Initial Breeding Research Articles

Contribution of Parastagonospora nodorum to the leaf and glume blotch of durum wheat in Bulgaria

Abstract. Parastagonospora nodorum is an important necrotrophic fungal pathogen causing leaf and glume blotch of wheat worldwide. The disease can result in significant losses in grain yield and quality. The purpose of the current investigation was to estimate the occurrence of P. nodorum as a foliar and ear pathogen of durum wheat and disease severity on a set of cultivars under natural infection. Field experiments were performed at two locations (Sofia and Chirpan) in the period 2010-2017. Twelve winter cultivars of durum wheat were involved in the study. P. nodorum was not found at both locations in 2010 and 2011. Thereafter the pathogen was recorded on the leaves of durum wheat in Sofia every year except 2013. Symptoms included chlorosis and necrosis of the leaf tissue. The strongest manifestation of the disease was observed in 2016 and especially in 2017. In Chirpan leaf blotch was noticed only in 2 out of 8 growing seasons. The ear infection led to development of dark brown patches on the glumes, which later became purple-brown. These symptoms were noted in Sofia in 2014, 2016 and 2017. In Chirpan, glume blotch of studied cultivars was recorded in 2017 but in the previous year the symptoms were widely observed on some genotypes among the initial breeding material of durum wheat. In the present investigation P. nodorum caused leaf and glume blotch only. Symptoms on stems, nodes and leaf sheaths were not noted at both locations. The 12 cultivars under study differed in their susceptibility to leaf and glume blotch. The leaf symptoms caused by P. nodorum were recorded on all cultivars, but were more pronounced on Zvezditsa, Deyana and GK Bétadur. The glume blotch was more noticeable on Vazhod. The results of this multiyear research showed that although P. nodorum did not appear every year, the pathogen could contribute to the leaf and glume blotch of durum wheat under conditions favourable for disease development. The evaluation of cultivars demonstrated encouraging preliminary results. Several cultivars showed lower disease severity on flag leaf and no or little infection on the ear. They deserve further studies on resistance to P. nodorum.

Increased allocation to reproduction reduces future competitive ability in a burying beetle.

The existence of a trade-off between current and future reproduction is a fundamental prediction of life history theory. Support for this prediction comes from brood size manipulations, showing that caring for enlarged broods often reduces the parent's future survival or fecundity. However, in many species, individuals must invest in competing for the resources required for future reproduction. Thus, a neglected aspect of this trade-off is that increased allocation to current reproduction may reduce an individual's future competitive ability. We tested this prediction in the burying beetle, Nicrophorus vespilloides, a species where parents care for their offspring and where there is fierce competition for resources used for breeding. We manipulated reproductive effort by providing females with either a small brood of 10 larvae or a large brood of 40 larvae and compared the ability of these females, and virgin females that had no prior access to a carcass, to compete for a second carcass against a virgin competitor. We found that increased allocation to current reproduction reduced future competitive ability, as females that had cared for a small brood were more successful when competing for a second carcass against a virgin competitor than females that had cared for a large brood. In addition, the costs of reproduction were offset by the benefits of feeding from the carcass during an initial breeding attempt, as females that had cared for a small brood were better competitors than virgin females that had no prior access to a carcass, whilst females that had cared for a large brood were similar in competitive ability to virgin females. Our results add to our understanding of the trade-off between current and future reproduction by showing that this trade-off can manifest through differences in future competitive ability and that direct benefits of reproduction can offset some of these costs.

