Cuscuta campestris is a holoparasitic plant that depends on the host for water, nutrients, and photosynthetic substances. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effects of the host species on the content of bioactive and health-promoting substances in the Cuscuta seeds to test the following hypothesis: these substances are more induced if the hosts are herbs. The studied hosts were herbs (thyme, basil, and onion) and non-herbs (alfalfa and tomato). The results showed that the carotenoid accumulation in seeds developed on basil and thyme was the maximum. The extracts of seeds grown on thyme and onion had significantly more galactitol, total polysaccharide, and antioxidant activity than other hosts. Quercetin, kaempferol, and total flavonoids were higher in the seeds set on onion. The highest content of bergenin was recorded on thyme with no significant difference with onion. The extract of seeds grown on thyme had more total phenolics, followed by tomato and basil. Analysis of the phytosterol content of the seeds showed that campesterol was the minimum in seeds grown on alfalfa and stigmasterol was lowest in seeds grown on tomato than other hosts. Additionally, β-sitosterol increased in seeds developed on basil, onion, and thyme, and Δ⁷-avenasterol increased in seeds set on thyme and basil. Overall, the content of total phytosterols was higher in seeds developed on basil, onion, and thyme. The results were suggestive of the proper health-promoting levels of dodder seeds developed on medicinal plants such as onion and thyme for pharmaceutical and food applications.

Environmental pollution caused by burning linseed stem is a worldwide problem, which is especially serious in Kazakhstan. In order to solve this problem, we hope to screen out the flax varieties with no decrease in seed yield, but the flax varieties with a significant increase in stem yield instead of linseed varieties. We have tested some flax varieties in Kazakhstan in 2019. According to the results of the experiment of 7 varieties (lines), the yield of flax seeds ranged from 9.4 с/ha to 14 с/ha. The highest yield of seed was obtained on options UF02 and Kostanay amber (14.0～13.9 с/ha). The remaining varieties provided yields from 9.4 с/ha to 11.9 с/ha. The tested varieties of flax differed in height. In the flowering phase, the height of plants on the standard was 30.7 cm, and the other 6 varieties (lines) exceeded the height of plants by 5.3～28.3 cm. Most of them will be high stem yield. The results of the experiment brought us expectations. Using the production advantage of linseed companies to plant flax to obtain both fiber and seeds can reduce the cost and increase the economic benefit of flax production effectively.

Soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr) plays a crucial role in the advancement of agriculture in Kazakhstan, serving as a promising food crop and feed source. The primary challenge in boosting soybean production in Northern Kazakhstan lies in the absence of soybean cultivars suited to the region's conditions. As such, the foremost focus of breeding initiatives should be on creating soybean varieties that possess both early maturity and satisfactory yield potential. The objective of this research was to assess the impact of maturity time (MT) on both the yield formation and the adaptive characteristics of soybean varieties from different origins. This evaluation was conducted by analyzing the outcomes of their testing under diverse cultivation conditions in the northern region of Kazakhstan. The soybean cultivars that were examined, originating from various sources, were classified into three primary groups. These groups varied in terms of their growing season duration as well as their yield levels. The way the alleles of the E1–E4 flowering genes were spread out in the identified clusters showed that for soybean varieties where recessive alleles of the E1–E4 genes build up, the growing season usually shorter. Cultivars of Chinese, Russian, and domestic selections isolated as a result of the research were good initial material for use in local breeding programs. Within the framework of the clusters, an environmental assessment of soybean accessions was carried out, which made it possible to determine their degree of plasticity and, in general, their adaptive potential in the conditions of Northern Kazakhstan. The best cultivars were the Chinese selection ‘Dongnong 63’ and the Russian selection ‘SIBNIIK 315’. Hence, the present study successfully discovered soybean cultivars that possess exceptional adaptability and flexibility. These cultivars hold significant potential for cultivation and practical use in the specific environmental circumstances of northern Kazakhstan.

