State List Of Breeding Achievements Research Articles

Yasenka’ is a new word in obtaining the ‘golden grain’ of durum wheat

The purpose of the current study was to develop a new drought-resistant initial material, adapted to local conditions and spring durum wheat varieties on its basis. Due to the method of intraspecific hybridization and individual selection, there has been developed the spring durum wheat variety ‘Yasenka’ in the F5 hybrid combination obtained from crossing the varieties ‘Lilek x Nikolasha’. The developed variety is short-stemmed, middle maturing, resistant to drought and lodging. Its potential productivity is high, due to the maximum yield of 6.44 tons per hectare obtained in 2017 when sowing after peas. On average, over three years of competitive variety testing (2015–2017), its yield was 6.02 tons per hectare, which is higher than that of the varieties ‘Volnodonskaya’ on 1.08 and ‘Nikolasha’ on 0.40 tons per hectare. There has been found an advantage in terms of productivity over other varieties when sowing at a later date. Grain and pasta quality indicators are high. When evaluating grain according to the international standard ISO 21415-2, the variety ‘Yasenka’ showed a high Gluten Index (94) and a Minolta color index “b” (30), which corre- sponds to the world quality level. Under natural conditions, it is characterized by field resistance to the main leaf fungal diseases. Against the background of artificial infection, there has been established high resistance to head smut, powdery mildew and hard smut, resistance to septoria blotch and brown rust, moderate susceptibility to head blight. The variety has been included into the State List of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation since 2018 and it’s protected by the patent of the Russian Federation.

The new middle-maturing winter barley variety ‘Marusya’

Last years the Rostov region has faced a significant climate continentality increase during the growing season of winter crops. This factor makes necessary to develop new varieties of intensive winter barley with a high level of ecological adaptability, resistance to lodging and leaf diseases, with a high level of potential productivity. The purpose of the current study was to develop a new highly productive, stress-resistant winter barley variety with a high level of adaptability and to evaluate it according to economically valuable traits. The current paper has presented the agrobiological characteristics of the winter barley variety ‘Marusya’, the originator and patent holder of which is the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Agrarian Research Center “Donskoy”. The research was carried out from 2018 to 2020 in the fields of experimental crop rotation of the department of barley breeding and seed production of the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy”. The forecrop was peas. The accounting plot area was 10 m², the number of repetitions was 6. The winter barley variety ‘Timofey’ was used as a standard variety. The species was parallelum. The type of development was facultative. Over the years of study in the Competitive Variety Testing of the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy” (2018–2020), the variety produced from 8.0 to 11.2 t/ha, that exceeded the standard variety ‘Timofey’ on 0.5–1.5 t/ha. Since 2020, the State Commission for Variety Testing of Agricultural Crops decided to include the variety ‘Marusya’ in the State List of Breeding Achievements in the North Caucasus region. The variety is being studied in the Central Blackearth and Lower Volga regions of the Russian Federation. The consistently high productivity of the new variety is achieved due to the large grain and higher indicators of the yield structure elements and resistance to diseases in comparison with those of the standard variety ‘Timofey’

The new early-maturing winter bread wheat variety ‘Zhavoronok’

There has been presented the characteristics of the new early-maturing winter bread wheat variety ‘Zhavoronok’ according to economically valuable traits and properties. The development of early-maturing grain crop varieties is one of the main issues of grain production. The combination of a relatively short vegetation period with high productivity in one genotype helps to solve a number of agricultural concerns. This allows using techniques more systematic, reducing the intensity of harvesting and yield loss significantly, which occur when cultivating simultaneously maturing varieties on large areas. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the new early-maturing winter bread wheat variety ‘Zhavoronok’ on the basis of a set of economically valuable traits. The study was carried out in 2015–2019 with such forecrops as maize for grain, weedfree fallow, peas and sunflower. In the department of winter wheat breeding and seed production of the FSBSI Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” a lot of work is being done on winter wheat breeding, and one of the important directions is the development of early-maturing varieties. The winter bread wheat variety ‘Zhavoronok’ has been included in the State List of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation since 2020 and approved for use the North Caucasus and Nizhne-Volga regions. According to the length of the growing period, it belongs to the early-maturing group. Its high and stable productivity with various forecrops is explained by a complex of positive economically valuable traits and properties, such as high productivity of a head, resistance to lodging and brown rust, high frost resistance (the same as that of the variety ‘Don 107’). The variety ‘Zhavoronok’ is capable of producing good yields and full grain in arid years, its early maturity allows it to ‘escape’ drought, disease and other unfavorable conditions.

