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.

The purpose of the study is to assess the food, chemical and technological qualities of modern beans, soybeans and peas varieties developed by the Samara RIA. The study was carried out in the laboratory of the technological and analytical service of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution ‘Samara Research Institute of Agriculture’ in 2014–2018. There were analyzed taste, chemical, organoleptic, technological qualities of legumes varieties. There was established high nutritional value of the beans varieties ‘Samaryankaʼ, ‘BF 12ʼ, the peas varieties ‘Flagman 9ʼ, ‘Flagman 10ʼ, ‘Flagman 12ʼ, ‘Samariusʼ, ‘Stepnyakʼ and ‘Volzhaninʼ. These beans and peas varieties had excellent taste (4–5 points), the seeds were evenly (coefficient of cooking property is 2.5) and quickly cooked (no more than 160 minutes) and had an attractive marketable state. An analysis of soybean quality showed the suitability of the varieties ‘Samer 1ʼ and ‘Samer 4ʼ for milk and cheese production, and ‘Samer 1ʼ and ‘Samer 2ʼ for butter production. It was established that all studied soybean varieties accumulated a high percentage of protein in seeds (up to 40–42%). Soya texture of these varieties added to food products will ensure protein balance. According to the content of essential amino acids in protein of legume seeds, soybean was the best. However, the proportion of essential amino acids in the total amino acid composition (essential and non-replaceable) was high in beans and peas (38 and 37%). The proportion in soybeans was 34%. The peas varieties ‘Flagman 9ʼ and ‘Flagman 10ʼ, the beans line ‘BF 12ʼ and the variety ‘Bezenchukskaya belayaʼ, the soybean variety ‘Samer 2ʼ had the largest amount of essential amino acids among other beans, peas and soybean varieties. The studied legume varieties can be used as the breeding sources for seed quality.

The improvement of yield stability largely depends on responsiveness to favorable growing conditions and resistance to stress factors. The promising varieties should have stable yields, resistance to unfavorable environmental conditions, such as winter resistance and drought tolerance. In this regard, a purposeful breeding for adaptability, i.e. resistance to stress factors is of great importance. The purpose of the research was to study the adaptability and stability of winter barley varieties. The estimation was carried out on the experimental field of the FSBSI ARC “Donskoy”, which is located in the southern zone of the Rostov region. Through three years, 28 winter barley varieties of domestic and foreign breeding were studied. The location of the plots is systematic in double sequence; the area is 10 m². The calculation of ecological plasticity was carried out according to the method of S. A. Eberchart, W. A. Rassel (1966) (ed. by V. A. Zykin (2005)) using the statistical data processing program Statistica 10. It has been established that the most responsive varieties (bi > 1) to the improvement of growing conditions were ‘Erema’ (bi = 1.60), ‘Foks 1’ (bi = 1.64), ‘Skala’ (bi = 1.61), ‘Explorer 8’ (bi = 1.81) and ‘Capten’ (bi = 2.02). These varieties due to a high level of agricultural technology provide maximum yields. At an extensive background it is better to use the varieties ‘KWS-2-117’ (bi = 0.28), ‘KWS – 2–234’ (bi = 0.48). The most stable varieties of the studied foreign ones were the varieties ‘Wintwalt’ and ‘Explorer 4’ (σ²d = 0.04). Through the years of study, the variety ‘Marusya’ (RF) had the highest yield with a linear regression coefficient bi = 0.54, which indicates great stability of this variety.

