The article presents the breeding results of winter rye in the North-East RIA for 64 years. The immunity and productivity of 9 released varieties, such as ‘Vyatka 2’ (1950), ‘Dymka’ (1993), ‘Kirovskaya 89’ (1993), ‘Falenskaya 4’ (1999), ‘Snezhana’ (2004), ‘Rushnik’ (2008), ‘Flora’ (2010), ‘Rada’ (2014), ‘Grafinya’ (in SVT from 2013) have been analyzed. According to the breeding methods and initial material used in the work, and the years of including of the varieties into the State Register, they have been divided into three stages of variety change and breeding having 3 varieties in each. The consistent breeding improved immunity of the varieties to snow mold, root rot and ergot. The varieties of the third stage of breeding, in comparison with the first one, showed the reduce of snow mold damage on 5,7-11,3% , their germination increased on 1,3-13,6%; root rot damage decreased from 0,30 to 0,08%, ergot damage was reduced from 3,5 to 2,6%. The most significant change in ergot damage decrease occurred among the varieties of the second and the third breeding stages. The varieties ‘Flora’, ‘Rada’, ‘Grafinya’ turned to be more tolerant to the diseases than the highly sensitive variety ‘Snezhana’. The studied varieties didn’t show any improvement in their resistance to such diseases as fusarium head blight, powdery mildew and kinds of rust. The only variety ‘Snezhana’ has shown better tolerance to rust and the variety ‘Grafinya’ turned to be less sensitive to fusarium head blight. During the breeding winter rye productivity has significantly changed.  During 9 years of study the productivity of the varieties of the first breeding stage was 4,91 t/ha, the productivity of the varieties of the second breeding stage was 5,28 t/ha, the productivity of the varieties of the third breeding stage was 5,64 t/ha. The productivity of the new varieties ‘Flora’, ‘Rada’ and ‘Grafinya’ greatly exceeds that of the previous ones. The most productive variety is ‘Rada’ with an average value of 5,72 t/ha and with a maximum one of 8,46 t/ha.

The Rostov region is the northern area of winter barley cultivation in the SFT, that explains the deviations of its sowing areas during the years. Therefore, the development of more frost resistant cultivars is of great importance today, and their implementation into production will allow stabilizing the amount of harvesting areas under the crop. Thus the article gives the results of assessment of frost resistance and intensity of early spring germination of collection samples of winter barley in the Azov-Blacksea Engineering Institute (Zernograd). The samples of the world collection of ARRIR (Saint-Petersburg) and new varieties and lines of research institutions of the south of Russia were used for the study as initial material. The trial assessment on frost resistance and intensity of early spring germination of winter barley was received in 2011 and 2012, when the temperature on the depth of the nods was 12-130 С below zero. It has been determined that on average during the years of study the varieties and lines of domestic breeding possessed high frost resistance and rapid rates of early spring germination. These are the cultivars of Krasnodar RIA (‘Radikal’, ‘Bastion’, ‘Samson’, ‘Line 385-1’ and ‘Line 388-2’), of All-Russian RI of grain crops (‘Tigr’, ‘Zhiguli’, ‘Larets’) and of Stavropol RI (‘Andryusha’). The cultivars ‘Tsiklon’, ‘Vavilon’, ‘Sekret’, ‘Mikhaylo’, ‘Rubezh’ (KRIA), ‘Timofey’, ‘Polet’ (ARRIGC), NB 03435 (US) and  SGL-97/04/05 (Czechia). These samples are widely used in hybridization to develop frost resistant varieties with high regenerative ability.

Genetic potential of productivity is a primary and essential factor in the period of formation of high productivity of winter wheat. Such quantitative traits as 1000-grain weight, a number of seeds per ear, length and width of a flag leaf are of primary importance while forming productivity of the crop. It’s possible to create a highly productive wheat variety knowing inheritance of these traits, their genetic basis and their genes combining ability. Our study has been carried out in two directions. The first one was an assessment of hybrid combinations. The article gives the results of study of soft winter wheat hybrids of the first generation. We have presented various types of trait heritage, from negative dominance to overdominance and we have found heterosis. The second direction was an assessment of parent forms of winter wheat on total combining ability. The assessment of total (TCA) combining ability and specific combining ability (SCA) of the varieties and lines gives an opportunity to use received hybrids in breeding work planning transgressive forms in the second generation. Thus it will result in more possibility to choose forms with new valuable traits. In the result of the conducted biometrical analysis of hybrids and their parents we received a number of average indexes of the traits of 10 combinations, which was used for calculation of total and specific combining ability of initial forms. The work presents the best parent forms of soft winter wheat according to their combining ability and hybrid combinations with high specific combining ability on some quantitative traits.

