Our article presents the study of the content of highly hazardous and moderately hazardous chemical elements in soils, plants, beef and cow milk. Their average amount is shown. A safe level of the concentration of these chemical elements in the links of the chain “soil - plant - animal – meat and dairy products” of the Republic of Tatarstan is revealed. The coefficients of biological absorption of chemical elements in the links of the system are calculated. An increase in the coefficient of accumulation of Zn in plants and As in milk and meat was found. Further research for ranking territories according to the actual content of chemical elements in environmental objects is required.

Aim. In recent decades, Ukrainian breeders have created a large number of sweet cherry cultivars. Further progress in the breeding of sweet cherry requires a broad involvement of molecular methods. Especially important is the development of methods for the identification of genes / alleles that control economically valuable traits. The goal of the study was to develop a new method for discrimination of alleles of the PavCNR12 gene, which controls the fruit size in sweet cherry, and to reveal the allelic status of PavCNR12 in Ukrainian sweet cherry cultivars. Methods. The SNP-polymorphisms in the promoter regions of the PavCNR12-1, -2 and -3 alleles was detected applying comparison of published sequences. PCR amplification of the region was conducted, the obtained PCR products were cut by TaiI restriction endonuclease and separated by electrophoresis in a polyacrylamide gel. The identity of PCR products was confirmed by direct sequencing. Results. A new convenient method for the identification of allelic variants of the PavCNR12 gene using CAPS-markers is proposed. Using the method the allelic status of PavCNR12 in 56 sweet cherry cultivars of Ukrainian and foreign breeding was elucidated. Conclusions. A significant prevalence of the desirable allele PavCNR12-1 over the alleles PavCNR12-2 and -3 was found among the studied cultivars.Keywords: Ukrainian sweet cherry cultivars, genetic control of fruit size, alleles of PavCNR12 gene, CAPSmarkers, Prunus avium.

Dairy farming is striving to achieve positive results both in milk production increase and quality improvement. Unfortunately, the conventional breeding selection system does not consider the genotypic identity that reflects the level and direction of the processes occurring in the organism. The modern breeding selection is based on the selection by a set of features. In breeding, those animals that have more valuable characteristics are considered valuable. Animal husbandry can achieve great success only when analyzing the biology of the animal body and productivity. In order to increase the genetic potential of cows in Russia, it is necessary to take into account genetics and milk productivity. Analysis of milk productivity of cows with different LTF genotype in their pedigrees showed that the maximum milk yield was in cows of the Ayvengo line with the LTFAB genotype. These cows were distinguished from other cows by their high protein content, and these animals had the lactoferrin gene. And the animals of the Ayvengo line differed in the level of fat in milk. The comparative PCR-RFLP analysis of the blood DNA samples of the first-calf Holstein cows showed the benefit virtually by all milk production indicators (milk yield, milk protein and fat), including by somatic cell content in milk of the Ayvengo and Sovereign line cows with the LTFAB genotype. The Aydial line stock with the LTFAB genotype is worthy of notice regarding the selection activity.

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