The conducted regression analysis allowed us to obtain the equation of multiple nonlinear regression, which reflects the dependence of the raw gluten content in wheat kernels (Y, %) on the protein content (X1 = Ntotal · 5.7, %) and 1000-kernel weight (X2, g): Y = -41.928 + 0.081Х1 2 + 2.548Х2 - 0.028Х2 2. In the presented equation, all quality indicators are given at 12% humidity. If protein content and/or 1000-kernel weight are determined for absolutely dry matter (a.d.m.), the developed equation to predict raw gluten content in wheat kernels is recalculated with the use of coefficients of 0.88 and 1.136, respectively. The purpose of the research is to identify the effectiveness of raw gluten content prediction in wheat kernels using the developed regression equation, which reflects its dependence on protein content and 1000-kernel weight. There have been developed and presented an algorithm and results of testing the predictive capabilities of the equation based on independent data. That is, using experimental data on protein and gluten content, and 1000-kernel weight obtained by other researchers in the experiments with different wheat varieties and in other soil and climatic conditions. The summarized experimental data of 124 Soviet, Russian and foreign literary references with a total number of observations n = 2485 on more than a hundred wheat varieties grown from 1959 to 2019 in various soil and climatic zones of the USSR, Russia and abroad have shown that the number of values beyond the limits regulated by GOST R 54478 - 2011 (± 2%) was 462 or 18.6% of the total number of observations. The accuracy of the raw gluten content prediction in wheat kernels was 81.4%. The developed equation can be used to predict raw gluten content in kernels of various winter and spring soft and durum wheat varieties.

The paper discusses the results of long-term research in the competitive variety testing of the sainfoin variety ‘Shuravi’, introduced into the State List of breeding achievements and approved for use in 2019 in the North Caucasus and Nizhne-Volga regions of Russia.

The sainfoin variety ‘Shuravi’ is a complex hybrid species obtained by the methods of individual-family selection and polycross followed by massive negative selection. According to the most morphological and biological characteristics, the variety has been assigned to the Transcaucasian species. The plants are of tall height (95-105 cm). The bush is semi-upright (40%), upright (40%) and semi-sprawling (20%). The root system is vertical with a well-defined main root. The stalk is rough, thick and hollow inside. The kernels are of medium size, mainly with spines. 1000 kernel weight is 18–20 g. The vegetation period ‘sprouts – full ripeness’ is 85–90 days, and the mowing ripeness of the green mass is 45–55 days. According to resistance to major diseases, the variety is not inferior to the standard variety ‘Zernogradsky 2’. The productivity of ‘Shuravi’ green mass during the State variety testing was on 9.6% higher than that of the standard variety, dry matter was on 14.7% higher and seed productivity was on 17.6% higher. In the following years of study in a competitive variety testing, the variety ‘Shuravi’ exceeded the standard variety on 10.3% in green mass productivity and on 9.8% in dry matter. According to the yield of fodder units per 1 hectare, raw and digestible protein, the variety exceeded the standard on 17.0, 15.7 and 16.1% respectively. Exchange energy content per 1 kg of dry matter and supply of a fodder unit with digestible protein in the variety ‘Shuravi’ was at the standard level.

The use of the sainfoin variety ‘Shuravi’ as a green fertilizer makes it possible to cover fresh standard organic matter on 9.8–14.7% and nitrogen on 1.8–2.4 kg more compared with the standard; the percentage of phosphorus and potassium is the same as with the standard variety ‘Zernogradsky 2’. In general, when using sainfoin green mass as green manure, soil is supplied with much more such basic nutrients as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium than when applying the same amount of good quality manure. 

The paper presents the study results of yield and grain quality of winter soft wheat samples in the conditions of the provocative background “zasushnik”. The purpose of the research was to study the effect of growing conditions on the formation of productivity and grain quality of winter wheat samples. The maximum productivity in the conditions of the simulative drought “zasushnik” was shown by the samples ‘Shef’ (295.0 g/m²), ‘Zhavoronok’ (282.0 g/m²), ‘Volny Don’ (280.8 g/m²), which indicates an increased level of drought tolerance of these genotypes. The increase of protein percentage in comparison with the control variety ranged from 20.8% (‘Asket’) to 47.2% (‘Donskaya Step’). There was also gluten amount increase in the experiment in comparison with the control variety from 28.5% (‘Volny Don’) to 54.7% (‘352/11’) and at the same time there was a decrease in protein and gluten quality. Under conditions of a simulative drought, there was a significant decrease in the natural mass of the samples. There were identified such genotypes that, under severe drought conditions, formed a natural grain mass at the level of 3rd quality class (not less than 730 g/l) as ‘Asket’ (730 g/l), ‘Ambar’ (732 g/l), ‘Etud’ (736 g/l ), ‘Luchezar’ (744 g/l) and ‘1377/06’ (743 g/l). There was carried out a correlation analysis which allowed determining a change in the correlation between productivity and quality traits under the effect of growing conditions.