The article gives the results of a consistent assessment of breeding material of durum winter wheat with the use of express assessment methods as SDS-sedimentation and analysis of gliadin electrophoregrams. A consistent assessment allows forming a necessary amount of breeding samples with good and high grain quality right to competitive variety trials. It can be confirmed and characterized by the conventional and time-consuming technologies, that allows the farmer to choose promising competitive varieties with good quality and productivity when sending them to SVT. For the recent years of such practice we sent 11 varieties of durum winter wheat of FSBSI ARRIGC named after I.G. Kalinenko. They are ‘Aksinit’, ‘Kurant’, ‘Amazonka’, ‘Lazurit’, ‘Kristella’, ‘Oniks’, ‘Kiprida’, ‘Diona’, ‘Teya’, ‘Eyrena’ and “Yakhont’. They exceed the standard variety in grain quality, in productivity, in gliadins, that gives them opportunity to keep their position in the market of seeds.

The choice of the variety is one of the main methods of soft winter wheat productivity increase. The trials have been carried out by the staff of the laboratory of crop cultivation technologies in the Orlovsky region in the eastern part of the Rostov region on the experimental fields of OOO ‘Niva’. The experimental plot was of dark-chestnut soil of medium capacity and with weak alkalinity. According to the texture, heavy loam soils with the content of physical clay of 60-75% contain average phosphorus and potassium. The content of humus in the layer of 0-20 cm is between 2,5-3,1%. The objects of study were the varieties of soft winter wheat of FSBSI ARRIGC named after I.G. Kalinenko. They are ‘Rostovchanka 3’, ‘Rostovchanka 5’, ‘Don 107’, ‘Stanichnaya’, ‘Tanais’, ‘Ermak’, ‘Asket’, ‘Izyuminka’, ‘Donskoy Surpriz’, ‘Lidiya’ and ‘Nakhodka’. The study was carried out in the years 2012-2014 which were different in moisture supply. The year 2012-2013 was dry, but the year 2013-2014 was the most favorable due to amount of precipitations, therefore the productivity of the crop varied in these years. On average the largest productivity have been produced by such varieties as ‘Rostovchanka 5’(3,37 t/ha), ‘Stanichnaya’(3,37 t/ha), ‘Tanais’(3,31 t/ha), ‘Ermak’(3,38 t/ha), ‘Asket’(3,50 t/ha), ‘Izyuminka’(3,38 t/ha), ‘Donskoy Surpriz’(3,33 t/ha), ‘Lidiya’(3,63 t/ha) and ‘Nakhodka’(3,39 t/ha). The variety ‘Asket’ showed the most amount of protein (15,6%) and gluten (34,6%) on average during the years of study. The varieties ‘Don 107’ (749 g/l) and ‘Izyuminka’ (748 g/l) showed the best quality of grain.

If we choose sainfoin during growing it can increase productivity of the crop. For the purpose we should take the varieties which are well adapted to the local weather-climatic conditions.  In the years 2011-2014 we studied hybrid populations of sainfoin, assessed their valuable biologic and economic traits and according to the obtained data we selected those of them which were more adaptive to increasing climate aridity and possessed better productivity and quality.  We used individual-family selection of hybrid populations, obtained in a poly-crossing. Then we selected the most valuable varieties due to a complex of economic traits to use them in breeding. We identified and developed new sources of high productivity of green mass and seeds, of high quality of green mass, hay yield. In the competitive variety testing we selected sainfoin varieties, which exceeded the standard variety ‘Zernogradsky 2’ on 8-20% on average with 28,9 t/ha green mass of ‘Sin 47/95’, 27,2 t/ha of ‘Sin 1/97’, 27,5 t/ha of ‘Sin 4/2010’ and 27,9 t/ha of ‘Sin 5/93’. The seed productivity of sainfoin is one of the most essential traits. During the two cycle period seed productivity of the varieties ‘Sin 5/93’, ‘Sin 1/2000’, ‘Sin 6/95’ and ‘Sin 4/2010’ was 0,67 t/ha, 0,68 t/ha and 0,70 t/ha respectively. Bio chemical assessment of the selected varieties according to raw protein content in dry matter showed that the varieties ‘Sin 5/93’ and ‘Sin 4/2010’ possessed the same amount of it as the standard variety; the varieties ‘Sin 1/2000’, ‘Sin 47/9’ and ‘Sin 5/2010’ exceeded the standard one on 0,57%. The varieties ‘Sin 5/93’, ‘Sin 4/2010’ and ‘Sin 1/2000’ produced the greatest yields of hay with 38%,38% and 39% respectively.

