Winter wheat plays a leading part in food security of RF. Though winter wheat productivity greatly increased, the share of food wheat in domestic import doesn’t exceed 20%.  As there is a great need of competitive goods on a world market, grain quality increase is a key purpose of agriculture. The major factors promoting high productivity and quality of winter wheat are adaptive technologies based on the principles of agricultural biologization. We carried out the assessment of the factors of biologization, greatly influencing on productivity and harvesting winter wheat grain of high quality. It was shown that present winter wheat varieties possessing a high productive potential largely depend on weather conditions during vegetation. We studied the response of new geno types and selected some adapted winter wheat varieties during growing in arid forestry steppe parts of Central Chernozemie of RF. It was established that a choice of varieties adapted to local conditions gives a stable yield (more than 5,0 t/ha) with a gluten content 24-28% and a protein content 13,2-14,8%. We determined the effect of intended use of clover and ‘Timofeevskaya’ grass mixture on productivity and quality of winter wheat. Plowing of clover and ‘Timofeevskaya’ grass mixture and partial fertilizing increase productivity and quality of winter wheat grain that meet the requirements of the 3-d class of GOST.

The main places of growing of hull-less barley varieties are considered to be the South-East Asia, mountainous Central and West China with its lowlands. These are the places where there is a great variety of hull-less barley.  The data received with a radio isotope method show that hull-less barley dates back to 7900 years B.C. Thus, hull-less barley appeared significantly later than chaffy barley, which grew in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic (9700-9300 years B.C.). Barley grain is used for making different groats. Barley groats is grain with removed hulls, processed according to a kind of groats. The volume of groats depends on a structure of starch and amount of hulls.  The grain of hull-less barley is free from the hulls and mostly glassy, so the volume of groats received from hull-less barley is much more than from chaffy barley. Barley and pearl barley are made from barley grain. Besides hull-less barley is used as a valuable fodder, especially for monogastric animals. Nowadays the breeding of hull-less barley varieties is being carried out in Canada, Japan, US and Sweden. Comparing chemical structure of hull-less and chaffy barley, we must note that hull-less barley prevails the other one, except in a content of cellulose.  In the foreign scientific works the prior tasks for study are the problems of domestication of hull-less barley, its varieties, tolerance and resistance to pests and diseases. Native literature is devoted to the problems of practical breeding, study of green mass and grain of hull-less barley.

The article gives a summary of the results of study of hydrothermal conditions of winter wheat cultivation on the slopes of the Rostov region. In the analysis of atmospheric precipitations and average daily temperatures we calculated a hydrothermal coefficient of G.T. Selyaninov. We carried out the research of the past few years taking into consideration their hydrothermal coefficient and divided them on very dry, dry, slightly dry and wet years. The distribution of moisture reserves was studied depending on the conditions of moisture supply in a cold period of the year in 0-100 cm of soil, bare (autumn) fallow, for winter wheat in a fallow land and for winter wheat sown after winter wheat.  It was carried out an analysis of precipitations’ accumulation in a cold period of the year at different agricultural backgrounds. It was revealed that a primary accumulation of moisture in the fields occurs in a cold period of the year (41,4-53,5% of all moisture reserves of the year). We found dependence between a moisture reserve in a sowing layer and field germination of winter wheat seeds, sown after different predecessors on the slopes subject to erosion. It has been found out that sprouts do not appear if moisture reserves in an arable layer are 1,3-9,4 mm; their condition is very poor if moisture reserves are 12-19 mm; moisture reserves of 20 mm give satisfactory sprouts and moisture reserves of more than 20 mm give good sprouts. The correlation between winter wheat productivity and moisture reserves in an arable layer has been defined. The article gives the results of winter wheat productivity sown after different predecessors and after various amounts of organic-mineral fertilizing and it gives the calculation of its water consumption coefficient.

Winter wheat is a primary food crop, which occupies a significant share in the Russian grain area. The crop uses bioclimatic potential of growing areas better and gives higher yields of grain than spring wheat.  Winter wheat on Don produces 50% of gross grain, and in some years it produced till 70%. Nowadays under climate warming conditions it’s necessary to improve the cultivation technologies of the crop and to develop varieties able to adapt to any changes of agro ecological conditions.  Plant-breeding makes a great contribution in the increase of gross grain yields. 30-40% of productivity increase of crops in the last 50 years, including that of wheat, is due to the use of new highly productive varieties. Acceleration and modernization of the breeding process, development and introduction of new more productive and high qualitative winter wheat varieties play a great part for a successful increase of grain production and its quality. Breeding of the varieties on productivity increase is one of the most difficult tasks because of a complexity of the trait. Highly productive variety should meet three primary demands: it should be tolerant to unfavourable environment; it should use favourable environment efficiently; it should have high productivity in the productive conditions. A winter wheat variety ‘Nakhodka’, which meets all these demands, was introduced into the State Register of the breeding achievements approved for use in 2015. The article gives morphological and economic-biological characteristics of a new variety of winter soft wheat ‘Nakhodka’.

