Stem canker and black scurf caused by Rhizoctonia solani are the important diseases in potato, while spur blight caused by Didymella applanata is a major disease in red raspberry. In Western Siberia, both crops are grown predominantly in small-scale farming that requires maximal usage of biological products for plant protection instead of chemicals. We evaluated two promising Bacillus velezensis strains BZR 336 g and BZR 517 isolated in the south of Russia (45°1′N, 38°59′E) for their biological control potentials against the potato and red raspberry diseases under the more severe weather conditions of Western Siberia (55°1′N, 82°55′ E). We tested two techniques to apply biocontrol agents: (1) coating the seeds (potato tubers) and (2) spraying over the plants (raspberry canes). In each case, we estimated B. velezensis strains on two plant cultivars differed by the disease resistance. The degree of B. velezensis influence on disease incidence and severity depended on the bacterial strain, the protected plant, and its cultivar. We also demonstrated that two B. velezensis strains significantly stimulated plant growth of potato, which contributed to the plant productivity on both cultivars. The BZR 336 g strain affected the potato productivity more than the BZR 517 strain. Under the influence of both bacterial strains, raspberry yield was significantly higher compared to the control on the susceptible cultivar. These findings indicated that two southern B. velezensis strains had proved their efficacy as biological control agents in the control of the serious fungal infection of potato and raspberry plants under the more severe ecological conditions of Western Siberia. For the first time, we demonstrated B. velezensis strains potential for use as biological control agents against R. solani on potato, and against D. applanata on red raspberry.

The mutual functional dependence in the three component system Bacillus thuringiensis-Rhizoc tonia solani-Solanum tuberosum is shown. Suppression of the rhizoctonia potato disease due to the treatment of tubers with entomopathogenic bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. Darmstadiensis (BtH 10 ) is demon strated. In vitro inhibitory activity of BtH 10 towards R. solani exceeded 80%. Field testing is carried out on two potato cultivars of different ripeness groups in 2013-2014. The rhizoctonia disease severity in stems, stolons, and new tubers decreases significantly due to BtH 10 treatment. Together with biological control of R. solani, BtH 10 promoted plant growth, increasing germinating capacity and stem height and number. The polyfunc tional activity of the BtH 10 bacteria contributes to the improvement of potato productivity. Fig. 3. Height of plants (LSD 05 by strain and cultivar = 1.5) and number of stems per potato plant (LSD 05 by strain and cultivar = 0.25) on average for 2 years. (1) Lyubava cultivar; (2) Lugovskoy cultivar; (a) control; (b) treatment of tubers with BtH 10 .

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The results of studying the influence of various biological and mineral fertilizers (Phytop 8.1, Phytop 8.67, AFG) on the yield and quality of fruits of the indeterminate Spock tomato variety are presented. During the study, phenological and morphological observations, accounting and evaluation of the quality of the obtained fruits, and analysis of the chemical composition of the fruits were carried out. The obtained data confirmed the positive impact of the use of biological preparations and nitrogen-containing fertilizers on the structure and quality of the resulting tomato crop, which will allow us to recommend methods and norms for applying fertilizer during the growing season.

The study aimed to test a multifunctional technology for potatoes’ biological protection using Phytop 26.82 against black scurf (Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn) and Colorado potato beetle in Western Siberia. The experiment was conducted with the medium-maturing variety “Kemerovchanin.” The product tested was Phytop 26.82. The research methodology was carried out both in laboratory conditions and in the field. In the laboratory, the biological product was used on potato leaves and Colorado potato beetle larvae. The authors revealed the degree of influence of the natural effect Phytop 26.82 on the Colorado potato beetle’s larvae of different ages. The larvae were counted on the 5th, 7th, and 10th days of the experiment. In the field, the authors also revealed the level of the immunogenic effect of the bioagent Phytop 26.82 on the Rhizoctonia stem canker (Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn). The morphological parameters of the Kemerovchanin potato variety were observed during the course of this study. The results of the study showed that the microbial mixture Phytop 26.82 made it possible to increase the biomass of plants by 1.5–1.8 times due to an increase in the length of the aerial part (by 10%), the number of stems (1.2–1.7 times), and the number of stolons (1.5–1.6 times) compared to control. Under the bioagent, Phytop 26.82, Rhizoctonia stem canker on the stems decreased by 45% overall counting weeks. The effectiveness of the bioagent Phytop 26.82 reached 100% in two aspects. One of them was the effectiveness of a biological product in the Colorado potato beetle’s obliteration (Leptinotarsa decemlineata). The second direction of significance was the fight against the black scurf. The use of a mixture of bioagents of the Phytop 26.82 preparation can simultaneously have an insecticidal, fungicidal, and growth-stimulating effect on potatoes.

The article presents the results of field studies to assess soil microbiota during pre-planting treatment of tubers with bacterial strains of the genus Bacillus in 2020.

The UN Food Agency announced 2020 as International Year for Plant Protection. About 40% of crop yields losses are caused by pests and diseases. Due to this, millions of people suffer from hunger. Therefore, there is a need to seek for and select environmentally friendly and highly effective products that will increase yields and the production quality. In 2017-2018, in the Novosibirsk Region, it was shown in field trials and production experiments that the biopreparation Phytop 8.67 based on the bacteria of the genus Bacillus has antagonistic activity in relation to carrot alternativeariosis (the causative agent is Alternaria dauci carrots, reduces the plants prevalence during the vegetation period, and also has a growth stimulating effect. The prevalence of brown leaf spotting decreased by 4.8 times, and the biological effect of Phytop 8.67 in two years with respect to the disease progress was 63.2 (after 10 weeks) and 78.4% (after 12 weeks). In the experimental variants, the plants were statistically more reliable than the control ones and were more foliated on all the dates of accounting. Application of biospecimen increased 1 root crop weight by 1,7 times in the control variant, in finedelivery experiment and by 1,4 times - in industrial one. Due to this, the authors recommend applying Phytop 8.67 specimen as a fungicide, a growth stimulator in order to increase carrot productivity.

In the course of the work, new promising organomineral growth stimulators were selected. A detailed study of their influence on the dates of passage of phenological phases of zoned varieties of potatoes of Siberian selection of different groups of ripeness and the timing of its maturation, as well as their influence on photosynthetic parameters, plant growth and development, as well as on the value of the preserved potato crop. The use of innovative organic fertilizers and growth promoters on the basis of chelate Kaliplant (0,003 %), Acorus (0,005 %), Cytowic (0,001 %), by preplant treatment of tubers contributes to the growth and development of plants, while increasing the yield of the improved seed potato varieties of different maturity groups at the level of 37–42 % to the achievement of a multiplication factor of 1:16.