Fusarium wilt pathogens represent an ongoing threat to pepper production worldwide. This is the first report providing data on the molecular identification of Fusarium fungi that cause wilt in pepper in the southern regions of Russia. Monitoring of the Fusarium infection on pepper was carried out in 2019–2022 in two economically important regions of this culture production: the Krasnodar Krai and Crimea. Based on a phylogenetic analysis of the translation elongation factor (EF1a) and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), as well as the macro- and micromorphological characteristics of the fungi, the causative agents of Fusarium wilt have been identified. The causative agents identified as representatives of the Fusarium species composition included: F. clavus, F. solani, F. oxysporum, F. verticillioides, F. commune, F. torulosum, and F. sporotrichioides. Depending on the region, the specifics of biodiversity and the ratio of these species in pathocomplexes were noted. In Crimea, wilting could be attributed to all of the identified species; in the Krasnodar Krai, F. verticillioides and F. clavus were found to contribute to wilting. The pathogenicity test showed that the pathogens of pepper wilting in Russia, in addition to the already known F. oxysporum and F. solani, are the species F. clavus and F. verticillioides. This is the first report on the ability of these species to cause Fusarium wilt in pepper cultures. The obtained data will be of practical value for the development of biological control measures for fungi of the genus Fusarium, which cause pepper wilt in areas of industrial production and seed production. In addition, data on species composition and aggressive isolates will be used in a pepper breeding program for resistance to Fusarium wilt.

Transposable elements (TEs) contribute not only to genome diversity but also to transcriptome diversity in plants. To unravel the sources of LTR retrotransposon (RTE) transcripts in sunflower, we exploited a recently developed transposon activation method (‘TEgenesis’) along with long-read cDNA Nanopore sequencing. This approach allows for the identification of 56 RTE transcripts from different genomic loci including full-length and non-autonomous RTEs. Using the mobilome analysis, we provided a new set of expressed and transpositional active sunflower RTEs for future studies. Among them, a Ty3/Gypsy RTE called SUNTY3 exhibited ongoing transposition activity, as detected by eccDNA analysis. We showed that the sunflower genome contains a diverse set of non-autonomous RTEs encoding a single RTE protein, including the previously described TR-GAG (terminal repeat with the GAG domain) as well as new categories, TR-RT-RH, TR-RH, and TR-INT-RT. Our results demonstrate that 40% of the loci for RTE-related transcripts (nonLTR-RTEs) lack their LTR sequences and resemble conventional eucaryotic genes encoding RTE-related proteins with unknown functions. It was evident based on phylogenetic analysis that three nonLTR-RTEs encode GAG (HadGAG1-3) fused to a host protein. These HadGAG proteins have homologs found in other plant species, potentially indicating GAG domestication. Ultimately, we found that the sunflower retrotranscriptome originated from the transcription of active RTEs, non-autonomous RTEs, and gene-like RTE transcripts, including those encoding domesticated proteins.

Currently, there is an active development of environmentally friendly methods of farming. However, the range of products for this type of farming system is limited. Growth stimulation is one of the mechanisms ensuring plant resistance to diseases that reduce crop yields. The aim of the work is to study the effect of laboratory samples of new biological products based on B. subtilis BZR 336 g, B. subtilis BZR 517, P. chlororaphis 245 F strains and organo-mineral fertilizers PRK White Pearl Brown (WPB) and PRK White Pearl Universal” (WPU) on plant growth and development of plants, as well as study of the possibility of their joint use for subsequent inclusion in organic farming systems or integrated plant protection. Growthpromoting ability was assessed in winter wheat and sunflower plants grown in sand in a climatic chamber. As comparison variants there were seed treatment with water (control), chemical (Dividend Star, KS) and biological (Fitosporin-M, F, B. subtilis 26 D) standards. In two plant cultures there was an expected retardant effect of the chemical standard and the growth-promoting effect of the biological standard. Statistically significant data were obtained for such a parameter as the shoot length. On winter wheat, laboratory samples provided the shoot length of 24.1-25.2 mm (an addition to the control of 3.4-8.2%), organic and mineral fertilizers - 23.9-24.5 mm (2.6-5.2%), mixtures with WPU - 23.2-24.4 mm (-0.4-4.7%), mixtures with WPB - 24.1-25.9 mm (3.4-11.2%), a significant increase in root length was not observed in this culture. On winter wheat, it is advisable to use the studied products separately. Sunflower is more responsive to the action of laboratory samples. They provided a shoot length of 13.6-14.6 mm (20.9-27.0%) and a root of 9.2-10.2 mm (4.5-15.9%). Organo-mineral fertilizers provided a shoot length of 14.2-14.5 mm (23.5-26.1%) and the root length of 10.8 mm (22.7%). Mixtures with WPU provided shoot length of 14.7-15.4 mm (27.8-33.9%), mixtures with WPB provided shoot length of 11.9-14.5 mm (3.5-26.1%), and no significant increase in root length was noted. The data obtained indicate the presence in the laboratory samples of fungicidal biological products growth-promoting properties, which vary depending on the culture and additionally used organic and mineral fertilizers. To confirm the results, additional experiments are necessary. Research in this direction will allow the rational use of the studied means of protection and increase plant yields in systems of organic, ecologized and integrated farming, and can help reduce the pesticidal pressure on agrocenoses.Conflict of interest: the authors stated that there was no conflict of interest.

