Adaptive potential of the new winter durum wheat varieties and lines in the conditions of the Rostov region

Abstract

Currently, with the growth of scientific and technological progress, the issue of the effect of negative anthropogenic factors on the environment is of great urgency. Due to it there is a necessity to develop the most adaptive agricultural varieties, which is the basis of environmentally friendly agriculture. The current study was carried out on the basis of the FSBSI Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”, located in the southern part of the Rostov region in 2018–2020. The objects of research were 8 varieties sent to the State Variety Testing in 2017–2020 and 5 promising breeding lines of the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy”. The weather conditions during the years of the study were contrasting, with the most favorable ones in 2018, when there was obtained a record yield of winter durum wheat from 11.25 to 14.04 t/ha. Differences in the yields of the winter durum wheat varieties over the years were characterized by the variation range from 31.9 to 52.4%. There has been identified insignificant deviations in the yields of the variety ‘Solntsedar’ (+3 – -1.9 t/ha) and the variety ‘Zoloto Dona’ (+3.2 – -2.3 t/ha). The greatest deviations from the average yield were established in the varieties ‘Khrizolit’ (+4.5 – -3.6 t/ha), ‘Almaz Dona’ (+4.3 – -2.9 t/ha) and the line ‘721/15’ (+4.8 – -3.3 t/ha). Due to the assessment according to the adaptability parameters, there have been identified 3 groups of varieties. They are the adaptable varieties ‘Lakomka’, ‘Ellada’, ‘Khrizolit’, which will produce maximum yields under cultivation in the areas with favorable agro-climatic conditions at high agro-backgrounds; the weakly responsive varieties ‘Zoloto Dona’ and ‘Solntsedar’, for cultivation on a low agricultural background, which maintain stable yields with the mean values of 6.88–7.04 t/ha), they react poorly to external conditions, i.e. better adapted to bad and worst environments. The varieties ‘Kristella’, ‘Uslada’, ‘Dinas’, ‘Almaz Dona’ are suitable for cultivation on a medium agricultural background, because they are adaptable varieties with bi = 0.97–1.00. However, the variety ‘Almaz Dona’ turned to be unstable in terms of yields. The promising lines that participated in the analysis with different ecological characteristics will be further involved in breeding programs to increase the adaptability of new varieties. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the new varieties and promising lines according to productivity, homeostaticity, adaptability; to identify ecologically adaptable varieties and lines and to give recommendations for further use.