Sweet sorghum is an alternative forage crop in some agricultural regions of the country. It is widely used for the production of green mass, hay, haylage, grass chop, i.e. it provides the necessary complex of feed for raising farm animals and poultry. The current study was carried out in the period from 2018 to 2019 on the experimental plot of the FSBSI ARC “Donskoy” located in the southern part of the Rostov region. The soil of the experimental plot was ordinary carbonate blackearth (chernozem). The objects of study were 210 collection samples of sweet sorghum. The period ‘sprouts – full maturity’ of the collection samples varied from 80 to 127 days. The early ripening group (which reached full maturity in 80–101 days) included 61.4% (129 pcs) of the studied sweet sorghum samples. The samples ‘K-1437/2’, ‘K-1502/1’, ‘Sakharnoe 7’, ‘K-1809’, ‘Moment’, ‘Sahara’, ‘Simon’ with 82-86 days of vegetation period were identified as the sources of early maturity. According to sugar content in stem sap, the collection samples varied from 5 to 22%. There was identified high (15.1–19.0%) sugar content in 28.1% (59 pcs) of the sorghum samples and very high (more than 19.1%) sugar content in 5.7% (12 pcs) of the sorghum samples. The samples ‘K-2027/2’, ‘Orangevoe uluchshennoe 01’, ‘K-153’, ‘K-1373’, ‘Simon’, ‘Szeegedibanne’ were identified as the samples with high sugar content (21–22%). The samples ‘Bizon’, ‘Zubr’, ‘Mamont’, ‘K-668/2’, ‘SPV-441’, ‘Sacca line’, which had 14–18 leaves, were identified as the sources of high foliage. The samples ‘OS-20’, ‘Zernogradskoe 1UK’, ‘Yarik’, ‘Mamont’, ‘Leoti Red’, ‘Sacca line’ were identified according to high leaf area, exceeding that of the standard variety by 102–159 cm2.

In recent years, the spring-summer period of the Rostov region is characterized with a lack of moisture supply in the initial period of plant growing and formation of generative organs, as well as in the filling period of spring barley grain. The highest productivity under these conditions, according to the study of previous years, has been formed by the middle-early and early-maturing varieties. The breeding work for the development of early-maturing spring barley varieties has been going on for many decades in the FSBSI Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”. The purpose of the current study was to develop a new highly productive early-maturing spring barley variety, adapted to the arid soil and climatic conditions of the south of Russia. The current paper has presented characteristics of the new early-maturing spring barley variety ‘Fedos’, adapted to the soil and climatic conditions of the arid Russian regions and resistant to negative environmental stress factors. The new variety was characterized by high yields (+0.4 t/ha to the standard one), large kernel (1000 kernel weight was more than 47 g), fairly high protein percentage in grain (+1.3% to the standard one). In comparison with the standard variety, the new variety has formed higher yields due to the increased number of productive stems per 1 m2 (on 12 pcs. more) and kernel weight per head (+0.2 g). In addition, the variety ‘Fedos’ produced large, well-filled kernel even in severely arid years (+5.6 g to the standard one). The new variety is more resistant to major leaf diseases than the standard one.

One of the important tasks facing agriculture is to increase the production of high quality grain. It is known knowledge that the variety is a dynamic biological factor capable of realizing its genetic potential with a different combination of environmental factors and can act as a biological foundation for the production of high quality grain. The forecrop in modern agriculture acts as an independent factor in increasing grain yield and quality. The purpose of the current study was to estimate protein and gluten content in grain of winter bread wheat varieties of intensive type when sown after maize for grain and sunflower in the conditions of the Rostov region. The objects of the study were 9 winter bread wheat varieties of the intensive type developed in the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy”. The study was carried out in the fields of the department of winter wheat breeding and seed production in 2018–2020. There were identified the varieties that formed the largest percentage of protein in grain on average over the years of study. They were the varieties ‘Etyud’, ‘Yubiley Dona’ and ‘Shef’ (12.44–13.06%) sown after maize for grain, and the varieties ‘Rubin Dona’, ‘Shef’ and ‘Zodiak’ (14.09–14.33%) sown after sunflower. There have been identified the varieties ‘Zodiak’ and ‘Yubiley Dona’ with the largest amount of gluten in grain on average over the years of study. They produced 24.63%, 25.53%, respectively after maize for grain; after sunflower they produced 28.20%, 27.66%, respectively. The results of two-way analysis of variance proved a greater effect of the factor ‘forecrop’ on protein and gluten content in grain of winter bread wheat than the effect of the factor ‘variety’ and their correlation.