Multiple varieties of flaxseeds have been identified in the world, yet the relationship between these varieties, their agronomic traits, and their seeds’ quality remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the level of lignan, vitamins and carotenoids in 40 selected flaxseed varieties, and the relationship between varieties, agronomic traits, and seed quality was investigated. In this study, notably, fiber flax variety No. 225 exhibited the highest lignan content among all tested seeds. Additionally, oil variety No. 167 demonstrated the highest level of α-tocotrienol (α-T3), β-tocopherol (β-T), γ-tocotrienol (γ-T3), and β-carotene (β-Car.). Conversely, intermediate flax variety No. 16 displayed the highest content of α-tocopherol (α-T), but lowest content of lutein (Lut.), zeaxanthin (Zea.), β-carotene (β-Car.), and total carotenoids (Total Car.). Furthermore, a correlation was observed between petal color with the lignan, while a strong correlation has been explored in seed yield, seed type, plant natural height, and fiber content in straw. Nevertheless, further investigation is required to elucidate the internal relationship between varieties with compositions.

Japanese millet is a relatively new, valuable fodder crop. 100 kg of Japanese millet hay contains 54.0-60.5 kg of feed units or 6.9 kg of digestible protein. Besides, Japanese millet makes it possible to obtain environmentally friendly food, since the plant is not affected by diseases and pests, therefore, the use of pesticides is not required when cultivating it. However, in the northern regions of Kazakhstan, Japanese millet is an unconventional culture and is practically not used. Therefore, it is necessary to study the efficiency of the cultivation of Japanese millet in the soil and climatic conditions of the steppe zone of Northern Kazakhstan. The study aimed to compare the efficiency of the cultivation of a non-traditional fodder crop (Japanese millet) with traditional fodder crops in the steppe zone of Northern Kazakhstan to provide farm animals with a diverse and feed-valuable diet. The study was carried out in 2017-2019 at the station of the Kazakh Agrotechnical University named after S. Seifullin, located on dark chestnut soils of the Akmola region of Northern Kazakhstan. It was observed that in comparison with the traditional fodder crop (Sudan grass) Japanese millet exceeded it both in terms of profitability (it was higher by 13.7% when cultivated for feed and by 45.8% when cultivated for grain) and in terms of energy efficiency (it increased by 1.9 times when cultivated for feed and 0.7 times when cultivated for grain). During the cultivation of Japanese millet for feed, an additional net income was received from 1 ha (392 USD), and with grain, this amount equaled 622 USD. Thus, Japanese millet is a promising fodder crop for cultivation in the conditions of Northern Kazakhstan.

Introducing new forage crops such as Japanese millet (Echinochloa frumentacea) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is crucial for mitigating the impacts of climate change in the dry steppe zone, expanding forage crop options, and obtaining nutritious feed for the development of animal husbandry. The aim of this study was to assess the productivity and feed value of these crops. Field experiments were conducted in 2021 and 2022 to investigate the changes and variations in the yields and chemical compositions of Japanese millet and pearl millet when grown as sole crops or in mixed cropping in the dry steppe zone of northern Kazakhstan. Among the annual crops sown via sole cropping, the hay of the Japanese millet, sown in the third decade of May and harvested during full heading, was observed to have a higher content of raw protein and other nutrients than Sudanese grass hay, that is, the raw protein content was higher at 1.81%, the raw oil content at 0.12, and the raw ash content at 1.88%. In addition, among the mixtures of crops, the hay of the crop mixtures containing pearl millet, sown in the above period and harvested as hay during the milky stage, the full heading stage, and the formation of spikelets in the grain family stage, differed from the hay of Sudanese grass sown in the same period and collected during full heading in terms of the contents of raw protein and other nutrients and the low content of raw ash, that is, the content of raw protein was at 2.16%, raw oil at 0.39, raw ash at 0.95, without nitrogen extractives (WNEs) at 3.78, and starch at 0.11. The calcium content was higher by 0.08% and carotene by 0.11 mg/kg, and raw lentils were lower by 0.94%. The analysis of the results revealed that the variation in the crops’ phenological phases depended on the moisture availability and the sowing time.