Selection indices for enhanced selection efficiency in Indian mustard under terminal heat stress conditions

With global increase in temperature, terminal heat stress (THS) has emerged as a major challenge in food crops. Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern and Coss), C3 plant, grows well at 15-20°C. Heat stress at seedling as well as at flowering stage leads to enhanced vegetative growth and flower abortion leading to loss in seed yield. Late sowing after cotton and rice harvest expose the crop to high temperature stress during reproductive stage of development. A fixed diversity stock of 486 Indian mustard lines were evaluated under delayed planting conditions to expose the crop to THS for two consecutive years. Selection indices were computed using four different combinations of traits via Kang_SAS Path computer program along with expected genetic advance (GA) at 5% selection intensity. Set1, comprised of five traits viz., plant height (PH), number of secondary branches (NSB), number of siliquae on main shoot (NSMS), seed yield (SY) and 1000-seed weight (TSW) were recorded the highest GA (8.612) in comparison to other trait combinations tested in present study. Other important finding was slight difference in GA of set I (8.612; SY included) and set II (8.599; SY excluded) with efficiency of selection index 131% and 130%, respectively. This recommended that in initial breeding generations (F2/F3), a breeder may base his selection on four yield related traits (PH, NSB, NSMS and TSW) only without significant loss in genetic gains. This will save resources and time of breeders to compute seed yield. This is the first report on computation of selection index for efficient simultaneous selection under THS in Indian mustard.

Marker assisted selection of potato breeding lines with combination of PVY resistance genes from different wild species

Potato virus Y (PVY) is considered as one of the most harmful virus infections of this crop. Thus, it is a topical problem to breed potato varieties resistant against a wide range of PVY strains and to create initial breeding material that will have a combination of resistance genes from different species. The aim of the study was: (1) to genotype a collection of 376 breeding lines (BL), developed from complex interspecific hybrids, using DNA markers of PVY resistance genes, (2) to identify accessions with markers of resistance genes from different species for subsequent use in marker assisted selection (MAS), (3) to evaluate the suitability of DNA markers of PVY resistance genes for genotyping BL developed through interspecific hybridization. It was ascertained that the markers most widely represented in the collection were RYSC3 of the Ryadg gene (49.7%), Ry364 and RAPD38-530 of the Rychc gene (50.5% and 45.2%, respectively), and Yes3-3A of the Rysto gene (29.8%). The markers Ry186 of Rychc and GP122/EcoRV780 of Ryf-sto were found only in some accessions. The frequency of occurrence of BL that had markers of PVY resistance genes from two different species varied between 2.7% (Yes3-3a marker of Rysto and both two markers of Rychc) and 8.5-9.0% (RYSC3 marker of Ryadg and both two markers of Rychc, or only Ry364 marker of this gene). In total, the collection was found to contain 134 BL (47.6%) with markers of resistance genes from two different species. A combination of four markers for three genes of different origin (Ryadg, Rysto and Rychc) was found in 27 BL (7.2%). Extreme resistance to PVY of most BL (302 out of 357) was obviously determined by the presence in them of the currently used resistance genes detected by DNA markers applied in the study. Nevertheless, a significant part of accessions (55 of 61) that did not have any markers was resistant to PVY. At the same time, 13 BL (3.5%) with the markers were susceptible to the virus. Such a level of discrepancies is considered as acceptable for the initial MAS of breeding material. The obtained data on the presence of the markers of PVY resistance genes of different origin and their combination in BL ensures a more effective use of such BL in breeding in comparison with the BL resistant to the virus, though lacking corresponding markers.

The Potential for New Donkey Farming Systems to Supply the Growing Demand for Hides.

Simple SummaryThe demand for donkey hides for gelatin used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, called ejiao, has increased greatly over recent years, resulting in high and rapidly increasing prices. This has put pressure on donkey populations globally and led to theft and illegal trade in donkeys, resulting in concerns for donkey welfare and the livelihoods of those who rely on donkeys. New donkey farming systems have been set up in China in response. We model how quickly these systems may be able to meet the demand for donkey hides. Results show that it will take at least 10–15 years or more for new donkey farming systems to be able to supply the demand for hides. This means that prices of donkeys and donkey hides will continue to increase with continued thefts and illegal trade. This will have further negative impacts on donkey welfare and on the livelihoods of those who rely on donkeys. Chinese ejiao producers will continue to try to source donkey hides from around the world, putting even greater pressure on donkey populations globally.The demand for donkey hides for ejiao, a Traditional Chinese Medicine, has resulted in rapidly increasing prices for donkey hides and donkeys. This has put pressure on donkey populations globally and has implications for donkey welfare and the livelihoods of those who rely on donkeys as working animals. The aim of the research was to explore the feasibility of setting up new donkey farming systems to supply the rising demand for ejiao using a system dynamics model of donkey production. Results show that the size of the initial female breeding herd, reproductive performance, age of reproduction, percentage of female births and average breeding life of donkeys are key variables affecting the time to build up the donkey population to supply the demand for hides, which will be at least ten to fifteen years. The implications of this are: (i) prices for donkey hides will continue to increase, (ii) companies producing ejiao will use other ingredients, (iii) China will continue to source donkey hides from around the world, and (iv) there will be continued theft and illegal trade of donkeys and concerns for rural households reliant on donkeys for their livelihoods and adverse impacts on donkey welfare.