Economic and biological characteristics of the new spring oats variety “Arkhan”

The developed spring oats varieties should combine potential productivity with resistance to abiotic and biotic environmental factors due to increased adaptability. The purpose of the current study was to develop a new highly productive spring oats variety with a complex of economically valuable traits that are resistant to abiotic and biotic stressors. The current paper has presented a description of the new spring oats variety ‘Arkhan’ (mutika), developed by the Moscow RIA in cooperation with the FSEI “Kotlasskoe” by the method of individual-family selection from a hybrid population obtained from step hybridization of the varieties of different origin. The Competitive Variety Testing of the variety ‘Arkhan’ was carried out in 2013–2016 on the basis of the FSEI “Kotlasskoe” of the Arkhangelsk region, the variety ‘Krechet’ was the standard variety. The grain productivity of the new variety averaged 4.5 t/ha over 4 years, which was significantly larger than that of the standard variety ‘Krechet’ (3.5 t/ha). The average green mass productivity of the variety ‘Arkhan’ was 26.7 t/ha, which on 8.5 t/ha higher than that of the standard variety ‘Krechet’. The variety ‘Arkhan’ is characterized by resistance to head smut, being relatively resistant to crown oats rust. The variety is highly resistant to grain shedding and lodging. According to the best indicators, the new spring oats variety ‘Arkhan’ in 2017 was sent for the study to the State Variety Network of the Russian Federation. According to the results of the State Variety Testing, the variety has been included into the State List of Breeding Achievements approved for use on the territory of the Russian Federation since 2020 (in regions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5).

The spring bread wheat ‘Ekstra’

The current study was carried out in order to create an early-ripening variety of spring bread wheat with productivity at the level of middle-early or higher, the most adapted to the specific conditions of the Middle Urals. The estimation of the breeding material was carried out in the fields, the soils of which are typical for the Sverdlovsk region and Permsky Krai. During the years of the study, the agroclimatic conditions differed along the growing season. There have been established the dry year of 2016 (90 mm of rain, GTC 0.6) and the moisture years of 2014, 2015, 2017–2019 (with precipitation amount of 247–448 mm, GTC 2.0–3.2). The crossings were carried out between the middle-ripening variety ‘Omskaya 35’ (mother) and the early- ripening variety ‘Iren’ (father). There has been developed the variety that combined high productivity and early maturity. The average productivity of the new variety ‘Ekstra’ in the Competitive Variety Testing in 2014–2019 was 4.07 t/ha, which is on 0.55 t/ha higher than the standard variety ‘Iren’, the maximum productivity was 5.0–6.1 t/ha (2019). The new variety has exceeded the values of the standard variety in such yield structure elements as “seed weight per head”, “1000 grain weight”, “grain content per head”; the accumulation of seeds per day of growing season was 14.2% and at 1 mm of precipitation the value improved till 15.2%. In the ecological testing the variety ‘Ekstra’ exceeded the varieties ‘Iren’, ‘Irgina’ from the State List of Breeding Achievements in the Volga-Vyatka region on 0.56–0.80 t/ha and the middle-early ripening varieties ‘Gornouralskaya’, ‘Bazhenka’, ‘Svecha’, ‘Zlata’ on 0.44–0, 55 t/ha. The variety ‘Ekstra’ is characterized by better energy efficiency parameters than ‘Irgina’, ‘Iren’, ‘Gornouralskaya’, ‘Zlata’. The excess was 9.2–21.9% in terms of total energy in the harvest per hectare, 16.0–40.6% in net energy income, and 4.7–13.1% in bioenergy ratio. The variety reduced energy consumption for the production of 1 ton of grain by 9.5–11.5%. There has been determined a significant advantage of the variety ‘Ekstra’ in terms of the general adaptability, stability, and breeding value of the genotype. In 2020 the variety was included into the State List of Breeding Achievements in the Volga-Vyatka region, Ural, West Siberian regions of the Russian Federation. The variety ‘Ekstra’ has the same parameters of productivity, yield structure elements, adaptability, the accumulation of seeds per day of growing season and per 1 mm of precipitation, energy efficiency of cultivation, as the middle-early ripening standard variety ‘Ekaterina’.