Though waxy maize is a valuable raw material for the starch industry, its subspecies are still poorly studied. The purpose of the current work was to study the new self-pollinated hybrids and lines of waxy maize according to a complex of economically valuable traits and to identify promising ones for further breeding. The study was carried out at the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” in 2019–2020. The objects of research were 40 self-pollinated waxy maize lines and 30 hybrids developed in the Center. They were studied according to a set of economically valuable traits. There have been identified the self-pollinated lines (24/82, 26/18, 26/51, 24/15) with a high kernel productivity of 0.91–2.23 t/ha, low and medium harvest moisture content of kernel (14.0–14.7%), high resistance to lodging (0–4.6% of lodged plants), weak infestation with smut on a natural background (0–5.0% of damaged plants). There have been identified the lines (24/15, 26/18), characterized by a high starch content in matured kernel (69.2% and 69.8%). There have been developed the new waxy maize hybrids (91×93, 103×105), which significantly exceeded the standard hybrid ‘Zernogradsky 282 MB’ both in kernel productivity (on 0.41–0.80 t/ha) and in the yield of amylopectin starch (on 0, 20–0.54 t/ha). The new hybrids were characterized with low harvest moisture content of kernels (13.3–13.9%), resistance to lodging and smut on a natural background. There have been identified the new maize hybrids (91 × 94, 91×93, 91×95) with a high starch content (68.5–68.9%), an average oil content (4.4–4.6%) and protein percentage (12.1–12.2%) in matured kernel.

The current paper has presented the testing results of such ultra-early maturing maize hybrids of French breeding with different FAOs, as ‘Zeta 102’ (FAO – 115), ‘Zeta 140 S’ (FAO – 140), ‘Lazuliya’ (FAO – 170) in 2019 and 2020. The phenological study has shown that at the beginning of the vegetation period the maize leaf area of the hybrid ‘Zeta 102’ increased more intensively and reached its maximum value at the heading stage. At the same time, at the period of the 6th leaf formation, the leaf surface of the later maturing hybrid ‘Lazuliya’ (FAO – 170) formed more intensively. In addition, the maize hybrids with a more elongated FAO formed taller plants, the average plant height of the hybrid ‘Lasuliya’ was significantly higher than that of the two hybrids ‘Zeta’. The hybrid ‘Lasuliya’ also showed higher yield structure and grain yield. The hybrid ‘Lasuliya’ was characterized with not only a larger cob weight compared to other hybrids, but also with a significantly larger number of grains per cob, and, accordingly, a higher grain yield. At the same time, the biological yield of the maize hybrid ‘Zeta 102’ (FAO – 115) turned out to be higher, which may indicate a higher foliage of this hybrid, this is also confirmed by the lowest coefficient of economic efficiency. The results of the tests showed that in the Tomsk region it is preferable to grow the maize hybrid ‘Lasuliya’ for grain, and ‘Zeta 102’ for silage. The tests are going to be continued in other districts of the Tomsk region.

There has been presented the characteristics of the new early-maturing winter bread wheat variety ‘Zhavoronok’ according to economically valuable traits and properties. The development of early-maturing grain crop varieties is one of the main issues of grain production. The combination of a relatively short vegetation period with high productivity in one genotype helps to solve a number of agricultural concerns. This allows using techniques more systematic, reducing the intensity of harvesting and yield loss significantly, which occur when cultivating simultaneously maturing varieties on large areas. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the new early-maturing winter bread wheat variety ‘Zhavoronok’ on the basis of a set of economically valuable traits. The study was carried out in 2015–2019 with such forecrops as maize for grain, weedfree fallow, peas and sunflower. In the department of winter wheat breeding and seed production of the FSBSI Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” a lot of work is being done on winter wheat breeding, and one of the important directions is the development of early-maturing varieties. The winter bread wheat variety ‘Zhavoronok’ has been included in the State List of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation since 2020 and approved for use the North Caucasus and Nizhne-Volga regions. According to the length of the growing period, it belongs to the early-maturing group. Its high and stable productivity with various forecrops is explained by a complex of positive economically valuable traits and properties, such as high productivity of a head, resistance to lodging and brown rust, high frost resistance (the same as that of the variety ‘Don 107’). The variety ‘Zhavoronok’ is capable of producing good yields and full grain in arid years, its early maturity allows it to ‘escape’ drought, disease and other unfavorable conditions.

