The data about some morpho-physiological peculiarities of explants of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) the cultivars Stepnaya, Sineva, Vdala, Record, Rannyaya, introduced by meristems in aseptic conditions and under long-term micropropagation in vitro are presented. During cultured meristems on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with 1.0 mg L-1 Kinetin and 0.5 mg L-1 GA 3 all cultivars have formed the multiple shoot. The maximum number of microshoots at in vitro introduction stage was in the cultivar Sineva (5.7), and minimum-in the cultivar Rannyaya (3.9). Further, microcutting of main and additional shoots was conducted every 30-35 days. Obtained shoot segments with one node on MS medium with 1.0 mg L-1 Kinetin and 0.5 mg L-1 GA 3 were cultured. When micropropagation of lavender follow 6 th subculture it was shown that the number of shoots was increased in all cultivars till 3 subculture, and then it was decreased. In the cultivar Sineva the maximal multiplication index (12.2) was noted at the third passage, and then changed from 11.5 to 7.4. The lowest multiplication index at 5-7 th passages was in the cultivar Record (3.8-4.5). Analysis of water regime of obtained microshoots at 6 th subculture showed that the total water content was 83-89%, and the fraction of bound and colloidabsorbed water was 40-57%. Maximum values of water-holding capacity in the cultivars Record, Rannyaya and Vdala were found. Studying the parameters of light-induction processes it has been showed that the cultivars Vdala and Sineva were characterized by maximum photosynthetic activity of leaves and shoots, and they had high viability index.

The aim of the work was to study the features of clonal micropropagation of essential oil rose interspecific hybrids obtained in embryo culture in vitro. Analysis of 12 crossing combinations demonstrated that the frequency of hybrid seedling formation in the embryo culture varied from 0 to 71.4%. For clonal micropropagation obtained in vitro seedlings were divided into stem segments with a node and cultivated on MS culture medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l BAP and 0.1 mg/l GA3. During the multiplication of 13 hybrids (R. alba × R. damascena cv. ‘Kazanlykskaya’) in 2-6 subcultures, high variability of the multiplication index (1.8-18.5 depending on the genotype and passage) was revealed. This parameter was maximum in the 3-4th subcultures. The best ability to micropropagation showed hybrid No. 37-14. Microshoots were rooted in vitro on ½ MS medium, containing for different hybrids 0.5 or 1.0 mg/l NAA; frequency – up to 80.5-100.0%. However, in No. 37-2, 37-19 and 37-31 on four tested media, the number of shoots with roots was only 0-35.4%.

To increase the efficiency in agricultural plant breeding, including clary sage – one of the main essential oil crops grown in Russia, it is necessary to use biotechnological methods. One of these techniques is based on the induction of somaclonal variability in the callus tissue culture. To develop it, it is necessary to optimize the conditions for obtaining plant-regenerants in vitro and their analysis. The aim of this work was to study the features of morphogenesis and regeneration of plants from callus cultures to develop cell technologies for creating an initial breeding material based on somaclonal variability in Salvia sclarea L. In the course of the research, we found that the optimal explants for obtaining morphogenic callus, from which shoots were regenerated, were segments of buds and stems with a node (isolated from seedlings in vitro). Cytological analysis of callus cultures revealed two types of morphogenesis – organogenesis (gemmogenesis) and somatic embryogenesis. The features of the morphogenic callus formation of six sage cultivars and samples during the long-term cultivation were studied. The maximum frequency of morphogenesis was noted in the 2nd passage (from 32.4 to 85.2 %, depending on the genotype). Then, to the 8–10th passage, this indicator decreased to 0.0–3.9 %.‘S-785’ and ‘Taigan’ cultivars showed the highest morphogenesis frequency (81.5–85.2 %) and duration of callus regeneration potential (up to the 10th passage). The analysis of callus cultures of six donor plants of ‘S-785’ cultivar helped us to reveal their heterogeneity in morphogenesis induction ability. The maximum frequency of morphogenic callus formation (76.3–91.5 % in the 2nd passage) and the duration of the morphogenic potential preservation (up to the 12th passage) were observed in plants No. 3 and 9, whereas in No. 2, regeneration with a frequency of 3.6–9.7 % was observed only during three passages. Analysis of plants obtained from calli showed their variability in morphology – up to 12.5 % of the samples had deviations compared to the initial cultivar ‘S-785’ in leaf shape, inflorescence structure, flower color, etc. Somaclonal changes in morphological and economically useful traits revealed in regenerants indicate that they are promising for use in sage breeding.