Agrobiological characteristics of the new ultra earlyripening winter barley variety ‘Foks 1’

The purpose of current work was to conduct an economic and biological estimation of the main morphobiological traits and properties of the ultra-early-ripening winter barley variety ‘Foks 1’ in comparison with the standard variety. In connection with the increasing climate aridity in recent years, the relevance of the production uses of early-ripening varieties of grain crops, including winter barley, has increased. For several decades the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” has been working in this direction, which resulted in the development of the new ultra early-ripening winter barley variety ‘Foks 1’. Since 2019 the variety ‘Foks 1’ has been included in the State List of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation in the North Caucasus region. The variety parentage has the highly winter-resistant, lodging-resistant and large-grain varieties. The variety ‘Foks 1’ ripens on average 8–10 days earlier than the middle-ripening standard variety ‘Timofey’. On average, over the years of study in the Competitive Variety Testing (2017–2019), the trait “1000 grains weight” of the variety was 42.5 g, that of the standard variety was 40.2 g, the trait “grain nature” was 672 and 656 g/l, respectively. The trait “number of grains per head” of the new variety was 51, that of the standard variety was 45. The new variety formed an average yield of 8.1 t/ha, the excess over the standard was 0.5 t/ha. The variety ‘Foks 1’ was of a high level of winter tolerance and was resistant to lodging, it was also tolerant to damage by the main leaf diseases widespread in the region. The study results at the state variety plots of the Russian Federation and ecological testing in various soil and climatic zones have shown that the new ultra early-ripening winter barley variety ‘Foks 1’ under increasing climate aridity is undoubtedly of practical interest for cultivation in the North Caucasian region of the Russian Federation.

The main results of breeding and seed production of perennial grasses on the Don area in 2010–2020

The current paper has presented an overview of the work of the laboratory for breeding and seed production of perennial grasses of the ARC “Donskoy” over a ten-year period. There has been presented a brief history of the development of the laboratory from the moment of its establishment to the present day. The main purpose of the work in this period was the breeding, reproduction, introduction into production of the new alfalfa and sainfoin varieties with a wide range of resistance to various stress factors with high productivity of forage and seeds. In the collection farms of alfalfa there have been tested and agro biologically estimated more than 600 varieties from the world collection of VIR, other research institutions and local hybrids. Based on this work there have been developed an initial material with a wide variability of economically-biological useful characters using the methods of hybridization and selection. The best lines and hybrids were included in the complex hybrid populations, which became the basis for the development of the new alfalfa varieties ‘Selyanka’ (2013) and ‘Golubka’ (2019). Throughout the history of the laboratory, great attention was paid to the development of the new sainfoin varieties, as a result of which there were zoned such varieties as ‘Severokavkazky dvuukosny’ (1947), ‘Zernogradsky 2’ (1998), ‘Zernogradsky 3’ (2001), ‘Atamansky’ (2004), ‘Veles’ (2010). Over the past ten years, there were developed the sainfoin varieties ‘Sudar’ (2013) and ‘Shuravi’ (2019) protected by a patent, the varieties undergone the State Variety Testing, were included into the State List of Breeding Achievements approved for use in several regions of the Russian Federation. There has been given a brief description of the current problems of breeding and primary seed production of perennial grasses, as well as the directions of the laboratory's work to solve them. There has been presented the publication activity of the researchers of the laboratory.

