Early blight, caused by fungi of the genus Alternaria, is one of the most destructive diseases affecting tomato plants, leading to a decrease in yield and commercial value. Studies so far on Alternaria spp. affecting tomato in Kazakhstan have been limited to morphological identification or molecular analysis, without an in-depth phylogenetic study and pathogenicity assessment. In this study, between 2023 and 2024, 61 isolates were obtained from tomato leaves with early blight symptoms and identified, based on conidial morphology and DNA sequencing, as A. tenuissima (54%) and A. alternata (46%). The pathogenicity assessment showed that the disease index for A. tenuissima was 21.7–53.3, while it was 41.7–60.0 for A. alternata, indicating greater aggressiveness of the latter species. The disease index varied by region, with the highest average value recorded for A. alternata from Almaty (55.7%), while 38.2% and 36.2% for A. tenuissima were recorded from Pavlodar and Akmola, respectively. Both species showed notable intraspecific variation in pathogenicity. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of A. tenuissima detection as the causative agent of early blight in tomato plants in Kazakhstan. The results of this study may help facilitate the development of effective disease management strategies.

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.

Alnus glutinosa plays a crucial role in flood control, riverbank stabilization, and water purification. Recognized for its ecological significance, it is listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan. This study investigated the genetic variability of A. glutinosa populations in Kazakhstan, analyzing 78 trees from seven populations in the Bayanaul mountain forest massif and the northern Turgay regions using 12 SSR markers. The study identified an average of 6.3 alleles and 2.783 effective alleles, as well as observed and expected heterozygosities of 0.570 and 0.562, respectively, reflecting genetic diversity. Among the populations, KS1 (northern Turgay) and PVL3 (Bayanaul) displayed the highest diversity, while PVL5 (Bayanaul) showed slightly lower diversity. The analysis of molecular variance results indicated that 86% of the genetic diversity occurred within populations, with 14% attributed to differences between populations. A UPGMA tree based on Nei’s genetic distance revealed three distinct clusters, suggesting geographically structured genetic variability in A. glutinosa populations.

The ongoing genetic erosion of natural Prunus armeniaca populations in their native habitats underscores the urgent need for targeted conservation and restoration strategies. This study provides the first comprehensive characterization of P. armeniaca populations in the Almaty region of Kazakhstan, integrating morphological descriptors (46 parameters), molecular markers, geobotanical, and remote sensing analyses. Geobotanical and remote sensing analyses enhanced understanding of accession distribution, geological features, and ecosystem health across sites, while also revealing their vulnerability to various biotic and abiotic threats. Of 111 morphologically classified accessions, 54 were analyzed with 13 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and four DNA barcoding regions. Our findings demonstrate the necessity of integrated morphological and molecular analyses to differentiate closely related accessions. Genetic analysis identified 11 distinct populations with high heterozygosity and substantial genetic variability. Eight populations exhibited 100% polymorphism, indicating their potential as sources of adaptive genetic diversity. Cluster analysis grouped populations into three geographic clusters, suggesting limited gene flow across Gorges (features of a mountainous landscape) and greater connectivity within them. These findings underscore the need for site-specific conservation strategies, especially for genetically distinct, isolated populations with unique allelic profiles. This study provides a valuable foundation for prioritizing conservation targets, confirming genetic redundancies, and preserving genetic uniqueness to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the future conservation and use of P. armeniaca genetic resources in the region.

The conservation of biodiversity requires efficient ex situ methods for storing plant genetic material outside its natural habitat. This approach will maintain valuable, endemic, and endangered plant species for extended periods. One widely used method is in vitro slow-growth storage. Our study describes the results of slow-growth storage of micropropagated shoots of the endangered and endemic Malus niedzwetzkyana. In vitro shoots of annual shoots of the Malus niedzwetzkyana were used as the object of the study. The shoots were obtained using a previously developed protocol of micropropagation. To develop slow-growth storage in in vitro culture of shoots, we studied the influence of osmotic agents, light, and temperature regimes. We investigated cultivation conditions such as temperature (4°C and 24°C) and photoperiod (16/8 and growth in the dark), as well as the composition of nutrient media to slow growth (sucrose, mannitol, abscisic acid). The research results showed that the optimal condition for medium-term storage of shoots is the QL nutrient medium with the addition of 3% or 6% sucrose under standard conditions. The optimized protocol allowed us to preserve the shoots of Malus niedzwetzkyana for 5 months without re-cultivation. This result confirms the effectiveness of the selected protocol for slow-growth storage of Malus niedzwetzkyana shoots. The explants stopped growing but remained viable, and the recovery period took 35 days (1 passage). The developed protocol enabled us to preserve plant material for several months without intermediate cultivation. As a result of this work, an in vitro collection was created to conserve the rare and endangered species of Malus niedzwetzkyana. The research is conducted in the framework of the program BR18574125 with financial support from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (duration: 2023-2024).

Haploid and doubled haploid (DH) technologies are important tools for accelerated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) breeding, enabling the rapid production of fully homozygous lines and increasing the efficiency of genetic analysis of complex traits. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of the main approaches to producing haploid and DH wheat plants, with particular emphasis on androgenesis-mediated and chromosome elimination methods, including wheat-maize hybridisation. The biological basis of androgenesis is discussed in relation to stress-induced microspore reprogramming; however, the primary focus is on the methodological factors determining the efficiency of DH production, including the donor plant genotype, microspore development stage, pretreatment conditions, composition of the induction and regeneration media, and chromosome doubling. However, its widespread application remains limited by pronounced genotypic dependence, low responsiveness of many commercial varieties, albinism, and a lack of universally effective protocols. In contrast, distant hybridisation systems, particularly wheat-maize hybridisation, are generally characterised by greater reproducibility and less genotypic dependence, although they remain labour-intensive and require precise embryo rescue and chromosome doubling procedures. Overall, further progress in producing DH in wheat will be associated with the optimisation of protocols for difficult-to-respond genotypes and the integration of classical haploidisation systems with omics approaches, genomic selection, and genome-editing.