There have been presented the study results of productivity of the new winter durum wheat variety “Krupinka” depending on the doses of mineral fertilizers against the background of irrigated bastard fallow and clover fallow systems of soil cultivation on meadow-chestnut soil of heavy texture under irrigation of the plain zone of Dagestan. The purpose of the study was to obtain experimental data for the development of an economically effective and environmentally friendly resource-saving technology for the cultivation of a promising winter durum wheat variety “Krupinka”. The urgency of the research was in the study and identification of optimal doses of mineral fertilizers and soil cultivation systems for winter durum wheat, providing a significant increase of yield and grain quality. The maximum productivity of the variety “Krupinka” 5.45 t/ha, on average for 2014-2018, was obtained when applying an increased dose of mineral fertilizers (N₁₈₀P₁₀₀) at a bastard fallow tillage. The application of a half dose of mineral fertilizers (N₉₀P₅₀) has decreased grain productivity at the same bastard fallow tillage on 0.48 t/ha, or 8.8%. In the variants of the irrigated bastard fallow, with the application of an increased dose of mineral fertilizers, the grain productivity was lower in comparison with the bastard fallow tillage on 0.46 t/ha, or 8.4%.

There has been carried out an assessment of the yield formation and indicators of grain of the spring wheat variety ‘Agata' and there has been found their variability in different years of moisture in the Central region of Russia. There has been shown a strong variability of HTC and precipitation amount throughout the years, especially in June (with V 72.9% and V 69.6%, respectively). The variability of the average daily air temperature was less subjected to fluctuations; the highest value was noted in May (V 12.5%). The largest variety productivity was 5.86 t/ha in 2008, the minimum 1.72 t/ha in 2011, with an average value of 4.51 t/ha. It was revealed that the spring wheat productivity was strongly influenced by weather conditions in June, when tillering of plants was still going on, tube formation was starting, there was an active growth of the vegetative mass, the correlation between HTC and the yield was r = 0.785. It has been established that grain nature, protein percentage in grain, 1000-grain weight, dough liquefaction degree, and the specific work of dough deformation were the least susceptible to variability over the years. The falling number depended to the greatest extent on moisture supply degree. It has been determined that the years with large aridity in June and July had a strong negative effect on grain nature and 1000-grain weight. When the value of HTC was less than 0.4, the correlation coefficient was r = -0.667.-0.807. The moisture supply degree in June influenced the accumulation of protein and gluten in wheat grain. These indicators were in a strong negative correlation with the minimum values of HTC r = -0.722.-0.863. The volume of bread yield was strongly negatively influenced by the minimum values of HTC in June and July, r = -0.800, and r = -0.749, respectively. With HTC increase in June, there was identified a close direct correlation r = 0.715, however, in humid conditions during this period, the correlation was inverse, r = -0.654.

There has been conducted a comparative estimation of winter bread wheat varieties in an inter-station trials due to quality indicators of kernels and flour. Modern breeding is the process of developing new genotypes that combine the maximum number of breeding traits. The necessity to obtain such varieties predetermines the wide introduction of genetically diverse well-studied samples into the process of hybridization. The success of breeding for these traits is determined by the availability of valuable initial material, timely and effective estimation of quality indicators at all stages of the breeding process. The purpose of the study is to identify genetic sources of high quality grain and flour of winter bread wheat. The trials were carried out in the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” in 2015-2017. The objects for the study were 80 winter bread wheat varieties of domestic and foreign development. The study of the varieties on a set of quality indicators of kernels and flour (protein and gluten percentage, SDS-sedimentation, flour strength, volume output bread, general baking estimation) has identified 14 winter bread wheat varieties “Nakhodka”, “Aksiniya”, “Volnitsa”, “Tanais”, “Asket”, “Zhavoronok”, “Donskaya yubileynaya”, “Donskaya bezostaya”, “Lidiya”, “Rostovchanka 7” (FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy”), “Proza”, “Poema” (FSBSI Verkhnevolzhsky FARC), “Antonina”, “Irishka” (FSBSI RCG named after P. P. Lukyanenko).

Breeding plays an important role in solving the problem of improving the winter bread wheat quality. Therefore, to create new high-quality genotypes of a given crop, there has been proposed to use the varieties identified during these studies as genetic sources.