The results and prospects of maize breeding in the Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”

The current paper has presented the results of breeding work on maize in the Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”. The three-line and double interlinear middle early and middle ripening maize hybrids of various economic use ‘Zernogradsky 242 MV’, ‘Zernogradsky 282 MV’, ‘Zernogradsky 288 MV’, ‘Zernogradsky 299 MV’, ‘Zernogradsky 354 MV’, ‘Zernogradsky MV’, ‘Stepnyak MV’ were developed and included into the State List of Breeding Achievements from 2006 to 2020. The Competitive Variety Testing has identified a new high-heterosis simple hybrid ‘Zernogradsky 352 MB’ and the new early ripening hybrids ‘Krucha M × KB 215’, ‘Krucha M × SP 56/57’ with low harvesting grain moisture. The main method used to develop maize hybrids was an interline hybridization using heterosis in the first generation (F1 ). There have been determined the priority directions of further breeding, namely early ripeness, grain humidity-transfer intensity during ripening, drought resistance, high starch content in grain. There has been developed new initial material for each direction of breeding. There have been selected the introduced testers (‘Alpha M’, ‘Almaz M’, ‘Aurora S’, ‘Milena M’, ‘Istok S’) to develop early-ripening hybrids. There have been identified the early and middle-early ripening self-pollinated lines ‘C 207’, ‘RD 12’, ‘TVA 308’, ‘PLS 61’, ‘KB 215’, etc., with a high grain humidity-transfer intensity during ripening (0.95–1.30% per day), low harvest moisture content of grain (10.8–13.8%). There have been developed the new self-pollinated waxy maize lines (24/29/5, 25/64/10, 26/8, 26/4, 26/80, 24/28) with 68.1–69.8% of amylopectin starch in grain. There have been identified the new self-pollinated maize lines resistant to water stress (DS 498/217-3, DS 257/85-5, DS 498/203, KB 262, etc.) promising for breeding drought-resistant maize hybrids.

The results of breeding work with the winter bread wheat for non-fallow forecrops in the Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”

The breeding work with the winter bread wheat in the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” is being carried out taking into account the increasing aridity of the local climate, the availability of different soil and climatic zones, various forecrops. Every year in the Rostov region there is an increase in the sown area under winter wheat. So, in 2020 the grain crop was sown on more than 2.6 million hectares. Most of it is sown after such non-fallow forecrops as peas, maize, sunflower and other crops. In this regard, it is important to develop and introduce into production winter bread wheat varieties based according to these forecrops. The laboratory for breeding and seed production of winter bread wheat of half-intensive type was established in 1978. For the period from 1978 to 2019, 36 varieties were developed in the laboratory and sent to the State Variety Testing. The main task of the crop breeding for non-fallow forecrops was and still remains to develop highly productive varieties with high frost resistance, drought resistance, heat resistance, resistance to major diseases and grain quality of strong and valuable wheat. In 2020 22 winter bread wheat varieties, developed in the laboratory, have been included into the State List of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation. Currently five winter bread wheat varieties ‘Polina’, ‘Ambar’, ‘Niva Dona’, ‘Podarok Krymu’ and ‘Premiera’ are undergoing the State Variety Testing. There is still going on the work on the development of new winter bread wheat varieties that meet modern production requirements, with a wide ecological adaptability and stability of productivity and quality of grain and flour.

The breeding work on the winter bread wheat varieties of intensive type in the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”

The systematic study on winter wheat breeding began in 1955 in the former Zernograd experimental station, and now the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “ARC “Donskoy”. Under these conditions, the development of the most suitable for local conditions varieties of intensive type with increased frost resistance determined the main direction of winter wheat breeding in those years. In the early 1980s, the area of black fallow increased in the Rostov region, much attention was paid to irrigated agriculture. There was planned to increase the area under irrigation in the North Caucasus to 1 million hectares. Therefore, there was set a goal to develop highly productive, low-stemmed, resistant to lodging varieties, responsive to mineral fertilizing with complex immunity to diseases. The breeding work of the laboratory for the breeding and seed production of winter bread wheat of an intensive type over the past forty years resulted in the development of 22 varieties of intensive type with good adaptability to the conditions of the Rostov region. In 2020, 17 winter bread wheat varieties of an intensive type were included into the State List of Breeding Achievements, five varieties ‘Yubiley Dona’, ‘Zodiak’, ‘Univer’, ‘Razdolye’, ‘Rubin Dona’ are currently undergoing the State Variety Testing at the SVTs of the Russian Federation. A stable productivity improvement is possible only with the emphasis on the development of varieties with broad adaptive properties, providing sufficiently high yields under various cultivation conditions. Among the breeding traits that affect productivity stability, the most significant in the conditions of the Don are winter and frost resistance, disease resistance, drought resistance, early ripeness, and grain quality. Therefore, the adaptive potential increase is the most important task for the future breeding. In order to solve this problem, intraspecific and interspecific hybridization, followed by targeted selection, remains the main breeding method of winter bread wheat of an intensive type.

