Raspberry bushy dwarf virus (RBDV) is an economically significant pathogen of raspberry and grapevine, and it has also been found in cherry. Most of the currently available RBDV sequences are from European raspberry isolates. This study aimed to sequence genomic RNA2 of both cultivated and wild raspberry in Kazakhstan and compare them to investigate their genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships, as well as to predict their protein structure. Phylogenetic and population diversity analyses were performed on all available RBDV RNA2, MP and CP sequences. Nine of the isolates investigated in this study formed a new, well-supported clade, while the wild isolates clustered with the European isolates. Predicted protein structure analysis revealed two regions that differed between α- and β-structures among the isolates. For the first time, the genetic composition of Kazakhstani raspberry viruses has been characterized.

Wild apples and their hybrids are valued as a source of genetic resistance to biotic and abiotic stress. Malus niedzwetzkyana is an endangered ornamental apple species endemic to Southeast Kazakhstan, the center of Malus domestication. To test the fire blight resistance of M. niedzwetzkyana, eight plant genotypes were inoculated with a local strain of Erwinia amylovora. The genotypes possess different genetic backgrounds, which was confirmed via SSR profiling. Four out of eight displayed moderate to severe symptoms of fire blight infection, while the three wild genotypes proved resistant. To search for the source of the resistance, the samples were tested for the presence of FBF7 QTL using SCAR markers, where seven genotypes tested positive for one of the markers (AE10-375) and one for the other (GE80-19). No correlation between resistance phenotype and FBF7 QTL was confirmed, indicating the source lies elsewhere. Developing detailed genetic and phenotypic profiles of wild apple species helps advance both the preservation efforts and marker-assisted selection in apple breeding.

Wheat is an essential cereal crop for the economy and food safety of Kazakhstan. In the present work, a screening of wheat and barley from different regions of Kazakhstan was conducted using newly developed specific primers for reverse transcription PCR and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays. In total, 82 and 19 of 256 samples of wheat and barley tested positive for wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) and barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV), respectively. A phylogenetic analysis using two independent methods revealed that most of the analyzed isolates had a European origin. Molecular data on the distribution and diversity of cereal viruses in Kazakhstan were obtained for the first time and will help lay a foundation for the implementation of genetics and genomics in wheat phyto-epidemiology in the country.

Apples (Malus spp.) are one of the popular fruits in the world. Apple cultivars face significant threats from various viruses and virus-like diseases. These include well-known ones such as Apple mosaic virus (ApMV), Apple necrotic mosaic virus (ApNMV), Apple stem pitting virus (ASPV), Apple stem grooving virus (ASGV), and Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV). These viruses are known to infect a wide range of apple cultivars, leading to various symptoms such as stem grooving, chlorotic leaf spots, stem pitting, and mosaic patterns on the fruits and leaves. The objective of this study was to assess the incidence of the five viruses in apple-growing regions of southern Kazakhstan. The average positive rates of ACLSV, ASPV and ASGV were 42.1%, 57% and 12.6% respectively. ApMV and ApNMV were not detected. The study revealed a high incidence of mixed infections of the three apple viruses in Kazakhstan, with 60.6% of the infected apple plants harboring more than one species of virus. The most frequent virus combination was ACLSV+ASPV, with an incidence of 31.7%, followed by ACLSV+ASGV (10.9%), ASPV+ASGV (10%) and ACLSV+ASPV+ASGV (8.2%). The high prevalence of single and mixed infections in surveyed regions underscores the need for comprehensive and integrated approaches to disease management such as multiplex RT-PCR. The assay allows for the simultaneous detection of multiple apple viruses in a single reaction, providing a rapid and efficient means of screening for multiple pathogens in apple plants.

In the present study, the most valuable cultivar ‘Aport krovavo-krasnyy’ was grafted onto M. sieversii genotypes harvested from 11 populations in Dzungarian Alatau and Ile Alatau to identify ones resistant to Erwinia amylovora. The wild apple populations included in the present research have not been previously explored. Seedling population 10, developed using rootstocks from a M. sieversii population growing in Turgen, demonstrated the highest resistance to Erwinia amylovora, showing no fire blight symptoms and no positive PCR results for E. amylovora during the eight years of monitoring in the Talgar field (Kazakhstan) from 2015 to 2022. The population from Steep Tract (seedling population 1) was also valuable for breeding and reduced the pathogen distribution to below 30%. Genotypes from a genetic reserve (seedling population 5) were the most susceptible among the researched populations, with a disease distribution level of 24–95%. In seedling population 5, trees affected at least twice by the pathogen exhibited wilting, shepherd’s crook formation, leaf necrosis, and occasional exudate droplets, while trees in other combinations primarily showed shoot wilting and leaf death. Fire blight disease also developed more rapidly within the plant in seedling population 5; by 2020, one tree nearly died after only two infections.

Paulownia sp. are tall and fast-growing perennial plants that grow faster than all woody plants in the world. In many countries, Paulownia sp. are used as a raw material in bioenergy, furniture industry, landscape gardening and technologies for phytoremediation. In this study for the first time in Kazakhstan, conditions of Paulownia tomentosa (P. tomentosa) in vitro cultivation and propagation have been optimized, also the factors influencing the morphogenetic activity of primary explants have been studied. Along with the adaptation potential of Paulownia tomentosa microclones to the ex situ conditions, laboratory standing order for microclonal reproduction have been evaluated. For sterilization of P. tomentosa explants are recommended to use 50% domestos and 0.1% merthiolate. Hormone-free WPM medium was considered as the most optimal for the in vitro propagation. Infrared light is highly recommended for P. tomentosa microclones adaptation, due to its ability to stimulate the formation plants aboveground biomass and root system. For Kazakhstan, the research of this type of tree crops is a relevant, new and promising direction. The development of microclonal propagation of Paulownia tomentosa will accelerate the process of introduction of Paulownia in our Republic.