In the conditions of the south of the Rostov region, there was carried out a comprehensive estimation of 242 collection peas samples of various ecological and geographical origin selected in the world collection of the Vavilov’s ARIPG and other research breeding institutions, and there have been selected 31 samples with a leafletless type (af) and non-shedding seeds (def). The study was carried out in the collection nursery in the fields of the laboratory for legumes breeding and seed production of the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” in 2017–2020. The meteorological conditions during the years of study were different during the vegetation period, which made it possible to objectively evaluate the collection samples according to the studied traits. In order to identify the similarities and differences between the samples, there was made cluster analysis. Mathematical data processing and cluster analysis were performed using the software Excel and Statistica 10. Euclidean distance was used as a measure of similarity. On the basis of clustering there was build a hierarchy. As a result, there were identified the varieties ‘Demos’ (Russia), ‘Korall’ (Ukraine), lL-27287l (Russia), ‘Stoik’ (Russia), ‘Stepnyak’ (Ukraine), ‘Priazovsky’ (Russia), ‘Kharvus-3’ (Ukraine), ‘Multik’ (Russia) as the sources of resistance to lodging. According to ‘number of beans per plant’ there were identified the varieties ‘Samarius’ (Russia), ‘OR-2154’ (Russia), ‘L-27287’ (Russia), ‘Aksaysky usaty’ (Russia), ‘Vatan’ (Russia). According to ‘number of seeds per plant’ there were identified the varieties ‘L.176/2000’ (Russia), ‘OR-2157’ (Russia), ‘Pamyati Khangildina’ (Russia), ‘Chernigovsky’ (Ukraine), ‘L-27287’ (Russia), ‘Aksaysky usaty’ (Russia), ‘Vatan’ (Russia). According to ‘seed size’ there was identified the variety ‘Multik’ (Russia). According to high productivity there were identified the varieties ‘L-27287’ (Russia), ‘Aksaysky usaty’ (Russia), ‘Vatan’ (Russia). The study of the collection peas material has identified the sources of economically valuable traits for their use in further breeding for seed productivity and technological effectiveness.

Rice is a valuable agricultural crop that is used as food for more than half of the world's population. The development of highly productive varieties and hybrids with high product quality assumes the utilization of new initial material from different countries in the breeding process. The purpose of the current research was to conduct an ecological testing of the rice varieties from Uganda in the Proletarsky district of the Rostov region in Russia and use them in the breeding process. There were studied the Ugandan rice samples ‘Nerica 1’, ‘Nerica 4’, ‘Komboka’, ‘Wita 9’, ‘Namche 1’, ‘Namche 2’, ‘Namche 3’, ‘Namche 4’, ‘Namche 5’, ‘Namche 6’ (NaCRRI) in comparison with the Russian variety ‘Komandor’ (FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy”). The study of the Ugandan rice varieties according to a number of economically valuable traits and biological properties showed that the vegetation period from soil flooding to rice maturing took 100–113 days, the standard variety ‘Komandor’ needed 83 days. The varieties ‘Komboka’ and ‘Wita 9’ did not bear blossom. All samples had a short habit, with 63-95 cm of plant height. The long drooping panicles of 18.5–22.3 cm carried from 122 to 213 seeds. The caryopses were elongated, the length of the caryopses varied from 9.0 to 9.5 mm, and the width ranged from 2.7 to 3.1 mm. 1000 seed weight varied from 26 to 34 g, number of seeds per panicle ranged from 122 to 213 pieces. Genetic analysis of the second generation hybrids ‘Kontakt × Nerica 1’ and ‘Boyarin × Nerica 4’ showed different types of traits’ inheritance, from negative dominance (vegetation period) through the absence of dominance (caryopses size) to overdominance (plant height, seed weight per panicle and number of seeds per panicle).

