As a result of many years of breeding work on interspecific and intersortial hybridization in the Samara region, 9 apricot varieties were created and submitted for state testing, of which 4 varieties were entered into the state register of the Russian Federation. In the organic dormancy phase, apricot trees of these hybrids have high frost resistance of wood and flowering buds. Favorable microzones for apricot cultivation were determined, the productivity of varieties was studied, and the fruit quality was assessed. Of the 8 years of observing apricot, six years were fruitful. Two years of harvest was absent due to freezing of flower buds from the onset of frost after prolonged thaws. Samarskij (32.2 kg from a tree), Vnuchok (43.4 kg) and Elita No. 1 (24.9 kg) sorts have high productivity. Ripening dates, weight and taste of apricot fruits depend on the variety, air temperature and the amount of precipitation. Large fruits are possessed by new varieties -Avdeevskij, Andryushka, Andryushka, Bojcovyj, Seyanec Voenkomovskij. The best tastes were of the varieties Andryushka, Bojcovyj, Seyanec Voenkomovskij, Trofej (tasting score 4.5 points).

The article discusses topical issues related to the improvement of the main tillage systems for agricultural crops. The authors draw attention to the general problem of agricultural soil degradation caused by depletion as a result of prolonged non-rational use. The perennial studies conducted by the authors are aimed at preserving soil fertility by reducing the mechanical load on the soil cover. The results of the research make it possible to evaluate the effect of treatments on the activity of the microbial community, one of the main indicators of the orientation of soil-forming processes of chernozem soil types.

The aim of the research is to increase the spring barley productivity via the use of various methods of soil treatment, affecting its enzymatic activity, in conditions of the middle Volga region insufficient moisture. The possibilities of minimizing soil tillage for barley in the forest-steppe of the middle Volga region of the Samara region are consid-ered. The studies were conducted in two crop rotations on the experimental fields of the Samara state agricultural Academy Department of «Agriculture, soil management, agro-chemicals and land registry» Samara state agricul-tural Academy in 2005-2008. The following variants of main soil tillage were studied: 20-22 cm; depth tilling; 10-12 cm; loosening; zero plowing. The average soil samples were taken from the experimental field from all variants of tillage in triplicate during two periods: in the seedlings and after harvesting. Samples were taken from different depths: 0-5 cm, 5-10 cm, 10-20 cm and 20-30 cm, crushed and sieved through a metal sieve. Soil-ecological monitoring is aimed at tracking changes occurring in the soil under the influence of various anthropogenic loads. The dependence of the total soil biogenicity on the hydrothermal coefficient (HTC) was revealed. It was found that microbiota was more active in relation to pure steam during the year with a low HTC, as well as during the year with a higher HTC on the background of sideral steam. The mostly spread enzymes characteristic of the vast majority of soil microflora-catalase, invertase, urease – were studied for obtaining better understanding of the total enzymatic activity of the soil. No significant influence of the main treatment methods on the activity of the enzyme catalase and invertase was found, but as for the spread of urease within the soil layers it was revealed: the increase in the activity of the enzyme in the upper soil layer ranging in 0-10 cm and a decrease in its activity with the depth increase was ob-served with the fall of the mechanical load. The use of green manure steam in crop rotation contributed to an in-crease in the number of soil microorganisms and the activity of soil enzymes.