The purpose of the current study was to determine the efficiency of growth regulators of retardant action “Reggie”, “VRK” (a. v. chlormequat chloride, 750 g/l) and “Kolosal”, “KE” (a. v. tebuconazole, 250 g/l), as well as their tank mixtures for the spring oil seed rape (Brassica napus oleifera D. С.) variety “Neman”. The trials were carried out in 2017-2019 on leached chernozem in the forest-steppe part of the south of the Non-blackearth (chernozem) zone. There has been identified a significant effect of the studied retardants on an increase of a number of off-shoots and seeds per plant, an improvement of 1000-seed weight, a decrease of oil seed rape lodging, which provided a yield rise from 10 to 45%, compared with the control variety. The maximum productivity of spring oil seed rape (3.78 t/h) was obtained by joint treatment of crops with “Kolosal”, “KE” at a dose of 1 l/ha and “Reggie”, “VRK” at a dose of 1 l/ha, which was on 1.25 t/ha higher than in the control variant. The profitability of production on this option was 120%, with the obtained additional income of 23 thousand rubles/ha.

The main feed crops are perennial legumes, among which sainfoin is of special importance. When developing the new sainfoin varieties, there are several directions, but the main ones are selection for green mass and seeds productivity, and quality of feed. Based on this, the purpose of the current work was to study the feed, seed productivity and feed quality of the promising sainfoin samples. The study was carried out as part of the competitive variety testing of sainfoin sown in 2017 during one cycle (two years of use). The objects of the study were 22 sainfoin samples developed in the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”. The sowing was pure and early spring. The area of the plots was 25 m2, in six-fold repetitions, the placement was systematic with a shift. The seeding rate was 5 million germinated seeds per hectare. The estimation of sainfoin samples was carried out according to the productivity of green mass and seeds, as well as their biochemical parameters. In all the years of the study, 6 studied sainfoin samples reliably exceeded the standard in green mass productivity. They are the samples “Sin 15/93”, “Sin 6/95”, “Sin 4/2010”, “Sin 2/2004”, “Sin 3/2004”, “Sin 9/97”, which formed the green mass productivity from 26.7 t/ha to 33.3 t/ha in 2018, and from 24.7 t/ha to 29.6 t/ha in 2019, with a standard productivity of 24.6 t/ha and 22.6 t/ha, respectively. In the trial the dry matter content of the standard variety “Zernogradsky 2” was 22.4%, the 9 samples' dry matter content ranged from 23.3% to 24.4%, which was significantly larger than that of the standard variety. The raw protein percentage in the studied sainfoin samples varied from 15.55-19.62%. Almost all the studied sainfoin samples formed the seed productivity from 1.02 t/ha to 1.29 t/ha.

The current paper has presented the results obtained in the trials to study the productivity of four winter rye varieties. The trials carried out in 2015-2018 on the experimental plots of the Mari Research Institute, on sod-podzolic medium clay soil, in three-factor variant (varieties, basic fertilizing, nitrogen additional fertilizing). Mineral fertilizers had a positive effect on rye productivity increase, thereby reducing the cost of the produced grain and improving the profitability of its production. The best economic indicators in the production of food grain of the variety “Tatiana” were obtained on the option with double nitrogen fertilization (N₄₅ with the resumption of spring vegetation + N₁₅ in the earing phase), the net cost of a kilogram of grain was 3.72 rubles, the level of production profitability was 88%. When cultivating the variety “Moskovskaya 15”, grain with the lowest net cost of 3.99 rubles/kg with 75% of profitability was obtained in the variant with the introduction of N₁₅ in foliage spraying in the earing phase. On the same variant, the grain of the variety “Rada” was harvested with the same economic estimated indicators (3.27 rubles of net cost of a kilogram of grain and 114% of profitability). For the variety “Yantarnoye” the same option was the most profitable, where the net cost was 3.89 rubles/kg, the profitability was 96%. Over the years of research, the most economically profitable production of food grain (4.1-5.3 t/ha) was the cultivation of winter rye variety “Rada” against the background of natural soil fertility with the use of nitrogen additional fertilizing. The productivity of the variety “Rada” with the basic fertilizing “Azophoska” at a dose of 0.15 t/ha in variants with nitrogen additional fertilizing was on average 18% higher and varied from 4.8 to 6.6 t/ha, while the net cost of a kilogram of grain increased from 0 to 50 kopecks, or 1-14% compared to an unfavorable background.

