The quality of forest crops significantly depends on the characteristics of the planting stock. To obtain high-quality conifer seedlings, the process of container cultivation is used and optimized and a double-cropping mode is introduced. The aim of this study has been to conduct a comparative analysis of one-year-old containerized seedlings of Pinus sylvestris L. according to morphometric parameters under a double-cropping regime under short growing season conditions at high latitudes. The experiment has been carried out in a forest nursery in southern Karelia, Russia. The duration of the first rotation (1rot) has been 146 days, the second one (2rot) – 91 days, the control one (0rot) – 132 days. The following parameters of seedlings have been determined: seedling height (SH, cm), root length (cm), bud length (mm), root collar diameter (RCD, mm), tree dry mass (TDM, g), shoot dry mass (SDM, g), root dry mass (RDM, g) and needle dry mass. The integral quality indices have been assessed, such as: shoot : root dry mass ratio (SRR) = SDM/RDM, sturdiness quotient (SQ) = SH(cm)/RCD(mm) and Dickson Quality Index (DQI) = TDM/(SH + SRR). The lowest values of seedling dry mass have been revealed in the 2rot variant. For all variants, the difference between the mean SQ and DQI values has been statistically significant at the p < 0.05 level. SRR was the lowest in the 1rot seedlings. The high correlation coefficients between the TDM and RCD for all variants confirm the high significance of the latter index. The results indicate the need to adjust the time regime and use additional agricultural practices to obtain high-quality planting stock.

Проанализированы данные литературы о значении условно незаменимой аминокислоты – L-аргинина в метаболизме млекопитающих. В организме животных аргинин – одна из самых универсальных аминокислот в клетках животных, является предшественником для синтеза не только белков, но и оксида азота, цитруллина, пролина, глутамат и агматина. Оксид азота (NO), многофункциональная сигнальная молекула, играющая ключевую роль в различных физиологических процессах, синтезируется из L-аргинина NO-синтазами (NOS). Важная роль аргинину отводится в процессе синтеза полиаминов, он является источником аминных групп при образовании креатина, макроэргического соединения креатинфосфата и в процессах регенерации АТФ в мышечной ткани. Аргинин в повышенных дозах обладает тимотропным и секретогенным действием в отношении гормонов, контролирующих рост и обмен веществ в организме животных. Существуют доказательства того, что аргинин регулирует энергетический метаболизм и функцию многих органов, исполняет роль сигнальной молекулы. Жвачные животные, кролики, крысы, имеют относительно низкую потребность в аргинине, в то время как плотоядные животные, рыбы, домашняя птица, с низкой способностью к эндогенному синтезу аргинина или отсутствием таковой отличаются высокой потребностью в нем. Он является важной аминокислотой для поддержания сперматогенеза, сохранности эмбрионов, высокой интенсивности роста новорожденных животных. Дополнительное введение аргинина в рацион улучшает фертильность у самцов и самок у половозрелых видов сельскохозяйственных животных. Аргинин, выступая в качестве предшественника для синтеза оксида азота, полиаминов и других молекул, имеющих биологическое значение, играет ключевую роль в беременности и развитии плода. Предлагается использовать как источник аргинина хвойные растения, которые способны накапливать аминокислоту при регуляции минерального питания. ABSTRACT: The literature data on the value of the conditionally indispensable amino acid L-arginine in the metabolism of mammals are analyzed. In the animal body, arginine is one of the most universal amino acids in animal cells, it is a precursor for the synthesis of not only proteins, but also nitric oxide, citrulline, proline, glutamate and agmatine. Arginine is an indispensable amino acid in the process of ammonia detoxification in the synthesis of urea. An important role is played by arginine in the synthesis of polyamines, it is the source of amine groups in the formation of creatine, a macroergic compound of creatine phosphate and in the processes of regeneration of ATP in muscle tissue. Arginine in high doses has a thymotropic and secretory effect on hormones that control the growth and metabolism of animals. There is evidence that arginine regulates energy metabolism and the function of many organs. Ruminants, rabbits, rats have a relatively low need for arginine, while carnivores, fish, poultry, with low capacity for endogenous synthesis of arginine or lack thereof have a high need for it. It is an important amino acid for maintaining spermatogenesis, preservation of embryos and high intensity of growth in newborn animals. The additional introduction of arginine into the diet improves fertility in males and females in sexually mature species of farm animals. By serving as a precursor for the synthesis of nitric oxide, polyamines, and other molecules with biological importance, arginine plays a key role in pregnancy and fetal development. It is proposed to use as a source of arginine conifers, which are able to accumulate an amino acid when regulating mineral nutrition.