“Korona” is the new adaptable winter bread wheat variety for the North-Caucasus region

Wheat is one of the main crops that ensure the country's food security and export potential. In the Stavropol Area winter wheat annually occupies more than 1.5 million hectares. Despite this, grain productivity and quality remain unstable. To increase the volume of grain production in the country and improve its quality, the development and rapid introduction of new varieties into production is of fundamental importance. The purpose of the current study was to develop a new winter bread wheat variety adaptable to the sharply continental climate of the North Caucasus region, with a high level of productivity and grain quality. According to the positive results of the trials in the North Caucasus region, since 2019 the new winter bread wheat variety “Korona”, developed by the FSEP “Prikumskaya Experimental Breeding Station”, has been included in the State List of Breeding Achievements and recommended for cultivation. The variety was developed by the method of complex staged hybridization with the participation of the best local lines “126768”, “140356” (FSEP “Prikumskaya Experimental Breeding Station”) and the varieties “Don 95” (FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy”), “Ukrainka Odesskaya” (Ukraine). Over the years of the State Variety Testing (2017-2018) at the variety plots of the Stavropol Area, the variety ‘Korona' has shown a significant productivity advantage over the standard variety “Grom” in extremely arid and arid zones, with an increase of 0.40 and 0.39 t/ha, respectively. During the years of study, the maximum productivity (11.71 t/ha) was obtained at the Stavropol SVTS. When testing the variety in the Republics of the North Caucasus, the maximum productivity increases to the standard varieties were obtained in Adygea (+0.46 t/ha), Karachay-Cherkessia (+ 0.65 t/ha), Crimea (+0.42 t/ha). According to the FSEP “Prikumskaya Experimental Breeding Station”, the new variety “Korona” has formed large-sized well-made grain with high baking qualities. The yield of bread from flour of a new genotype exceeded the standard and was 638 ml, the general estimation of bread was 4.8 points. The variety belongs to the valuable wheat varieties. The grain of the new variety contains on average 13.4% of protein, 26.4% of gluten of the first quality group, 75 of IDK. In 2019, for large productivity and environmental adaptability the new variety “Korona” was awarded a diploma of the State Variety Commission of the Russian Federation and was awarded the title “The Variety of the Year”.

Ecological testing of the winter barley varieties in the conditions of the Republic of Kalmykia

Barley productivity varies significantly in various agricultural areas, therefore, there should be conducted an ecological testing to identify varieties’ response to various soil and climatic conditions. That gives an opportunity to identify varieties adapted to specific soil and climatic conditions of a particular area or a region. The purpose of the current study was to conduct an ecological testing of winter barley varieties in the arid central part of theRepublicofKalmykiafor the subsequent identification of the most drought-tolerant, adaptable winter barley varieties, as well as to compare productivity of winter barley with that of spring barley in the arid conditions of the Kalmykia steppes. The study was carried out on the experimental plots of the Kalmyksky RIA named after M. B. Narmaev, a branch of the FSBSI “Pre-Caspian Agricultural Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences” (PCAFRC) in 2018–2019. The objects of research were 9 winter barley varieties of various breeding institutions. The variety of winter barley “Erema” was a standard one, the only one from the entire set of studied varieties that has been included into the State List of Breeding Achievements of theRussian Federation, recommended for cultivation in theRepublicofKalmykia. The trials were laid in four sequences with a systematic arrangement of variants. The total area of the plot was60 m2, the registration plot was50 m2. The seeding rate was 350 pcs. Of germinating seeds per1 m2. The forecrop was winter wheat sown in a fallow land. The study has found that the productivity of the varieties “Timofei”, “Romans”, “Sprinter”, and “Molot” were significantly inferior to that of the standard variety. The productivity of the varieties “Espada”, “Kuzen”, “Vivat”, “Samson” were at the same level as of the standard variety. It should be noted that the maximum yield (4.13 t/ha) was produced by the new variety “Vivat” in 2018. The variety has an undoubted prospect to be cultivated in this region, as it is a facultative one according to the biological type of development, unlike the other studied varieties.