Development of a new variety with the highest level of productivity is one of the important purposes of all farmers. It is known that varieties developed in definite soil and climatic conditions are most adapted specifically to these conditions. The change of the cultivation zone has a different effect on the intensity of individual traits, including productivity, which justifies their ecological study. Thus, productivity reflects all the biological characteristics of the samples and its relation to growing conditions. Therefore, the study of this trait in collection samples is an important stage in the development of new highly productive sorghum varieties and hybrids. The study was carried out at the FSBSI Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” (Zernograd, Rostov Region) in 2016–2018. The object of the study was a collection nursery, which includes the varieties and lines developed at the FSBSI Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”, and other scientific institutions, as well as the samples sent by the FRC ARIGRR named after N. I. Vavilov. The total number is 335 samples. The sweet sorghum collection has been represented by the samples of various ecological and geographical origin. However, 48.1% (161 samples) have been represented by the samples from Russia. Green mass productivity of the collection samples varied from 980 to 5968 g/m2 . At the same time, 24.5% (82 pcs.) of the collection samples had yields within the standard 3200-5200 g/m2 . The collection samples ‘BB-442’, ‘K-533’, ‘K-668/1’, ‘K-1073’, ‘K-1437/2’, ‘K-1202/1’, ‘K-1802’, ‘K-1654/1’ (2.4% of all) significantly exceeded the standard (4200 g/m2 ). The samples from Palestine, Bulgaria and Brazil possessed the highest values of green mass productivity in the middle group (median). The samples from the Russian Federation had a group average of 2000 g/m2 , with a range of variation from 600 to 4300 g/m2 . Length of a growing season (r = 0.46 ± 0.00004), leaf length (r = 0.48 ± 0.00001), leaf width (r = 0.62 ± 0.0002), and a number of leaves (r = 0.42 ± 0.00001) have shown the largest effect on green mass productivity.

The purpose of this work is to determine ecological plasticity, stability, stress resistance, adaptability to various weather and economic conditions, to identify source varieties according to the studied characteristic for further use in spring barley breeding. The research material were spring barley varieties. The experiments were carried out in the northeastern part of the Central Blackearth (Chernozem) Region through five years, in various weather conditions. The index of environmental conditions over the years of the study varied from 16.3 to 19.0. The year of 2015 was a favorable year for the development of plants (I = + 19.0), and the most unfavorable year was 2016, the index of conditions was minus 16.3. The productivity of barley varieties greatly varied from 3.55 to 6.14 t/ha in favorable years and from 0.98 to 1.51 t/ha in dry years. On average, over five years of testing, high yields were harvested from the varieties ‘Medikum 110’ (Russia) 3.64 t/ha, ‘Medikum 336’ (Russia) 3.39 t/ha, ‘Veles’ (Russia) 3.34 t/ha, ‘Donetsk 9’ (Ukraine) 3.22 t/ha, ‘Feniks’ (Ukraine) 3.31 t/ha. According to the yield data there were calculated the main statistical parameters that characterize the adaptive potential of the varieties and they were divided into classes according to breeding valuable traits. Based on the obtained data there were identified the samples which are of practical interest due to the breeding purpose. It has been established that the varieties ‘Medikum 336’ (Russia), ‘Union’ (Germany) are environmentally adaptable; the varieties ‘Medikum 110’ (Russia), ‘Veles’ (Russia) are genetically flexible; the variety ‘Clara’ (Sweden) is stable. Particular attention should be paid to the varieties ‘Medikum 110’ (Russia), ‘Clara’ (Sweden) that are sources of two or more adaptive traits. The farmers using the obtained results, will be able to constantly improve their products, bringing them closer to perfection, since the adaptive properties of the cultivated varieties play a decisive role in reducing the risk and mitigating the consequences of extreme weather situations for the economy of agricultural producers.

