The current paper has given the study results of spring triticale samples grown under the conditions of the field experimental station of the Russian SAU – MAA named after K. A. Timiryazev and the department of remote hybridization of the Main Botanical Garden named after N. V. Tsitsin in 2017–2018. There have been studied 10 varieties of domestic and foreign selection, as well as 10 breeding lines developed with the authors’ participation. The trial and analysis of the results have been performed according to the method of State Variety Testing of agricultural crops. There have been presented the results of grain quality assessment in contrasting weather and climate conditions of 2017–2018. The weather conditions in 2018 were favorable for the formation of better grain in comparison with 2017. Almost all samples showed greater indices of protein and gluten content, gluten quality, kernel hardness, falling number and bread volume in 2018 that these in 2017. At the same time, there was seen productivity decrease. In general, according to the study results over two years, there were identified the spring triticale sample “Dublet” and the breeding lines “131/1656” and “C 259” as the most productive and capable to give stable yields of more than 50 kg/ha; with good adaptability and grain quality. The varieties “Lana”, “Sandro” and the breeding lines “131/7”, “C 259”, “6-35-5” and “P2-13-5-2” showed a high protein and gluten content compared to the standard variety “Ukro”. There has been identified a negative value of the correlation between the indicators of protein content and grain yield (r = –0.54), gluten content and yield (r = –0.61). The identified samples could be used in the breeding programs for better yields and good grain quality.

The improvement of the breeding programs, selection of the optimal group of ripeness depends on the soil and climatic conditions for which varieties and hybrids are developed. One of the most important indicators of climatic conditions is the hydrothermal coefficient (HTC). The purpose of the current study was to analyze the effect of HTC on the productivity of maize hybrids of various groups of ripeness. The studies were carried out in 2014–2019 at the Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” located in the southern zone of the Rostov Region, characterized by unstable moisture. The objects of the study were 96 interlinear maize hybrids of three groups of ripeness, namely an early ripening group (FAO 150), a middle-early ripening group (FAO 200) and a middle ripening group (FAO 300). There was a systematic use of variants in the trials. The weather conditions of the years 2014 and 2018 could be estimated as arid (HTC = 0.32–0.57). The years 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019 were of medium aridity (HTC = 0.58–0.89). The HTC determined only for the entire vegetation period did not allow estimating objectively the growing conditions. There has been required a more detailed analysis of the HTC for the periods (months) of vegetation. On average, over the years of study, the middle ripening maize hybrids were characterized with the largest grain productivity (3.98 t/ha). The early ripening maize hybrids were characterized with the smallest productivity (3.31 t/ha). The middle-early ripening hybrids were characterized with the average value (3.80 t/ha). However, in different years, the maximum grain yields were produced by the hybrids of various groups of ripeness, including by the early ripening varieties, that depended on the amount of HTC in different vegetation periods. There have been identified average positive correlation coefficients between the HTC values and maize hybrids’ productivity (r = 0.64–0.74). The use of maize hybrids of various groups of ripeness can stabilize the gross harvest of maize.

Peas as a valuable component of animal feed with a high protein percentage is of great importance in solving the problem of increasing protein percentage in grain fodder produced in the country. The current paper has presented the estimation the peas varieties on protein percentage t in seeds. There has been studied the correlation between protein percentage and seed productivity, between 1000-grain weight and length of growing season. There has been identified the influence of weather conditions and the correlation between them and protein percentage t in peas seeds. The trials were conducted at the experimental plots of the peas nursery belonging to the Nizhny Novgorod Research Institute of Agriculture in 2016–2018. The objects of study were 15 peas varieties of domestic and foreign breeding. In the trial there were identified the peas varieties with high protein percentage (28.0–30.0%), with small seeds; the late-ripening varieties, and the varieties with low protein percentage (22.9–23.9%); the early-ripening varieties of a leafy morphotype with large seeds. There has been established a very weak negative correlation (r = –0.010) between protein percentage and grain productivity. There has been identified a very strong negative correlation (r = –0.818) between 1000-grain weight and protein percentage. The protein percentage in pea seeds has got a positive correlation with the length of growing season (r = +0.860). The leafy varieties showed a positive correlation between protein accumulation due to amount of precipitation (r = +0.714…+0.989) and the sum of positive temperatures above 10 ºС (from low, in some cases to high). The leafless pea varieties, at the same time, have got an inverse correlation at the increased humidity.

