The extension of winter bread wheat areas in Western Siberia is accompanied by the introduction of new varieties, the adaptive properties of which require careful evaluation. The purpose of the current work was to characterize the numbers of the Competitive Variety Testing (CVT) according to the parameters of ecological adaptability and stability. The objects of research through the years of 2016–2020 were 12 winter bread wheat samples from the CVT laboratory for winter grain crop breeding of the FSBSI “Omsk Agricultural Research Center”. The highest values of the linear regression coefficient were identified in the lines ‘22/16’, ‘24/16’, the varieties ‘Yubileinaya 180’, ‘Omskaya 4’ (bi = 1.15–1.19). The varieties ‘Priirtyshskaya’, ‘Priirtyshskaya 2’, the lines ‘38/17’, ‘47/16’, ‘42/18’ (bi = 0.81–89) reacted weaker to environmental changes. The lines ‘25/16’, ‘26/16’ and ‘43/18’ (bi = 1.01–1.02) had adaptability close to a unit. The most stable productivity was identified in the line ‘24/16’ (S2 d = 0.01). The similar productivity was provided by the variety ‘Priirtyshskaya’ and the lines ‘47/16’, ‘43/18’ (S2 d = 0.05–0.10). Among the less stable varieties were ‘Omskaya 4’, ‘Priirtyshskaya 2’, the lines ‘22/16’, ‘26/16’, ‘38/17’ (S2 d = 0.30–0.48). The variety ‘Priirtyshskaya’, the lines ‘38/17’, 43/18’ (V = 22.8–23.8%) had a relatively lower productivity variability. The line ‘43/18’ (5.70 t/ha) was the best in productivity. The varieties ‘Priirtyshskaya 2’ (5.29 t/ha), ‘Yubileinaya 180’ (5.19 t/ha), the lines ‘38/17’ (5.18 t/ha), ‘47/16’ (5.01 t/ha), the variety ‘Priirtyshskaya’ (4.85 t/ha) also had a significant excess over the standard variety ‘Omskaya 4’ (4.24 t/ha). In general, the estimation of the productivity adaptability has shown that the best numbers according to this trait are characterized by different reactions to growing conditions. The most productive line ‘43/18’ is adaptable. The variety ‘Yubileynaya 180’ is of intensive type. The response to environmental changes of the varieties ‘Priirtyshskaya’, ‘Priirtyshskaya 2’, the lines ‘38/17’, ‘47/16’ was weak.

For the successful development of wheat breeding in Russia, there is a great need in a genetically diverse initial material, presented the collection of the All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources named after N.I. Vavilov (VIR), including samples of synthetic hexaploid wheat (SHW) developed at CIMMYT by crossing Triticum durum Au B с Aegilops tauschii D. The current paper has presented the study results of such artificially developed hexaploid synthetic samples. The purpose of the current study was to compare the production indicators of hexaploid synthetic samples and their macromutant forms with bread wheat varieties and to evaluate them as an initial breeding material. The plants were grown in ordinary blackearth (chernozem) on the fields of the FSBSI FRARC. There has been shown that macromutational phenotypic transformations continue to occur in the developed hexaploid synthetic samples during the vegetation period. In the agricultural year of 2019/2020, in the sample ‘k-65488’ there were identified macromutant forms almost identical to awnless bread wheat. The close phenotypic similarity of macromutants has suggested their easier and more effective crossing with existing bread wheat varieties. There has been found that according to their production characteristics, the identified macromutants turned out to be quite identical, and the synthetic sample ‘k-65509’ even surpassed the comparable bread wheat varieties ‘Bezostaya 1’ and ‘Mironovskaya 808’. However, spikelet scales in the identified macromutant forms, despite their phenomenal similarity with the representatives of Triticum aestivum L., still remain quite hard, which makes threshing difficult. Taking into consideration the production indicators of synthetic samples, which are mainly determined by the contribution of highly productive durum wheat, we can consider them and, especially, the identified macromutant forms, as a very promising initial material to improve the present bread wheat variety samples using hybridization.

