Research was conducted to develop a high-yielding table potato variety adapted to the monsoon climate of the southern Russian Far East. The work was carried out in Primorskiy Krai from 2015 till 2025 using targeted inter-varietal hybridization. In 2015 the initial breeding material was selected based on an analysis of potato variety characteristics. Irbitskiy and Avrora cultivars were chosen as parental genotypes for targeted pollination. Pollination of 77 flowers resulted in the formation of 72 berries and production of 8 023 hybrid seeds. In 2016 the seeds were sown in a breeding greenhouse to obtain the first generation of tubers. From 2017 to 2025 field trials and hybrid selection were conducted in nurseries in stages, following the standard breeding process. A total of 1 044 genotypes were evaluated. Individual selection resulted in the creation of Ispolin variety. This promising variety belongs to the mid-late maturity group. Results from competitive variety trials (2021-2024) demonstrate its advantages over the standard Yantar variety and the parental forms. The productivity of promising Ispolin cultivar (38.8 t/ha) exceeded that of standard Yantar cultivar by 4.3 t/ha and that of parental forms by 10.7-13.8 t/ ha. The newly developed cultivar is characterized by a high starch content (14.1%), which surpasses that of Yantar cultivar by 4.6%, Irbitskiy cultivar by 0.4% and Avrora cultivar by 1.0%. During organoleptic evaluation, the tubers of the new cultivar demonstrated good to excellent taste qualities (scoring 8.0 points), outperforming standard Yantar cultivar and parental forms Irbitskiy and Avrora by 1.5-2.0 points. Ispolin promising cultivar inherited field resistance to viral and fungal diseases (scoring 5.0-8.0 points) from its parental forms. As of 2024, it is undergoing state variety testing and applications have been submitted for a patent and for approval for use in the Far East region.
A search for economically and agrotechnically viable alternatives to traditional crops is of particular importance in the context of sanctions pressure and a shortage of domestic seeds in the Russian agro-industrial complex. Sorghum, characterized by drought resistance and low cultivation costs, is a promising crop for expanding cultivated areas and developing export potential. The aim of this research is to analyze the current state of sorghum grain production and processing in the Russian Federation and forecast the future development of this sector. The study is based on an analysis of statistical data from the Russian agro-industrial complex for 2025, forecast calculations to 2030 and a comparative assessment of sorghum seed costs and sorghum yields. Economic-statistical and monographic methods, as well as structural analysis, were used. The cost of sorghum seed is 30-50% lower than that of maize and 15-20% lower than that of spring barley, which reduces initial production costs. Sorghum acreage is projected to increase to 51,21 thousand by 2030 (an increase of 12.96 thousand hectares compared to 2025) and yields are expected to rise to 1.71 t/ha (+35.7% increase compared to 2025 levels). Total grain output could reach 101.2 thousand tonnes, based on an annual target production increase of 10.6 thousand tonnes. Sorghum exports to China are a promising option. Sorghum cultivation is an economically viable and technically feasible strategy for several Russian regions. Expanding sorghum production will help reduce reliance on imported seeds, strengthen the export potential of agro-industrial complex and facilitate the adaptation of agriculture to climatic and market conditions.
The article presents technical and technological basis for applying a combined natural cooling accumulator based on phase-change heat exchangers (thermosyphons) for milk cooling on dairy farms. The relevance of study is due to the need to reduce energy consumption during the primary processing of milk by utilizing renewable natural cold, particularly in regions with long cold seasons. The aim of the research was to develop the technical and technological basis for a combined natural cold accumulator based on phase-change heat exchangers (thermosyphons) to reduce energy costs associated with milk cooling. A two-section storage unit design is proposed, including Section A – located outdoors and containing antifreeze (calcium chloride solution) and Section B – located inside the production facility and containing fresh water. The selection of heat transfer fluids is justified through an analysis of their thermophysical properties at low temperatures (viscosity, thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity). The operating principle of the system is described, it relies on gravitational and convective phenomena, as well as the forced hydrodynamic activation of the antifreeze flow via nozzles, which results in a manifold increase in the heat transfer coefficient. A pattern has been identified wherein the rate of ice formation on heat exchanger surface in the freshwater section decreases as the ice layer thickens; this is compensated for at the design stage by increasing the calculated heat exchange area. A methodology is presented for calculating the number of thermosyphons required for a farm with a herd of 200 cows and an annual milk yield of 4 000 kg per cow. The estimated annual economic benefit of replacing compressor-based cooling with natural cooling amounts to at least 35% of the electricity costs associated with primary milk processing; capital expenditures are reduced by 25% due to a decrease in the number of thermosyphons from 30 to 11 units, which significantly lower than that used in traditional designs, indicating reduced material intensity and capital costs. It has been concluded that proposed technical solution is both economically and environmentally viable, as it enables seasonal regulation of heat removal and fully meets the annual cooling demand for milk.
