The article presents the study results of a long-term field stationary trial. There has been identified a role of the complex application of organic and mineral fertilizers, plant protection products and the biological product ‘Gumistim’ in the winter rye cultivation, its influence on the productivity and technological qualities of grain. Increasing doses of mineral fertilizers combined with chemical plant protection products and biomaterial ‘Gumistim’ significantly increased productive tilling capacity and the number of kernels per head. Kernel weight per head in the trial also depended on the level of mineral nutrition and the applied plant protection products. Mineral fertilizers had a positive effect on winter rye productivity, while the influence degree was determined by the level of fertilizers’ application. The use of ‘Gumistim’ in combination with protective techniques activated growth and development of the plants, which ultimately contributed to a significant increase in grain productivity. The highest increase from biomaterial ‘Gumistim’ was obtained in the aftereffects of application of 40 t/ha manure + N₇₀ P₃₀ K₆₀ + pesticides + 0.48 t/ha ‘Gumistim’ and N₁₄₀ Р₆₀ К₁₂₀  ‘Gumistim’. On average, during the years of research, the most effective fertilizing systems for winter rye were organic-mineral (the aftereffects of application of 40 t/ha manure + N₇₀ P₃₀ K₆₀) and mineral N₁₄₀ Р₆₀ К₁₂₀) combined with chemical plant protection products and biomaterial ‘Gumistim’. The above mentioned fertilizing systems improved winter rye yields to 2.54–2.66 t/ha. Under the influence of organic, mineral and organic-mineral fertilizing systems, together with chemical plant protective means and ‘Gumistim’, the technological quality of winter rye kernels has improved. The indexes of nature weight, 1000-kernel weight and vitreousness of grain have also improved. Winter rye grain with the best baking qualities was obtained in the variants with organic-mineral and mineral fertilizing systems in combination with plant protection products and biomaterial ‘Gumistim’.

The article presents the study results of the barley planting methods on drained soil. The research was carried out in the experimental fields of the FSBSI ‘All-Russian Research Institute of Reclaimed Lands’. In the trials, conventional drill method of planting (SZ-3.6), band method of planting and broadcast method of planting were compared. It is established that barley on drained soil should be grown on the scallops of 40–80 mm height with local soil compaction under a ridge and indentation of the seeds into the soil. The yield increase with the ridge method of planting are 0.23–0.55 t/ha or 6.2–16.3% in relation to the conventional method of planting (SZ-3.6), the direct costs of producing 1 t of grain are reduced by 5.3–13.8%. The indentation of seeds into the soil with the ridge method of planting increased barley yield on 0.43 t/ha under its cultivation. A broadcast method of barley planting is of certain interest for the conditions of the northwest of the Non-Blackearth (chernozem) region. The labor productivity is increased by 1.5–3 times, labor costs per 1 hectare connected with planting operations are reduced by 37.6–58.4%, and fuel consumption is reduced by 7.4–39.2 %. With the use of seed spreaders, there is no need in separate auxiliary operations, special loaders and transport for seed transportation, the time of field work is shortened, the adaptability of seeding technology to soil-meliorative conditions is increased, the compacting effect of running systems of tractors and machines on soil is reduced (by 2–4 times).

Among all legumes chickpea is the most resistant and tolerant to heat and drought. But its productivity in the Rostov region is significantly dependent on soil water and nutrition elements content. The field trials were carried out in 2012–2016 in the laboratory of the cultivation technology of row crops in the FSBSI Agricultural Research Center ‘Donskoyʼ, located in the southern part of the Rostov region (town of Zernograd). The study showed that in the years with sufficient water content in soil chickpea productivity can reach 2.06 t/ha, in the years of drought productivity reduces to 1.34–1.54 t/ha. There has been determined a positive dependence of productivity on the reserves of productive moisture and available nutrition elements in the soil. The flowering (r = 0.63) and the germ phases (r = 0.59) in a meter soil layer showed the largest correlation between productivity and water reserves in soil. The largest coefficients of correlation between chickpea productivity and nitrate nitrogen (r = 0.63) and changeable potassium (r = 0.64) content in soil layer of 0–30 cm have been noted in the germ phase and mobile phosphorus (r = 0.76) content in soil layer of 0–30 cm have been noted in the flowering phase.