The main task of agricultural producers has always been and still remains to obtain high and stable yields, which can be provided by new developed varieties, which are the main reserve for increasing grain production. The current paper has presented the study results of the work in 2018–2021, namely, the development of promising varieties and the main features of seed production. The purpose of the study was to estimate promising winter durum wheat varieties according to the main economic and biological traits and properties, quality indicators of grain and pasta, and seed production features. The studied varieties were able to give consistently high yields (from 5.56 to 12.67 t/ha), combining the main economic and biological traits (drought resistance, frost resistance, resistance to major diseases and lodging) and quality indicators of grain and pasta. The study of the physicochemical properties of grain showed that the winter durum wheat varieties met the requirements of GOST 9353-2016 and belonged to the 1–2 quality classes, which was quite enough to produce good pasta and cereal. The pasta color of the varieties ‘Yakhont’, ‘Yantarina’, ‘Uslada’ was yellow (4.3–4.6 points); it was creamy in the variety ‘Yubilyarka’ (3.5 points); the content of carotenoids varied from 507 µg/% (the variety ‘Yubilyarka’) to 610 µg/% (the variety ‘Uslada’). In order to preserve and maintain the main features and properties characteristic for each variety, their seed production is being currently carried out with a comprehensive estimation of both phenotypic (approbation) traits and genotypic ones using protein markers. The varieties ‘Yakhont’, ‘Yubilyarka’, ‘Yantarina’ and ‘Uslada’ have clearly distinguishable spectra of gliadins 3.2.3T2, 13.2T+6T.3.T1, 5.2.4T1 and 13X.4T.3.2, which makes it possible to control their varietal purity at all stages of seed production.

Newly developed varieties should be not only highly productive, but also adaptable. In this regard, the Omsk Agricultural Center is certainly one of the leaders in spring barley breeding (23 varieties have been created). New varieties should meet both the current needs of agricultural producers and agro-technological requirements in accordance with the achievements of science and production. In this regard, the purpose of the current study was to determine adaptability parameters of the Omsk barley varieties. There have been presented the study results of 2015–2019. The objects of the study were the two-row hulled varieties and lines ‘Omsky 95’ (standard), ‘Sasha’, ‘Podarok Sibiri’, ‘Omsky 100’, ‘Omsky 101’, ‘Medikum 4867’, ‘Nutans 4883’, ‘Nutans 4812’; the multi-row hulled varieties and lines ‘Omsk 99’ (standard), ‘Rikotense 4885’, ‘Pallidum 4861’; the multi-row hulles varieties and lines ‘Omsk golozerny 2’ (standard), ‘Omsk golozerny 4’. There have been estimated such adaptability parameters as coefficient of adaptability (according to Zhivotkov), coefficient of responsiveness to favorable growing conditions (according to Zykin), stress resistance and compensatory ability (according to Goncharenko), adaptability (according to Baransky and Gryaznov), trait variability and coefficient of agronomic stability (according to Dospekhov). The final estimation of the response of varieties to cultivation conditions had to be carried out by the sum of the ranks, taking into account that the first rank was the highest. The studied varieties were characterized by productivity of 5.2±0.97 t/ha. There was identified a significant increase for all varieties (+0.13…+0.90 t/ha to standard). The greatest contribution to the yield variation was made by the year conditions (65%); the share of a variety genotype effect was 19%. According to the sum of ranks, for the southern forest-steppe of Western Siberia, the most adaptive varieties among the two-row hulled varieties and lines were ‘Sasha’, ‘Omsky 100’, ‘Omsky 101’ and ‘Nutans 4883’ (sum of ranks = 45–49). Among multi-row hulled varieties and lines it was ‘Rikotense 4885’ (sum of ranks = 46). Among the multi-row hulles varieties and lines they were ‘Omsk golozerny 2’ (standard), ‘Omsk golozerny 4’ (sum of ranks = 86 and 87).

