The present work is dedicated to the identification of the red palm mite Raoiella indica, belonging to the fami­ly Acari: Tetranychoidea: Tenuipalpidae. This mite spe­cies is an active invader, damaging tropical and sub­tropical plant crops. It is assumed that the potential range of the species in case of its invasion to Russia will be the territory of the Southern Federal District. The article provides detailed morphological character­istics of Tenuipalpidae mites, taking into account the generally accepted designations of the chaetome of the body and legs, with a brief consideration of differ­ences in terminology regarding the name of the male copulatory organ. To differentiate the most important life stages of most Tenuipalpidae species, a key table is presented, since species identification is carried out only by adults. The article presents structural features of adult individuals of the red palm mite (males and fe­males), generalized data on spreading, host plants and diagnostic characters of Raoiella species. The diagnos­tic features of the dorsocentral chaetome, the caudal region and legs of R. indica were studied on the example of the Dominican population. Based on a monograph by Beard et al. (2018) and taking into account the works of Pritchard, Baker (1958) and Mitrofanov, Strunkova (1979), a simplified key table was compiled for the dif­ferentiation of R. indica from other species of the genus for the practice of phytosanitary laboratories. This key is based on the following diagnostic characters: the ra­tio of the lengths of the dorsocentral setae, the lengths of the first pair of dorsocentral setae relative to the first row spacing, the shape of the setae h2, the number of setae on the genu of the first and second pairs of legs, the ratio of the lengths of the proximal solenidion ω’’ and tactile seta ft” on the first pair of legs.

Cyst nematodes of the genus Globodera colonize root plants. Two species – golden potato nematode Globodera rostochiensis and pale potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida – are quarantine pests for many countries, including the Russian Federation. The material on host plants of Globodera nematodes has been analyzed. Eight nematode species of this genus colonize Solana­ceae family plants, except for potato. Besides, there is a large Globodera nematode group colonizing Asteraceae. The work also presents the results of geographical dis­tribution of Globodera, as well as possible pathways. In laboratory studies of soil samples and regulated products, there are cases of detection of non-quarantine species of Globodera cyst nematodes, as well as mixed populations of quarantine and non-quarantine spe­cies. Proper diagnosis is important to establish the phy­tosanitary status of products. Identification by morpho­logical method of closely related species of the genus Globodera can be difficult due to the similarity of some characteristics of the nematode structure. The article presents a differential diagnosis that makes it possible to separate quarantine species from non-quaran­tine ones by morphological features. Descriptions are given of three non-quarantine species that periodical­ly occurred in laboratory studies. Since the quarantine species Globodera rostochiensis and Globodera pallida can spread not only with potatoes, but also with soil par­ticles on the rhizomes and bulbs of flower plants and other planting material, the article provides a complete list of products (indicating the Commodity Classifica­tion of Foreign Trade Activity codes) that are subject to laboratory research. When identifying nematodes to a species, a clear approach to the concepts denoted by individual terms and the uniformity of measurements are very important. Discrepancies in the terminology and measurements of morphometric features are de­termined, which are important to consider in the di­agnosis.

One of the most dangerous pests for plants are phy­toplasmas. Phytopathogens from the Apple prolifera­tion group (16SrX) cause phytoplasmoses in pome and stone fruit crops, which lead to huge losses of fruit and berry products around the world. The 16SrX group in­cludes, in particular, such uncultivated bacteria as: Candidatus Phytoplasma mali, causing apple proliferation; Candidatus Phytoplasma pyri, resulting in pear decline; Candidatus Phytoplasma prunorum, leading to European stone fruit yellows. The first two species are included in the Common List of Quarantine Pests of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Although they be­long to the same group, these phytoplasmas have dif­ferent natural hosts, insect vectors, and a different set of characteristic symptoms in infected plants. The arti­cle presents data on the study of the analytical charac­teristics (specificity and sensitivity) of specific primers for the detection of phytopathogenic microorganisms from the Apple proliferation group by real-time poly­merase chain reaction (PCR) and for subsequent spe­cies identification of the causative agent of apple pro­liferation Candidatus Phytoplasma mali using specific primers classical PCR method. During the experiments, high-quality specific amplification products were ob­tained. It has been established that using the studied pair of primers for classical PCR, it is possible to diag­nose and identify the causative agent of apple proliferation in infected plant material. In this work, the analy­sis of the studied specific primers was carried out using the NCBI Primer-BLAST online service. For research, we used a collection of phytoplasma DNA from various groups: Apple proliferation, Stolbur, Foxtail palm yel­low decline, Peanut witches’ broom and Elm yellows.