The purpose of the current work was to assess the grain quality indicators of the half-intensive types of winter soft wheat based on the forecrops of peas and maize for grain. The objects of research were 7 winter soft wheat varieties of half-intensive type “Don 107”, “Kapitan”, “Kaprizulya”, “Lilit”, “Krasa Dona”, “Ermak”, “Zhavoronok” developed in the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”. There has been established that the varieties grown after peas formed the grain nature weight and hardness at the level of the first quality class (according to the GOST requirements). The mass fraction of protein in the varieties “Kapitan”, “Kaprizulya” and “Ermak” corresponded to the second quality class (not less than 13.5%), and the rest of the samples belonged to the third class (not less than 12.0%). The amount of gluten in the grains of all varieties met the requirements for the third quality class (at least 23.0%). The samples “Kaprizulya” and “Zhavoronok” formed the largest amount, 25.6% and 25.7%, respectively. The falling number of all winter bread wheat varieties sown after peas and maize for grain corresponded to the standards of the first class (at least 200 s). Sown after maize for grain, the grain nature weight and hardness of the studied winter bread wheat varieties was at the level of the first quality class. The amount of protein in the grains of the most varieties met the requirements for the third quality class (at least 12.0%), except for the samples “Kaprizulya” (13.5%) and “Lilit” (13.5%), belonging to the second quality class. The amount of gluten of almost all samples met the GOST requirements for the forth quality class (not less than 18%), except for the variety “Zhavoronok”, whose grain corresponded to the third quality class (24.3%). There has been identified that peas was the best forecrop for obtaining winter bread wheat grain of half-intensive types at the level of I-III quality classes.

The research work was carried out in the conditions of the southeast of the Voronezh region in the fields of the Research Institute of Agriculture of the Central-Blackearth area named after V. V. Dokuchaev in 2015-2017. The weather conditions during the years of the trial were quite favorable. The water and thermal regimes provided optimal conditions for the growth and development of pea plants, 1.3 in 2015, 1.2 in 2016 and 1.1 in 2017. The purpose of the study was to identify the factorial components that determine the productivity of peas belonging to different morphotypes. There were selected highly productive lines as objects of study. Before harvesting there was selected a material for analysis, and there were determined the following indicators: plant height, number of productive nodes, number of beans per plant, number of grains in a bean, number of grains per plant, 1000 grains weight, grain weight per plant. The grain productivity was determined after harvesting with a combine in terms of 14% moisture content. As a result of the analysis, there was found that the formation of grain productivity in peas of a leafy morphotype in comparison with a leafless morphotype was provided by a greater number of fruiting nodes: 3.31 and 2.53 pcs/plant. respectively (+0.78 pcs/plant); beans per plant: 5.27 and 4.19 pcs/plant. (+1.08 pcs/plant); and grains per plant: 18.6 and 17.5 pcs/plant (+1.1 pcs/plant). The productivity of the samples with a leafless morphotype was due to a larger number of grains per bean: 4.24 and 3.61 pieces/bean (+0.63 pieces/ bean) and heavier grains: 236 and 228 g (1000 grain weight +8 d). Differences in the trait “number of grains per plant” and “1000 grain weight” were within the experimental error.

For the successful development of competitive sunflower hybrids, it is necessary to have a sufficient number of parental lines with valuable breeding traits and high combining ability. In the zone of insufficient moisture of the Rostov region, there were studied the plants to determine the general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining ability of sunflower lines developed at the Donskaya experimental station named after L. A. Zhdanov (a branch of the FSBSI FRC ARRIMK). To estimate the GCA and SCA, there was used topcross hybridization, which allowed assessing fairly accurate a large set of lines according to any valuable trait. The objects of the study were the CMS lines (“VDG 2563 A”, “VDG 127 A”, “VDG 130 A” and “VDG 121 A”). As testers there were used the pollen fertility restorers (RF-lines) “ED 110 RF”, “ED 155 RF”, “ED 788 RF”. The current paper has presented the analysis of the productivity of the test-hybrids, obtained as a result of topcross hybridization. The estimation of the lines according to the economically valuable traits was carried out in the fields of the station's selection crop rotation. The test plots were five-row with three-fold repetition. The total area of the plot was 22.05 m², the accounting area was 13.23 m². The purpose of the current work was to evaluate the effects of GCA and SCA of the new parental lines based on the results of studying the productivity of test hybrids obtained by topcross hybridization. As a result of a three-year study of test-hybrids of sunflower, there were estimated the effects of GSA of lines and testers, SCA constants of hybrids and SCA variance of lines and testers. There have been identified the best lines and testers with the best combining ability “VDG 121 A', “VDG 2563 A”, “VDG 130 A”, “ED 155 RF” and “ED 788 RF” and they have been recommended for breeding work to obtain promising hybrids.

