (11.1 MJ/kg), silfia pronzennolistnaya (10.9 MJ/kg) and the joint silage of the silfia with the otava of the goat (10.8 MJ/kg) of dry matter (SV), respectively (the significance of the differences is p < 0.05).

Relevance. In modern ornamental gardens and landscaping objects, the range of ornamental cereals is constantly expanding. They are planted in rockeries, rocky gardens, used for arranging mixborders, hedges, decorating the banks of reservoirs. 

The aim of our work was to develop and expand the range of ornamental grasses that are highly decorative, introductory resistance and promising for use in the regionʼs ornamental horticulture. 

Methods. We have carried out morph-biological studies. Introductory resistance to a complex of bioecological factors was assessed — the degree of damage by diseases and pests, winter hardiness and frost resistance, drought resistance. We took into account the decorative state. The assessment of prospects is given. 

Results. 17 cultivars of warm-season ornamental cereals belonging to Panicum L., Chasmanthium Link, Imperata Cirillo, and cold-season — Sesleria Scop., Calamagrostis Adans., Festuca L., Leymus Hochst., Phalaris L., Deschampsia (L.) P. Beauv were studied. The studied plants, according to the scale of introduction resistance, are assigned to the group of resistant plants. They differ in winter, frost and drought resistance, are not damaged by diseases and pests. They have preserved their natural habitus and vital form, the ability to undergo a full cycle of shoot development, the natural rhythms of ontogenesis, reproduce well vegetatively. They exhibit a stable decorative condition for a long time — from 64 to 180 days. They are assigned to the group of promising plants. According to the methods of use in gardening, the studied cereals belong to different groups (short, medium-sized and tall) and perform various role tasks. They can be recommended for use in landscaping the edge. 

Relevance. The creation of new varieties with a complex of economically valuable and biologically valuable traits is an urgent direction of breeding research, updating and expanding the assortment of cherries. 

Methods. The characteristics of the economic and biological properties and the description of eight new varieties of cherries of Dagestan selection are presented: Pokrovskaya Memory, Buinakskaya black, Maral, Elite form 129/1, Leningrad Guards, Dolores, Pearl and Late Lermontov. The cherries were examined using biochemical methods of analysis and standard methods of variety study. 

Results. It was determined that all the studied varieties of cherries, except the Memory Pokrovskaya variety, are characterized by a significant content of soluble solids (13.7–17.9%), sugars (10.1–13.2%) and acids (0.40–1.12%) in the fruits. Large–fruited (7–9 g), with good tasting ratings (4.8–5.0 points) were Buinak black, Leningrad Guards, Dolores, Pearl and Elite form 129/1. Late Lermontova, Maral and Dolores are highly resistant to spring frosts (the freezing of flowers did not exceed 17.5%). The fruits of the Buinak black cherry, Maral, Elite form 129/1, Pearl and Late Lermontov are most resistant to cracking (from 8.0 to 18.0%) during ripening at high humidity. New breeding varieties are not susceptible to coccomycosis and monilial burn, but Leningrad Guards and Dolores distinguished themselves by low resistance to monilial rot of fruits (21–23% lesion). It is determined that basically all the studied varieties of cherries are characterized by consistently high yields, improved commodity and consumer properties and resistance to environmental stressors. 

Relevance. Climate change has a significant impact on the bioecology of the codling moth Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in the Central region of the Nonchernozem zone of Russia. 

Methods. During the research, both original and conventional methods were used. Pheromone traps, to study the flight dynamics of C. pomonella, were installed in orchards before apple blossom. Before the emergence of the first butterflies and at the end of the summer, the traps were inspected daily, the rest of the time 1–2 times a week. Dispensers were changed 1 time in 5 weeks, adhesive inserts as they become dirty. Caterpillars leaving for cocooning were caught in trapping belts — corrugated cardboard on one (inner) side 20 cm wide. 