A long use of the hybrid in production often results in the loss of immunity to the diseases. Climate change and growing needs of the farmers also demand a consistent improvement of maize hybrids. Therefore a constant renewal of the range of domestic maize hybrids is a necessity of successful competition with foreign hybrids. The middle maturing maize hybrid ‘Zernogradsky 354 MV’ was hybridized by I.G. Kalinenko All-Russian RI of Grain crops (ARRIGC) together with All-Russian RI of maize (ARRIM) and the new hybrid ‘Gefest MV’ was received in ARRIGC. According to the time of their vegetation, they are the principle hybrids for the south of the Rostov region. These hybrids are adapted to soil-climatic conditions of the Rostov region; they are universal for economic use (for grain and for silage). In dry years the average grain productivity of the hybrid ‘Zernogradsky 354 MV’ was 3,85 t/ha and it of the hybrid ‘Gefest MV’ was 4,52 t/ha. The potential productivity of the hybrids was 10,0-11,0 t/ha, the average productivity of the green mass was 29,3-30,6 t/ha in dry years. The hybrids are tolerant to droughts and main maize diseases, typical for the region. The hybrid ‘Gefest MV’ showed a high resistance to lodging with prolonged standing with a root. The hybrid ‘Zernogradsky 354 MV’ is characterized with a high content of starch in grain (71,4%), therefore the grain is a valuable raw for starch-syrup industry. The hybrid seed-growing is conducted on a sterile cytoplasm of Moldavian type of CMS with a full restoration of fertility. The average yield of the seeds is 2,0 t/ha on the plots of hybridization. 

Grain of grain sorghum has different ways of use. In many countries of the world grain of sorghum is applied for cooking different food products. Thus grain of sorghum is imposed certain requirements in dependence of the purpose of its use.  The article gives the results of study of activity of polyphenol oxidase in grain of 49 varieties and selective lines of grain sorghum of various origins. In the trials we used grain with different 1000-grain weight and color. 1000-grain weight varied from 10,9 to 48,5 g. Grain color was presented with a total color spectrum. It has been determined that the activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in grain of studied sorghum samples varied from 2,83 to 21.01 u/g. The majority of sorghum samples of I.G. Kalinenko ARRIGC possess low activity of PPO. It has been shown that the activity of PPO negatively correlates with grain weight (r=-0,76) and positively correlates with grain color (r=0,49). The activity of PPO can result in darkening of the product, reducing its quality. For cooking of the most food product from grain of sorghum it’s necessary to use grain of light colored varieties of sorghum with the low activity of PPO.

The article gives the data about the amount of water deficit (WD) of spring barley in different periods of genesis under various growing conditions. There have been selected the varieties (‘Leon’, ‘Zernogradsky 244’, ‘Zhedry’, ‘Sokol’) with a minimum increase of water deficit (4,3-9,2%) in the period of milky-wax ripeness of grain compared with a period of flowering. It has been given a correlation of spring barley water deficit with amount of yield under the conditions of trial drought r = 0,81 and optimal water supply r = 0,22. We established that water stress influences on the amount of productivity and on the elements of yield (number and mass of seeds per main spicklet, mass of 1000 seeds, productive stem density). We found out that water stress decreases a number of productive stems per 1 m². The varieties ‘Zernogradsky 1331” and ‘Zernogradsky 1438’ showed a maximum reduce of the trait (on 32% and 29% respectively). The varieties ‘Tonus’, ‘Ratnik’ and ‘Yasny’ showed a minimum reduce of productive stem density (on 1%, 2% and 2% respectively). The varieties ‘Zernogradsky 1210’ and ‘Zernogradsky 1331’ showed a significant reduce of the number of seeds per spicklet (on 26% and 15% respectively). The variety ‘Zernogradsky 1331’ showed a maximum reduce of the number of seeds per main spicklet (on 60%) and a maximum decrease of mass of 1000 seeds (on 55%). The varieties ‘Sokol’, ‘Zhedry’ and ‘Leon’ showed a high quantity of productivity under the conditions of trial drought (81,4 g/m², 74,0 g/m², 78,7 g/m² respectively).