Bacterial spot of tomato is worldwide spread and causes significant economic damage in tomato and pepper cultivation. Diagnosis is complicated by the fact that the disease is caused by four types of bacteria of the genus Xanthomonas. Seeds are the main pathway for bacteriosis over long distances. The European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) has included a group of causative agents of black bacterial spot in List A2 of the List of Quarantine Objects. Detection and identification of phytopathogens at all stages of tomato and pepper cultivation will allow taking timely measures to protect plants, which will significantly reduce crop losses and increase the economic efficiency of domestic vegetable production. Existing schemes for diagnosing the disease imply large labor costs and a long period of research, which is unacceptable in routine laboratory diagnosis. The article presents the results of studies on the diagnosis of one of the pathogens of black bacterial spot (X. euvesicatoria pv. euvesicatoria). To establish the degree of influence of the plant matrix on the final results of the samples study, we conducted a series of experiments on artificial infection with X. euvesicatoria pv. euvesicatoria of extracts of tomato vegetative parts and seeds. In the course of testing the sample preparation technique with further DNA isolation and PCR analysis of artificially infected samples, it was found that PCR inhibition does not occur. Analytical sensitivity of the diagnostic test system for X. euvesicatoria pv. euvesicatoria produced by AgroDiagnostics was 10³ cfu/ml. The studies were carried out on the basis of FGBU “VNIIKR”.

All Auchenorrhyncha species are obligate phytophag­es and are harmful to plants. Some of these species are serious pests of crops that negatively affect their pro­ductive potential, and many are vectors of infectious plant diseases. Families that are of economic impor­tance are Cixiidae, Delphacidae, Cicadidae, Cercopidae, Membracidae and Cicadellidae (Gnezdilov, 2000).

The article presents data on the species composi­tion of Auchenorrhyncha in ampelocenoses of the Re­public of Crimea for 2019–2020; the identification of an invasive species aggressively spreading over the terri­tory was also carried out – Metcalfa pruinosa (Say, 1830). Imagoes were collected from June to September using yellow sticky traps. The identification of insects was carried out by morphological and molecular genetic methods. 12 Auchenorrhyncha species were identified, two of which are dangerous as disease vectors. This is the invasive species Scaphoideus titanus Ball, 1932 and Hyalesthes obsoletus Signoret, 1865, the control of which must be organized in the ampelocenoses of the repub­lic. 2 more species detected on the Crimean Peninsu­la – Arboridia kakogawana (Matsumura, 1932) and Меt­calfa pruinosa Say, 1830 – can be potential vectors of causative agents of grape diseases. It should be noted that invasive insects in the new conditions can take on the function of a vector, and therefore their study is an urgent task for plant protection specialists.

The genus Rosa includes more than 250 wild species and varieties and many cultivars and hybrids grouped into several classes. Persia (modern Iran) is considered the birthplace of the rose.

Rose is a member of the genus Rosa (Rosehip). This is one of the most popular deciduous and evergreen shrubs used for decorative purposes everywhere: in urban landscaping, in parks, gardens, in private gar­dens. Roses have beneficial properties due to the high concentration of essential oils, which leads to the use of this plant in perfumery, cosmetology, medicine and even the food industry. Currently, roses are cultivated in almost all countries of the world. About 10 differ­ent rose species are grown in Abkhazia. The humid cli­mate of the region contributes to the development of infectious diseases, primarily fungal ones, and there­fore roses are quite often affected by various myco­ses. An important condition for the successful cultiva­tion of roses is the early detection of phytopathogens and timely control of them. The article briefly provides an overview of the biological characteristics of phyto­pathogens, data on the distribution and severity of the main fungal diseases of roses in Abkhazia. Black spot, rust, powdery mildew are the most dangerous and most common infectious diseases of roses in this region. The article emphasizes the need for fungicide treatments in protecting rose bushes against the diseases in ques­tion and the effectiveness of pruning, collecting and de­stroying affected plant residues.

The materials and methods that have been used for six years (since 2017) for the preparation and installation of herbarium materials of quarantine weeds are pre­sented. The collection and preparation of quarantine weed materials of the genera Cenchrus, Bidens, Solanum, Ambrosia and Ipomoea were carried out in the quaran­tine introduction site of the Southern Branch of FGBU “VNIIKR”; the species of the genus Cuscuta were pre­pared in field conditions. The advantages of using cor­rugated cardboard in the process of drying plants are described, which makes it possible to increase the volume of harvested herbarium materials in the branch with the involvement of a smaller number of special­ists. Thanks to the introduction of corrugated card­board, the need for periodically shifting plants with pa­per “shirts” has disappeared, with the exception of the genus Ipomoea plants, in which tender and juicy stems and leaves were injured during pressing and drying, moisture removal was insufficient. Herbarium collec­tions are considered from the point of view of biosafety and an attempt is made to reduce the possible spillage of viable seeds and fruits from the collection materi­al, namely, a method for mounting herbarium speci­mens of quarantine weeds by lamination is outlined. The positive aspects of the proposed method are de­scribed: an increase in the storage duration; the possi­bility of mounting herbarium samples on a transparent basis, which allows to better study the plant; protec­tion of herbarium materials from insects; exclusion of the possible breaking off parts of plants and shedding of seeds from the collection, etc. Possible options for using laminated herbarium materials for education­al and demonstration purposes, including by Rosselk­hoznadzor inspectors when performing inspections of regulated objects for the presence of quarantine plants, are highlighted.