The results of divergent selection among winter rye varieties ‘Alfa’ and ‘Moskovskaya 12’ according to their water extract viscosity (WEV) have been presented. The efficiency of the selection depended on variety geno type and on direction of the selection.  Selection in a plus-direction was more efficient, than in a minus-direction. The asymmetry of the result revealed in the first cycle of the selection and continued in the further ones. The rye populations with high viscosity had better bread-making characteristics than those ones with low viscosity.  They surpassed the other varieties in a higher nature of grain (on 4,9%), size of grain (on 14,8%), falling number (on 90s), a rate of amylogram (on 328 e.a.), temperature of gelatinization (on 2,5°С). The varieties with low viscosity produced deliquescent bread with a large pored, soft crumb. The reasons of asymmetry and varieties’ response to selection are being discussed. 

In the article gives an analysis of climate change effect on yield stability of earlier cultivated rice varieties in Krasnodar Krai. The zone with moderate climate, which is characteristic for Krasnodar Krai, has periodic changes of temperatures to ‘warming’ or ‘cooling (cold snap)’ during rice vegetation. Therefore a variety developed in one of these periods, matches the environmental conditions and gives an optimal yield and stability of economically valuable traits. But a long period of ‘warming’ results in domination of early maturity of the crop together with productivity reduce and worsening of economic traits of rice.  The effect was shown on varieties ‘Dubovsky129’, ‘Krasnodarsky424’, Spalchik’, ‘Liman’, developed and grown during various periods of climate change. All mentioned varieties were adapted to climatic conditions, in which selection and study of their initial forms during selection were made. But the climate change to ‘warming’ resulted in reduce of their vegetation time, decrease of 1000 seeds weight, worsening of grain qualitative characteristics and reduce of their productivity.  The varieties were subjected to strong infection of rice blast disease (Piricularia grisea). It was necessary to change old varieties with new ones, which could produce high yields of rice grain in such environmental conditions. Thus, it is possible to keep high yields of rice under climatic changes at the expense of continuous breeding process with participation of southern rice varieties adapted to high temperatures during vegetation.

We consider a comprehensive study of initial material and finding of the best samples with a complex of economic valuable traits for definite soil-climatic conditions has a great theoretical and practical significance. Thus we have studied and assessed collection samples of grain sorghum on prematureness (earliness).  The studied samples possess significant differences in the duration of vegetation period (from 80 till 132 days) covering all groups of maturity.  A great part of the collection (79% or 209 samples) belongs to a group of early maturity with a vegetation period of 100 days. We allocated the samples of the earliest maturity (‘Orlovskoe’, ‘SPZS-16’, ‘ZSK-148’, ‘Luch 1’, ‘KU-3’, ‘M-61134’, ‘Kremovoe’, ‘Volzhskoe 4’, ‘Pishchevoe 35’, ‘Volzhskoe 44’, ‘Volzhskoe 615’ and ’06-2162’) with a combination of other economic valuable traits, which can be used in the selection on prematureness.  Use of the studied initial material in the selection process resulted in breeding of new early maturing varieties of grain sorghum, which successfully passed the State Variety Testing.  A new early maturing variety of grain sorghum ‘Velikan’ possessing a period of vegetation “germination–complete maturity” of 95-98 days was added to the State Register of breeding achievements in 2012. In 2013 a new early maturing, low-growing (dwarf), white-kerneled variety of grain sorghum ‘Zernogradskoe 88’ with a period of vegetation “germination–complete maturity” of 92-95 days and high productivity and grain quality, was added to the State Register of breeding achievements in the North-Caucasus Region of Russia. The variety of grain sorghum ‘Zernogradskoe 88’ was awarded with a silver medal for a complex of the advantages on the XVI-th Russian AgroIndustrial Exhibition ‘Golden Autumn – 2014’.

