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The introduction of new technologies is a key factor in the competitiveness of agriculture. The use of innovative technologies provides an increase in profitability, efficiency and sustainability of agricultural production. This is achieved by economizing of fertilizers, protective remedies, growth regulators, seeds, fuel; by reducing labor costs and increasing soil fertility. Innovations should become an integral part of the investments aimed at strengthening the material and technical base of enterprises. The prohibition of agricultural product imports contributed to the improvement of the financial situation of agricultural enterprises, which allows agricultural producers to introduce innovations.

For 25 years due to its unique properties the spring durum wheat variety “Saratovskaya zolotistaya” (1993) is popular not only among grain and pasta producers, but also among breeders of Russia and the CIS countries. Due to its high combining ability, the variety has been introduced in all breeding programs of research institutions engaged in the breeding and cultivation of spring durum wheat as a source of high content of carotenoid pigments.

The result of the study was an establishment of dependence of winter wheat productivity on a method of a primary tillage. There has been identified an advantage of deep chiseling on 0.35–0.37 m over moldboard plowing on 0.20–0.22 m, over disk tillage on 0.12–0.14 m and direct sowing. Plots with deep chiseling showed the best performance compared with other methods of primary tillage in density, porosity, humidity and, consequently, winter wheat productivity.

The study of a combinative ability of winter wheat (review) The paper presents a survey of the researches carried out to study the combinational ability of wheat by both domestic and foreign scientists. K.M. Gabdullin revealed that by estimating the combinational ability, it is possible to determine the value of the initial material, which differs in frost resistance, ecological and geographical origin, in the most important economic characteristics and biological properties. S. Boroevich noted that, the studying the combining ability of parental forms involved in hybridization plays a special pole in increasing the effectiveness of wheat selection, since proper selection of the source material gives an opportunity to improve the desirable characteristics and properties in the newly developed varieties. The scientists whose research results are presented in this article selected the sources of high combinational ability and recommended them as an initial material.

The paper has presented the study results of the effect of chelated micronutrients on the yield structure of pea varieties. Field experiments was laid in 2015–2017 in the scientific crop rotation of the Agrotechnological Center of the Azov-Blacksea Engineering Institute of FSBEI HE “Donskoy SAU” in Zernograd. There were performed seed treatment with recommended 2 liters of ORMISS Cu/B per ton and peas sprouts were treated with 2 liters of ORMISS Cu/Mo per hectare. There has been found that some variants of seed treatment resulted in an increase in number of productive nodes to 3.4, number of beans to 5.8, kernels per a bean to 5.9, 1000-kernels weight to 237.1 g, kernels weight per plant to 5.8 g.

The article presents the study results of 1708 collection and breeding samples of winter soft and durum wheat developed by the department of wheat breeding in the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”. The samples were studied on the presence of brown rust resistant genes (Lr9, Lr10, Lr19, Lr24, Lr26, Lr34, Lr37), stem rust (Sr32, Sr44), yellow rust (Yr5, Yr24) and leaf blotch (Stb2, Stb4). The estimation of the samples was conducted by the PCR. The resistant genes were identified in 70% of the studied samples. The screening identified 132 samples which carry 3 and more genes resistant to biotic factors in different variants. The samples which possess genes resistant to biotic factors are recommended to use as donors in the breeding programs.

The article presents the main biological and economic merits of grain sorghum. The worldwide dynamics of the sown area of sorghum in recent years and the average yield of sorghum are considered in the work. The sown area of sorghum inRussiaand its distribution throughout federal districts are given in the paper. It has been established that the main producers of sorghum inRussiaare the Privolzhsky (28.5–141.6 thousand hectares) and the Southern Federal (23.8–94.0 thousand ha) Districts. Moreover, 46–69% of the sown area of the sorghum in the Southern Federal District is located in theRostovregion. The main part of the sown area of sorghum in theRostovregion is concentrated in the extremely arid zones (some eastern regions of theRostovregion) or in arid (north-western and north-eastern part of theRostovregion) zones. The article presents new varieties of grain sorghum developed in theAgriculturalResearchCenter“Donskoy”. In the period from 2012 to 2017 there were developed and registered in the State List of Breeding Achievements of RF early-ripening and white-grained sorghum varieties ‘Velikan’, ‘Zernogradskoe88’and ‘Ataman’. They are characterized with high productivity, high qualitative kernels and high adaptability to local conditions.

The article presents analysis of the sown areas and spring barley productivity in the Rostov region. There has been made analysis of the cultivated varieties according to the year of their introduction into the State List of the Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation (period-by period). There have been revealed the sown areas of spring barley varieties depending on the time spent in the production. There has been carried out the analysis of the composition of the sown spring barley seeds (original, elite and reproductive) from 2017 to 2018. There have been identified the most widely spread varieties of spring barley in the Rostov region and their reproductive composition. There has been considered expediency to improve spring barley production in the region by increasing the acreage and introducing new highly adaptable varieties.

Salt tolerance of rice is of great importance in agricultural production, since productivity of grain grown on saline lands largely depends on it. The paper deals with determining the presence of salt tolerance gene “Saltol” in rice hybrids obtained from crossing contrasting samples. To analyze salt tolerance, there were used seeds germinated in cups with distilled water and 1.5% NaCl solution, after which 10-day-old seedlings were weighed and their ratio to the control was determined. As a result of studies, there have been identified salt tolerant lines carrying the gene “Saltol” in a homozygous state. In the control nursery there were studied the best samples on productivity and elements of its structure. Two lines “7328” and “7322” were selected from the hybrid IR 52713-2B-8-2B-1-2 x Novator which significantly exceeded the standard variety “Yuzhanin” on 0.57-1.28 t/ha. On average for 2 years, they produced 6.82-7.53 t/ha (6.25 t/ha of the standard variety).