Development of the initial sunflower breeding material resistant to new high virulent races of broomrape and false powdery mildew

The widespread violation of scientifically based crop rotation and their saturation with sunflower caused an accelerated emergence of more aggressive races of broomrape and powdery mildew. Currently, the researchers from different countries have identified 8 races of broomrape A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H. The sunflower varieties and hybrids previously developed at the station and introduced into the State List of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation that are resistant to the broomrape races A, B, C, D, E were greatly affected. Monitoring of the races of broomrape and false powdery mildew, conducted by the ARRIOC researchers, showed the presence of more aggressive broomrape races (F, G, H) and false powdery mildew (330, 710, 730) in the fields of the Rostov Region. The current situation necessitated the development of sunflower hybrids resistant to the new aggressive races of these pathogens. To identify such hybrids, the corresponding initial breeding material has been required. It was important to combine resistance to broomrape and false powdery mildew with other breeding-valuable traits in one genotype. The current paper presents the results of the sunflower initial breeding material on resistance to broomrape and false powdery mildew. The work was carried out in the fields and in the laboratories of DOS, an affiliate of the FSBSI FSC ARRIOC. The breeding material developed at the station was used as the initial material. Using hybridization methods, multiple self-pollination, and reliable estimation of pathogen resistance at all stages of the breeding process, there was selected a promising linear material (I-4/4640, I-4/4764, I-5/2450, I-5/2465 and etc.), which was included into the search for high heterosis hybrid combinations. The hybrid combinations developed with its participation (MLG 45/4640, MLG 121/4764, MLG 65/2444, etc.), when estimated on the fields infected by sunflower broomrape, showed a higher resistance to highly virulent races of the pathogen in comparison with the best foreign hybrids.

Genotypic differences in reaction of barley root system on Mn and Fe toxicity

The study was performed to determine genotypic differences in spring barley cultivars on resistance to 1.1 mM manganese and 1.2 mM iron at early stage of growth. Resistance level was estimated by morphologic (root length) and physiological (level of antioxidant activity, accumulation coefficient) parameters. Morphologic trait was less sensitive for cultivar differentiation in compare with physiological one. Based on relative root length index all cultivars were classified as resistant having resistance index about 80-94% for Mn and 67-76% for Fe. Reaction to Mn by change in antioxidant activity was uniform: it was increased from 4% in cv. Bionic up to 28% in cv. Farmer. According to reactions to Fe, studied cultivars were divided into three groups: high resistant (cv. Belgorodsky 100 and Farmer; increase in antioxidant activity 2 and 18% accordingly), weak resistant (cv. Forward, Bionic, and 29-11; changes were insignificant) and sensitive one (cv. 346-09; 8%-decrease in activity). For manganese accumulation coefficient is higher than for iron. The maximum accumulation coefficient for manganese was characteristic of cv. 29-11 (190), for iron - cv. Bionic (120). The genotypic specificity for root antioxidant activity can be used as a rapid test of resistance to manganese or iron in initial breeding material.