The article gives the results of the study of protein and gluten fractions of soft winter wheat varieties of intensive type in their dynamics. We have considered varying of the traits ‘protein fraction’ and ‘gluten fraction’ during 10 years and a coefficient of their correlation. We have estimated content of protein and gluten fraction of 11 soft winter wheat cultivars on average for 10 years and in each year. The cultivars ‘Aksiniya’ and ‘Tanais’ showed high average content of protein fraction and a slight variability of the trait during the years with 15,2%; V – 4,6%  and 15,3%; V – 5,1% respectively. The cultivars ‘Aksiniya’ (29,4%; V – 7,5%), ‘Tanais’ (28,7%; V - 7,2%), ‘Marafon’ (28,0%; V - 7,6%) and ‘Rostovchanka 7’ (27,4%; V - 8,0%) showed average content of gluten fraction and a slight variability of the trait during the years. The cultivars ‘Rostovchanka 3’(15,6%), ‘Donskaya Yubileynaya’ (15,5%) and ‘Tanais’ (15,3%) showed the largest protein fraction on average during 10 years. The cultivars ‘Donskaya Yubileynaya’ (30,6%), ‘Aksiniya’ (29,4%), ‘Rostovchanka 3’ (28,7%) and ‘Tanais’ (28,7%) showed the largest gluten fraction on average during 10 years. We recommend using the cultivars ‘Aksiniya’, ‘Tanais’, ‘Rostovchanka 3’ and ‘Donskaya Yubileynaya’ to improve the grain quality of soft winter wheat. We have carried out the analysis of the content of protein and gluten fractions depending on the amount of precipitations and active temperatures during the period of earing and maturation in the years of study.

The method of subjecting plants to frost in the boxes is one of the ways to create provoking conditions for estimating frost tolerance of plants. Frost resistance of winter crops is very dynamic. It increases in the autumn; it is the largest at the beginning and in the middle of the winter and it sharply reduces by the spring. Apart from the seasonal dynamics there is a deviation of frost resistance during the years depending on the conditions of forming frost resistance. We present results of state of the plants after freezing with various temperatures (-18°С; -20°С; -21°С; -22°С). Preservation of varieties and lines after freezing in the boxes changed in dependence of the temperature. The preservation of the plants varied from 32,3 to 88,5 % at -20°С; at -21°С it was 17,2 – 77 % and at -22°С these indexes varied from 0 to 54,5%. The maximum preservation at -22°С has been noted among the cultivars ‘Don 107’ (53,5 %), ‘Donskaya Bezostaya’ (54,5 %) and ‘Asket’ (51,1 %). For more accurate assessment of frost resistance we have used a don method (the method of bushes). The cultivars ‘Donskaya Bezostaya’ (45%), ‘Kapitan’ (43,3 %) and ‘Asket’ (36,7 %) are characterized with a high level of preservation of plants. The productivity of studied samples varied from 5,05 to 7,82 t/ha. The varieties ‘Krasa Dona’ (7,82 t/ha), ‘Ermak (7,74 t/ha) and ‘Lidiya’ (7,45 t/ha) showed the largest productivity. The qualitative traits (protein content, gluten content and SDS-sedimentation) of the studied cultivars and lines have been given in the paper.

