Personnel policy provides a strategically oriented tool that allows to achieve main social and commercial goals through efficient personnel management. A comprehensive personnel policy promotes the formation of progressive labor and social relations in an organization, high-quality personnel, a favorable moral and psychological climate, which are important factors in stimulating highly productive work. Forming a rational structure of personnel and increasing the efficiency of their use is the main priority for development of agriculture, along with an increase in resource provision based on the growth of production potential. This predetermined the purpose of this paper – to study and systematize scientific approaches to defining the concept of “personnel policy”, research its structural elements and processes, identify trends, problems and propose solutions for its effective implementation. The results of the analysis of scientific literature and practical approaches to the formation and implementation of personnel policy are presented, its target guidelines for the levels “republican – industry – organizational” are defined, indicators of the quantitative and qualitative composition of personnel in agricultural organizations are analyzed, and assessment of indicators of labor productivity and labor activity is given. A problem in implementation of personnel policy at the level of agricultural organizations has been identified, expressed in the discrepancy between the actual and required number of workers in certain professions. For digitalization of the agricultural economy, a system of indicators for monitoring the staffing of this process is proposed. The conceptual diagram of correlation between personnel policy measures by levels in the agricultural sector is substantiated. Directions for improving personnel policy at the level of agricultural organizations through mentoring mechanisms and mastering competencies in the field of digital agriculture have been identified. The results of the study can be used to substantiate, develop and improve the concepts of personnel policy and program documents for problems of employment of rural labor resources in the context of modernization of the agro-industrial complex and development of rural areas based on the program-target method.

A data array (15,000 numbers) for eight soil varieties was examined through the spectrum of properties included in the fundamental research program in genetic soil science. In order to expand the understanding of the essence of soil formation and the nature of soils and the need to clarify the scientific definition of the concepts of “soil”, “soil-forming process” and “hydromorphism”, the properties of soils of autochthonous moisture developed on loess-like loams were studied as the basis for diagnosing their genesis and diversity. The research is based on a large amount of material from many year  research into the profile structure, water-and-physical and chemical properties of the most fertile soils of Belarus, formed on loess-like loams of the Minsk ridge. The difference between soils and soil-like bodies has been determined, as well as the role of microbiota as the basis for transformation of rock into soil, models of chemical differentiation of profiles, and bioenergetic potential of soils. The conducted research contributes to deepening the general understanding of soils, water regime as a marker of soil genesis, as well as objective diagnosis of soil genesis, being the basis for the design of sustainable land use, increasing the efficiency of soil use based on genesis with diagnosis of the water regime as a marker, as well as information content of soil maps, ensuring development of precision arable farming systems. Necessity and importance of taking into account the diversity of soil properties for large-scale hydrotechnical melioration is shown.

The study was made during 2017–2020 in Central Black Earth (as basis), some Russian regions and in Kazakhstan. The main indicators were “yield”, “sugar content”, “sugar yield”, which were determined by traditional methods. То improve sowing properties of male sterile (MS) component, seeds were treated with synthesized organic compounds: 6-hydroxy-2,2,4-trimethyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline and 2-benzylamino-4-methylpyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid. An increase of seed germinative energy, seed germination, seedling length, and mass of 100 seedlings in the experiment as compared to the cont rol (%) were calculated. A positive effect from seed treatment on their sowing qualities and a stimulation of growth indicators was revealed in all variants of using the dihydroquinoline and the pyrimidine-carboxylic acid. A high level of monogermity (98–100 %) was noted in obtained hybrids. Studied hybrids show a higher level of main indicators: “yield”, “sugar content”, “sugar yield” compared to the standard. The treatment of uncoated sugar beet seeds with the pyrimidine-carboxylic acid provides an increase in seed germination energy by 29–55 %, seed germination by 25–53 %, average seedling length by 43–70 %, weight of 100 seedlings by 61–80 % compared to the control. Studied substances can be accepted as growth stimulants for sugar beet in laboratory and in field. Using CMS allows to create heterotic hybrids with the complex of economically valuable properties quicker compared to the traditional selection. This research provides obtaining hybrids on a sterile basis and study their useful properties. The results presented in the paper can be applied in the production process of sugar beet hybrids.

Climate change affects the metabolism of grape plants, quality and biological value of wine, necessitating the search for new territories to establish vineyards. The purpose of research is to assess the impact of agro-ecological conditions (2016–2021, Crimea) on the formation of a complex of phenolic antioxidants and quality of ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ grapes and wine. The methods used are: geoinformational (SRTM-3, ASTER GDEM, Worldclim ver. 2.0) and mathematical modeling, high performance liquid chromatography method (HPLC), enochemistry appropriate practices and statistical analysis. Following differences (Wilks L. ≤ 0.27; α < 0.00001) are determined in territories of grape growing in terms of heat supply – Uglovoe < Vilino < Yalta < Privetnoe, Solnechnaya Dolina < Morskoe; in terms of moisture supply – Solnechnaya Dolina, Morskoe, Privetnoe < Vilino, Uglovoe < Yalta. Increase in heat supply of territories was accompanied by the accumulation of sugars in grapes; easily extracted anthocyanins, flavonols, (–)-epicatechin in berry seeds and skins, and pH increasing, on the one hand; and on the other hand, intensification of transformation and polymerization processes in phenolic components during grape ripening and processing, leading to increase in the content of procyanidins (B2, B4), the proportion of malvidin, and decrease in the proportion of cyanidin and petunidin in berries; decrease in the concentration of monoand dimeric phenolic antioxidants, increase in the hints of spices and milk cream in aroma, as well as development of a velvety-tannic flavor in wine. Increase in the moisture supply of territories holds the process of accumulation and transformation of phenolic antioxidants in berries. Wine from grapes of Uglovoe, Vilino and Yalta vineyards contained a biologically significant amount of hydroxycinnamic acids; from Privetnoe, Yalta and Vilino vineyards – flavan-3-ols and anthocyanins. Wine from Morskoe and Solnechnaya Dolina vineyards contained an average of 1.6 times less phenolic antioxidants. The research results are significant for an object-oriented assessment of climatic conditions of grape growing territories.