Results. The timing of the departure of butterflies of the overwintered generation varies greatly by year — both by dates (from 14.05 to 31.05), by the phenophases of apple tree development (from «rosebud — the beginning of flowering» to «the end of flowering»), and by the sum of effective temperatures (SET) (from 40.0 to 122.6 ºС). In the Moscow region, from April to October, the accumulation of SET above 10 ºC is noted at the level of 1009.2–1229.3 ºC, which, along with the adaptive capabilities of northern pest populations, ensures the annual development of the second generation of C. pomonella. The ratio of the number of the first and second generations depends on the weather conditions of specific periods of vegetation, however, the number of the second generation exceeds the economic threshold of harmfulness (EPV) several times every year. The photoperiod in this zone does not play a decisive role in influencing both the dynamics of summer and the number of butterflies of the second generation. 

The main global trends in the development of dry mixing technologies, designs of mixing plants and equipment are considered. It has been established that the main equipment for mixing the components of the pulp mixture are drum, screw and paddle mixers, as well as conveyor lines with hopper dispensers feeding the components in layers by means of load cells or volumetric dosing. Foreign manufacturers of flour mixing machines are currently focusing on the creation of stationary flour mixing plants. At the same time, studies are being conducted both on changing the chemical composition of the initial fertilizers by changing their formulation during the manufacture of granules, and on their modification during mixing. The main trends in the creation of technological equipment for mixing in Russia are: orientation to mobile and compact equipment for the production of fertilizers on the territory of agricultural enterprises, due to their remoteness from fertilizer plants and dealerships; ease of use and maintenance; the use of cheap composite materials resistant to corrosion and mechanical wear; the use and implementation of automation systems, artificial intelligence and neural networks for processes occurring in the production of mixtures, which will minimize manual labor and the human factor while improving the quality and productivity of technological equipment; a full production cycle from loading and dosing of necessary components to the creation of a finished mixture with programmed recipe and packaging of the finished product in a container; combining several mixing methods on the same line to obtain high uniformity rates. 

Relevance. Grain fodder is an important element in the diets of farm animals and poultry. Its grinding is a mandatory preparation operation for feeding, which is carried out at most enterprises with hammer mills, one of the main disadvantages of which is high energy density. Therefore, the development of a grinder that provides grinding of fodder grain with a lower energy density is relevant. The purpose of the study is to determine the optimal operating modes of the developed centrifugal fodder grain grinder when using sieves with holes with a diameter of 4, 6 and 8 mm. 

Results. It has been determined that the diameter of the screen holes and the rotor speed have the greatest influence on the specific energy consumption of the grain grinding process. To determine the minimum values of the optimization criterion, the function of the dependence of the specific energy density of grain grinding on the rotor speed was studied by extremum. This made it possible to determine the optimal operating modes of the grinder for sieves with holes of the studied diameters. 

Relevance. The polyphenolic substance curcumin is a rather well-studied and gaining popularity plant antioxidant. To date, quite a few pharmacological properties that curcumin is capable of demonstrating in living organisms are known. However, the barrier factors for the bioactive action of curcumin are its extremely pronounced hydrophobicity, chemical instability, and the ability to be significantly degraded by gastrointestinal enzymes. All of this requires the search for approaches to minimize the negative effects on curcumin when it is used as a food functional ingredient. Encapsulation of curcumin in natural biopolymers, including by complex coacervation, could be one such approach. The study was based on an assessment of the possibility of using complex coacervation to obtain a curcumin-based functional ingredient with pronounced antioxidant properties. 

Methods. Curcumin was chosen as the object of study, beef gelatin and citrus pectin were used for the encapsulating system. Initially, the yield of protein-polysaccharide capsules at different pH values was evaluated. The efficiency of encapsulation of curcumin in protein-polysaccharide capsules with a different ratio of "curcumin — gelatin" was evaluated. The antioxidant properties of curcumin in its original form and encapsulated were studied, and the preservation of these properties after the process of digestion was evaluated. 

Results. The results showed that the process of protein-polysaccharide capsule formation was quite effectively controlled by changes in the pH of the system. Thus, a pH jump from 7 to 3 achieved the highest value of the protein-polysaccharide capsule yield (more than 70 %). The efficiency of loading curcumin into gelatin-pectin capsules was maximal when using a "curcumin — gelatin" ratio of 1:1. However, even the maximum encapsulation efficiency did not exceed 50%. At the same time, the use of encapsulation technology made it possible to preserve the antioxidant properties of curcumin. The loss of antioxidant activity of unencapsulated curcumin after the process of in vitro digestion was practically 50 % compared to the initial non-encapsulated form. The antioxidant activity of curcumin encapsulated in protein-polysaccharide capsules remained at the level close to the initial form.  The results obtained confirmed the possibility and feasibility of using the proposed approaches to obtain food ingredients with antioxidant properties based on curcumin encapsulation. The research was supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation 22-76-00059. 