Rice is an important agricultural crop. It can grow not only when the flooded soil, but in the conditions of periodic irrigation, both artificial and natural (rain). The production of such rice is much cheaper. In addition, there is a shortage of fresh water in the world, which makes the use of upland rice relevant. The purpose of the current work was to develop the productive drought-resistant rice lines based on the “Kontro x Kuboyar” hybrid. The main tasks were to hybridize the varieties, to analyze genetically a number of quantitative traits and to select the best plants that could form compact full-grained panicles for further breeding work and testing for drought resistance. There has been conducted a genetic analysis of varying quantitative traits affecting the rice productivity. The parental forms did not differ in plant height. Along the panicle length there was a partial negative dominance and monogenic differences between the hybridized varieties. According to the number of spikelets per panicle there has been identified a negative dominance of lower values and the interaction of two pairs of genes. According to 1000 grain weight, there was a partial dominance of large values of the trait and monogenic differences in the original parental forms. Splitting along the length and width of the caryopsis was in a ratio of 1 : 2 : 1, which indicated monogenic differences between the parental varieties. There have been selected the best recombinant rice forms, combining a compact panicle with a large number of grains, and there has been developed the initial material for practical breeding. The study was carried out in 2019 on the plots of the Separate Subdivision “Proletarskoye” of the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy” in the Rostov Region.

Barley is the main grain feed crop in the Russian Federation. In the Southern Federal District, winter barley breeding tends to be carried out in the Rostov Region and Krasnodar Area. The current paper has presented the results of joint work on winter barley breeding of the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” and the FSBSI “National Center of Grain named after P. P. Lukiya-nenko”. The purpose of the study was to develop winter barley varieties using the initial material of local and Krasnodar breeding. The varieties developed by scientists from these research institutions occupy a leading place in the structure of sown areas in the south of the country. The Zernograd scientists' participation in the hybridization of Krasnodar varieties has resulted in the development of the varieties “Rostovsky 55”, “Timofey”, “Erema”, “Vivat”, “Foks 1”. In 2016 a new facultative barley variety “Marusya” was sent to the State Variety Testing. For the scientists of the National Center of Grain named after P. P. Lukiyanenko the varieties of “Donskoy”, which have been bred in a more northern region, are of certain interest, since they have a fairly high level of frost and winter tolerance and other traits of adaptability. Thus, the variety “Larets”, developed by the ARC “Donskoy” was included in the program for deepening the tillering node by the Krasnodar breeders.

Wheat is one of the main crops that ensure the country's food security and export potential. In the Stavropol Area winter wheat annually occupies more than 1.5 million hectares. Despite this, grain productivity and quality remain unstable. To increase the volume of grain production in the country and improve its quality, the development and rapid introduction of new varieties into production is of fundamental importance. The purpose of the current study was to develop a new winter bread wheat variety adaptable to the sharply continental climate of the North Caucasus region, with a high level of productivity and grain quality. According to the positive results of the trials in the North Caucasus region, since 2019 the new winter bread wheat variety “Korona”, developed by the FSEP “Prikumskaya Experimental Breeding Station”, has been included in the State List of Breeding Achievements and recommended for cultivation. The variety was developed by the method of complex staged hybridization with the participation of the best local lines “126768”, “140356” (FSEP “Prikumskaya Experimental Breeding Station”) and the varieties “Don 95” (FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy”), “Ukrainka Odesskaya” (Ukraine). Over the years of the State Variety Testing (2017-2018) at the variety plots of the Stavropol Area, the variety ‘Korona' has shown a significant productivity advantage over the standard variety “Grom” in extremely arid and arid zones, with an increase of 0.40 and 0.39 t/ha, respectively. During the years of study, the maximum productivity (11.71 t/ha) was obtained at the Stavropol SVTS. When testing the variety in the Republics of the North Caucasus, the maximum productivity increases to the standard varieties were obtained in Adygea (+0.46 t/ha), Karachay-Cherkessia (+ 0.65 t/ha), Crimea (+0.42 t/ha). According to the FSEP “Prikumskaya Experimental Breeding Station”, the new variety “Korona” has formed large-sized well-made grain with high baking qualities. The yield of bread from flour of a new genotype exceeded the standard and was 638 ml, the general estimation of bread was 4.8 points. The variety belongs to the valuable wheat varieties. The grain of the new variety contains on average 13.4% of protein, 26.4% of gluten of the first quality group, 75 of IDK. In 2019, for large productivity and environmental adaptability the new variety “Korona” was awarded a diploma of the State Variety Commission of the Russian Federation and was awarded the title “The Variety of the Year”.