Breeding of new highly productive, adaptive, technologically advanced pea varieties plays an important role in increasing the fund of food protein. In this case, the key role belongs to the initial material. Hybridization and mutagenesis methods are widely used to develop initial material. Intervarietal hybridization allows developing hybrid progeny with a combination of valuable traits of parental forms. However, the main problem of current breeding has become a decrease in the genetic diversity of cultivated plants, including peas. One of the ways to improve genetic polymorphism is the use of induced mutagenesis. X-ray radiation is a highly effective physical mutagen, which is successfully used in mutation breeding to improve productivity of cultivated plants and obtain new traits. In this regard, the purpose of the current work was to identify a new pea breeding material using the hybridization method and ionizing radiation. The trails were carried out in 2011-2020 in the laboratory for breeding and seed production of leguminous crops of the BRIA of the FSBSI UFRC RAS. There were selected the varieties and lines of local peas, as well as the VIR collection variety samples as the material for the study. Hybridization was carried out according to the principle of genetic remoteness of parental forms. For induced mutagenesis, the seeds of the varieties ‘Pamyati Khangildina’ and ‘Aksaisky Usatiy 55’ were subjected to various doses of X-ray radiation. As a result of hybridization, there has been developed a promising breeding material characterized by large seed productivity, a shortened growing season, and manufacturability. The hybrid line ‘L-31315/14’ was sent to the State Variety Testing in 2019 as a variety ‘Pamyati Popova’. The mutant pea lines ‘L-18’ and ‘L-65’, developed from the variety ‘Pamyati Khangildina’, exceeded the initial variety on 0.16 and 0.11 t/ha in productivity, and on 1.8 and 1.5%, respectively, in protein.

The current paper has presented the study results of collection winter bread wheat samples. The purpose of the study was to screen the world collection of winter bread wheat for disease resistance in the Nizhnevolzhsky region. The study was carried out on the basis of the FSBSI “Federal Agricultural Research Center of the South-East” (Saratov). In 2017–2021 there was conducted an estimation of the resistance of 152 winter bread wheat samples to the main pathogens. The samples were sown at the optimal time with the SSFC-8 seeder on plots of 3 m2 in a single repetition. The seeding rate was 450 germinating seeds per m2 . There have been studied the world collection varietal samples of winter bread wheat VIR (from breeding centers of the USA, Canada, Ukraine, Slovakia, Latvia, Hungary, etc.), as well as the samples of domestic breeding (FANC of the South-East, NTsZ named after P.P. Lukyanenko, Severokavkazsky FNATS, etc.). There have been identified the most harmful leaf-stem diseases, such as brown rust (Puccinia triticina Erikss.) and stem rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp. Tritici), septoria (Septoria tritici Rob. et Desm.) and yellow leaf blotch (Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Died) Drechsler). There has been characterized the resistance of the winter bread wheat collection to the complex of leaf-stem diseases. There have been identified two samples with group resistance to brown and stem rusts, septoria and pyrenophorosis; one sample resistant to leaf rust and stem rust; three samples resistant to stem rust and septoria; one sample resistant to leaf and stem rust and septoria; six samples resistant to septoria and pyrenophorosis.

Rice is the most important food crop for the world population and has been cultivated for more than 10 centuries. It is affected by various viral, fungal and bacterial diseases, the most harmful of which is leaf blight, which is caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo). The most effective way to combat leaf blight is to use resistant varieties together with good agro-technical methods. In recent years, there has been carried out an extensive genetic and genomic study to identify the molecular mechanism of rice reaction to Xoo. As a result of long-term study by the Southeast Asian farmers there were identified 42 different leaf blight resistance genes, 9 of which were isolated and cloned. Currently, complete genome sequences are available for two different rice subspecies ‘Japonica’ and ‘Indica’ and three different races of the leaf blight pathogen. Therefore, there can be estimated an interaction between rice and Xoo, which will allow establishing host responses such as innate immunity and R gene-mediated immunity. Functional analysis of resistance genes may provide clues to the development of a broad spectrum and long-term resistance to leaf blight. There has been characterized a number of resistance (R) genes and related avirulence genes and effector virulence genes. This review, based on published works has presented the latest advances in the study of correlation between rice and the pathogen through R genes and their products. There has been also discussed breeding strategies in order to develop varieties with long-term and broad resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae.