Forests produce a huge amount of organic matter, which is a source of renewable raw materials for the production of technical, feed, food and pharmaceutical products. The logging and woodworking industry in Karelia, as in Russia as a whole, is based exclusively on stem wood. Woody greens are formed while felling ripe and over-mature stands, thinning and implementation of measures for the conservation, protection and reproduction of forests including forest stands cutting. The development of technologies for the use of woody greens is necessary for the multi-purpose utilization of the entire phytomass produced by forest plant communities. An additional economic incentive for young stands thinning and limbing, that are used to improve the quality of logs, is the ability to reduce costs or even ensure the profitability of these measures driven by the development of processing plants and the use of wastes generated during transportation: thinners, low-quality and low-value decidous wood, woody greens, that are raw materials for the production of biologically active preparations of various action. The urgent tasks are to increase the use of importsubstituting pharmaceutical substances and to search the alternative methods for producing raw materials for nutrient mixtures and feed stuff. Technologies for modifying the biochemical composition of coniferous greens, resulting in production of plant raw materials enriched with target biologically active substances, are being developed for the exploration of new plant sources. The water-soluble fraction of coniferous greens contains free amino acids, in particular L-arginine, which plays an important role in the life of animals. A promising way is to increase the free amino acids content in coniferous raw materials and change their quantitative ratio by regulation of the mineral nutrition regime of woody plants. An original scheme of additional supply of coniferous plants with nitrogen and boron is proposed in order to obtain coniferous greens enriched with L-arginine. The use of conifers as bioproducers of L-arginine and the study of its metabolism with reference to climatic factors, conditions of mineral nutrition, seasonal and daily dynamics in the natural environment, the search for ways to increase its level in organs and tissues is of current interest both on the theoretical and practical sides. Obtaining coniferous greens enriched with L-arginine will allow organizing the production of coniferous products for nutrient and pharmaceutical use. It is necessary to analyze the potential sources of raw materials taking into account their availability, costs for enriching the needles with L-arginine and product yield per unit area to assess the economic feasibility of organizing such production. A developed sequence of forestry measures will make it possible to obtain needles enriched with L-arginine, both in the process of implementing various types of forest use, and in carrying out activities aimed at increasing the productivity of forests and preserving their useful functions. Herewith, it is possible to turn costly cleaning and fertilizing of young Scots pine stands into profitable ones with additional products. Technologies of intentional changes in the chemical composition and pharmacological properties of plant raw materials obtained from woody plants will allow the development of new raw materials for biologically active substances.

Established that the efficiency of forest residues in the form of woody vegetation during the growth of Scots pine seedlings with closed root system essentially depends on the volume content of this type of forest residues in the initial mixture for the preparation of the substrate. Composts made of wood wastes were studied. One-year-old Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings with the closed root system grew up on studied composts. Plants were grown in a glasshouse. Experiments have shown that the studied composts are suitable for cultivation of coniferous plants seedlings with the closed root system. The doze of entering studied composts can reach the third part from total amount of a substratum. Use of substrate from waste will allow to reduce considerably consumption of not renewing or slowly renewing resources to what peat concerns and to improve ecological conditions in region

Аннотация: Предложено рассматривать хвойные как источник получения богатого Lаргинином растительного сырья.Отмечается способность хвойных накапливать значительное количество L-аргинина в органах и тканях при высоком уровне азотного питания и разбалансированности общего фона других элементов минерального питания.Бор влияет на активность ферментов азотного обмена, стимулирует поступление азота в хвойное растение и накопление L-аргинина в его тканях

The preparative technique for water extraction of goat willow (Salix caprea L.) growing leaves was elaborated in order to stimulate Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seed germination by the extracts (patent no. 2662999). It was shown that the effects of the extract were accounted for by its biological activity, which considerably varied depending on the time of day for extract sampling. The maximal increase in gibberellin-like activity (equivalent to 3.4–3.6 µM GA3) and marked decrease in ABA-like activity (equivalent to 0.15‒0.30 µM ABA) were recorded in the willow leaf extracts harvested in the morning (8:00 a.m.) or evening (8:00 p.m.) in South Karelia (60° N) in mid-May. Application of the extracts to pine seeds afforded the maximal effects on their germination. Thus, the second-class seeds displayed qualitative characteristics of the first-class seeds (germination exceeding 80%) after the treatment. It is concluded that the introduction of the method into practice will allow utilization of the accessible, widespread plant raw material for production of the effective natural preparation, which is capable of improving sowing qualities of Scots pine seeds.

This review summarizes the results of long-term studies of the arginine status in coniferous plants. The characteristics of the arginine metabolism in coniferous species; its annual and daily dynamics; and the effect of temperature, light, and mineral nutrition on the accumulation of this amino acid in plant organs and tissues are described. Methods for increasing the arginine content in coniferous plants via regulating their mineral nutrition are discussed.