The current paper has presented the stages of variety changing and the results of four-year study (2016-2019) of spring barley varieties bred in different years by the farmers of the Center. The area occupied by spring barley in the Rostov region in 2016-2019 ranged from 315.12 to 406.41 thousand hectares, which was from 6.7 to 8.9% of the total arable land. The average productivity in the region for all the years studied was 2.3 t/ha, varying from year to year from 1.7 t/ha in the dry 2018 year to 2.8 t/ha in the most favorable 2017 year. The 2018 year was unfavorable in terms of climatic conditions, where the area under spring barley was almost 354 thousand hectares, and the gross yield was 601.8 thousand tons. The purpose of the work was to consider the periods of spring barley variety changing in primary seed production. The study was carried out on blackearth (chernozem) soils of the southern zone of the Rostov region at the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”. The varieties were sown in the spring at the time optimal for spring crops. The maximum productivity of many spring barley varieties in breeding plots exceeded 5.0 t/ha. In 2016-2019 in seed plots, there were sown such spring barley varieties as “Gris”, “Ratnik”, “Leon”, “Schedry”. The year of 2018 was unfavorable for these varieties, both in scientific departments and among agricultural producers in the Rostov region. The variety “Schedry” showed the lowest productivity (4.8 t/ha and 3.9 t/ha) and 1000 grain weight (45.0 g and 42.2 g) in both PIP-2 and OS-1. In the favorable year of 2017, the variety “Gris” showed the best results, namely 8.0 t/ha of productivity and 50.6 g of 1000 grain weight. The variety “Gris” was characterized with a stable high 1000 grain weight (on average 50 g) through all years. In different years the varieties “Ratnik” and “Leon” produced the best yields.

Sorghum-Sudan hybrids, due to their large productivity and adaptability are of great economic importance in improving the feed base. The hybrids significantly exceed the best Sudan grass varieties, both in productivity and quality of green mass. While breeding sorghum-Sudan hybrids, the main direction is the development of highly productive hybrids with different vegetation period, and with highly qualitative green mass. The purpose of the study was to develop and estimate the new sorghum-Sudan hybrids adapted to the soil and weather conditions of the Rostov region. The current study was carried out at the experimental plot of the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” in 2016-2019. The objects of the study were 14 sorghum-Sudan hybrids and their parental forms, namely 5 CMS lines (“APV-1115”, “A-63”, “Zersta 90”, “Zersta 38”, “Knyazhna”) and 3 highly productive varieties (“Svetloplonchataya 2”, “OD-8”, “Fioletovoplonchataya”). When assessing green mass yields there have been identified the hybrids “Zerst 38 x OD-8” (61.1 t/ha), “APV-1115 x Fioletovoplonchataya” (62.8 t/ha), and “Zersta 38 x Fioletovoplonchataya” (62.9 t/ha), which have significantly exceeded the standard variety “Gustolistny” on 7.1-9.9 t/ha. In addition, the hybrid “APV-1115 x Fioletovoplonchataya” has been characterized with early maturity and highly qualitative green mass.

The current paper has presented the results of joint long-term immunological study of winter wheat varieties and lines of the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy” to the North Caucasian population of the yellow rust pathogen. The study was carried out under artificial in fection in various agro-ecological conditions (FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy” in Zernograd, Rostov Region and FSBSI “All-Russian Research Institute of Biological Protection of Plants” in Krasnodar). Yellow rust (the causative agent Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici West.) is a dangerous wheat disease in all regions of the world that cultivate grain, including in the south of Russia. In years with favorable conditions, the wheat yield loss caused by this pathogen can reach 70-100%. One of the most effective methods to protect wheat is the cultivation of pathogen-resistant varieties. To develop them, there is a great necessity in a regular screening of resistance sources among wheat varieties and lines of various breeding. In the conditions of field plots the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy” (2014-2016) and the FSBSI “All-Russian Research Institute of Biological Protection of Plants” (2017-2019) on artificial infectious backgrounds of P. striiformis there were tested the breeding and collection wheat varieties and variety-samples developed by the researcher of the department of winter wheat breeding and seed production of the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy”. Over the past 40 years, the Don breeders, attracting various sources and donors of resistance, have developed such wheat varieties with high resistance to major diseases, including yellow rust, as “Donskaya bezostaya”, “Don 85”, “Donshchina”, “Kolos Dona”, “Zernogradka 8”, “Don 93”, “Don 95”, “Donskoy Mayak”, etc. As a result of the studies conducted in various agroclimatic zones, among the studied material, there has been established a high percentage (from 52.0 to 87.3) of varieties and varietyyy-samples resistant to yellow rust. According to longterm data, the winter bread wheat varieties “Volnitsa”, “Izyuminka”, “Krasa Dona”, “Lidiya”, “Nakhodka”, “Shef”, “Yubiley Dona”, “Etud” and the winter durum wheat varieties “Zoloto Don”, “Lakomka”, “Uslada” have shown a great resistance to the disease.