In current breeding, when developing varieties, considerable attention must be paid to their adaptability, i.e. parameters that ensure stable productivity under various growing conditions. Climate contrast is one of the main reasons for the development of adaptable spring barley varieties, expressed in one of the priority areas of breeding at the Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”. As a result, the purpose of the current study was to develop a new middle-ripen spring barley variety with a high adaptability. There has been given a comprehensive estimation of the economically valuable traits of a new spring barley variety ‘Format’. This spring barley variety was developed by the method of intraspecific hybridization. There has been carried out an individual selection in a hybrid combination of the varieties ‘Astoria’ (France) and ‘Ratnik’ (“ARC “Donskoy”, RF). The study was conducted at the Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” in 2019–2021. There has been established that the new spring barley variety ‘Format’ has a higher productivity, expressed in a greater number of productive stems per square meter compared to the standard variety. During the years of study, the mean productivity increase was 0.6 t/ha to the standard. The value of 1000-grain weight in the new variety ranged within 38.8–47.3 g, exceeding the standard by 4.8 g. The estimation of ecological adaptability and stability indicators has identified that the variety ‘Format’ with a linear regression coefficient bi = 1.21 responsive to changing growing conditions and is able to form high yields when environmental conditions improve. An analysis of the results of environmental tests has shown the ability of the variety ‘Format’ to form high yields regardless of growing conditions.

An important aspect in breeding programs is to increase a potential of winter wheat productivity. At the same time, modern genotypes are required to possess not only high productivity with appropriate grain quality, but also resistance to the unfavorable effects of growing conditions. Thus, the study of the genotype according to its interaction with the environment is an integral component in the search for ways to further productivity increase of varieties. The purpose of the current study was to identify the stability and interaction of the genotype with the environment in the winter bread wheat varieties developed by the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy”. In the study there were used 14 varieties of winter bread wheat grown after sunflower in 2018–2021. As a result of the study, there was found that the factor “year” had the greatest effect on productivity (53.72%), the factor “variety” influences on productivity on 20.17%, and the correlation of the factors “year × variety” affected on productivity on 22.40%. On average, through the years of study, the varieties’ productivity ranged from 4.81 t/ha (the variety ‘Don 107’) to 5.38 t/ha (the variety ‘Zolotoy Kolos’). The varieties ‘Lidiya’ (bi = 1.04), ‘Zhavoronok’ (bi = 1.32), ‘Kaprizulya’ (bi = 1.41), ‘Lilit’ (bi = 1.44), ‘Podarok Krymu’ (bi = 1.59) and ‘Krasa Dona’ (bi = 1.64) have shown a strong responsiveness to the changes of the environment. The varieties ‘Polina (Hom = 94.27; Cv = 8.90%) and ‘Ayuta’ (Hom = 238.85; Cv = 5.73%) were characterized by high homeostatic indices and low values of the coefficient of variance.

The current paper has presented the study and estimation results of winter bread wheat varieties in primary seed production (2019-2021) based on the method of electrophoresis. In order to maintain varietal purity in different varieties there were used different methods of primary seed production. The main method was the method of laying down the plots (a field testing method) for testing progeny with a two-year estimation of families according to progeny (PIP-1 and PIP-2). In laboratory conditions, there was used the method of electrophoresis, where there was studied the polymorphism of wheat gliadin reserve proteins. The purpose of the study was to estimate the efficiency of the method of electrophoresis on reserve proteins, to develop varietal purity and belonging of winter wheat seeds to the variety in primary seed production. On the basis of the conducted study, there was found that for winter bread wheat varieties there was possible to change the biotype composition from heterogeneous to monomorphic in PIP-1 by selecting families according to morphological traits (a field testing method), and the introduction of the method of electrophoresis into seed production made it possible not only to identify varieties on changes in the biotype gliadin composition in the varieties, but also to track the ratio in which it was necessary to purposefully preserve families in primary seed production, excluding monomorphism in heterogeneous varieties. All varieties were characterized by an individual set of gliadin-coding loci, which allowed using electrophoresis on reserve proteins to identify any variety and its varietal purity.