Relevance. Today, in the development of the food industry, much attention is paid to the creation of food products that have a positive impact on human health. Bread is one of the most consumed food products and is present in the diet of most citizens of Russia and Kazakhstan, therefore, improving its nutritional properties is an urgent task of the food industry. 

Results. The paper presents the results of a study of the nutritional and biological value of the legume mixture for functional nutrition. The leguminous mixture consists of 7 cereals and legumes (oats, corn, millet, buckwheat, soybeans, peas (mung bean), Chinese beans). The percentage of the composition of the leguminous mixture is: corn — 16%, oats — 16%, millet — 15%, buckwheat — 12%, soy — 17%, mung bean — 13%, beans — 11%. The physico-chemical, mineral, vitamin and amino acid composition of the mixture was studied. As a result of the research, it can be concluded that the use of the presented leguminous mixture as an ingredient in food production will enrich the product with nutritional and biological value (proteins, fats, carbohydrates and minerals), expand the range of food products, increase the content of vitamins, dietary fiber in the finished product, and also possibly have a therapeutic effect on the human body (additional research is needed). 

Relevance. The work is related to the improvement of artificial cultivation processes of affordable and convenient (from a biotechnological point of view) producers of Pleurotus ostreatus food biomass. Some stages of mycelium cultivation technology have been optimized, in particular, changes in the conditions of oyster mushroom mycelium cultivation through the use of magnesium carbonate as an additive to the nutrient medium when obtaining seed material for growing mushroom fruit bodies have been proposed. The introduction of the proposed cultivation conditions into the practice of mushroom farming will potentially allow for maximum biomass yield during submerged cultivation of basidiomycetes in liquid nutrient media. 

Methods. The cultivation of mycelium was carried out by the method of submersible cultivation. The protein concentration in the solution was determined by the Bradford method, lipid peroxidation (POL) — by the content of TBK-active products (2-thiobarbituric acid, TBK), the total content of which was expressed in terms of malonic dialdehyde (MDA). The data obtained were processed by multivariate regression using the Principal component method (PCA). 

Results. It has been shown that low concentrations of magnesium carbonate have a positive effect on the growth of mycelium biomass. For the first time, the obtained data on the intensity of lipid peroxidation (POL) and protein concentration in solution were processed by mathematical regression. It was found that the use of magnesium carbonate at a concentration of 1x10^-6 positively affects the growth of mycelium biomass of the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus with an increase in mycelium biomass by 20.5% compared with the control. 

Relevance. While the sustainable development goals are an indispensable component of various rural development programs, some of them are so important today that they are included in institutional documents as criteria for assessing the success and dynamics of ongoing changes. However, many issues of economic, social and environmental sustainability within the boundaries of rural space remain open to scientific research and practical application. of particular interest in this regard is the role and capabilities of local economic units (including rural cooperatives) in the implementation of the goals formulated by the international community (especially those related to ecology and climate), changing the methods and tools of local development, they carry out in an updated external and internal context. It is these questions that are the focus of this study, which is undertaken with a direct focus on agricultural cooperatives and local communities. 

Methods. In conditions when cooperation has not received proper distribution in the Russian environment, but has positive development results in other countries of the world, the study of such experience, its analysis and generalization is the main method of the undertaken research. The theoretical construction of the work is based on the key postulates of the traditional cooperative theory and its modern conclusions. Predictive generalizations regarding the potential of cooperation in achieving sustainability in the domestic environment are built on the basis of existing best practices for the creation and functioning of cooperatives in the international space, taking into account modern challenges and threats of a biological, climatic and geopolitical nature. 

Results. The main conclusion is that it is the unique cooperative identity, specific principles of organization and functioning, flexibility and adaptability of the internal structure that allow cooperatives, effectively using local resources, to actively participate in achieving sustainability goals, providing solutions to many economic, social and environmental problems in rural areas.