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Abstract. The quality of the crop is of great importance for increasing the profitability of potato production. According to the creators of the variety, when laying high-quality tubers and observing storage conditions, the quality indicator ranges from 85 % to 99 %. This is especially important for seed potatoes. According to the requirements for the quality of seeds, the presence of tubers affected by late blight is allowed up to – 2 %, and with scab and rhizoctonia – up to 5 %. The main objectives of the long-term storage technology are to ensure high initial quality and minimize potato losses. The purpose of the work is to identify the effectiveness of the use of biological products “Kartofin”, “BisolbiSan”, “Rizoplan”, “Zerebra Agro” in the cultivation of potatoes in the conditions of the foothill zone of the North Caucasus, the effect on biometric indicators, productivity, morbidity and quality indicators of tubers. The novelty lies in the fact that for the first time in the agro-ecological conditions of the North Caucasus, the effectiveness of the use of biological products of a new generation has been studied. Methods. The counts and observations were carried out according to the generally accepted methods described in the “Educational and methodological guidelines for conducting research in agronomy”. Results. The use of biological products of a new generation in the conditions of the foothill zone of the North Caucasus reduces the passage of the phenological phases of potatoes. Pre-planting treatment of tubers contributed to obtaining earlier shoots on day 16 compared to the control by 7.7; 9.1; 18.3; and 19 %. Biological products and fungicides increased the height of the potato bush by 5.5; 6.9; 19.1; 21.5 cm compared to control. The studied biological products have not only growth-regulating properties, but also increase resistance to late blight. The counts of the total yield showed that on the Udacha variety, all the studied biological products have a positive effect on the yield indicators in comparison with the control. But the highest yield indicators were noted on the option of using the biological product “Zerebra Agro” – 29.3 t/ha, while in the control it was 24.3 t/ha.

Recently, the trend of agricultural biologization has been gaining great importance. When cultivating crops, the use of biostimulants helps to improve the environment and produce environmentally friendly products.

Using the traditional and marker-assisted selection methods, a comprehensive assessment of promising hybrids from the collection of the All-Russian Scientific Center was carried out. The assessment was conducted in 2018–2019 in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. As a result of molecular genetic analysis, hybrids were found with complex resistance to potato nematode, virus Y and X viruses - 2 / V, 5 / V, 6 / V, 17 / V, 40 / V, 43 / V, 46 / V, 54 / V, 124 / V, 9 / VI, 22a / VI, 35 / VI, 130 / VI, 71 / VII and 118 / VIII. Use of these selected forms allows optimal protection of potatoes, limitation of the spread of pathogens and prevention of the emergence of more aggressive pathotypes (races and strains). The hybrids with resistance to potato virus Y (with the presence of R-gene markers - 1/I, 3/I, 10/I, 13/I, 11/II, 15/III, 2/V, 5/V, 6/V, 7/V, 10/V/1140, 17/V, 40/V, 43/V, 46/V, 54/V, 124/V, 9/VI, 22a/VI, 35/VI, 100/VI, 130/VI, 71/VII) are of interest for practical breeding, as well as the hybrids with resistance to Phytophthora infestans such as 15/III, 119/IX and the hybrids 15 / III, 35 / VI, 130 / VI and 71 / VII, which have high marketable yield and weight of tuber. Keywords: potato, interspecific hybrids, marker-assisted breeding, resistance genes

One of the major tasks in the production of original and elite potato seeds is to prevent the rapid re-infection of the healthy material with viruses in the open field. The high rate of infection with each subsequent reproduction reduces seed productivity and worsens the tuber varietal quality. Currently, about two dozen viruses that infect potatoes have been identified. In the field, most of the harmful viruses of potatoes are transmitted by insects such as aphids, cicadas and bedbugs. The purpose of our research was to study the species composition of transmitters and the intensity of their flight in North Ossetia. Studying the activity of the winged aphid vector is a prerequisite for the implementation of protective measures against re-infection of the sanitized material with viruses. The most important criteria characterizing aphids in transferring potato viruses during the growing season were as follows: the species composition, the dynamics of the potato planting periods, the timing of the critical threshold with regards to the number of aphids, and the total vector intensity during the growing season. There are very few aphid vectors in the mountain zone of the Republic of North Ossetia, which is at and above an altitude of 1,650 meters above sea level. Therefore, mountain regions of this height are a natural insulator against viral infection. In the foothill zone, the most numerous aphid vectors are bean, buckthorn, and alder buckthorn-willowherb aphids, whose number varies from 35 to 280 individuals per year on a Merike trap. Keywords: potatoes, insect vectors, a Merike trap, mountain zone, spatial isolation