The article considers ecological stability of spring barley (the variety ‘Prerie’), cultivated on blackearth (chernozems), ordinary, medium eroded soils in the Rostov region. Among the early spring grain crops, barley gives the highest and most stable yields with strict adherence to all cultivation technologies. However, despite the favourable soil-climatic conditions for this grain crop, its productivity in the region is still low and unstable over the years, and on average is 1.5–2.8 t/ha. Solving the problem, the ecological stability of grain crops is of great importance as the agroecosystem is able to maintain its structure and functional characteristics under the influence of external and internal factors. High productivity and stability of spring barley can be ensured through an integrated approach, including the improvement of such agricultural techniques for cultivation as effective crop rotation, use of soil cultivation systems and fertilizing systems. The studies were carried out in a multifactorial trial located on the slope of the Bolshoi Log in the Aksai District of the Rostov Region in 2007–2016. The study has found that the cultivation of the spring barley variety ‘Prerie’ is ecologically stable in a five-crop rotation sequence, the structure of which includes peas, winter wheat, sunflower and perennial grasses with subsoil plowing with the use of 1 kg/ha mineral fertilizers N90Р40К90, which provides a minimum variability in yield (10%) and the highest coefficient of environmental stability of the studied variety (0.58). In the presence of farrow land in the crop rotation, it is necessary to use chisel tillage, which ensures the ecological stability of barley only with an increased amount of mineral fertilizers. In the crop rotation 40% of perennial grasses neutralize the effect of primary tillage with a significant effect of mineral nutrition (up to 50–76%).

The work is devoted to the assessment of survival of nodule lupine bacteria (Rhizobium lupini) on seeds and to the study of the opportunities to increase the terms between seed inoculation and their sowing. It has been evaluated the effect of such water-soluble polymers as sodium alginate, carboxymethyl cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol (4-88, 4-98) and polyvinylpyrrolidone on survival of nodule lupine bacteria. The number of surviving nodule bacteria of lupine R. lupini (str. 363a and 367a) was determined on inoculated lupine seeds of the variety ‘Oligarkh’ after 24 hours after inoculation with a control working solution (20% bacterial suspension in water), as well as with the solutions modified with five percent of such water-soluble polymers as sodium alginate, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), polyvinyl alcohol of 2 grades (PVA 4-88 and PVA 4-98) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The experiment has identified PVP as the most effective polymeric rhizobium protector among all above-mentioned ones because the number of surviving bacteria in the PVP variant was significantly larger than the control variant and in 2–3 times larger than in the variants with other polymers. There has been studied dynamics of bacteria death from the moment of inoculation and after 2, 4, 8, 24, 48 and 168 hours in various variants of the experiment. The effectiveness of PVP as a rhizobium protector on inoculated seeds was determined, its optimum concentration was identified.

A desiccation under specific soil-climatic conditions makes it possible to ensure a uniform maturation of the grains in oats panicle and to preserve the formed yield. Thus, the purpose of our research was to determine the effect of different desiccants and the terms of their application on the yield and quality of the grain of the oat variety ‘Yakov’. The research was carried out on the experimental field of AO “Uchkhoz Iyulskoe IzhSAA” during 2015–2017. The soil was sod medium-podzolic medium-loamy, the arable soil layer on the experimental plots was of an average cultivation degree. SCC in the critical phase of oats development, paniculation phase was 0.8 in 2015, 1.5in 2016 and 2.2 in 2017. Therefore, grain productivity in dependence on the desiccants was different. In the phase ‘milky kernel-full ripeness’ an average daily air temperature was 21.4 °C in 2016, 16.3 °C in 2015, 18.4 °C in 2017. As a result, it was found that after 9 days of ‘milky kernel’ formation oat seeds pre-treated with ‘Raundap’, ‘Basta’ and ‘Reglon Super’ produced the largest yield 4.23 t/ha in 2015 and 6.64 t/ha 2017 with 24.1% and 27.3% husk content, 571 g/l and 578 g/l nature weight respectively. In 2016, the highest yield of 4.45 t/ha was obtained after the application of desiccants 6 days after of ‘milky kernel’ formation, husk content was 27.4% and nature weight was 533 g/l.

In the Southern Federal District, sunflower is one of the most highly productive and profitable crops. At the same time, the level of yield and quality of kernelss directly depends on the cultivation technology and applied agrochemicals. The present work considers the field trials conducted with the large-kerneled sunflower variety ‘SPK’ to identify its responsiveness to the use of amino-chelate fertilizers ‘Agrovin’, its economic and bioenergetic efficiency. The study shows that the most effective combination is a simultaneous use of amino chelate fertilizers 0.8 l/ha of ‘Agrovin Micro’+ 1 kg/ha of ‘Agrovin Universal’ in the phase of 6–8 leaves. In that case the maximum yield of seeds was obtained (2.53 t/ha with the largest share of the estimated net income of 22 922 rubles/ha and the lowest seed cost of 5940 rubles/t with 153% of profitability). Thus, the highest net energy income of 33 774 MJ/ha and 4.0 of the energy efficiency ratio (EER) were achieved.