The development of explants of 12 cultivars and breeding samples of essential oil rose (obtained with the participation of Rosa damascena Mill., R. gallica L., R. alba L.) during long-term micropropagation was investigated. At the second multiplication stage 5 subcultures were carried out. Increase of the studied morphometric parameters of explants to 3-4th subcultures was established. In some genotypes, the maximum multiplication index was in the third subculture (сultivars ‘Raduga’, ‘Zolushka’, ‘Lada’, ‘Krymskaya Krasnaya’, ‘Lany’, ‘Vesna’ and samples N37-24, M215), while in others (сultivar ‘Kazanlykskaya’ and samples N138, G2168, N37-2) – in the fourth. The largest increase of the multiplication index in 3-4th subcultures compared to the first (3.0-4.8 times) was found in the cultivars ‘Lada’, ‘Lany’, ‘Raduga’, ‘Krymskaya Krasnaya’ and sample N37-24. In the fifth subculture the multiplication index decreased. However, in most cultivars and breeding samples it was higher than in the first subculture. The best morphogenetic potential was noted for сultivar ‘Raduga’ and samples G2168, N37-2, in which the multiplication index reached 14.2, 14.4 and 11.8, respectively. The minimal ability to propagation in vitro was in samples M215 and N138 – their multiplication index did not exceed 1.1 - 4.0.

Clary sage (Salvia sclarea L.) is a widely demanded essential oil plant. The products of its processing are used in medicine, perfumery and cosmetics, food industry, paint and varnish production. The main breeding tasks are to develop cultivars that combine high yield and quality of essential oil, resistant to abiotic and biotic stresses. All clary sage cultivars registered in the ‘State register of breeding achievements allowed for use’ Russian Federation were obtained on the basis of traditional methods. The initial breeding material of S. sclarea was obtained at the FSBSI “Research Institute of Agriculture of Crimea” using methods of cell engineering (induction of somaclones from callus cultures, obtaining hybrids in embryoculture and cell selection for resistance to osmotic stress). The aim of this work was to study the main economic and morphometric parameters of clary sage samples created using various biotechnological methods at the main stages of the breeding process. As a material for research, we used samples obtained in vitro using three biotechnological methods – regenerants (R2-R3) from calli of ‘C-785’ and ‘Taigan’ cultivars, obtained in isolated embryo culture hybrids (Salvia sclarea L. x S. grandiflora Etling.) and forms selected in embryoculture on a selective medium with an osmotic (mannitol or NaCl). When studying 10 sage samples (seed progeny of regenerants) in the breeding nursery (2012–2014), three that exceeded the control cultivar ‘Taigan’ in terms of basic economic characteristics were identified. The collection of essential oil from them was 1.2-1.4 times higher than in the control. In the nursery of competitive variety trials (2016–2019), when studying three samples (No. R3-1-6, 226-08 and 1-01), No. R3-1-6 was selected for a number of indicators. This sample is seed progeny of regenerant obtained by the induction of morphogenesis from callus. A characteristic feature of this sample was an increase in the number of lateral shoots per inflorescence by 41.1 %, which contributed to an increase in the mass of inflorescences. By the yield of inflorescences (162.0 c/ha) and the collection of essential oil (51.5 kg/ha), No. R3-1-6 exceeded control by 24.9 % and 43.9 %, respectively. The patent on the new clary sage cultivar ‘Selinzh’ (No. R3-1-6), in the creation of which the method of cell engineering was used for the first time, was received.