The problem of resistance to lodging during winter wheat cultivation is of great relevance in modern conditions. This trait largely correlates to plant height. The purpose of the current study was to characterize and identify the general patterns of manifestation of the trait “plant height” in the conditions of the south of the Rostov region. The study was conducted in 2013–2018 in the department of the breeding and seed production of winter bread wheat in the FSBSI Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”. The objects of the study were the collection wheat samples of various ecological and geographical origin. There has been established that the variability of the trait “plant height” was of a medium size (10% < CV < 20%) through all the years of study, excepting the year of 2015 (CV = 9.8%). This result has indicated a high degree of genotypic influence. There has been established that the maximum average yields for 6 years were produced by the samples with 81–90 and 91–100 cm of height. There has been identified a correlation between “plant height” and “productivity”, between “resistance to lodging” and “phase of head formation”. There have been identified such semi-dwarf samples with high resistance to lodging, characterized by a stable manifestation of plant height in various weather conditions as “Ling xing 99”, “Fuimai 5” (China); “Orienta” (USA); “Zlatka” (Serbia); “Minstrel”, “СО1044” (France).

Barley is the main forage crop in the Russian Federation. Barley grain is also used for food and brewery (Filippov, 2013). It is common knowledge that low doses of gamma irradiation can have a stimulating effect on the growth and development of plants, in particular barley. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the molecular pathways responsible for the formation of the stimulation effect after low-dose seed irradiation. The use of varieties with different radio sensitivity to low-dose gamma irradiation will allow studying specific molecular mechanisms to form a stimulating irradiation effect. Such knowledge could further help in the development of varieties with a large stable productivity over the years and with high resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors. In 2019 there was conducted a gamma irradiation of the original seeds of nine winter and spring barley varieties developed in the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” in order to assess intensity of the response on low-dose ionizing irradiation based on changes in the morphological parameters of irradiated and unirradiated plants. The original seeds of each barley variety were irradiated at the FSBSI “All-Russian Research Institute of Radiology and Agroecology” by the gamma device “GUR-120” with 60Со radiation sources at a dose of 20 Gy (dose rate of 60 Gy/hour). The statistical data processing was performed by the Microsoft Office Excel 2019. The morphological analysis of the length and weight of roots and sprouts made it possible to establish the presence or absence of the stimulating irradiation effect on the studied indicators of the varieties and to conduct their subsequent ranking according to the value of the radiobiological effect. There have been identified the winter and spring barley varieties with different sensitivity to a dose of 20 Gy. The stimulating irradiation effect was established in such varieties as “Foks 1”, “Ratnik”, “Yerema” and “Master”. The variety “Leon” had an inhibitory irradiation effect.

The current stage of plant growing is characterized by varietal policies aimed at increasing the number of new varieties (hybrids) being bred for production. This feature of varietal diversity makes it possible to choose a variety (hybrid) for specific forecrops and soil-climatic conditions, a variety with specific adaptability, length of vegetation period and product quality. One of the largest regions of the maize sown area in Russia is the Rostov region, the conditions of which allow cultivating maize with different ripening periods. The current paper has presented the dynamics of the maize productivity in Russia and in the Rostov region. There has been conducted an analysis of sown maize hybrids and varieties in the Rostov region according to the year of including them into the State List of the Russian Federation. It has been determined that the largest number of maize hybrids was cultivated in 2018 from the number included into the State List of the Russian Federation for the period from 2009 to 2013 (52 pcs.), and in 2019 from the number included into the State List of the Russian Federation for the period from 2010 to 2014 (57 pcs.). There has been demonstrated a share of maize hybrids in the sown area depending on their time being in production. So, the hybrids that have been cultivated for 6–10 years occupied the largest share (44.6% in 2018; 52.6% in 2019). There have been identified the most popular maize hybrids cultivated in the Rostov region in 2018 and 2019. There has been calculated a share of domestic hybrids (varieties) in the sown areas and the cost advantage of domestic maize seeds.