The production needs sainfoil varieties adapted to different and changing weather-climatic conditions of the region with high productivity of green mass, dry matter, seeds and good quality of fodder. The demands of the production can be significantly satisfied with new sainfoil cultivars of I.G. Kalinenko ARRIGC. The sainfoil varieties studied in three cycles of sowing are characterized with early germination in the spring (on 24-25 of March). The period lasts 58-59 days from the beginning of the germination till harvesting maturity of green mass and it lasts 90-91 days till full maturity of seeds. The amount of leaves of the cultivars ‘Atamansky’, ‘Sudar’ and ‘Veles’ is of 44%, 43% and 42% respectively. The studied varieties formed a higher productivity of green mass and seeds than the standard variety during the years and cycles of growing. The variety ‘Atamansky’ produced 28,3 t/ha of green mass, ‘Sudar’ - 27,8 t/ha, ‘Veles’ - 27,4 t/ha, that is on 3,0 t/ha, 2,5 t/ha and 2,1 t/ha more than of the standard variety. As for the seed productivity they produced 0,71 t/ha, 0,68 t/ha and 0,69 t/ha respectively, that is on 0,08 t/ha, 0,05 t/ha and 0,06 t/ha more than of the standard variety. The studied varieties formed a higher productivity of dry matter than the standard variety. The varieties ‘Atamansky’ and ‘Sudar’ produced 7,9 t/ha, ‘Veles’ – 7,8 t/ha. The varieties ‘Atamansky’ and ‘Sudar’ are characterized with the largest harvest of fodder units per hectare (4,11 th/ha). The variety ‘Veles’ produced 4,06 th/ha, and the standard variety produced 3,69 th/ha. The variety ‘Sudar’ gave the largest amount of raw protein (1,05 t/ha). The varieties ‘Veles’ and ‘Atamansky’ produced only 1,03 t/ha and 0,99 t/ha of raw protein. As for the amount of digestible protein per fodder unit the varieties ‘Sudar’ and ‘Veles’ showed the largest indexes (255 g/f.u. and 253 g/f.u. respectively).

According to the amount of self-pollinated lines we distinguish such main types of maize hybrids as simple interline, three-line and double interline ones. Simple interline hybrids are considered to be the most productive and stable. In the Russian Federation simple hybrids did not gain wide spread because of their low seed productivity of parent forms, self-pollinated lines. One of the ways to solve the problem is to breed simple modified hybrids with grain productivity equivalent to simple hybrids together with high seed productivity of mother forms. It has been suggested a method of breeding of modified hybrids by substituting mother form (AxB) in three-line hybrids (AxB)xC on sister hybrids. Mother form of simple hybrid (AxB) and backcrossing hybrids (AxB)xA and (AxB)xB have been taken as an initial material for hybridization of sister lines.  It allowed creating new sister lines of three groups with different origins. They were used for sister hybrids, and those hybrids for breeding of simple modified hybrids. Simple modified hybrids of maize, which possess larger productivity than a three-line hybrid ‘Gefest MV’ and high seed productivity of mother form, have been received. The best of them ‘(BP 263/326 – 1 х BP263/326 – 4) х КV399’ is characterized with grain productivity of 5,12 t/ha, seed productivity of mother form of 1,81 t/ha, lodging stability and tolerance to smut infection. The back crossing hybrid ‘(КV263 х КV 326) х КV263’ turned to be the best one as an initial material for breeding of sister lines; self-pollinated line ‘КV 263’ with high SKS was used for back crossing.

The southern part of RF, including the Rostov region, is a favorable area for high yields of winter wheat. It can be also characterized as a territory with such sharp agro-ecological contradictions as intensive use of lands, large consumption of soil nutrients and moisture by previous crops, imbalance of macro and micro elements. Great number of crops, vast areas occupied with one or several genetically close varieties, use of pesticides and their mutagenic and selective effects worsen the further growth of productivity. In the 90-s the average productivity was about 4,0 t/ha in some parts of the Rostov region, in the others the potential of grain productivity was used only on 30-40%. All those made the researchers of ARRIGC completely change the breeding trends, i.e. taking into account the situation in the production, refocus it into an adaptive period, which combines a breeding, a variety testing and a seed-growing stages. Such approach allowed conducting variety breeding with a high adaptability to abiotic and biotic stresses, a vast geographic adaptability. The study of breeding material and new varieties in a wide range of agro technologic and ecologic conditions, comprehensiveness in cooperation with the laboratories of technologies, biotechnologies and immunity gave an opportunity to breed the cultivars with complex tolerance to pathogens, high productivity and grain quality. The article gives the breeding results of soft winter wheat of intensive type for the 50 years period. It has been given the characteristics of the cultivars and methods of their breeding.  