The paper presents data from a study of the effect of exogenous treatment with an intense electromagnetic field (EMF) on the germination of oil radish seeds (Raphanus sativus L. var. oleifera Metzg.). Description of the experimental stand for the studied electromagnetic seed treatment, methodology and results of experiments on treatment of oil radish seeds is presented. It has been shown that treatment of oil radish seeds (Raphanus sativus L. var. oleifera Metzg.) with an intense electromagnetic field for 2 seconds significantly stimulates the growth of roots and shoots, while having no pronounced effect on germination. Treatment of seeds with an intense electromagnetic field for 4 seconds increases the germination of the studied crop by 8 % and stimulates growth parameters. Thus, different exposures can be used for different purposes: a 2 second treatment to stimulate growth parameters, a 4 second treatment to stimulate germination. Data from measurements of the content of nitrogen oxides at the outlet of the reaction zone are presented. It was noted that the NOx content made 44 ppm, i. e. concentration of nitrogen oxides at the reactor outlet is 0.44 %. It was shown that the described method made it possible to increase the germination of seeds and the rate of their growth, and the sufficient seed treatment time was 2 seconds, while the use of traditional methods of seed treatment require 5 to 30 seconds. This significantly reduces the energy consumption for seed treatment process with an intense electromagnetic field in comparison with prototypes. The described technology makes it possible to improve the quality of electromagnetic treatment of oil radish seeds, increase productivity (by reducing processing time), and reduce specific energy costs (due to the higher efficiency of the technology compared to technologies that implement a different method of generating EMF).

The population genetic parameters of Landrace breed animals bred at SE “ZhodinoAgroPlemElita”, PUE “Polesye-Agroinvest” and agricultural branch of SHC “Zadneprovsky” of OJSC “Orshanskiy KHP” were analyzed using microsatellite DNA data. 110 alleles were identified. The number of alleles for the loci ranged from 3 to 10. The highest level of allelic diversity was found in animals bred at SE “ZhodinoAgroPlemElita” – 5.40 alleles per locus. It was revealed that the population of animals of SHC “Zadneprovsky” was in the equilibrium state, the fixation index was equal to 0.001. Deviations from the equilibrium state were observed in pigs of SE “ZhodinoAgroPlemElita” (Fis = –0,019) and PUE “Polesye-Agroinvest” (Fis = –0,018). The actual degree of heterozygosity in animals ranged from 0.549 (PUE “Polesye-Agroinvest”) to 0.662 (SE “ZhodinoAgroPlemElita”). The results of the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium test showed that most of the MS DNA loci used were in a state of genetic equilibrium. The polymorphism information content (PIC) value of most of the studied loci exceeded 0.5, indicating their high informativeness as molecular genetic markers. The loci S0005 (Fst = 0.103), SW857 (Fst = 0.103) and SW240 (Fst = 0.202) were found to make the most substantial contribution to intrabreed differentiation of Landrace breed pigs. The results of the Assignment test showed that, in general, the accuracy of assignment of the studied animals to “their own” population exceeded 98 %. A high degree of genetic similarity between the Landrace breed animals of these populations was determined, the coefficients of genetic similarity made 0.795–0.874.

The results of experimental studies are presented, determining the internal defects of potato tubers using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method, which provide access to information about the state and distribution of water at the cellular and tissue levels. In order to carry out internal defect detection studies, three groups of potato tubers were prepared, comprising conditioned and unconditioned samples. The total sampling of potato tubers amounted to 38 samples. To create hidden defects in the form of darkening of tuber pulp, the method of controlled impact on a hard surface was used. Methodology for conducting experimental studies and time parameters of NMR are described. The studied potato tubers were placed in a strong magnetic field with intensity of 1.5 Tesla. Analysis of T2 images was chosen as the main method for analyzing the obtained results, since this method allows to trace one of the most important indicators of detecting internal damage of potato tubers – lack of water in the damaged areas of the pulp. The damaged areas in the images of tubers have a dark color, while the healthy tissue is light. A comparative analysis of images obtained using NMR and full-scale images of tubers’ section was carried out, allowing to determine with high accuracy the coincidence of location of defects detected by non-invasive method with their actual location in the tuber.  The study showed the value of NMR for a detailed non-invasive method for determining hidden defects in potato tubers on automatic grading machines.