Initial material for red lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) breeding

Abstract

Topicality. As an important food crop, red lentils account for 70 % of gross consumption, and the demand for these lentils among consumers in Ukraine is constantly increasing, so it is important to develop and promote varieties of this species into production. Purpose. To create and evaluate a new initial material based on a set of economically valuable traits for the red lentil breeding. Methods. The research was conducted at the State Enterprise "Experimental Farm Krasnohradske" in the 2020–2022. The main method used for lentil breeding is intraspecific hybridization followed by individual selection in nurseries. Records and observations were carried out according to generally accepted methods. Results. Plant height of the most productive hybrids ranged from 47.0 to 56.5 cm. The coefficient of variation for this indicator was in the range of 6.4–10.8 %. The number of lateral branches in the studied samples was 5-18 pcs, the coefficient of variation ranged from 15.2 to 26.2 %. The highest number of beans per plant was in the following combinations: natural hybrid with CN 111395 – 281 pcs, and CN 111396 × (Stanka 2 × K. 1212) – 261 pcs on average, the coefficient of variation of this trait was within 32-45 %. Among the studied samples of red lentils, the number of full seeds per plant reached 520 pcs. The best combinations in terms of this indicator were Stanka 2 × K. 1212 with an average of 283 seeds and CN 111396 × (Stanka 2 × K. 1212) with an average of 275 seeds. The coefficient of variation for this indicator was quite high (36–52 %), depending on the combination. The grain weight per plant was 6.3–8.6 g. Еhe coefficient of variation of this trait was 46–51 %, which indicates a significant potential for the selection of highly productive lines. The high yielding combinations by grain weight per plant were hybrid combinations Stanka 2 × K. 1212; CN 111396 × (Stanka 2 × K. 1212). Conclusions. It was found that extreme growing conditions reduced both average and maximum values for all traits. Significant variation in the number of beans and seeds per plant as well as in the seed weight per plant was recorded. In the near future, the developed hybrid combinations are planned to be included in the breeding programme for new high-yielding red lentil varieties. Key words: lentil, variety, hybridization, cotyledons, yield, traits, hybrid combinations