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.

Baking properties of winter soft wheat grain grown in the south of the Rostov region

To successfully increase grain production and improve its quality, the development and introduction of new winter wheat varieties is of great importance. The winter soft wheat varieties developed by the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” and included into the State List of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation are able to form grain with 30.0% gluten and more, and are suitable for the first, second and third class of baking. A comparative characteristic of the grain quality of winter wheat varieties of the intensive type included in the State List and their ability to form food grain suitable for baking is currently of practical interest. There have been studied 6 varieties in the conditions of drought in 2013 and 2014 (the amount of precipitation during the growing season was 190.0–191.5 mm, the average daily air temperature was 20.3–20.9 °C), and in the conditions of excess moisture in 2016, 2017 (the amount of precipitation was 274.2–292.8 mm, the average daily air temperature was 19.5–20.4 °C). The studied varieties formed the highest productivity from 8.70 to 9.01 t/ha under conditions of excessive moisture. Under drought conditions, productivity of the varieties decreased significantly and ranged from 6.50 to 7.69 t/ha. Better grain quality of the studied varieties was formed in the conditions of the drought of 2013, 2014 with 14.9 to 15.9% of protein and 27.9 to 31.0% of gluten. Food grain close to the first class (from 30.0 to 31.0% of gluten) were formed by the varieties “Aksiniya”, “Tanais” and “Nakhodka”; the second class (more than 28.0% of gluten) was obtained from the varieties “Shef” and “Etuyd”. The ranking method according to grain quality indicators allowed establishing an average rank and identifying the varieties “Aksiniya”, “Tanais”, “Nakhodka” and “Shef” with the best baking traits.

НОВЫЙ СОРТ ЖЕЛТОГО КОРМОВОГО ЛЮПИНА БУЛАТ

The article presents steps of development of a new yellow lupin variety 'Bulat'. Its pedigree and description for competition tests years are given. In 2009 five productive, tall plants without extern anthracnose symptoms have been selected from the hybrid 6-02-10-10 under heavy anthracnose epiphytoty. Later the line 09-3-50-2 has been selected for green mass and seeds yield. It was tested in a competition test nursery since 2013. The line named as 'Bulat' was included to The State List of Breeding Achievements Allowed for Use. The average seed yield for six tests years made 1.87 t/ha and the yield of its green mass made 60.4 t/ha. 'Bulat' is for universal use (grain forage, green fodder, and grass conserved forage). It is resistant to pods cracking and seeds shedding. Weight of 1000 seeds is 112 grams. Vegetation period is 90–99 days. Crude protein in seeds is 42%, in dry matter of green mass it is 18%. Seed alkaloid content is 0.06%, in green mass it is 0.02%. The variety is resistant to Fusarium and tolerant to anthracnose. It suits for cultivation on light and cohesive soils.