Winter wheat is the most important food crop, which occupies a significant share in the structure of the grain wedge of this country. The southern region of theRussian Federation, including theRostovregion, is the most favorable area for obtaining great harvests of winter wheat. Thus, the creation of stable highly productive varieties of winter soft wheat with resistance to stress factors of the environment is of primary concern. The research work was carried out at the experimental plots of the laboratory of breeding and seed-growing of winter soft wheat of intensive type ofFSBSIAgriculturalResearchCenter‘Donskoyʼ in 2016–2017. The winter soft wheat variety ‘Ermak’ was used as a standard variety. The article presents the study results of winter soft wheat lines in competitive variety testing based on the main economic-valuable traits. There have been chosen a number of lines-sources to use them in breeding programs to increase the values of individual parameters. The lines 1504/16 and 1942/16 (90.0 cm), 2049/16 (88.0 cm), 2057/16 (83.0 cm) were identified with the least values of the trait ‘plant height’. Practically all selection lines in the experiment had high resistance to lodging (from 4.0 to 5.0 points). According to the date of an earing (heading) phase the majority of the studied lines corresponded to the group of average-early varieties. The lines 1202/16, 1341/16, 1466/16, 1766/16, 1800/16, 1862/16 have been identified according to 1000-kernel weight (more than50 g). The lines 1533/16, 2141/16, 1850/16, 1852/16, 2148/16 have been found the most productive with a significant increase to the standard variety ‘Ermak’ (from 1.7 t/ha to 2.1 t/ha). These breeding lines are taken for further study and use in hybridization as an initial material.

In the creation of varieties that meet modern requirements of the brewing industry, an important role belongs to genetic sources. The study of the collection of the FSBSI Agricultural Research Center ‘Donskoyʼ in the department for barley breeding and seed-growing allowed identifying and recommending the sources of the main brewing and economic-valuable features and properties. The study was carried out in the years of 2014–2016. 77 varieties of winter barley with different ecological and geographical origin have become the objects of the study. The purpose of the study was to determine biochemical and technological properties of grain that meet certain requirements to brewing barley varieties. 31.2% of the studied varieties have been found correspondent to the trait ‘protein content in kernels’ (GOST 5060-86 ‘Brewing barley’). 7.8% of the samples have more than 60% starch in kernels. 57% of the collection varieties possess high extractivity (more than 78%). 13% of the studied varieties have husk content of kernels that meet the brewing requirements. 88% of all varieties correspond the GOST 5060-86 requirements in the trait ‘1000-kernel weight’. 64% of the samples significantly exceed productivity of the standard variety. As a result of the conducted correlation analysis there have been identified the correlations among the following traits: 1000-kernel weight – protein content in kernels; 1000-kernel weight – husk content in kernels; starch content in kernels – husk content; starch content in kernels – protein content in kernels. The best samples ‘Parallelum1916’, ‘Parallelum1923’, ‘Parallelum1813’, ‘Parallelum1820’, ‘315/Obzor’, ‘217-2(RF)’, Callao (USA), Rocca (Germany)

The study of such traits as ‘plant height’, ‘panicle length’, ‘number of spikelets per panicle’, ‘1000-kernel weight’ are of great importance in the breeding work. Kernel productivity of rice is significantly dependent on ‘number of spikelets per panicle’, ‘number of grains per panicle’ and ‘1000-grain weight’. Therefore, it’s necessary to know a genetic mechanism of every trait and their correlation. The article deals with the identification of inheritance type, number of allelic variants of genes, participating in the determining of height and other quantitative traits of rice hybrids obtained as a result of hybridization of absolutely different collection samples. The software ‘Polygen A’ has been used in the genetic analysis of splitting of the traits. Plant height of the initial parental forms presented minimum and maximum values in the diversity of our collection. The average plant height of the sample ‘Karlik 1’was 54 cm, the plant height of the sample ‘LK’ was 156 cm. Significant differences were in the panicle length (12.3 and 27 cm) and in 1000-kernel weight (20.5 and 25.5 g). The study of the population F has established that the traits ‘plant height’ and ‘panicle length’ are inherited according to the type of incomplete dominance of large values of the trait; the differences among the initial forms were in three genes. According to number of spikelets and kernels per panicle there was a negative dominance and non-allelic epistatic interaction of two pairs of genes with splitting in the ratio 12 : 3 : 1. The trait ‘1000-kernel weight’ is inherited on the type of super-dominance of large values of the trait and is substantiated by digenic differences of initial forms with a masking pleiotropic effect of the dwarfism gene d1.