Genetic peculiarities and strategy of the pea breeding for the winter sowing

Aim. The need to grow peas under winter sowing in the connection with climate change was grounded. The analysis of the state of research in this area in Ukraine and abroad was conducted. The need to create an initial breeding material for the development of cultivars suitable for this technology was supported. Methods. Field studies were conducted on the experimental fields of Odessa State Agricultural Research Station, which is located in the central area of the region. The reaction to the sowing in the autumn of the typically spring cultivars of pea ‘Svit’ and ‘Darunok Stepu’, which are recommended for cultivation in our country, as well as the foreign cultivars of ‘Moroz’, ‘Enduro’ and ‘Balltrap’, which were specially bred for autumn sowing, had been studied. The experiments were laid in the autumn of October 1, 10, 20 and 30, in spring in March, when the soil condition allows sowing. Phenological observations were carried out during the growing season and the necessary measurements of biometric parameters had been made. Results. In autumn of 2017, well-developed seedlings of all 4 cultivars were obtained; the plants grew normally without any deviations. Normal cultivars of ‘Svit’ and ‘Darunok Stepu’ formed an elevated above-ground mass. In the middle of winter (January 2018) the seedlings also had a satisfactory appearance, with the first sowing being more developed above ground. They were not damaged by the first frosts; they had a well-developed root system. In autumn of 2018, a rather severe drought occurred in the study area, sowing was carried out in dry soil; no seedlings were obtained for all three terms. In spring of 2019, good seedlings were obtained under the sowing on October 19 and 30. Under the autumn sowing on October 10, the seedlings were thinned. Subsequently, the plants grew and developed without any deviation. Full maturation in 2018 occurred June 1–2, in 2019 June 8–10. Yields of ‘Moroz’ and ‘Enduro’ cultivars were significantly higher under winter sowing on October 19, 2018 compared to spring. A significant increase in the yield of this sowing period was also observed in the ‘Svit’ cultivar. ‘Darunok Stepu’ gave about the same yield as in spring and autumn sowing. Features of breeding of pea cultivars for winter sowing, nature of inheritance of cold resistance, influence of certain genes on the level of winter hardiness are discussed. Conclusions. Autumn sowing of peas should be carried out at the beginning of the second half of October. ‘Enduro’ cultivar stands out for yield from the foreign cultivars for this technology. Based on the analysis of literature sources, the best cold-resistant genotypes of foreign origin are described, which should be included in the breeding process to create valuable initial material.

Peculiarities of induction of callusogenesis and morphogenesis in fennel depending on the age of seedlings

The influence of the age of seedlings (of which hypocotyl explants were isolated) and the composition of the culture medium on the callusogenesis and morphogenesis induction of fennel cultivars ‘Mertsishor’ and ‘Oksamit Kryma’ were studied. It was established that with the use of younger seedlings (7-day of age) callus induction began in a larger number of explants for a week of cultivation earlier compared to 14 and 21-day seedlings. The frequency of somatic embryogenesis in the callus obtained from 7-day seedling hypocotyl was almost twice higher than that of the callus from more mature seedling. It was revealed that the cultivar ‘Mertsishor’ had a higher morphogenetic potential compared to ‘Oksamit Kryma’. Improved methods of embryogenic callus induction and plant regeneration can be used for obtaining the initial breeding material of fennel.

