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The urgency of introduction of a new fodder crop, Festulolium, into the agricultural production of Western Siberia is substantiated. Festulolium (Festulolium Aschers F.. et Graebn.) is a new fodder crop in domestic feed production developed in the All Russian Williams Fodder Research Institute. It was obtained by hybridization with the genera Festuca – fescue, and Lolium – ryegrass. The external characteristics of the new crop are given. On the basis of the literature data, the main morphotypes of Festulolium are analyzed and identified. They are the morphotypes of Italian ryegrass, pasture ryegrass, reed fescue and meadow fescue. Fescueryegrass hybrid (Festulolium) is currently a valuable fodder crop, which, when harvested for feed in the early phases of vegetation, is characterized by a high content of exchange energy, protein and fat in the green mass. Good leafiness of this crop ensures high nutritional value of the feed. In 1 kg of dry matter, Festulolium contains 0.82 feed units, 12-18% crude protein, as well as all the necessary amino acids. Water-soluble carbohydrates are mainly fructose. High efficiency of cultivated pastures on the basis of Festulolium is noted. Festulolium in mixtures with red clover provides up to 7.2 t/ha of dry matter and the collection of protein up to 1.27 t/ha. For early green feed in the pasture conveyor system, the use of Festulolium also proved to be effective. Festulolium is well ensilaged, the feed from this crop can be successfully used in diets of all animal groups. The energy value of properly prepared feed from Festulolium is 10.1 to 10.7 MJ of metabolizable energy in 1 kg of dry matter. Feed prepared from Festulolium has a high coefficient of digestibility.

The treatment of agricultural crops with entomopathogenic fungi may disturb the structure of soil microarthropod communities, which can have an adverse impact on soil fertility and, ultimately, on the yield. The effect of the treatment of broad bean (Vicia faba L.) seeds, with the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium robertsii, on the abundance and community structure of soil microarthropods in the rhizosphere was assessed in different phases of plant vegetation in a two-year experiment. Under the conditions of the gradually decreased abundance of M. robertsii both in the soil cenoses and in the plants during summer, no adverse effect was revealed of the bean seed treatment, with the entomopathogenic fungus, on the abundance of soil microarthropods (Acari: Mesostigmata, Prostigmata, Oribatida and Astigmata; Collembola) and the structure of their communities. Similar results were obtained in the analysis, taking into account the positive colonization of plants. Some changes in the microarthropod community structure were explained primarily by the spatial heterogeneity of the field, the hydrothermal regime, and the features of the microarthropod life cycles. The results indicate the possibility of using dressing seeds with conidial suspension for plant inoculation with entomopathogenic fungus (at least M. robertsii) as a potentially safe plant protection method for non-target soil microarthropods.

The results of the analysis of yield and biological efficiency of single-species and mixed crops of cereals and legumes, depending on the cultivation zones, are presented. The study was carried out in the forest-steppe and steppe zones of Western Siberia and the forest-steppe zone of Eastern Siberia. The results were analyzed by means of Land Equivalent Ratio and the coefficient of aggressiveness. In the forest-steppe zone of Western Siberia, two-component mixtures with a seeding rate of 60– 75% of cereals (barley or oats) and 35–50% of legumes (peas) had an advantage in cultivation for fodder grain. The yield was 2.3–2.9 t/ha of grain with digestible protein content of 106–110 g per feed unit and the efficiency of the area use of 1.17 units. Peas mixed with wheat had the highest coefficient of aggressiveness (plus 0.53). In the conditions of the steppe zone of Western Siberia, two-component mixtures of barley and wheat with field peas are the most effective with a ratio of cereal and legume components of 60/50% of the total seeding rate of crops. The yield of these cenoses was noted at the level of single-species crops, and the nutritional value was 6–10% higher. Land Equivalent Ratio for this zone amounted to 1.21-1.3 units. The share of the legume component in the grain yield of three-component mixtures under unfavorable dry conditions of the steppe zone was registered insignificant. The value of the coefficient of aggressiveness of the legume component decreased to minus 1.58 and its share in the agrocenosis decreased to the utmost extent. The foreststeppe zone of Eastern Siberia is characterized by sufficient moisture, which contributed to a good grain harvest. The highest yield was provided by a mixture of oats with peas (4.85 t/ha) and oats with peas and barley (4.29 t/ha), with the Land Equivalent Ratio of up to 1.45 units and the coefficient of aggressiveness close to zero. In this zone, there are favorable growth conditions for binary crops.

The results of studying the effect of preparations based on chicken manure on the growth and development of oats are presented. Chicken manure contains valuable substances that are easily used by plants, but because of the large number of pathogens, its use can lead to pollution of the environment. Currently, a promising direction is the use of poultry manure after additional treatment. Recycled chicken manure was used in the research using a cavitation-vortex heat generator by distilling dry manure as a 10% solution in water and obtaining various fertilizer samples. The manure was treated at different thermal regimes - 60 and 75 °C, with or without ozone. The effect of organic fertilizers based on chicken manure on soil biological activity and productivity of oats was studied. Numbers of the main groups of microorganisms were established by the conventional method of seeding on nutrient dense media. Soil phytotoxicity was determined according to the test-object recommendations. Oat growth and development were studied during the vegetation period, evaluating the onset of phenological phases, biometric indicators and elements of yield structure. A negative effect of chicken manure on the microflora (the appearance of conditionally phytopathogenic fungi) and phytotoxicity of soil, as well as on the condition of cultivated plants was revealed. The manure processed by distillation into organic fertilizer improves the environmental situation. A positive effect of organic fertilizers based on poultry manure on the phytosanitary state of the soil and nitrogen-fixing activity of the soil was found. An increase in productivity of oats was noted on the background of the application of organic fertilizers. There was a significant increase in green mass and dry matter in the flowering phase of oats by 6.0-6.2 and 1.1-1.7 tons/ha, respectively. Oat grain yield was higher by 0.7-0.8 t/ha, or 20%, compared to the control.