The field trials were conducted in 2017–2019 in the laboratory for cultivation technologies of row crops in the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”. The experimental plots were located in the southern soil-climatic zone of the Rostov region characterized with insufficient and unstable moisture. The soil of the experimental plots was heavy-loamy ordinary blackearth (chernozem) on forestry loams with 3.2% of humus, fertilized with 18.5 – 20.0 mg/kg of P2O5 and 342 – 360 mg/kg of K2O. The current paper has presented the study results of the effect of herbicides on middle ripening maize hybrid “Zernogradsky 354 MV”, included in the State List of RF in 2010. The used herbicides had a positive effect on reducing the contamination of maize sowings with monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous weeds (90% decrease), which contributed to an improvement of grain crop productivity. In the phase of full ripeness, the number of weeds in the experimental variants was 2.7–3.1 times less than in the control variant. The productivity increase in the control variant was 0.55–0.83 t/ha. The largest net income (22 545 rub/ha) was obtained due to the use of the herbicide “Elumis”. The high cost of the preparations negatively affected the cost of production, which exceeded the control variant on 436–519 rubles per ton. The profitability of the applied herbicides was lower than the control variant on 30 and 39%. The grain productivity increase obtained in the trials has paid for the costs of herbicides’ use; the payback amount was 1.15–1.57 rubles.

The current paper has presented experimental data on the growth, development, productivity and grain quality of spring durum and bread wheat after use of bio products Bloom & Grow and Immune System on light-gray forest soils of the north of the Chuvash Republic. The trials on the durum wheat cultivation in the conditions of the Chuvash Republic were carried out for the first time. The results of two-year study have showed that the plants treated with bio products had a 7–8 days’ shorter vegetation period. At the same time, the height of the treated bread wheat plants significantly has exceeded the control variant on 12.5 cm; the main head was on 0.4 cm longer, the number of grains in it was 6.1 pieces more, and the grain weight was larger on 0.23 grams. The height of the spring durum wheat plants treated with micronutrients has exceeded the control variant on 25.1 cm, and the length of the main head, the number of grains in it and the grain weight have significantly exceeded the indices of the control variant. 1000-grain weight has exceeded the value of the control variant on 7.28 grams. It has been established that the productivity increase of spring bread wheat was 0.89 t/ha (26.3%) and that of durum wheat was 0.93 t/ha (28.6%) compared with the control variant. The use of bio products Bloom & Grow and Immune System has resulted in an increase of gluten content in spring bread and durum wheat, and in an improvement of the gluten deformation rate to group 1 with the accumulation of minerals. The current study conducted in the vegetation period of 2018–2019 has showed that the bio products Bloom & Grow and Immune System are effective, and combine the properties of a growth stimulator and an immune modulator.

Sorghum is one of the most important crops in all arid tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Central America. In the Russian Federation, the sowing area of sorghum varied from 8.7 to 228.6 thousand ha throughout about 20 years (1999–2018). The main share (93–98%) of the sowing area of sorghum in Russia is located in the Pre-Volga region and the Southern Federal District. The Rostov Region as a part of the Southern Federal District accounts for up to 46–69% of sorghum crops (Kovtunov, 2018). The most effective way to increase productivity and product quality is to create new varieties adapted to the soil and climatic conditions of cultivation and introduce them into agricultural production. The FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” developed the white-kernelled sorghum varieties “Velikan”, “Zernogradskoye 88” and “Ataman” with 5.41–5.85 t/ha of productivity not only for fodder, but also for food (starch, alcohol). The sweet sorghum varieties “Listvenit”, “Yuzhnoye” and “Feniks” with green mass productivity of 38–46 t/ha are intended for use on green fodder and silage and are characterized by intensive initial growth, lodging resistance, drought resistance, resistance to dust smut, bacteriosis and to cereal aphids. The Sudan grass varieties “Anastasiya”, “Alisa” and “Gratsiaya” developed in the Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” are characterized by the intensive initial growth and regrowth. They are middle-ripening, drought tolerant, highly productive with 41–44 t/ha of green mass and 8.3–8.6 t/ha of dry matter. There have been developed and are being tested the promising sorghum-Sudan hybrids with 62–77 t/ha of green mass and 11.4–16.6 t/ha of dry matter obtained in mowing the aftermath.

