Comprehensive assessment of the breeding material of winter wheat for resistance to moisture deficiency and productivity

Abstract

Abstract The North Caucasus, occupying 12% of the total agricultural land fund of Russia, produces a fifth of the grain. However, frequent droughts hinder the production of stable high yields of winter wheat in this region. Their probability here is 25-50%. In addition, almost every year in the second half of the growing season, winter wheat crops to one degree or another experience a negative effect of moisture deficiency. The article presents the results of laboratory and field studies of the breeding material of winter soft wheat on drought resistance and productivity. Determination of plants resistance to moisture deficiency in the laboratory experiment was carried out based on the seeds ability to sprout in highly osmotic sucrose solutions, which allowed to identify samples with high water absorption capacity. The criterion for drought resistance in field conditions were the varieties productivity, the selection drought susceptibility indices (DSI), plants productivity index (PPI), stress resistance and genetic flexibility. Based on the study results, the main methods for assessing drought resistance are recommended. These include a laboratory method for sprouting seeds in osmotic sucrose solutions and direct method for calculating drought resistance according to the plant productivity index.