Evaluation of the initial breeding material of blackcurrant

The results of the study (2016–2018) of the blackcurrant initial breeding material in yield, winter hardiness, resistance to powdery mildew and blackcurrant gall mite in Central Yakutia are presented. The observations were carried out in a breeding garden with a planting scheme of 2 × 1 m. Objects of the research were 90 hybrids of blackcurrant. The studied hybrid forms were divided into 5 genetic groups of different origin, obtained from intercultivar, intraspecifi c, and interspecifi c crosses of descendants of the European (Ribes nigrum ssp. Europaeum (Jancz.)) and Siberian subspecies of blackcurrant (R. nigrum ssp. Sibiricum (E.W.)), Scandinavian currants (R. nigrum ssp. scandicum Hedl.), wild currants (R. dikuscha Fisch. ex Turcz.), few-fl owered currants (R. pausifl orum Turcz. ex Pojark) and recumbent currants (R. procumbens Pall.). The most winter-hardy in the sharply continental climatic conditions of Yakutia are hybrids in the families of the Altaiskaya Late × Yakutskaya (1-2-13), Altaiskaya Late × Lucia (15-13), Podarok Kuzioru × Hara Kytalyk (1-1813, 2-2-13, 2-4-13, 2-16-13), Podarok Kuzioru × Lucia (4-9-13). Resistance to blackcurrant gall mite was shown by hybrid families Altaiskaya Late × Yakutskaya, Altaiskaya Late × Hara Kytalyk, Altaiskaya Late × Lucia, Lama × Hara Kytalyk, Nika × Hara Kytalyk, Sharovidnaya × Hara Kytalyk. American powdery mildew did not affect 78 out of 90 plants of blackcurrant. The hybrids 3-4-13 (Podarok Kuzioru × Hara Kytalyk), 5-13-13 (Sharovidnaya × Hara Kytalyk), 3-11-13, 3-13-13 (Podarok Kuzioru × Pamyati Kyndyla), 516-13, 5-17-13 (Sharovidnaya × Pamyati Kyndyla were characterized by high yields (from 12.5 to 19.4 t/ha). The forms distinguished by individual characteristics can be used in further blackcurrant breeding as sources of economically valuable traits. Hybrid forms 3-4-13 (Podarok Kuzioru × Hara Kytalyk) and 3-6-13, 3-13-13 (Podarok Kuzioru × Pamyati Kyndyla) are of interest as complex sources of high yield, resistance to powdery mildew and blackcurrant gall mite.

Playback of male song advanced onset of nest building but not initial egg date or breeding synchrony in the Great Tit Parus major

Social stimulation can hasten and synchronize breeding in colonial species. However, whether it affects reproductive timing in territorial species, or whether social stimuli from different sexes are important remains largely unknown. Vocalizations of both sexes were played back in Great Tits. Females exposed to male songs built nests earlier, but did not lay earlier or breed more synchronously, while female calls had no effect. This study demonstrated social stimuli from males influenced nest building. In contrast to colonial species, laying date and breeding synchrony may be affected by other external cues in the Great Tits.

Understanding the farming systems and cattle production in Tanah Laut, South Kalimantan

The Government of Indonesia has been promoting crop and cattle integration in several provinces to increase local cattle supply and reduce the reliance on imports. Tanah Laut district in South Kalimantan was one of those sites selected. Despite being the major cattle producer, more than 50% of beef demand in Tanah Laut district is met by imported frozen beef, and live cattle imports from interisland. This paper examined how the farming systems in Tanah Laut, including cattle production, have been shaped by technical, agro-climatic, socioeconomic and institutional factors. The main method used is informant interviews with farmer group leaders. Key results are: cattle is the main source of income; the cattle distribution program provided the initial breeding stock, but inadequate technical and extension support and inconsistent development programs have resulted in slow cattle population growth; Javanese and Balinese migrants were more inclined to adopt new technology; and women are involved in various farming activities, but their contribution is not acknowledged. The implication is that better understanding of farming systems and underlying socioeconomic and institutional factors is necessary for better development policies to increase local beef supply, as well as facilitating adoption and scaling out of improved technology.

Screening of Provitamin-A Maize Inbred Lines for Drought Tolerance: Beta-Carotene Content and Secondary Traits

Provitamin A maize (Zea mays L.) biofortification is an ideal complementary means of combating vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in sub-Saharan Africa where maize consumption is high coupled by high VAD incidences. However, drought remains a major abiotic constraint to maize productivity in this region. Comprehensive drought screening of initial breeding materials before advancing them is important to achieve genetic gain. In this study, 46 provitamin-A inbred lines were screened for drought tolerance in the greenhouse and field under drought and optimum conditions using β-carotene content (BCC), grain yield (GY), and selected morphophysiological and biochemical traits. The results revealed that BCC, morphophysiological and biochemical traits were effective in discriminating among genotypes. Number of ears per plant (EPP), stomatal conductance (Gs), delayed leaf senescence (SEN), leaf rolling (RL), chlorophyll content (CC) and free proline content (PC) proved to be ideal traits to use when indirectly selecting for GY by virtue of having relative efficiency of indirect selection values that are greater than unity and considerable genetic variances under either or both conditions. The findings of this study form the basis of initial germplasm selection when improving provitamin A maize for drought tolerance.