The article gives the results of breeding of middle maturing, winter resistant, short stem winter rye variety which is stable to abiotic and biotic stressores with grain productivity 1,5-2,0 t/ha and high qualitative forage in the conditions of the Far North. The results of competitive variety testing between hybrids and a standard variety ‘Sitnikovskaya’ in grain and green mass (manure) have been presented. Biological characteristics of winter rye growth and development turned to be better than those of other grain crops and they are suitable for growing in dry conditions of Yakutiya. Using the method of backcrossing in hybridization of short stem, productive varieties and hybrids with a winter resistant donor ‘Sitnikovskaya’ it’s possible to breed new winter resistant, short stem, productive varieties suitable for growing in extreme conditions of  Yakutiya. Winter resistance of new varieties was about 99,2-99,8%. The height of the plants was about 107-110 cm, whereas a standard variety ‘Sitnikovskaya’ was 130 cm. The varieties hybridized with short stem productive cultivars of SibRIPG are resistant to lodging and produce high yields of grain and green mass. For three years these future varieties produced 30,2-32,2 t/ha of green mass in average, while the standard variety produced 29 t/ha, and exceeded the standard figure on 4,1%.  For the period grain productivity of new varieties was 4,28-4,59 t/ha, whereas the standard variety produced only 3,46 t/ha, that exceeded the standard one on 23-32%. The number of seeds per a ear was increased to 36-40 pcs and the ear length was 8,4-8,6 cm. The resistance to lodging of new varieties and hybrids was 9 points when the standard variety had only 3 points.

Growing of varieties tolerant to deepwater during germination is an effective method of rice protection from weeds without use of herbicides. To develop such varieties it’s necessary to combine genes of great energy of early germination, genes resistant to anaerobic germination, deepwater and lodging into one geno type.  Identification of molecular markers, connected with genes resistant to these stresses, makes breeding work easier. That’s why development of rice varieties with the help of marking is of great importance for non-herbicide technologies. The locus Sub1 regulates response to ethylene and gibberellin which results in reduce of carbohydrates consumption and sprouts’ peace under water and promotes tolerance to deep watering. As donors of resistant genes Sub1 we used such varieties with the gene Sub1 as ‘BR-11’, ‘CR-1009’, ‘Inbara-3’ and ‘TDК-1’. As a recipient we took an early maturing variety ‘Novator’. We also used micro satellite markers on the gene Sub1. The identification of the gene Sub1 was carried out by the method of molecular marking with the use of specific primers on the basis of PCR. During the work in 2013-2014 we carried out hybridization and received hybrids F1-F2 of the variety ‘Novator’ with four Asian rice varieties carrying the gene Sub1.  Due to studies with the help of present biotechnologies together with traditional breeding methods we developed early maturing rice varieties with the gene Sub1, suitable for growing in the Rostov region.

The variety ‘Izhevskaya 2’ possesses such traits as high winter resistance, regenerative ability, ecological plasticity, grain and green mass productivity. To realize the variety potential it’s necessary to apply a cultivation technology adapted to definite agro ecological conditions. The article gives the results of long-term researches (2010-2013), the purpose of which was to develop some effective methods of plant care, promoting productivity increase of winter triticale ‘Izhevskaya 2’ in the Middle Pre-Urals. In a three factor experiment we studied the effect of a foliar application of carbamide (N20) in a phase of a complete earing on grain productivity. Then we studied the effect of application of a complex fertilizer Terraflex 17+17+17 (15 kg/ha) together with growth regulator TseTseTse 750 (1,5 l/ha) in a phase of a stem elongation and a complete earing on grain productivity. At last we studied the effect of application of Moddus (0,4 l/ha) in a phase of autumn earing and a stem elongation on grain productivity. We found out that a foliar application of a complex fertilizer Terraflex 17+17+17 and a growth regulator TseTseTse 750 in a phase of a complete earing had a significant effect on productivity of winter triticale ‘Izhevskaya 2’. These methods increased the crop productivity due to ear productivity. Under unfavourable conditions the growth regulators TseTseTse 750 and Moddus increased winter resistance, and promoted increase of density of productive stems in the period of spring earing and active growth in dry weather.

