SOURCE MATERIAL OF A WINTER WHEAT FOR A STRESS-RESISTANT VARIETIES SELECTION

Abstract

The paper presents the results of the 50-year-long research in to the winter wheat genepool from the VIR world collection in Moscow Region to assess biotic stress resistance following N.I. Vavilov’s concept of ‘ideal variety’ proposed in 1935. Federal Scientific Selection and Technology Center for Horticulture and Nursery was responsible for the field studies of winter wheat, and the All-Russian Research Institute of Phytopathology and Russian State Agrarian University - Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy – for phytopathological studies. The wheat collection was studied in compliance with the VIR Methodological Guidelines using the International COMECON list of descriptors for the genus Triticum L. Resistance against enzyme-mycotic exhaustion of seeds (EMIS) was tested using original techniques. It was found that annual brown rust and powdery milde wattacks in the collection’s winter wheat samples caused no significant economic damage. Two cases of Septoria head and leaf blotch, two cases of Fusarium head blight, one case of root rot, one case of barley yellow dwarf virus, 20 cases of EMIS, and three cases of 3rd-degree EMIS, i.e. seed germination in an ear, were recorded. The parent material resistant to the biotic stresses of the region was selected for breeding. Despite the difficulties in combining all the best qualities in one wheat variety in their maximum expression, domestic breeders have created outstanding wheat varieties close to the "ideal" noted by N.I. Vavilov.