The new winter bread wheat variety of universal type ‘Donskaya Step’

Abstract

Introduction and methodology. Wheat bread belongs to the greatest inventions of the mankind. Therefore, the study aimed at solving the issues of improving its productivity and quality, stabilizing the gross yield of wheat grain have always arisen a great interest of researchers and specialists in agricultural production. The most accessible source of improving yields and gross harvests is a variety.The purpose of the current study was to characterize the winter bread wheat variety ‘Donskaya Step’ according to the main economically valuable traits and properties. The study was carried out by the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy”” from 2016 to 2020 on the experimental plots of crop rotation belonging to the winter wheat department. The object of the study was the winter bread wheat variety ‘Donskaya Step’. The variety ‘Ermak’ was used as a standard variety. There were used four forecrops: maize for grain, peas, sunflower and green fallow. The trials were conducted in sixfold replications. The accounting area of the plot was 10 m2.Results. The variety was sent to the State Variety Testing in 2016. In 2020 it was introduced into the State List for the North Caucasus and Low Volga regions of the Russian Federation. This variety has a high potential for grain productivity. The maximum yield of 11.83 t/ha was obtained in 2017 when sown in weedfree fallow. The average yield through four years of the competitive variety testing (2016–2020) was 9.77 t/ha, which is on 0.96 t/ha higher than that of the standard variety ‘Ermak’. The variety ‘Donskaya Step’ is a middle-maturing variety that forms ears and ripens as the standard variety ‘Ermak’. The variety forms high and stable yields due to increased frost resistance, drought resistance and resistance to the main wheat leaf diseases.