It’s common knowledge that any success of breeding work largely depends on initial material. The staff of Krasnodar RIA named after P.P. Lukiyanenko is carrying out a significant work in breeding, assessment and classification of new initial material for breeding of maize hybrids with high heterosis.  Assessing self-pollinated lines as initial material, it’s necessary to analyze their combining ability according to grain productivity. Thus, the article gives the results of three year experiments in the field of heterosis breeding of maize. These are determined the general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining abilities of new initial material. Variability of weather conditions during the years of experiments allowed finding really important geno types, which are valuable in maize hybrids breeding. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the received data showed some true geno type differences among hybrids of top-crossing scheme according to grain productivity for three years (Ffactor>Ftheory). At the same time we determined a significant variability of initial parent components influenced by the general and specific combining abilities. On the basis of the assessment of combining ability of self-pollinated lines we selected geno types with a high and permanent assessment of GCA and effects of SCA, which allowed identifying further ways of use of studied lines. More careful analysis of the received data gave us an opportunity to select lines with high effects of GCA and variances of SCA simultaneously. In general, we can talk about a right choice of the position of parent components in the formulas of the most promising test-crossings that produced high effects of heterosis on trait ‘grain productivity’. 

The results of researches of effect of tillage methods, mineral fertilizers, herbicides and growth regulators on physical properties of soil, productivity formation and quality of winter wheat have been given in the paper. It was found out those basic technological elements of winter wheat cultivation (i.e. tillage, fertilizers, herbicides and growth regulators) had no significant effect on hardness of soil. During a vegetation period of the crop soil was friable in the layer of 0-10 cm with 8,2 kg/m2 and in the layer of 0-25 cm with 17,6 kg/m2. In average bulk density of the soil was the same during three years and was optimal for winter wheat cultivation. There was no authentic difference in storage and use of soil moisture under various tillage. During basic periods of plant growth the moisture of a meter soil layer was unsatisfactory (closer to 0). Fertilizing of winter wheat according to different tillage systems increased gluten content from 1,1 to 1,2% and protein content from 0,7 to 0,8%. The tillage systems had no effect on crop productivity, the difference between the variants with various tillage was insignificant and within an experimental error. The use of fertilizers with two systems of tillage increased the productivity of the crop from 1,7 to 2,7 c/ha. With the introduction of integrated agro-chemicals (fertilizers, herbicides and regulators) the productivity increase was 2,7-3,4 c/ha in average.

In the article we give the results of study of the effects of liquid complex fertilizers with micro elements of OOO ‘VolskiBiochim’ (Nizhny Novgorod) on field germination, survival rate of plants to harvesting, productivity, economic and energetic efficiency of maize hybrid cultivation.  In the process of study we used maize hybrids of different groups of ripeness; they are a mid-early hybrid ‘Zernogradsky 282 MV’ (FAO280) and a mid-ripening hybrid ‘Zernogradsky 354 MV’ (FAO350). The hybrids ‘Zernogradsky 282 MV’ and ‘Zernogradsky 354 MV’ produced the largest harvests of 3,61 t/ha and 3,93 t/ha while using ‘MicroMak’ for a seed processing and ‘Micro El’ for a plant processing.  The economic accounts showed that the hybrids gave a conventional net income of 11679-13853 rub/ha and profitability of 86-101% after using of liquid complex fertilizers with micro elements ‘MicroMak’ for a presowing seed processing and ‘Micro El’ for a plant processing during vegetation. The analysis of energetic efficiency of the maize hybrids showed that these variants of the experiments gave a larger net energy income of 40,68-45,39 GJ/ha and a coefficient of energy efficiency of 3,91-4,22 GJ/ha. In all variants of the experiments a mid-ripening hybrid ‘Zernogradsky 354 MV’ showed higher figures of productivity, economic and bio energetic efficiency than a mid-early hybrid ‘Zernogradsky 282 MV’.

The priority of grain use is usually determined by its great social significance which allows solving the task of food supply, especially with bread. Winter wheat as a main food crop takes up 38,6% in grain production of KBR and has a major effect on the development of agriculture. At the same time a share of qualitative food wheat remains rather small in a bulk of grain production, that’s why it’s essential to increase total amount of grain, paying special attention to quality increase. In the article we consider the effect of predecessors on productivity and quality of different winter common wheat varieties in the climatic conditions of a foothill part of Kabardino-Balkaria. We consider the study of the problem to be of current interest, knowing that winter wheat is more demanding to predecessors than the other crops and a proper choice of the best ones for a definite soil-climatic zone promotes an increase of grain productivity and quality on 5-10%. The article gives the comparative analysis of qualitative properties of winter wheat varieties after some main predecessors, i.e. maize for grain, maize for silage, sunflower and peas. The study has determined the best predecessors and their effect on yield and grain quality of new varieties in the conditions of a definite climatic zone; a possibility to use new winter wheat varieties after the best predecessors with sufficient moisture has been revealed and substantiated.  The study showed that a change of qualitative features of grain depends on biological properties of the varieties and their predecessors. The results of the research showed that the varieties reveal their best harvesting features after the best predecessors and under favorable conditions.  The research, made under conditions of vertical zone of Kabardino-Balkaria showed that the best predecessors for winter wheat are peas and maize for silage. The results of the study will be interesting for the professionals of plant-growing.