Genome-wide genetic diversity is maintained through decades of soybean breeding in Canada.

Genetic diversity in Canadian soybean is maintained over decades of selection in two public breeding programs. Breeders have used a portion of the genetic diversity available in germplasm collections. Both public and private breeding efforts have been critical for the development of soybean cultivars grown around the world. Global genetic diversity of soybean has been well characterized; however, this diversity is not well studied at the breeding program scale. The objective of this study was to characterize genetic diversity over decades of breeding in two public soybean breeding programs at the University of Guelph, Canada. To address this objective, a pedigree-related panel combining 296 soybean accessions from the Ridgetown and Guelph Campus breeding programs was studied. The accessions were genotyped using genotyping-by-sequencing, imputed using the GmHapMap reference genotypes resulting in more than 3.8M SNPs, further filtered to 77k SNPs. Population structure analysis did not identify structure between the breeding programs and historical germplasm. The linkage disequilibrium decay ranged from 400 to 600kb on average in euchromatic regions. Nucleotide diversity over decades of breeding shows that historical accessions had the highest nucleotide diversity, with significant decreases corresponding to the initial breeding activity in Canada; however, genetic diversity has increased in the last 20years in both breeding programs. Maturity gene E2 was nearly fixed for e2 in Ridgetown accessions, while unfixed in Guelph accessions. Comparison of the breeding programs to the USDA germplasm collection reveals that breeders have only used a portion of the available genetic diversity, allowing future breeders to exploit this untapped resource. The approach used in this study may be of interest to other breeding programs for evaluating changes in genetic diversity resulting from breeding activities.

Secondary Nucleation of Sodium Chlorate: The Role of Initial Breeding

Secondary nucleation is the key mechanism behind the creation of new crystals in industrial crystallization processes. Sodium chlorate has widely been used throughout literature as a model compound...

THE BREEDING AND ECONOMIC VALUES OF RELATED LEADER 1926780 GROUP BULLS IN UKRAINIAN RED AND WHITE DAIRY BREED

The results of breeding and economic value of related group Leader 1926780 bulls, which are used in Ukrainian red and white dairy breed of cattle are given an account. It has been determined, that the bulls of this group keep the breeding value at complex of milk productivity traits on high level during 8–11 years and well transfer these traits by inheritance to the native offspring. The initial breeding value for the daughter`s milk productivity of bulls of foreign selection was +400 – +1406 and domestic – +748 and +1261 kg. Along with a high level of breeding value the bulls of this related group are characterized by high contents of fat and protein in milk. Thus, the fat content in milk of the daughters of bulls (10 heads), which ware estimated in Germany, was at the level of 4.16–4.55% and protein content – 3.28–3.53%. The pedigree value of bulls by these traits ware +0.10 – +0.59 and +0.02 – +0.35% and exceeds the standard of Ukrainian red and white dairy breed on 12.5–30.0 and 9.1% respectively. Typical, that the bulls of domestic breeding inherit high fat content in milk (breeding value is +0.02 – +0.18%) and protein (+0.02 – +0.15%). During a long-term using, the breeding value of all bulls is decreasing annually due to increasing the level of genetic trend of milk productivity in herds, remains at a positive level and provides improvement of the animals of the breeding herds in which they are used, according to the complex of breeding traits. The milk productivity of the 15 first-born cows-daughters of bull Golf, for 305 days of lactation in the state enterprise "Gontarivka" constituted 6113 kg with 4.03% fat and 3.33% protein, while in the "Agrosvit" breeding plant from each of 41 first-born Golf`s cows was obtained at 6893 kg of milk with 4.01% fat content and 3.38% protein.The breeding value of this bull is +526 kg milk, +0.31% fat and +0.28% protein, which prevails breed standard for milk yield on 91–115; fat content 8.3–9.0; and protein by 0.1–2.4% respectively.
 The bull Konbeo Red DE 579810507 was used simultaneously with the Jornado Red DE 114386106, whose breeding value was +1100 kg +0.02% +42 kg +0.0 +33 kg at the farm «Kolos» breeding plant in the Vinnitsa region. The milk productivity of the Konbeo daughters during the first two lactations exceeded the compararies at 334–392 kg of milk, the fat content +0.03 – +0.04 and the protein at +0.02–0.04%. Among the bulls of domestic breeding should be noted Agrus Red UA 320080992043, was estimated in 2015 SI +706 (94 d. – 8739 kg – 3.96% fat – 347 kg of milk fat; 3.17% protein and 277 kg of protein). The breeding value was: +744 kg – +0.18% +44 kg +0.02% and +18 kg. The economic efficiency of using the bulls-improvers of the complex traits of the related group Leader's 1926780 dependent from the level of the breeding value of the bull and the number of received daughters and varied from 223.2 to 1361.8 thousand UAH.
 According to the number of animals, genealogical structure, level of the influence to the breed`s consolidation, it is possible use wide this group of bulls in the breeding herds of the Ukrainian red and white dairy breed and to create new bloodline with high content fat and protein in milk.