THE ESTIMATION OF SORGHUM GRAIN AND BIOMASS QUALITY TO USE IT IN FEED PRODUCTION

Sorghum is an important feed, grain forage and food crop for micro zones of Russia with insufficient moisture. Currently, there is an increasing demand for sorghum grains and green mass, which, due to their high yields and unique drought tolerance, contribute to the active development of the livestock industry in these regions. In the FSBSI RosRISC “Rossorgo” 53 varieties and hybrids of sorghum crops of various use with high productivity and quality of grain, biomass, adapted to the arid regions of the Russian Federation, were developed and included in the State List of Breeding Achievements. The paper presents the results of a comparative analysis of the productivity, fodder, energy value of grain and biomass of 21 grain sorghum varieties, 8 Sudan grass varieties grown on the experimental field of the Institute in 2014–2016. There were identified grain sorghum varieties ‘Volzhskoye 4ʼ, ‘Volzhskoye 44’, ‘Pishchevoye 35ʼ, ‘Topaz’, ‘Sarmat’, ‘Fakel’, ‘Geleoforʼ, ‘Granatʼ, characterized by the highest accumulation of gross energy (150.58–196.63 GJ/ha) of the biomass crop to produce mono feed and grain silage. The varieties ‘Fakelʼ, ‘Granatʼ, ‘Volzhskoe 44’ and ‘Avansʼ are intended for use as grain fodder with 5.27–5.84 t/ha grain productivity, 12.10–12.56% of protein, 3.72–4, 89% of oil and 90.26–99.48 GJ/ha of output of gross energy. The largest yields of green and dry biomass have been produced by the Sudan grass varieties “Allegoriya” (29.33 and 8.21 t/ha) and ‘Ambitsiyaʼ (35.33 and 6.26 t/ha), as well as the energy content of the yield (150.49 and 148, 83 GJ/ha respectively). The productivity and biochemical composition of grain, biomass of sorghum and Sudan grass indicate the high bioenergetic value of the products to use them in feed production.

PRODUCTIVITY AND GRAIN QUALITY OF THE NEW WINTER SOFT WHEAT VARIETY ‘IRIDAS’

Winter wheat is the most important food crop, which has a significant share in the structure of the grain area of Russia. The production of high-quality wheat grain is limited by significant variation and sharp fluctuations of the soil-climatic and other factors both within the regions and through the years. All this negatively affects the amount of productivity and its quality. The development of new varieties with high productivity and at the same time high-quality grain and flour, regardless of growing conditions, is an urgent and present task for plant-breeding. The tasks in the selection work of the FSSP “Prikumskaya Experimental Breeding Station” to increase the adaptive traits were fulfilled due to the development of the new winter wheat varieties which combine better productivity and grain quality. In 2015–2016 the varieties ‘Kadril’, ‘Iridas’ and ‘Korona’ were given to the State Variety Testing. Due to the positive results of testing in the North Caucasus region the new variety ‘Iridas’ was included in the State List of Breeding Achievements in 2019. The variety was obtained as a result of individual selection from the hybrid population ‘Prikumskaya 140’ × ‘Kroshka’. During the years of the State Variety Testing (2017-2018) at the plots of the Stavropol Territory, the variety ‘Iridas’ showed productive advantages in the extremely dry and arid zones compared to the standard varieties ‘Grom’ and ‘Ayvin’ with an increase of 0.31–0.43 t/ha, respectively. The maximum productivity (10.79 t/ha) during the years of testing was obtained at the Stavropol SVTS. The variety’ Iridas’ produces large kernels with high baking characteristics. According to ARCVQE, quality indicators of ‘Iridas’ grain meet the standards for valuable wheat. The protein percentage in the grain is 13.0, gluten percentage is 30.4, IGD is 67.

The new white-kernelled grain sorghum variety “Ataman"

The development and introduction of a new variety in the State List of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation is a significant and effective means to improve yields and grain quality of all agricultural crops. The purpose of our research was to evaluate the new grain sorghum variety “Ataman”, approved for use since 2018 due to productivity and other economically valuable traits. The variety was developed by the method of individual selection of white-kerneled forms from the hybrid combination “A-006 x Zernogradskoe 204”. The article presents the study results obtained in 2013-2015 by the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”, located in the part of the Rostov region with insufficient and unstable humidity. The grain productivity in the competitive testing of the variety “Ataman” was 5.56 t/ha on average, which is significantly larger than that of the standard variety “Radiant” (4.73 t/ha). In addition, this variety has a white color of kernels and belongs to the early ripening group (the vegetation period “sprouts - full ripeness” is 89-95 days), which allows it to be grown without drying. Cultivation of a new variety contributes to grain productivity increase as well as it has a great influence on its quality improvement if agrotechnical methods are applied. The biochemical estimation established that the variety “Ataman” accumulates a very high starch percentage in the kernels (76.1%). In addition, it is characterized with average protein (11.6%) and low tannin percentage (0.06%).