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS), which is an effective tool for studying the functional genomics of organisms that are poorly amenable to genomic editing. The VIGS method is grounded in the plant’s post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) machinery and utilizes recombinant viral vectors to trigger systemic suppression of endogenous plant gene expression, leading to visible phenotypic changes that enable gene function characterization. This article details the application of VIGS in model organisms (Arabidopsis thaliana, Nicotiana benthamiana) and a wide range of crops, with a special focus on the Solanaceae family, particularly pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). This review analyzes the design and structural elements of viral vectors used for VIGS, such as Tobacco Rattle Virus (TRV), Broad Bean Wilt Virus 2 (BBWV2), Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV), geminiviruses (CLCrV, ACMV), and satellite virus-based systems. It also critically examines the key factors that determine silencing efficiency. These factors encompass insert design, agroinfiltration methodology, plant developmental stage, agroinoculum concentration, plant genotype, and environmental factors (temperature, humidity, photoperiod). Particular attention is given to optimization strategies, such as the use of viral suppressors of RNA silencing (VSRs). This article concludes with the achievements in using VIGS to identify pepper genes governing fruit quality (color, biochemical composition, pungency), resistance to biotic (bacteria, oomycetes, insects) and abiotic (temperature, salt, osmotic stress) factors, as well as genes regulating plant architecture and development. The results obtained demonstrate the advantages and limitations of VIGS, alongside future perspectives for its integration with multi-omics technologies to accelerate breeding and advance functional genomics studies in pepper.

The rapid identification of allele variants in target genes is crucial for accelerating marker-assisted selection (MAS) in plant breeding. Although current high-throughput genotyping methods are efficient in detecting known polymorphisms, they are limited when multiple variant sites are scattered along the gene. This study presents a target amplicon sequencing approach using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT-TAS) to rapidly sequence full-length genes and identify allele variants in sunflower and wheat collections. This procedure combines multiplex PCR and a rapid sequencing kit, significantly reducing the time and cost compared to previous methods. The efficiency of the approach was demonstrated by sequencing four genes (Ahasl1, Ahasl2, Ahasl3, and FAD2) in 40 sunflower genotypes and three genes (Ppo, Wx, and Lox) in 30 wheat genotypes. The ONT-TAS revealed a complete picture of SNPs and InDels distributed over the individual alleles, enabling rapid (4.5 h for PCR and sequencing) characterization of the genetic diversity of the target genes in the germplasm collections. The results showed a significant diversity of the Ahasl1/Ahasl3 and Wx-A/Lox-B genes in the sunflower and wheat collections, respectively. This method offers a high-throughput, cost-effective (USD 3.4 per gene) solution for genotyping and identifying novel allele variants in plant breeding programs.

Biofortification of wheat with anthocyanins is a strategy for solving the problem of “hidden hunger” and preventing chronic diseases. In this study, the blue aleurone trititrigia line ‘Istra 116’ is characterized as a new genetic resource for wheat breeding. Field and laboratory assessments (the years 2021–2024) compared its characteristics with the commercial trititrigia variety in ‘Pamyati Lyubimovoy’ and wheat varieties (Triticum aestivum L.). ‘Istra 116’ showed excellent agronomic qualities: a higher coefficient of productive tillering (1.93 versus 1.2), longer spikes (up to 17.5 cm) and grain yield (4.2 t/ha), exceeding the control for trititrigia (2.6 t/ha) and comparable to winter wheat (4.5 t/ha). A laboratory baking assessment confirmed its satisfactory quality (overall score 4.5/5). The blue pigment from the aleurone layer partially passed into the flour, giving the bread a darker crust but retaining the anthocyanins in the finished product. The results position ‘Istra 116’ as a dual-purpose genetic resource: a potential commercial biofortified crop and a valuable donor of the blue aleurone layer trait for traditional wheat breeding, offering a practical way to increase the nutritional value of basic foodstuffs.