Improved methods for reducing translocation mortality and obtaining reliable population projections for reintroduction of the New Zealand Rifleman Acanthisitta chloris

SummaryDespite many notable successes, the failure rate of animal translocations remains high. Conservation practitioners and reintroduction specialists have emphasised the need for ongoing documentation of translocation attempts, whether successful or not, including detailed methodologies and monitoring approaches. This study reports on the first translocation of the North Island subspecies of New Zealand’s smallest bird, the endemic Rifleman Acanthisitta chloris granti. We describe an improved transfer methodology following recommendations arising from a previous translocation of South Island Rifleman Acanthisitta chloris chloris. Key modifications included a reduced capture window, shorter holding times, lack of extended aviary housing, and separation of territorial individuals during holding. Survival from capture to release increased from 52% to 97% using this new methodology. However, only 22% of 83 released birds were found in the reserve the next breeding season, resulting in an initial breeding population of only six males and five females. An integrated Bayesian analysis of three years of subsequent population data, including a population boost from a second translocation, projected a median decrease to 0–5 females over 10 years, but with 95% prediction intervals ranging from 0 to 33. These projections explicitly account for parameter uncertainty, as well as demographic stochasticity, and illustrate the need to do so when making inferences for small reintroduced populations.

Creation of bread spring wheat breeding material with wheat-rye translocations

Purpose. Creation of bread spring wheat varieties using domestic and foreign varieties as carriers of wheat-rye translocation. Меthods. Field, laboratory, statistical. Results. The creation of varieties with wheat-rye translocation 1AL.1RS is the perspective direction of breeding, which allows to significantly improve the gene pool of bread spring wheat. The paper covers outputs of long-term breeding studies conducted at the V. M. Remeslo Myronivka Institute of Wheat of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine (MIW) for obtaining bread wheat varieties with wheat-rye translocation 1AL.1RS. As the initial breeding material varieties and lines of domestic and foreign breeding were used, in particular, the ‘TAM 107’ variety (USA) with wheat-rye translocation 1AL.1RS. During realization of the scientific breeding program, the bread winter wheat variety ‘Ekspromt’ (1AL.1RS), as well as the bread spring wheat varieties ‘Struna myronivska’ (1AL.1RS) and ‘MІP Solomіia’ (1AL.1RS) have been created. As evidenced by the analysis of the spectrum of storage proteins, the varieties ‘Struna myronivska’ and ‘MIP Solomiіa’ contain wheat-rye translocation 1AL.1RS in their genomes. The variety ‘MIP Solomiіa’ inherited it from the variety of bread spring wheat ‘Struna myronivska’. The bread spring wheat new variety ‘MІP Solomiia’ is characterized by high yielding capacity, adaptability, resistance to powdery mildew, fusarium head blight, common bunt and high indices of grain quality. Conclusions. By long-term single crossing foreign varieties and domestic breeding material when using the pedigree method, bread wheat varieties with wheat-rye translocation 1AL.1RS have been created. The bread spring wheat variety ‘MІP Solomiia’ submitted for the State Variety Testing in 2017, is characterized by high yielding capa­city, lodging resistance, low incidence of fungal diseases, resistance to common bunt, adaptability. The presence of wheat-rye translocation in spring wheats varieties of Myronivka breeding ‘Struna myronivska’ and ‘MІP Solomіia’ has been confirmed by analyzing the spectrum of storage proteins during polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