The article gives the information about highly productive variety of durum winter wheat ‘Lazurit’, the method of its selection, initial parent components, which have been taken for hybridization, about morphological traits of its head. The variety has been approved for use in the North-Caucasus region since 2014. Тhe characteristic of principal economic-biological traits and properties of the variety has been given. It’s the variety of new generation which ideally combines high productivity, grain quality, coarse grain, immunity to main diseases of the Rostov region, tolerance to abiotic stressors of the environment.      During the years of trials the average productivity of the variety ‘Lazurit’ was 7,40 t/ha (2008-2015), during the last 5 years (2011-2015) it was 7,37 t/ha with a maximum productivity of 8,80 t/ha and a minimum one of 6,00 t/ha. The average increase of productivity to the standard variety ‘Donchanka’ was 1,40 and 1,26 t/ha respectively. The high productivity of the variety is provided with higher productive tillering, coarse grain and a harvesting index. The characteristic of principal economic-biological traits and properties of the variety has been given. It’s the variety of new generation which ideally combines high productivity, grain quality, coarse grain, immunity to main diseases of the Rostov region, tolerance to abiotic stressors of the environment. During the years of trials the average productivity of the variety ‘Lazurit’ was 7,40 t/ha (2008-2015), during the last 5 years (2011-2015) it was 7,37 t/ha with a maximum productivity of 8,80 t/ha and a minimum one of 6,00 t/ha. The average increase of productivity to the standard variety ‘Donchanka’ was 1,40 and 1,26 t/ha respectively. The high productivity of the variety is provided with higher productive tillering, coarse grain and a harvesting index. Grain quality matches GOST classification demands Р-52554–2006 for durum wheat. They are 89% of grain vitreousness, 790 g/l of test weight (nature), 15,25% of protein in grain, 28,4% of gluten of the second group of quality, 35 ml of SDS-sedimentation, 431 sec. of falling number.

The principle technological elements of variety cultivation which allow realizing its genetic potential of productivity and quality have been listed.

The complex study of 257 collection samples of peas (PISUM SATIVUM L.) with various ecologic-geographic origins selected the sources with valuable economic and morpho-biologic traits and properties for using them in breeding of highly productive cultivars with good qualitative seeds adapted to the unfavorable environment. The study has been carried out under the conditions of unstable humidity of the southern part of the Rostov region. The studied samples have been differentiated into the morpho types of the plants according to their productivity and its elements. We have fulfilled the analysis of the plants according to their quantitative traits: plant height, a number of nods, a number of beans per plant, a number of seeds per bean, a number of seeds per plant. The sizes of a seed and plant productivity have been estimated. The productivity of seeds from collection samples of peas of various morpho types has been analyzed. The correlation analysis has been conducted; the correlation of studied traits with seed productivity which could be promising in the breeding process has been estimated. The sources with constant high content of protein in seeds have been selected; the correlation between protein content and seed productivity has been determined.

The article gives the data about the productivity of 5 varieties of spring durum wheat varieties under different tillage technologies, such as plowing, subsoil plowing and basic tillage. The probability of their productivity of different levels has been estimated. The varietal features cultivated with different tillage technologies have been determined. It has been established that sowing of durum wheat in lands, lying fallow reduces its productivity on 0,229 t/ha compared with a plowing and on 0,172 t/ha compared with subsoil plowing. The varieties ‘Bezenchukskaya 205’ and ‘Pamyati Chekhovicha’ are the most productive in the steppe part of Orenburg Pre-Urals. They are responsive to the improvement of sowing conditions, e.g. sowing after plowing and subsoil plowing) and stable in productivity under the worsening of the sowing conditions, e.g. sowing in stubble. These varieties can be considered as donors of high productivity in the breeding process. If we sow the most productive varieties of durum wheat after plowing in autumn, we can get productivity of 1,5-2,3 t/ha in the years with favorable climatic conditions.

The article gives a review of published material concerning principal methods of spring moisture accumulation in soil in dry conditions of Orenburg and other regions of the South-East. Such review is of great importance because of frequently recurring drought, especially in a spring-summer period of the last years. In such years spring moisture accumulations in soil can play a crucial role in the struggle with drought.  But a lot of methods and technologies of moisture accumulations are not used, that significantly reduces the yields. The article shows the results of long-term trails during four crop rotations, where we studied bare (weedfree) fallow, natural fallow, green fallow for winter and spring durum wheat in the system of 6-field crop rotations. During the years we determined the dynamics of soil moisture in fallow lands in the periods from its beginning to the sowing of winter and spring durum wheat. It has been estimated the effect of different types of fallow on soil consumption of moisture from snow during its melting. The article presents the data about the productivity of spring durum wheat in dependence on fallow and non-fallow ancestors and nutrition on average in 24 years. We have made some conclusions on the basis of the review and results of the trials.