Productivity and seed quality of winter common wheat varieties in the primary stages of seed production

Abstract

The quality of agricultural crops depends largely on the correct selection of varieties and the use of zonal cultivation technology. It is known that modern common winter wheat varieties with high sowing qualities and meeting standards of GOST 52325-2005 can provide large productivity. In the Rostov region, individual-family selection with a two-year progeny evaluation is widely used to grow original winter common wheat seeds in primary seed production. The subjects of the current study were five semi-intensive winter common wheat varieties Stanichnaya, Asket, Lidiya, Krasa Dona, and Ermak bred in Zernograd. The purpose of the current study was to estimate productivity and seed quality of winter common wheat varieties in primary seed production. There has been found that between 1,300 and 1,900 basic ears were prepared to establish nurseries for first-year progeny testing (PTN-1). In the first-year progeny testing nurseries (PTN-1), between 960 families (in 2022/23) and 1,100 families (in 2023/24) were sown, and in the second-year progeny testing nurseries (PTN-2), between 450 families (in 2023/24) and 675 families (in 2022/23) were sown. There has been established that during the study period in the nurseries, the most productive winter common wheat varieties were Stanichnaya and Lidiya. There has been found that high-quality original seed productivity varied from 63,590 kg (in 2022/23) to 74,690 kg (in 2023/24). All winter common wheat varieties met GOST standards according to key sowing and varietal parameters, namely varietal purity, seed purity, moisture content, viability, and germination.