The content of nitrogen, boron and free amino acids were studied in needles of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings as related to variations in nitrogen and boron availability. Interrelated effects of nitrogen and boron on the amino acid composition in needles were identified. Boron content in needles rose in line with boric acid dosage, and application of nitrogen reduced boron levels in needles. The high nitrogen and the optimal boron doses enlarged the content of total and protein nitrogen and total free amino acids in needles. Nitrogen applications in combination with three different levels of boron availability mainly raised arginine levels, but also promoted the content of ornithine and lysine. The content of OH-lysine, glutamic and aspartic acids, alanine, serine, threonine, proline and methionine in needles increased when boron was deficient, and rose when boron supply was optimal. Optimization of boron nutrition in low nitrogen settings raised total free amino acid content in needles owing to a rise in glutamic and aspartic acids, alanine and OH-lysine, whereas in high nitrogen settings the rise was mainly owing to arginine. Phenylalanine and tyrosine levels in the latter case also rose, but the levels of the rest of amino acids declined. Application of the high dose of boric acid against two nitrogen backgrounds in- duced a reduction or a downward trend in the content of all forms of nitrogen and a major- ity of free amino acids in needles, except for cysteine in a simultaneous low- and proline in a high nitrogen treatment.

Аннотация: Для широкого внедрения технологии выращивания посадочного материала хвойных пород с закрытой корневой системой, обеспечивающей процесс создания лесных культур качественным посадочным материалом, необходимо производство контейнерного субстрата с оптимизированными физико-химическими характеристиками, гарантирующими нормальное развитие корневой системы и полноценное питание растений.Рассмотрены критерии оценки качества контейнерных субстратов, некоторые области их использования, этапы их разработки в историческом аспекте.Лучшим для выращивания сеянцев в лесопитомниках традиционно считался субстрат из верхового сфагнового торфа, однако в течение последних лет было вложено

To widely introduce the technology of container nursery of coniferous stocking material, which provides for establishment of forest crops using high-quality plants, one needs to produce container substrates with optimized physicochemical properties, which guarantee normal development of the root system and relevant nutrition for the plants. Criteria for assessing the quality of such substrates, some of their applications, stages of their development history are considered. A substrate of raised bog sphagnum peat has traditionally been regarded as the best option for growing seedlings in forest nurseries. Lately however great funds and efforts have been invested in designing and testing alternative substrate components in the attempt to reduce transport costs and avoid the environmental consequences of peat harvesting. Any potential substitute for peat must have certain characteristics, be available in substantial amounts, standardized and economically compatible with the intended market. Of the many alternatives to peat, the most firmly adopted are some composted biowastes, bark and composted bark, wood fibers and coconut wastes. Applicability of woody substrates as an alternative to peat has been demonstrated, but in that case fertilizers need to be added. If peat is not included in the substrate, the fertilizer supplementation should be at least 40 percent. Pulp-and-paper mills have the equipment for processing logs, small-diameter trees and logging residues into chips for various purposes. Regrinding chips for nursery substrates using disc mills was tasted.

The effect of boric acid on the ability of herbaceous plants to absorb heavy metals has been studied. The results show that at a low content of boron in sandy loam soil (0.0007 mg/kg dry matter), boric acid at doses of 0.1–3.0 kg/ha stimulates the accumulation of certain heavy metals in the aboveground part of plants from the families Asteraceae (Taraxacum officinale Wigg.), Poaceae (Phleum pratense L.), and Fabaceae (Trifolium pratense L.). The most active accumulation is characteristic of dandelion (T. officinale) plants, which allows this species to be considered promising for phytoremediation of soils with a low boron content given that boron is applied at specified doses.

Robonen E.V., Chernobrovkina N.P., Chernyshenko O.V., Zaitseva M.I. SOURCES OF FOLIAGE FOR ARGININE IMMUNOSTIMULANT MANUFACTURING. Potential sources of L-arginine-rich needles, their availability and amounts are considered. Experiments for drawing up the fertilizer application and plant material harvesting plan were carried out in a young Scots pine stand naturally regenerated in a powerline corridor. We prove that late summer application of fertilizers is acceptable for enhancing L-arginine storage in Scots pine needles.

The effect of different boron dozes and accumulation of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in organs and tissues of silver birch is studied. The optimal, deficient and toxic levels of boron are revealed.

The effect of boric acid in the soil on the growth of second-year plants of curly birch (Betula pendula Roth var. carelica (Mercklin) Hamet-Ahti), silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) and downy birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.), and accumulation of boron in their parts has been studied. Distinctive patterns of boron take-up by curly birch, silver birch and downy birch have been identified.