Based on 2024 data from Federal State Statistics Service, two agricultural rankings of Central Federal District regions were constructed using a taxanomic method: one based on the scale (size) and the other on the intensity of agricultural production and were subsequently categorized into groups representing high, medium and low levels using k-means clustering method. Belgorod region has the largest-scale agricultural production, followed by Voronezh region in second place and Moscow region in third (“high scale” group). Four regions of Chernozem zone fell into “medium-scale” group, while 11 regions fell into “small-scale” group. The “high scale” agriculture group comprised seven constituent entities of Central Federal District: Belgorod, Voronezh, Bryansk, Kursk, Lipetsk, Tambov and Orel regions; the “medium scale” group consisted of eight regions, and the “low scale” group of three regions. Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients revealed a strong, direct linear relationship between gross value added and the number of employed workers in the industry, as well as between gross value added and fixed capital investment. The strong link between employment figures and investment volume demonstrates that the larger the scale of agricultural production, the more investment a region receives, furthermore, higher employment levels correlate with a larger volume of fixed assets in the region. Power regression equations indicate that a 1% increase in agricultural employment leads to a 1.13% increase in the sector’s gross value added; a 1% rise in agricultural investment results in a 0.68% increase in sectoral gross value added; a 1% increase in the volume of agricultural fixed assets raises sectoral gross value added by 0.77%; and a 1% increase in the share of agricultural employment reduces the proportion of loss-making enterprises in the sector by 1.89%.
Social infrastructure is a crucial component of regional development, impacting quality of life, access to services (healthcare, education, culture, consumer services), and the general well-being of the population in any region of the country. Sustainable development of Russian regions is impossible without investment in social infrastructure, which should be aimed, primarily, at ensuring the availability to social benefits such as education, healthcare and housing, as well as creating conditions for decent employment and social protection. For decades, many regions of Russian Federation have faced challenges related to maintenance of infrastructure facilities, high levels of fixed assets depreciation, declining volumes and quality of services provided to the rural population and other issues. Overall, the dynamics of rural housing provision and improvement of the housing stock, availability of utility networks and development of transport and communications in the region are positive. The following national projects are being implemented in Kurgan region in 2025: “Housing and urban environment” – (11 projects valued at over 30 million rubles); “Healthcare” – (71 projects valued at over 776 million rubles); “Infrastructure for life” – (5 projects valued at over 13 million rubles); “Culture” – (1 project valued at over 12 million rubles); “Youth and children” – (1 project valued at over 1.842 million rubles); “Long and active life” – (3 projects valued at over 15 million rubles). However, negative trends are observed in indicators characterizing healthcare and education projects, which is aggravated by the region’ s status with low budgetary provision. For example, Kurgan region ranked 85th in Russia in 2023 for the quality and accessibility of healthcare services. The region’s doctor supply is half the national average. Despite the implementation of a primary care modernization program (involving rural health posts), a large number of such facilities in the region still require demolition or major renovation. Education sector is also characterized by a number of problems. A significant number of schools in Kurgan region were built in 1960-1980s and require major renovations. Internet service quality remains poor in remote areas. The main reason for these negative indicators is the region’s highly subsidized budget. The level of infrastructure development in rural areas determines not only the quality of life of the rural population, but also the staffing needs of many key economic sectors, attracting and encouraging young and active professionals to live in rural areas, which increases the region’ s investment attractiveness. The authors have compiled a ranking of Russian regions based on a social Infrastructure development index, identifying both the factors that positively influence social infrastructure levels and those that act as constraints. Unlike rankings based on “quantifying social amenities”, this approach proposes measuring “quality of life and service accessibility”. Public authorities can use this ranking to select service providers that enhance the social sector’s efficiency in specific areas, while rural residents can use the associated review system, which itself influences the rankings, to identify more reliable institutions.