Currently, the development of highly productive sorghum hybrids with a high content of the main nutritional components in grain is of great relevance. The current paper has presented the estimation results of the effects of true and hypothetical heterosis on percentage of protein, oil and starch in grain of the first-generation hybrids. There have been analyzed 54 combinations obtained on the basis of three CMS-lines and 18 pollinators. The components of the hybrids and their progeny were grown on the FSBSI RosNIISK “Rossorgo” experimental plots of 7.7 m2, in triple sequences with plant density of 100 thousand plants per ha. The biochemical composition of the grain was determined by the SpectraStarXT infrared analyzer. The parental components and their progeny differed in the biochemical composition of grain, which was confirmed by the analysis of variance. There was identified a slight variation of the ЗерновоехозяйствоРоссии № 2(68)’ 2020 50trait ‘starch content’ in maternal and paternal forms of the hybrids F1(V= 2.5–8.3%). There was identified an average variability of protein percentage in the initial forms (V= 7.9–14.6%) and a weak variability in hybrids (V= 9.1–10.8%). There were identified larger values of variation of oil content (9.0–17.2%). The manifestation frequency of true and hypothetical heterosis of protein percentage was identified in 31.5–62.9% and 44.4–79.6% of hybrids; of fat content was identified in 20.4–57.4% and 20.4–75.9% of hybrids; of starch content was identified in 16.6–33.3% and 16.6–44.4% of hybrids. A focused approach in breeding the varieties with the improved biochemical components of grain allowed us to identify 9 combinations characterized by the annual effect of heterosis in protein content (4 combinations), in raw oil accumulation (2 combinations) and in starch accumulation (3 combinations).

The success in development of winter durum wheat varieties with a high adaptability to abio- and biotic stress conditions, large and stable productivity is usually determined by the diversity of initial material and methods for its preparation. The most efective method to develop genetic variability among winter durum wheat varieties and other grain crops is hybridization (intraspecifc, interspecifc, and intergeneric). The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the breeding material obtained in the breeding process among intraspecifc and interspecifc hybrids of diferent types of hybridization according to the main economically valuable traits and properties and to identify a more efective method/type of hybridization. The object of the study was 28 breeding lines of durum winter wheat identifed from the following types of hybridization: the 1st type was T. winter durum x T. winter durum (paired and gradual), 7 samples; the 2^nd  type was T. winter durum x T. winter durum (paired), 3 samples; the 3^rd  type was F1  (T. winter durum x. T. winter  durum) x T. winter durum, 4 samples; the 4^th  type was T. winter aestivum x T. winter durum (direct and reverse), 7 samples; the 5^th  type  was F1  (T. winter aestivum x. T. winter durum) x T. winter durum (triple), 7 samples. According to the comparative study results of  breeding material of intraspecifc and interspecifc hybrids, it has been found that intraspecifc paired and gradual hybridization, which  provided high productivity and grain quality was a more efective method for developing of winter durum wheat varieties. The rest  types of crossings, primarily interspecifc, could be helpful to obtain initial material with a high level of winter tolerance, resistance to lodging and diseases, for their further use in intraspecifc gradual hybridization.