The current paper has presented the results of the estimation of productivity of the winter wheat varieties ‘Krasa Dona’, ‘Polina’ and ‘Yubiley Dona’ when using liquid complex fertilizers ‘Strada N + Mono Sulfur (S)’, ‘Strada P + Mono Sulfur (S)’ and ‘Diform Silicon-potassium’. The treatment of winter wheat plants was carried out in the form of foliar top-dressings in the stages of tillering and stem extension. The study was carried out on the basis of the FSBSI “Agri- cultural Research Center “Donskoy” in 2019-2020. The trials were laid in the crop rotation of the laboratory for primary seed production and seed study. The purpose was to study the effect of liquid complex fertilizers on the productivity of the studied winter wheat varieties. When using fertilizers for all varieties, there was a tendency to an increase in the density of the productive stand on 18-61 pcs/m2 in comparison with the control. The variety ‘Krasa Dona’ showed the best indicators of the traits ‘number of grains per head’, ‘grain weight per head’ and ‘1000 grain weight’ being fertilized with ‘Strada N + S’ (43 pcs., 2.19 g and 45.7 g) and ‘Diform Silicon-potassium’ (46 pcs., 2.30 g and 46.5 g). The variety ‘Polina’ showed good results after being treated with ‘Strada P + S’ (48 pcs., 2.30 g and 42.1 g) and ‘Diform Silicon-potassium’ (51 pcs., 2.43 g and 42.4 g). The variety ‘Yubiley Dona’ showed the greatest increase of the trait ‘number of grains’ with the fertilizer ‘Diform Silicon-potassium’. The trait ‘1000 grains weight’ had an increase of 2.3 g, and ‘grain weight per head’ was 0.29 g. The treatment with fertilizers did not affect the trait ‘plant height’. The highest productivity of the variety ‘Krasa Dona’ was obtained when being fertilized with ‘Strada N + S’ (9.4 t / ha) and ‘Diforma Silicon-potassium’ (9.5 t/ha); the productivity of the variety ‘Polina’ increased after ‘Strada P + S’ (8.8 t/ha) and ‘Diform Silicon-potassium’ (9.1 t/ha), and the productivity of the variety ‘Yubiley Dona’ increased after ‘Diform Silicon-potassium’ (8.9 t/ha). The maximum economic effect (19080 rubles/ha) with 9.5 t/ha of productivity was obtained from the variety ‘Krasa Dona’ after the treatment with the fertilizer ‘Diform Silicon-potassium’. The experimental results have shown that the use of complex fertilizers has a positive effect on the productivity of winter wheat plants.

Herbologists have calculated that in an integrated system for protecting crops from weeds, diseases and insect pests, up to 30% of productivity can be saved by treatment with herbicides. One of the most malicious and hard-to-eradicate weeds that infest winter wheat sowings is the bread (field) windgrass (Apera spica-venti L.). There have been presented the results of 3-year trials of post-sprouting herbicides ‘Puma Super 100, KE’ (100 g/l fenoxaprop- P-ethyl + 27 g/l antidote mefenpyr-diethyl) and ‘Aksial, KE’ (45 g/l pinoxaden + 11.25 g/l antidote clokvitoset-mexil), used on winter wheat sowings to reduce weediness with windgrass and to increase wheat productivity. The purpose of the study was to identify biological and economic efficiency of these products and to assess their effect on the phytosanitary state of winter wheat sowings. The conducted estimation of the herbicides’ utilization in the protection of winter wheat from the windgrass identified their efficiency in reducing the contamination of sowings from 89 to 100% and in increasing wheat productivity. The use of herbicides in a period of spring tillering contributed to the improvement of phytosanitary state and an additional yield of winter wheat grain from 0.25 to 0.46 t/ha.