ВЛИЯНИЕ ДЛИНЫ КОЛЕОПТИЛЯ И ГЛУБИНЫ ПОСЕВА НА УРОЖАЙНОСТЬ ЯРОВОЙ ТРИТИКАЛЕ

Now triticale is referred to as a crop that is able to solve the problem of stabilizing the gross yield of cultivated feed and food grains around the world. Spring triticale in the Chuvash Republic is not cultivated in a small area and breeding for this crop is not conducted. The introduction of spring triticale in production is possible only when creating varieties that meet the soil and climatic conditions of the country. This problem can be solved only by selecting and creating the initial breeding material. The source material must be studied comprehensively. One of the important indicators in the evaluation of the source material may be the length of a coleoptile. The purpose of the research is to determine the influence of the length of the coleoptile and the depth of sowing of seeds on the yield of the source material of spring triticale. Presented studies conducted in 2017-2018. The varieties Ulyana, Rovnya, Khaykar, Saur and breeding lines 15-11-2, 15-48-11, 15-65-29 were evaluated. The short coleoptile had Rovnya and 15-11-2 line, the middle coleoptile had Ulyana, Saur and 15-65-29 line, the long coleoptile Khaykar and 15-48-11 line. The longest coleoptile was in 15-48-11 line, and the shortest - in 15-11-2 line. For forms with a short coleoptile with increasing sowing depth, field germination, plant safety, number of productive stems, productive bushiness, grain weight per spike, number of grains per spike, grain yield are significantly reduced. Their maximum manifestation in forms with an average coleoptile was found at a seeding depth of 5 cm. For forms with a long coleoptile, the seeding depth does not significantly affect the value of these indicators. For all the studied parameters with an increase in the depth of sowing, their dependence on the length of the coleoptile increases. High correlation is observed in field germination, plant safety, the number of productive stems, the mass of 1000 grains and yield.

Characteristics of winter bread wheat lines developed with the use of spelt wheat

Aim. To create bread wheat lines with valuable economic and biological traits as initial breeding material by hybridization of Triticum aestivum L. and Triticum spelta L. Results and Discussion. The study was conducted at Uman NUH. Bread wheat accessions were created by remote hybridization and multiple individual selections. Hybrid offspring F2–5 was analyzed for expression of economically valuable characteristics. In the 5th generation (F5), the best specimens were selected and tested in 2012–2018 (F5–F10). Bread winter wheat variety Podolianka was used as a check variety. The systematic method of arranging plots of 10 m2 was used. The plots were arranged in blocks with a density of 400,000 plants/ha in 5 replications. Biometric measurements were carried out on 50 plants selected from each plot in 2 non-adjoining replications. After observations and measurements, grain was threshed, and the yield capacity was determined. The significance of the study results was evaluated as Ye. R. Ermantraut et al. described (2000).The developed accessions differed in expression of economically valuable traits. The plant height varied within 52–112 cm. Middle and short forms were selected. The gluten content varied within 27.5–38.1 %. The lines were grouped according to the spike shape into 5 different morphotypes: speltoids, forms with a typical bread wheat spike, square heads, subcompactoids and compactoids. Short square head accession 1689 and accession 1692 with a typical bread wheat spike were distinguished by several economically valuable features. Conclusions. Remote hybridization of bread winter wheat with spelt enabled developing over 500 bread wheat lines. Forms combining high performance and high grain quality were selected, in particular accession 1689 containing 32.4 % of gluten, 15.8 % of protein and giving a yield of 7.19 t/ha. Hybridization of bread wheat with spelt created variety Artaplot included in the State Register of Plant Varieties suitable for dissemination in Ukraine in 2019.