The results of monitoring of national food security based on the results of 2023 are presented, potential external threats are identified (instability of the world market, the emergence of new barriers and restrictions in the international trading system), as well as key stabilizing internal factors (high level of domestic production, annual increase in the integral food security index, increase in physical and economic accessibility of food for the population). Strategic directions and measures to increase the sustainability of the national agri-food system are substantiated, including: development and implementation of indicators of technological sovereignty of the agro-industrial complex into the monitoring system, creation of an information and analytical system for monitoring and forecasting the food security, strengthening competitive positions and promoting domestic producers in the domestic and foreign markets, development of scientific and production cooperation and mechanisms for jointly ensuring food security within the Union State, EAEU, CIS and SCO.

The aim of the following research paper was to evaluate the agro-ecological state of arable soils, located in the Central Black Earth forest-steppe zone with the Belgorod region as an example. The state agro-ecological analysis of soils, conducted using prevalent methods by the agrochemical service of Russia was used as a primary source. On average, about 99.4 kg/ha of mineral and 6.3 t/ha of organic fertilizers were applied during the 9th cycle of the agrochemical survey (2010–2014). During the 11th cycle (2019–2022), a 14.8 % increase of mineral fertilizers was introduced, thereby making 114.1 kg/ha, and 66.7 % increase of organic fertilizers, making 10.5 t/ha. In relation to the 9th cycle, the 11th one was accompanied by a 23.3 % decline in the quantity of acidic soils from 60.9 to 37.6 %, which included a decrease of 14.1 % (from 18.2 to 4.1 %) in the acidity of medium acidic soils. The weighted average mean of organic matter in soils increased by 0.3 %, from 5.0 to 5.3 %. The average weighted mean of mobile forms of potassium displayed an increase of 11 mg/kg, from 152 to 163 mg/kg, while the mobile forms of phosphorus were fairly stable at 146 mg/kg in the 11th cycle. Share of soils low in mobile forms of sulfur decreased by 10.2 %, from 95.1 to 84.9 %, and manganese by 15.7 %, from 55.3 to 39.6 %. The concentrations of mobile zinc, copper and cobalt mostly remained unchanged, with soils, that contained low traces of these elements being at 97.4; 98.8 and 93.1 %, respectively, in the 11th cycle. Winter wheat, maize, sunflower, and soybean yields increased by 45.6; 39.7; 39.0 and 26.1 %, and in the eleventh cycle made 5.40; 7.50; 3.03 and 2.08 t/ha, respectively, within the achieved levels of soil fertility and usage of fertilizer.

Prospective tasks for the development of cultural herd horse breeding in Belarus include raising horses of new quality, which are most in demand in the current conditions for use within the republic and for export, as well as intensification of their meat productivity. While bearing specific traits of Belarusian Harness and Russian Heavy Draft breeds, horses of these genotypes will be characterized by new features of non-traditional horse use (cultural herd keeping). It was determined that it would be more expedient to enter both the domestic and foreign markets not with raw materials for processing, but with finished products. This is evidenced by the constantly accumulated domestic experience of meat processing enterprises of the country, including the economic results of meat horse breeding at FE “Vasilek” (Dzerzhinsky district). The paper presents for the first time the information about the developed normative documentation for industrial production of new types of horse meat products (cooked and smoked sausage product, semi-smoked sausage product, dry-cured pastirma) (Collection of recipes, Specifications). In general, the research conducted to study the meat productivity of horses of the studied genotypes kept in cultural herds should be the subject of further scientific research aimed at the development of technology for the production of new high-quality products and semi-finished products from horse meat. The data obtained will be used to develop a system of selection and intensive rearing of young horses of the Belarusian Harness and Russian Heavy Draft breeds characterized by meat-type exterior to achieve optimal early maturity and meat productivity. This will improve the welfare of Belarusian horse breeding, increase the quality of herd horses, and become an export-oriented branch of productive horse breeding for the CIS countries.

The definition and methodological principles for creating an adaptive mechanical-information system for cow milking are provided, developed within the framework of the complex determined interaction of elements in the triune system of human-machine-animal. An iterative life cycle model of the adaptive control algorithm for the milking process is presented, implemented through the decomposition and aggregation of components and elements of the engineering object subsystem. Based on fluid mechanics theory, general principles of mathematical modeling of the milk extraction process are formulated, using standard mathematical functions to describe the dynamics of cow milk flow rate. Equations for the flow and volume of milk extracted per pulsation cycle are provided. The priority influence of the duration and ratio of cycles on milk flow rate intensity, compared to the magnitude of vacuum pressure, is substantiated. Based on the developed model, an analysis of specific production situations related to the peculiarities of physiological processes and ethological reactions of animals is conducted. Examples of the production research methodology using the capabilities of adaptive control systems for the milking process are described. The obtained results confirm the possibility of increasing the milk flow rate and cow productivity through the use of an original methodology for selecting parameters for differentiated stimulation and dynamic pulsation depending on the milk flow rate and productivity of cows in the herd. The developed methodological principles are aimed to create an original control algorithm for the milking process, adaptive to the individual physiological characteristics and ethological reactions of animals, ensuring increased cow productivity.

There is a trend towards healthy nutrition in the modern world, which causes consumers to favor natural ingredients isolated from plant raw materials. Traditional technologies used for obtaining food colorants have a number of disadvantages, so new methods are being developed – highly efficient, safe, and resource-saving. An innovative approach to the extraction of pigments is ultrasonic extraction (USE) in the medium of electrochemically activated aqueous solution (ECAS). Utilization of secondary raw materials in the form of production waste, such as root vegetable peels, is of particular interest. The aim of the work was to extract natural colorants from table beetroot by means of USE in metastable fractions of ECAS and to study the possibility of their introduction into the food system of confectionery cream. The coloring substances from table beet (Beta vulgaris L.) peel were extracted by ultrasound (power 24 W, ultrasound frequency 1.7 MHz, duration 60 min). The solvents used for pigment extraction were drinking water, oxidized (anolyte) and reduced (catholyte) fractions of ECAS; at the ratio of raw materials and solvent of 1 : 3 (by weight). Aqueous solutions of coloring substances extracted from table beet peel were obtained. The influence of the solvent on physicochemical indicators of the extract quality and organoleptic properties of the finished cream was studied. It is shown that USE in the oxidized fraction of ECAS affects the mass fraction of dry substances in the extract, and their addition to the cream for flour confectionery products at the ratio of 1 : 6 (ml/g) ensures the desired organoleptic indicators. The type of solvent (water, anolyte, catholyte) affects the content of soluble solids in the extract, the degree of extraction and the quality of the finished confectionery cream. Prospects of practical use of the research results are connected with the development of technology of extraction of natural coloring agents under gentle conditions, as well as the use of plant extracts in emulsion food systems in order to increase their nutritional value, attractiveness and replacement of synthetic colorants.