The success of any agricultural crop breeding, including winter durum wheat primarily depends on the initial material at the breeder’s disposal, its value, and the degree of study. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate collection samples of winter durum wheat according to quality indicators and to select the best ones for use in breeding programs. In the Rostov region there were studied 159 winter durum wheat samples of different ecological and geographical origin according to grain quality (protein percentage, gluten content, amount of carotenoid pigments, kernel hardness, nature weight). The winter durum wheat samples had a high protein percentage and belonged to the 1-st quality class. According to gluten content in grain there were identified 17 (10.7%) samples. The following samples had the maximum values of trait ‘SDS-sedimentation’: ‘588/15’ (Russia) with 50 ml; ‘SAHINBEY’ (Turkey), ‘SARI BUGDAY 2’ (Turkey), ‘543/15’ (Russia) with 49 ml; ‘ANKARA 98’ (Turkey) with 48 ml. The following 43 winter durum wheat samples (more than 85%) had large kernel hardness in the trial: ‘663/17’, ‘1121/12’, ‘Novinka 4’, ‘Alena’ (Russia), ‘C1252’ (Turkey), ‘SN TURK MI 82-83 90 / GUTROS-2’, ‘DF 28.82.84 / DAB-18’, ‘P 1290493 // HUI // AV79’ (Mexico), ‘K-61869’ (Moldova). Over the years of study, a large amount of carotenoid pigments was identified in the following samples: ‘Novinka 4’ with 705 μg /%, ‘535/17’ with 689 μg /%, ‘543/15’ with 664 μg /% (Russia), ‘OSU-3880001 / 4AOS / SNIP / 3 / MEDIUM / KIF // SAPI’ with 704 μg /% (Mexico), ‘Winter Gold’ with 697 μg /% (Germany). According to the complex of qualitative indicators, there were identified 5 winter durum wheat samples, which are recommended to be included in the breeding programs of the Rostov region.

The nutritional benefits of wheat bread largely depend on quality and content of the most valuable part of the grain, its protein complex, namely elastic, and quite extensible gluten. In recent years, there has been a tendency for deterioration of grain quality indicators, namely the indicator ‘gluten quality’ regulated by GOST. There are often the circumstances, when gluten acquires properties of increased viscosity and bran particles are firmly held by gluten proteins. In this case, it is practically impossible to extract it and it is characterized by the term ‘non-extractable’. At the same time, gluten extracted from flour (in the absence of bran) of the same grain sample corresponds to the 1-st and 2-nd classes of quality. Thus, in the first variant, the producers face losses as the grain of the 5th class is non-food, and in the other, we get good grain when gluten is extracted out of flour. The breeders of the research institutions face the similar dilemma when selecting breeding material according to gluten quality. Both different ways of extracting gluten often give opposite effect for the same genotype. The purpose of the current study was to assess the conformity degree of GDI, identified according to GOST according to such indicators as GDI in flour, sedimentation, rheological properties on a mixograph. In order to estimate if wheat is strong, valuable and weak, there is not enough only elastic ity, which is identified using the GDI device (gluten deformation index). The deformation index after extracting gluten is not always an objective result of its quality, therefore, there is a need in additional study, e.g. determination of the gluten deformation index (GDI) in flour, SDS sedimentation, rheological properties of the dough on a mixograph, which characterize gluten ‘strength’ (elasticity, strength, etc.). These methods will allow researchers to estimate the quality of breeding material more efficiently, and agricultural producers will have a comprehensive description of gluten quality of grown grain.