The new winter rapeseed variety “Priz”

Rapeseed takes one of the leading places in the world production of vegetable oils. Winter varieties, which are more productive and economically viable than spring ones, are of the greatest interest. Despite the large number of varieties and hybrids of winter rapeseed registered in the State List of Breeding Achievements Approved for Use in the Russian Federation, the productivity of this crop did not increase for the last 15–20 years. The share of foreign breeding hybrids increased to 90%. All of them have been developed in a mild climate of Europe or America and are poorly adapted to our natural and climatic conditions. It is still important to develop a winter rapeseed variety, tolerant to negative temperature changes, to little snowy winters and adapted to the heavy overwinter conditions of the Rostov region. In 2001–2015 the FSBSI “Donskaya Experimental Station named after L. A. Zhdanov” used the method of cohesive self-pollination to develop the winter rapeseed variety “Priz” from a hybrid population grown on the basis of winter resistant highly productive genotypes identified from the varieties of domestic and foreign selection. The variety is characterized by harmonious ripening, short height, short vegetation and uniformity of plants. The potential productivity of seeds in the conditions of the Rostov region is 4.0–4.5 t/ha. Oil percentage of seeds is 47–50%. The quality of oil and meal meet GOST and international requirements. Plants are slightly responsive to powdery mildew and they are highly tolerant to winter. The variety “Priz” was introduced into the State List of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation and approved for use in the North Caucasus (6) cultivation region since 2017.

THE EFFICIENCY OF SAINFOIN BREEDING FOR FODDER AND SEED PRODUCTIVITY

The breeding work on the development of new sainfoin varieties is being constantly carried out, that makes it possible to identify genotypes with high fodder and seed productivity. The article presents the results of the Competitive Variety Testing of sainfoin varieties introduced in the State List of Breeding Achievements, approved for use in different regions of the Russian Federation and the variety ‘Shuravi’ given to the State Variety Testing in 2015. On average through three cycles the productivity of green mass of the sainfoin varieties ‘Atamansky’, ‘Veles’ and ‘Sudar’ were on 6.0–9.0% higher than that of the standard variety ‘Zernogradsky2’. The coefficients of the variation of green mass productivity of the varieties ‘Atamansky’ and ‘Sudar’ were 24.0% and 24.3% and green mass productivity of the variety ‘Veles’ was only 15.2%. Hay productivity of the varieties ‘Atamansky’, ‘Veles’ and ‘Sudar’ exceeded the indexes of the standard variety on 5.7%, 7.1% and 11.4% respectively. The coefficients of variation were 21.45 of the standard variety, 35.5% of the variety ‘Atamansky’, 23.5% of the variety ‘Veles’ and 24.0% of the variety ‘Sudar’. The seed productivity of the drought-resistant variety ‘Zernogradsky2’, approved for use under the most severe conditions of humidity of theNorth Caucasus, Nizhne-Volzhsky and Uralsky regions, ranged from 0.56 t/ha to 0.72 t/ha. The coefficient of the trait variation was 23.2%. The varieties ‘Atamansky’, ‘Veles’ and ‘Sudar’ exceeded the standard variety in seed productivity. The excess was 14.3–19.0%. The green mass productivity of the variety ‘Shuravi’ was 33.6 t/ha on average, the hay productivity was 7.9 t/ha, the seed productivity was 0.8 t/ha which were on 17.9, 12.8% and 28.6% higher than that of the standard variety. As a result of the breeding work during the many years the highly-productive sainfoin varieties ‘Atamansky’, ‘Veles’ and ‘Sudar’ were developed, introduced into the State List of Breeding Achievements and approved for use. The identified new promising sainfoin variety ‘Shuravi’ exceeds the standard variety in fodder and seed productivity. The use of new productive sainfoin varieties allow improving economic efficiency of sainfoin and other crops cultivation.