The study of accumulated seed funds of spring bread wheat was carried out at the seed production department of the SibRIA (FSBSI “Omsk ARC”). The purpose of the current work was to characterize the development of epiphytic microflora on seeds of spring bread wheat and the change in their germination capacity during a long-term storage with different humidity. There was found out that the seed germination on 88% depended on the moisture content during storage and a number of fungi on their surface. On increasing the initial moisture content of seeds to 17%, the number of microorganisms on them increased significantly, and germination decreased after three years of storage in plastic containers to 0–1.9% in 28 months (2.3 years). There has been established multiple correlation between grain germination (x), moisture content (y) and a number of fungi on its surface (z), significant at the 5% level rxyz = 0.94. Seeds with high humidity, as well as feeble, shrivelled seeds were better stored under aerobic conditions, linen bags in a warehouse with a wooden floor. In polyethylene bags, ripe dry grain (with a moisture content of 6–14%) was stored for a long time, regardless of the floor type in the warehouse, wood or cement. When harvesting seeds in damp cool weather and drying them to a standard moisture content of 14%, it is better to pack the seeds in plastic bags, the type of floor in the warehouse does not matter. At a higher humidity of 17%, it is better to store the seeds in linen bags in a warehouse with a wooden floor to maintain germination.

The current paper has presented the three-year study results of the impact of the regime of the main agrometeorological indicators (the amount of precipitation during the vegetation period, temperature and hydrothermal coefficient) on the size and quality of the yield of grain pea varieties of domestic and foreign breeding. It is most effective to cultivate high-yielding technological pea varieties with good grain quality, well adapted to various growing conditions (drought, waterlogging). On average, over the three years of study, productivity increase of the varieties ‘Sotnik’, ‘Amulet’, ‘Premier’, ‘Aliyans’, ‘Kadet’, ‘Ataman’,’ KVS La Mansh’ and ‘Glyans’ was on 0.57 t/ha more than that of the standard variety ‘Aksai Usatiy 5’. There have been identified the varieties ‘Kadet’, ‘Premier’, ‘Amulet’, ‘Velvet’ and ‘KVS La Mansh’ with a high protein percentage in grain (27.3–28.0%). According to the obtained results, we can say that protein percentage in grain of the studied pea varieties is directly affected by both the hydrothermal coefficient during the vegetation period and the productivity. The purpose of the current study was to investigate and analyze productivity and seed quality of the pea varieties, depending on the hydrothermal conditions in the Azov agro-climatic area of the Rostov region. These results obtained can be used in further breeding work. It is important that these varieties are adaptive to the soil and climatic conditions of the Rostov region, they are the initial material for breeding new highly productive pea varieties with a complex of economically valuable traits, as well as for growing under production conditions.

The current study was carried out in 2017–2021 in the Competitive Variety Testing on the basis of the ISPA of the FSBSI “FRAC VIM”. The soil of the experimental plot was dark gray forest, heavy loamy in granulometric composition, of medium fertility. The hydrothermal conditions of the vegetation periods differed significantly in terms of the mean daily air temperature and the sum of effective temperatures, and the amount of precipitation. The years of 2018 and 2021 were characterized with very dry conditions with HThC of 0.51–0.64. The years of 2017, 2019 were arid with HThC of 0.72–0.85. The years of 2020 was humid, with a moisture coefficient of 1.34. The purpose of the current study was to establish the effect of weather conditions of the Ryazan region on the interstage periods, the yield structure and productivity of the spring barley variety ‘Yaromir’. There has been found a correlation between the length of vegetation period with the amount of precipitation and HThC in the interstage periods of ‘germination-tillering’ (r = +0.571 and r = +0.607, respectively), ‘tillering-coming into ear’ (r = +0.735 and r = +0.655, respectively) and ‘filling-ripening’ (r = +0.881 and r = +0.967, respectively). Strong positive correlations were found between ‘amount of precipitation’ and the yield structure elements of the variety, namely ‘number of productive stems per 1 m2 ’ (r = +0.969), ‘productive tilling capacity’ (r = +0.947), ‘plant height’ (r = +0.827). Mean correlations were found between ‘amount of precipitation’ and ‘length of head’ (r = +0.562) and ‘number of kernels per head’ (r = +0.453). Negative mean correlations were found between ‘amount of precipitation’ and ‘1000-kernel weight’ (r = -0.654). There has been established that the average daily air temperature of the vegetation period had no effect on the formation of the yield structure elements of this variety. There have been identified average correlations between ‘sum of effective temperatures’ and ‘productive tillering’ (r = +0.352) and ‘length of head’ (r = +0.538). Weather conditions did not have a significant effect on grain productivity of the variety. There has been noted a slight effect of precipitation and HThC in the period ‘tillering-coming into ear’. The minimum variation in the productivity over the years (Cv = 3.5%) and revealing 95.1% of productivity potential indicates that this variety is characterized by stable productivity and adaptability to the weather conditions of this region.