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is a widespread leguminous crop. It is used for food purposes, as well as concentrated high-protein feed  for  farm animals.  In addition  to a great nutrition value, a balanced amino acid composition and an excellent  taste,  it  is peas that is capable to produce large grain yields even in the risky arable zone, which most of the territory of our country belongs to. The development of the new high-protein, productive pea varieties that most fully realize the soil-climatic potential and meet the requirements of agricultural production is an urgent concern of breeders. The purpose of the current study was to develop a new pea variety, adapted for cultivation in the Republic of Bashkortostan. There has been estimated the collection peas material on morphobiological and economically valuable traits. The best varieties have been used for hybridization. Among the hybridized breeding forms there has been identifed the line “L-31315/14” which possesses economically valuable traits. In 2019, this line was sent to the State Variety Testing as the variety “Pamyati Popova”. The new variety was bred by multiple individual selection from a hybrid population “K-7992” (Korea) × “Barbel”. The variety “Pamyati Popova” is a middle ripening variety with 64–78 days of vegetation period. The kernels contain 20.7–22.4% of protein. The variety is of good taste and cooking properties. Its disease and pests’ resistance is similar to that of the standard variety. According to the Competitive Variety Testing, the average yield increase of the variety “Pamyati Popova” was on 3.9 hwt/ha in 2016–2019. The largest kernel yield of the variety was 26.9 hwt/ha in 2017.

Rice is the most important food crop on the Earth. The development of new productive rice varieties for the conditions of the south of Russia and specifcally the Rostov region is possible after careful study and use of collection material from other regions of the planet in the breeding work. Genetic varietal diversity of samples from various countries is the basis for breeding study aimed at improving rice productivity. The purpose of the study was to study 15 collection Chinese rice samples, analyze some quantitative traits, and select the best ones for further breeding. The samples were studied in the Proletarsky district of the Rostov region. The varieties “Yuzhanin” and “Boyarin” were taken as the standard varieties. In the study of Chinese rice samples according to their morphological and biological  traits  there has been  identifed a signifcant diversity. The vegetation period “sprouting-fowering” ranged from 85–130 days; the trait “plant height” varied from 63.3 cm to 101.7 cm; the trait “length of a panicle” ranged from 15.7 to 21.7 cm; the trait “1000-kernel weight” varied from 16.3 to 34.0 g; the trait “number of spikelets per panicle” ranged from 79 to 158 pieces; the trait “fertility” was from 86.8 to 98.3%. There has been identifed a positive correlation between “plant height” and length of a panicle, 1000-kernel weight, kernel number per panicle, and fertility. Kernel weight per panicle has also correlated with these traits. For future breeding work there have been selected 6 rice samples that could mature well in the south of the Rostov Region, namely “Lyaonin 1”, “Lyaonin 5”, “Lyaonin 8”, “Lyaonin 10”, “Lyaonin 12” and “Lyaonin 15”. There has been carried out a hybridization of samples with the early ripening variety “Kontakt”.

The current  paper  has  presented  the  data  on  the efect of bio products  “Extrasol”,  “Rostok”,  “Aquamix”  and water-soluble “Aquarin 5” and  “Aquarin 9” on productivity and yield structure elements of  the  intensive winter wheat variety  “Niva Stavropoliya” and the half-intensive variety “Viktoriya” sown after oilseed fax on the fertilized felds. There has been established that the largest yields of  the variety  “Niva Stavropoliya”  (5.59  t/ha) and of  the variety  “Viktoriya”  (3.7  t/ha) were  formed under  the compound use of  fertilizers and bio products as follow: Р60К40  before sowing  (in a weedfree  fallow) and N60Р60К40  (sown after oilseed fax) + N30 in the tillering phase + N30 in the phase of head formation + “Aquamix” (0.1 l/t in seed treatment) + “Aquarin 5” (2 l/ha in the tillering phase) + “Aquarin 9” (2 l/ha in the phase of head formation). There has been identifed that the main yield structure elements of the studied varieties showed their largest values under the compound use of the bio products “Aquamix” and water-soluble “Aquarin 5” and “Aquarin 9” on  the  fertilized felds. On average  for 3 years  the variety “Niva Stavropoliya” showed  the  increase of ‘number of ears’  from 413 pcs per m2  in  the control variant, and  to 432–467 pcs per m2 in the treated variants.  the variety  “Victoria 11” had 357 pcs per m2 in the control variant and 379–415 pcs per m2 in the treated variants. In addition, in comparison with the control variants, there has been identifed an increase of other yield structure elements, namely “number of grains per head”, “grain weight per head” and “1000-grain weight”.