Changing climatic conditions and the loss of immunity to diseases and pests of the developed varieties make breeding work to create new genotypes of great necessity. The new middle-early maize hybrid ‘Zernogradsky 299 MB’ of universal direction of economic use (for grain and green fodder) has been developed in the “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”. The hybrid is three-linear; it belongs to the varieties with crown yellow grain Zea mays L. indentata. It possesses high values of the main economically valuable traits. The average grain productivity through 3 years of competitive variety testing (2014–2016) was 5.36 t/ha, the variety yield exceeded the standard variety ‘Zernogradsky 291 AMB’ on 0.41 t/ha (8.3%). The average productivity of green mass is 27.6 t / ha, which is higher than that of the standard variety on 2.4 t/ha (9.5%). The new hybrid is resistant to lodging (2.1% of lodged plants), drought-resistant, resistant to smut on a natural background (0.4% of affected plants), has a high starch percentage (71.9%). In 2018, according to the results of the State Variety Testing, a new hybrid was introduced into the State List and approved for use in the Central Blackearth and NizheVolzhsky regions to cultivate it for grain and green fodder. It has a high potential for grain productivity. The maximum yield (11.23 t/ha) was obtained in the Central Blackearth region on the Oboyansk plot of the Kursk region, which is higher than the standard variety ‘Voronezhsky 279 CB’ on 2.03 t/ha (22.1%) with lower grain harvesting moisture (on 1,6%) than the standard variety.

The studies were conducted on the experimental field of the FSBSI “Federal Russian Agricultural Research Center”, whose soils are ordinary blackearth (chernozem). 25 productive shoots of each sample were taken in their full ripeness, and, when the seeds reached standard humidity, there was performed a structural analysis in the laboratory. T. petropavlovskyi and spontaneous macromutant forms emerged from cultivation were used as the objects of study. In the process of a long-term cultivation of T. petropavlovskyi in the collection, there were identified numerous spontaneous macromutant forms of a specific nature. The paper presents the study results of the product characteristics of T.petropavlovskyi and spontaneous macromutant forms which are phenotypically close to T. spelta and soft-like T. aestivum and typical soft wheat T. aestivum. It has been established that product characteristics of speltoid macromutant wheat are significantly inferior to the original T. petropavlovskyi and macromutant soft wheat T. aestivum. Product features of soft-like macromutant T. aestivum is similar to the original T. petropavlovskyi, but has a smaller sprout weight and, correspondingly, lower grain productivity. The most promising variety for breeding process is the macromutant typical soft wheat T. aestivum, which forms a larger number of grains and, due to this, has an advantage in ‘kernel weight per head’ over all samples, including the initial form. The value of this macromutant form can also be determined by the high coefficient of specific productivity (Csp), which indicates a more efficient work of its vegetative organs. Consequently, the macromutant T. aestivum, which is phenomenally similar to the existing varieties of soft wheat, promises a high hybridization efficiency with the latter. Thus, the macromutant form of T. aestivum, developed on the basis of the T. petropavlovskyi genotype, is of some value as an initial material for breeding practice.