The article presents the main biological and economic merits of grain sorghum. The worldwide dynamics of the sown area of sorghum in recent years and the average yield of sorghum are considered in the work. The sown area of sorghum inRussiaand its distribution throughout federal districts are given in the paper. It has been established that the main producers of sorghum inRussiaare the Privolzhsky (28.5–141.6 thousand hectares) and the Southern Federal (23.8–94.0 thousand ha) Districts. Moreover, 46–69% of the sown area of the sorghum in the Southern Federal District is located in theRostovregion. The main part of the sown area of sorghum in theRostovregion is concentrated in the extremely arid zones (some eastern regions of theRostovregion) or in arid (north-western and north-eastern part of theRostovregion) zones. The article presents new varieties of grain sorghum developed in theAgriculturalResearchCenter“Donskoy”. In the period from 2012 to 2017 there were developed and registered in the State List of Breeding Achievements of RF early-ripening and white-grained sorghum varieties ‘Velikan’, ‘Zernogradskoe88’and ‘Ataman’. They are characterized with high productivity, high qualitative kernels and high adaptability to local conditions.

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.

Spring barley in theNorth Caucasusis an important grain, fodder and technical grain crop. It is found out that during the reproduction of spring barley varieties, its gradual deterioration occurs as a result of mechanical and biological clogging, splitting and increase in the level of infection. Thus, there is a periodic need to update the seeds of the used spring barley varieties. The purpose of the research is to describe the dynamics of changes in the sowing and yielding qualities of spring barley seeds during their reproduction. The purpose of the research was to study main sowing and yielding properties of seeds during their reproduction. According to standard methods, germination energy, laboratory germination, growth force, 1000-kernel weight and the intensity of initial growth were determined in laboratory conditions. For the study, there were taken original first year breeding seeds (OS (PR-1)) and second year breeding seeds (OS (PR-2)), breeding nursery (OC, E), basic seeds (ЭС), the first reproduction seeds (RS-1) grown in the southern part of the Rostov region in 2016–2017. The most important indicators of their sowing qualities are seed purity, grain size, germination energy, germination capacity and growth force. It was found that on average the germination energy index, depending on the seed category, ranged from88.0 inreproductive seeds (PC-1) to 94.0% in the first year breeding nursery (OS (PR-1)). The difference between germination energy and laboratory germination ranged from 4.3 to 7.0%. It has been identified that productivity and 1000-kernel weight tend to decrease from the highest reproductions (breeding nursery) to the lowest ones (reproduction seeds). The highest yield of proper seeds was obtained in the breeding nursery of the first year (OS (PR-1)) – 85.5%, which exceeded the values of reproduction seeds by 4.6%.

In the southern part of theRostovregion high temperature and insufficient humidity in soil are the main unfavorable factors that destroy the conventional physiological and biological processes of winter wheat plants and it results in their productivity decrease. As 1000-kernel weight is one of the principal structural elements that have an effect on productivity, the study of this trait under conditions of artificial drought is of great importance. The article presents the study of 1000-kernel weight in 18 samples of winter soft wheat under provoking conditions (“zasushnik”). As a result we have identified the varieties ‘Asket’, ‘Volny Don’, ‘Volnitsa’ and ‘Don107’which possess high index of 1000-kernel weight in the provoking conditions of severe drought (“zasushnik”) in relation to the optimal conditions of development. These varieties have been suggested to use as the initial material for winter soft wheat breeding on drought tolerance.