The article represents the analysis of rice-growing branch in Russia during last seven years and determines the factors, which effect on its perspectives in the regions. The branch which produces more than 80% of domestic rice is being successfully developed in Krasnodarsky Krai. The region possesses the most favorable conditions for a further development of the branch. It has the areas of rice systems which are sufficient to extend the crop to 62,5% of a bulk of crop rotation. The region improves agriculture carrying out efficient variety changes. It developed the varieties with the productivity of 11-12 t/ha, with high technological, culinary and nutritional quality of grain and groats. The further improvement of mineral nutrition to increase productivity is restrained by an insufficient resistance to a blast disease (Pyricularia oryzae Br. & Cav). To eliminate this drawback we introduce tolerant to the disease genes into the most productive varieties. A change on new varieties ought to give a further productivity increase. The most significant factors which restrain the extension of sowing areas in the region are the deficit of irrigation and instability of a rice market. The problem of water supply of rice systems limits the extension of sowing areas in Rostov region. But the most catastrophic situation with rice irrigation is considered to be in Astrakhan region and Republic of Kalmykia.  A weak financial and machinery supply is characteristic for rice-growing in Astrakhan region, Republic of Kalmykia, Adygeya, Chechnya, Primorsky Krai and the Jewish Autonomous Region.  Taking into consideration the state of rice-growing in different regions of Russia, selection centers should develop the varieties adapted to cultivation technologies with various expenditures and technological intensification (from low-cost to  high precision ones), and also improve the professional skills of the staff in a rice-growing branch.

In the southern part of the Rostov region we studied effect of different cultivation technologies on productivity of spring barley varieties ‘Vikont’ (for forage) and ‘Priazovsky 9’ (for brewing) in heavy loamy carbonate chernozem (black soil). The technologies varied in doses of mineral nutrition and protection during vegetation.

The technological effect was studied according to three methods of primary tillage, i.e. plowing, combined tillage and surface tillage. The study showed that these factors influenced a lot on productivity, grain quality and economic profitability. The varieties showed the greatest productivity and better grain quality when cultivated by intensive technologies using plowing as a primary tillage. The article gives the assessment of economic profitability of spring barley. The improvement of the variety productivity and an increase of intensive cultivation showed economic efficiency reduce. The receiving of the yield per unit area using intensive technologies with a plowing turned to be the most expensive one with a total expenditure of 13287-13386 rub/ha, a prime cost of 3264-3524 rub/ha and a net income of 6173-7114 rub/ha. The cultivation of barley using extensive technologies with a surface tillage turned to be low-cost (6563-6574 rub/ha). The prime cost was the lowest one (2206-2369 rub/ha) and the net income was the highest one (7287-8326 rub/ha). Among all cultivation technologies an extensive method showed the maximum profitability of 95,1-126,7 %,when an intensive method showed only 43,0-53,1%.

The analysis of average month temperatures in Tula region shows that during last 20 years the summer time lasts 19 days more, the autumn time last 11 days more in average. In 1995-2014 the average temperature in a vegetation period exceeded the same figures in 1945-1974 on 1,68˚С. The autumn of the previous 20-year period (August, September, October) is characterized by heavy precipitations, but there is a deficit of moisture in June and July. Thus the researches of a comparative assessment of productivity of southern grain crops grown in the Middle part under various climatic conditions are of great importance.  The article gives the results of a comparative assessment of productivity winter and spring wheat and winter triticale varieties of southern selection grown in the Middle part during the years with various climatic conditions. The assessment of the varieties on maximum and minimum productivity shows that the varieties ‘Smuglyanka’, ‘Favoritka’, ‘Biryuza’ are characterized by better figures under different agro climatic conditions. The study of spring wheat selected in Krasnodar RIA showed that the productivity of the crops varied from 2,37 to 4,18 t/ha in average. The most productive variety was the variety ‘Kurier’ in average during six years. Winter triticale produced 6-8,5 t/ha with a minimum fertilizers and without pesticides. The greatest average productivity along five years of researches was given by the varieties ‘Bard’, ‘Tribun’, ‘Nina’, ‘Nemchinovskaya 56’ and ‘Vasilisa’. Thus, making estimation of the varieties of southern selection and marking their highest potential we can conclude on a necessity to expand and improve interregional connection of grain crops.