Wheat kernel smut (KS) is a disease of the reproductive organs. With low-cost and organic farming, grain farmers can face significant losses from this disease. The purpose of the current study was to identify resistant samples to KS pathogens in the Republic of Tatarstan during artificial inoculation of seeds with smut spores. There have been studied the spring wheat varieties recommended for cultivation in the Republic of Tatarstan, almost isogenic lines of the Red Bobs variety carrying the known Bt-genes Bt 1–10 from the collection of the All-Russian Institute of Genetic Resources of Plants named after N.I. Vavilov. When analyzing the species structure of the KS population spread in Tatarstan for 9 years (2012–2020), it was found that the species Tilletia caries prevailed over T. levis and the ratio of species depended on the soil pH before sowing. The minimum ratio of the number of spores of T. laevis / T. caries species in the studied samples was noted at the soil pH of 4.5. The correlation coefficient between indicators of soil solution response and species ratio was 0.86 (tfact˃ttheor at 1% significance level). The genes Bt 2, Bt 5, Bt 8, Bt 9, Bt 10 were highly effective for the Tatarstan KS population in the period of 2018–2021. The samples ‘M83-1621’ (cat. VIR 66238) of the USA and ‘AC Cadillac’ (cat. VIR 64565) of Canada carrying the Bt 10 gene had no signs of the disease. Most of the varieties recommended for cultivation (65%) are highly and very strongly susceptible to KS. Three varieties ‘Chernozemnouralskaya 2’, ‘Sitara’ and ‘Burlak’ are found weakly susceptible to KS.

In order to increase food grain production of winter durum wheat, which is of high quality for producing cereals and pasta, it is necessary to increase the sown areas, which require varieties that meet the requirements of modern production to develop highly productive varieties with specified grain quality parameters and resistance to diseases. Both for bread wheat and durum wheat the harmful diseases are leaf rust and powdery mildew. The generally accepted methods of fighting them is the development of pathogen resistant varieties. Breeding for the resistance of this crop has been carried out at the FSBSI Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” since the middle of the last century, as a result of which there were developed the varieties with the constantly increasing level of resistance. Through different years, there were developed and sown the varieties ‘Novinka 5’, ‘Donchanka’, ‘Donskoy yantar’, ‘Terra’, ‘Agat Donskoy’, ‘Lazurit’ which were not infected by brown rust and powdery mildew. The purpose of the study was to identify new reliable sources of resistance to these diseases in order to use them in breeding programs for immunity. The study was carried out on infectious backgrounds in 2015–2021, using the North Caucasian populations of leaf rust and powdery mildew pathogens. In the trials there were identified 63 winter durum wheat varieties of different ecological and geographical origin from inter-station variety testing, 26 powdery mildew resistant varieties, 20 leaf rust resistant varieties and 17 varieties resistant to both pathogens. Among the identified varieties with group resistance there are both the Russian varieties ‘Krucha’, ‘Kermen’, ‘Krupinka’, ‘Dobryana’ and others, and foreign varieties ‘Akveduk’, ‘Andromeda’, ‘Kassiopeya’, ‘Afina’, Pributkova and others.