The purpose of our study is to create and introduce new drought-resistant and heat-resistant spring wheat varieties adapted to the conditions of the Central Blackearth region with high and stable yields, resistance to lodging, tolerance to unfavourable environmental factors and to the most harmful diseases and pests, and with high indicators of grain quality as well. The article presents the morphological and economic-biological characteristics of the new middle-ripened, drought-resistant variety of spring soft wheat ‘Voronezhskaya18’, introduced in 2017 into the State List of Breeding Achievements of theRussian Federationfor the Central Blackearth Region. Spring soft wheat variety ‘Voronezhskaya18’was created in the RIA CBP named after V.V. Dokuchaev by intraspecific hybridization with a further individual selection from a hybrid population: F (‘Voronezhskaya 10’/’Krestyanka’)/’Krestyanka’. The new variety possesses a high productivity (up to 6.96 t/ha). It has been determined that the high productivity of the variety ‘Voronezhskaya18’is connected with a denser productive stand (up to 544 heads per 1 m2versus 472 heads per1 m2of the standard variety ‘Prokhorovka’), while the variety ‘Voronezhskaya18’forms the same size of grain as that of the variety ‘Prokhorovka’ (33.5 g). It has been discovered that the variety ‘Voronezhskaya18’surpasses the regional variety ‘Prokhorovka’ in its resistance to atmospheric and soil drought. The new variety has got a rapid initial growth in the initial period. It has been established that the plants of the variety ‘Voronezhskaya18’are characterized by high preservation of green leaves before the period of waxy ripeness and the new variety exceeds the standard by the content of chlorophyll ‘a’. The protein content in kernels is up to 17.7%, the gluten content is up to 36.3%, the flour power is up to 457 e. a. It has been proved that on an infectious background the new variety is more tolerant to loose smut than the standard variety. As for brown rust infection on natural and artificial backgrounds, the new variety was at the level of the stable variety ‘Prokhorovka’. Sprouts of the new variety can resist the temperature up to -80C.

154 thousand hectares (64%) of winter wheat are cultivated in theAltaiTerritoryout of the 244 thousand hectares occupied by this grain crop in the whole Siberian Federal District. The main grain crop here is spring soft wheat, which is annually planted on about 2 million hectares, so the sown area of winter wheat is only 8.4%. However, in the foothill regions which grow winter grain crops, the regions with good snow reserves, the ratio of spring and winter grain crops is a bit different, the area under winter grain crops is either approaching or exceeding the spring grain crop. For the conditions of theAltaiTerritorywith a variety of soils, summer precipitation, snow cover height it is desirable to have a wide range of winter wheat varieties with different properties and traits. In the foothill regions the varieties of intensive type, with plasticity, responsiveness to intensification techniques, resistance to lodging, diseases, with high quality of grain are in demand. For more severe conditions, there is a requirement for the varieties with increased frost resistance, plasticity, medium resistance to lodging and high grain quality. The varieties of Altai breeders ‘Zhatva Altaya’ (2002) and ‘Zimushka’ (2015) are included in the List of Breeding Achievements, the variety ‘Metelitsa’ is in the State Variety Testing. In 2017, together with theFSBSIAgriculturalResearchCenter‘Donskoyʼ a new variety of winter wheat ‘Sodruzhestvo’ was sent to the variety testing. On average, during the years of study, the variety surpassed the standard variety on 0.64 t/ha, which corresponded to 16.4%. Among all the merits the variety is also characterized with high resistance to lodging, large-size grains, earlier maturity compared to all cultivated winter wheat varieties in theAltaiTerritory. The variety is intended for foothill regions of Altai and Salair for cultivation by intensive technology.

The purpose of the present study was to identify the biological and economic efficiency of fungicides ‘Maksim Plus’ (1.2 l/t), ‘BisolbiSan’ (1l/t) and the plant growth regulator ‘Melafen’ (10 ml/t) in the pre-treatment of spring wheat seeds in pure form and in tank mixtures.

The investigations were carried out in the experimental field rotation. The technology of cultivation was zonal, the forecrop was peas, the spring awny wheat variety ‘Buryatskaya’ was experimented. In all variants of the trial, the pre-treatment of the seeds was conducted with watering (10 litersof water per 1 ton of seeds) 10 days prior to sowing process. It has been established that the use of fungicides ‘Maksim Plus’ and ‘BisolbiSan’ and plant growth regulator ‘Melafen’ in its pure form is not sufficient to reveal spring wheat potential in seed pre-treatment, despite better plant growth and development characteristics, decrease of seed infection and root rot, compared with the control variety, because the obtained yield increase proved to be unreliable. Seed pre-treatment with the tank mixtures ‘Maksim Plus+ Melafen’, ‘Maksim Plus + BisolbiSan’ is agronomically justified, as it had a significant effect on average suppression of seed infection (by 74%) and root rot in the germination period (31.4–32.8%), it increased plants’ resistance to root rot pathogens, which resulted in reliable improvement of grain productivity: on 0.74 and 0.60 t/ha on average, respectively. The costs are paid off by the increased crop yields. In 2016 profitability of the combination of chemical disinfectant ‘Maksim Plus’ with growth regulator ‘Melafen’ and fungicide ‘BisolbiSan’ was 68.3 and 88.2%, respectively. In 2017, the use of fungicide ‘Maksim Plus’ and ‘Melafen’ ensured 36% profitability of wheat grain production and 53% with ‘BisolbiSan’.