The purpose of the current study was to determine the correlation between adaptability parameters of the spring barley varieties and grain productivity and the main indicators of its quality. The study was conducted from 2011 to 2019 in the conditions of the southern forest-steppe of Western Siberia. The protein percentage in grain, raw oil, starch and husk content of grain were determined according to the Pleshkov and Berkutova methods. The mathematical processing was carried out according to the methodology of Dospekhov, Eberhard and Russell. According to the trial, low productivity of spring barley was recorded in 2012, 2013 and 2016 (2.36–2.92 t/ha) with low values of the index of environmental conditions (-1.32; -1.88). Higher productivity was recorded in 2011, 2015, 2018 and 2019 (5.26-5.89 t/ha), with high values of the index of environmental conditions (1.02–1.65). The productivity of the standard variety ‘Omskiy 95’ varied from 2.11 t/ha (in 2016) to 5.91 t/ha (in 2015). The varieties ‘Sibirskiy Avangard’, ‘Sasha’, ‘Omskiy 100’ exceeded the standard variety (+0.47; +1.97 t/ha to standard). An increased content of raw oil in grain was recorded in the varieties ‘Omskiy 9’1 and ‘Sasha’ (0.4-0.6% to standard). The varieties ‘Omskiy 91’, ‘Sibirskiy Avangard’, ‘Omskiy 90’, ‘Omskiy 96’ and ‘Omskiy 100’ were characterized by a reduced husk content of grain (-0.7; -1.4% to standard). The barley varieties ‘Sibirskiy Avangard’ and ‘Sasha’ (bi > 1; σ2 d < 1) were highly responsive and stable to improving environmental conditions. The improvement of adaptability (bi) of barley varieties did not have a significant effect on grain productivity and quality (r = 0.109±0.020 and 0.232±0.035). The stability (σ2 d) of the varieties was characterized by an average direct correlation with starch content in grain (r = 0.429±0.120), a strong direct correlation with oil content in grain (r = 0.656±0.105). There was identified an average inverse correlation between stability (σ2 d) and protein and husk content in grain (r = -0.399±0.060 and -0.447±0.055). There was a weak correlation with productivity (r = -0.204±0.040).

For Russia, peas are traditional legumes, used both in the food industry for its excellent taste, and in animal husbandry for the high content of feed units and balanced protein, which allows reducing the cost of animals’ feeding. The purpose of the current study was to estimate the effect of the seeding rates of peas on its productivity, feed value of its beans, economic and bioenergetic cultivation efficiency. The current paper has presented the study results obtained in the laboratory for cultivation technology of row crops (FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”) in 2019–2020 where there was studied the effect of seeding rates on productivity of the middle maturing pea variety ‘Aksaysky Usatii 5’ of the Don breeding. The soil of the experimental plot was favorable for growing peas with 3.36% of humus in the arable, with 7.0 pH, 24.4 mg/kg of soil of P2O5, 360 mg/kg of soil of K2O. The studied seeding rates influenced yield structure elements of peas, protein percentage in seeds and yield of feed units. At seeding rates of 1.2-1.8 million of germinating seeds per hectare, there was an increase in protein percentage in seeds on more than 1.0% in comparison with the norms of 0.8-1.0 million of germinating seeds per hectare. In the same variants of the trial, the yield of digestible protein was at the level of 528-579 kg/ha, compared with that of 390-456 kg/ha when sown with a rate of 0.8-1.0 million of germinating seeds per hectare. The maximum productivity (2.07 t/ha) was recorded with a seeding rate of 1.4 million of germinating seeds per hectare. In the same variant of the trial, there were identified the maximum indicators of energy and economic efficiency, such as 2.07 of energy efficiency coefficient and 97.4% of profitability with the lowest production cost of 7600 rubles/ton.

The current paper has presented the study of the effect of different doses and terms of top-dressing with nitrogen fertilizers, in the form of ammonium nitrate, on the growth, development and biological productivity of the new spring triticale variety ‘Timiryazevskaya 42’. The study was carried out in 2015–2018 in the field trial laid down at the Field Experimental Station of the RSAU-Moscow Agricultural Academy named after K. A. Timiryazev (Moscow). It was identified that, depending on the weather conditions of the vegetation period, different doses of nitrogen fertilizers at different times had a different degree of positive effect on the indicators of the variety yield elements. When applying top-dressing, the variety ‘Timiryazevskaya 42’ showed high potential of its biological productivity, which reached 15.6 t/ha under optimal conditions. There has been established a high correlation between CHF (coefficient of head filling) and biological productivity (r = 0.97), which allows predicting in the middle of the vegetation period which variant of the trial will give the highest productivity. The biological productivity of the studied variety has been most influenced by productive tillering (r = 0.80), number and weight of grain per head (r = 0.71; r = 0.66, respectively), and there was a slight effect of 1000 grain weight (r = 0.64). The value of correlation between ‘length of head’ and biological productivity ranged from 0.54 in 2016 to 0.98 in 2018 for different variants of the trial, which indicated a strong effect of different meteorological conditions of the variety cultivation on the change of length of its head.