The paper describes the stages of studying the biochemical heterogeneity of gluten proteins of wheat grain as an important factor in the baking quality of flour. It has been shown that the biochemical heterogeneity of gluten proteins is caused by genetic factors. Modern electrophoretic methods on gel carriers make it possible to study the component protein composition of varieties, biotypes, lines, split hybrids and to identify the Mendelian units of the spectrum (genes, alleles). The application of the idea of the genetic nomenclature of the hereditary unit of gliadins (a block of components) is over 40 years old, and it was proposed by domestic scientists (Kopus, Poperelya, Sozinov). This made it possible to compile catalogs of blocks of components (alleles), to study their correlation with quality, frost resistance and other traits, to develop a scale for combining gliadin blocks in the spectrum of varieties for the breeding assessment of samples from agro-nurseries. It has been established that electrophoregrams of prolamins serve as a reliable criterion to identify seed genotypes of commercial varieties by laboratory methods.

The improvement of high-quality grain production remains the most important task for the entire agricultural sector of Russia, including the Far Eastern region. Productivity and grain quality improvement can be achieved by various technical and organizational methods and the correct selection of varieties that are most adapted to environmental conditions. The purpose of the study is to develop a new spring soft wheat variety with high indicators of productivity and grain quality, resistant to unfavorable biotic and abiotic environmental factors and adapted to the conditions of the Far Eastern region. The paper gives the information on the methods of development, the initial parental components, the traits and properties of the new spring wheat variety ‘Anfeya’, submitted to the State Variety Testing and intended for cultivation in the Far Eastern region. This is a variety of a new generation which successfully combines such traits as high productivity, grain quality, coarse grain, immunity to the main common diseases in this ecological zone and resistance to abiotic environmental stressors. The average productivity of the variety ‘Anfeya’ was 3.9 t/ha over the years of competitive testing (2016–2018) with its maximum 5.5 t/ha. The increase to the standard variety ‘Khabarovchanka’ was 1.0 and 2.1 t/ha, respectively. High productivity of the new variety has been provided by an increased grain size. The genetic potential of the promising spring soft wheat variety contributes to the formation of a large protein percentage. According to nutritional value, rheological properties of the dough, technological and baking indicators of grain quality, the new variety ‘Anfeya’ belongs to strong wheats.

The paper has presented the study results of the effect of chelated micronutrients on the yield structure of pea varieties. Field experiments was laid in 2015–2017 in the scientific crop rotation of the Agrotechnological Center of the Azov-Blacksea Engineering Institute of FSBEI HE “Donskoy SAU” in Zernograd. There were performed seed treatment with recommended 2 liters of ORMISS Cu/B per ton and peas sprouts were treated with 2 liters of ORMISS Cu/Mo per hectare. There has been found that some variants of seed treatment resulted in an increase in number of productive nodes to 3.4, number of beans to 5.8, kernels per a bean to 5.9, 1000-kernels weight to 237.1 g, kernels weight per plant to 5.8 g.

Ordinary cereal aphid causes great damage to rice plants in the Rostov region and the Krasnodar Territory. Its harmful effects can be limited with the help of plant genetic resistance. The study of resistance of collection rice material to aphids has only recently begun. Therefore, there is a need to analyze the hereditary polymorphism of rice samples according to resistance to ordinary cereal aphid. 494 collection samples of the laboratory for rice breeding and seed production at the FSBSI Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” were the material for the research. In laboratory VIR conditions, young rice plants were infected by the Krasnodar ordinary aphid, after which there was performed a phenotypic damage assessment using a scale from 0 (no damage) to 10 (plant death). Due to the study it was found that most of the samples were unstable or weakly stable. There were identified 15.1% of relatively stable forms, their damage was 1–4 points. Most samples showed a wide range of variation in plant damage from 1 to 10 points. Only 41 samples out of the 494 studied ones were homogeneous, all plants of which received the same point (1, 2, 3, 4, 8, or 10); the rest samples were heterogeneous. 167 samples received two variants of points, 226 samples received three, 60 samples received four. The rice samples ‘Kandidat’, ‘Komandor’, ‘PF-4186’, ‘Norin 31’, ‘Priozerny 61’, ‘Don 7243’, ‘Don 4237’ can be recommended as sources of resistance to ordinary cereal aphid to develop new rice varieties.