Working collection of winter bread wheat for the total antioxidant capacity as a source of starting material for cultivars with increased biological value

Abstract

BIOLOGICAL VALUE Aim. To evaluate the diversity of winter bread wheat accessions for the total antioxidant capacity, to identify sources of strong expression of this trait and to form a working collection. Results and Discussion. The article presents results of studying winter bread wheat accessions in 2016–2020 for the total antioxidant capacity and other valuable economic characteristics. A total antioxidant capacity-based working collection of winter bread wheat has been built up and registered. The working collection comprises 108 accessions, including 80 cultivars from 9 countries worldwide and 28 breeding lines created in the Wheat Breeding Laboratory of the Plant Production Institute named after V.Ya. Yuriev of NAAS. The collection accessions are represented by one botanical species (Triticum aestivum L.) and ten varieties (erythrospermum, lutescens, viridilutescens, aureum, ferrugineum, viridiferrugineum, uralicum, graecum, vavilovii, tschermakianum). The collection was formed on the basis of the total antioxidant capacity (TAOA, chlorogenic acid equivalent, caryopsis color) and economic parameters (growing period length, plant height, resistance to leaf blotch, yield, and grain plumpness). Sources with high levels of the investigated characteristics have been selected: KM 186/2, Blue × Red (SVK), Scorpion (AUS), Viridiferrugineum 2022-87, and Germakianum 2005-87 (RUS). Cultivars with high TAOA and pigmented caryopses were revealed to start earing 2–5 days later than red-grained cultivars; their yields were significantly inferior to those of Ukrainian cultivars. From them, breeding lines have been originated and included in the working collection: Viridilutescens 5419, Viridilutescens 5619, Hrekum 1875-19, Hrekum 1879-19, and Uralikum 6719. They yielded 6.57–7.87 t/ha in 2020. Conclusions. As a result of long-term studies in the Wheat Breeding Laboratory of the Plant Production Institute named after V.Ya. Yuriev of NAAS, the total antioxidant capacity-based working collection of winter bread wheat has been formed and registered with the NCPGRU. Sources with high levels of the total antioxidant capacity and valuable economic characteristics have been identified. From them, breeding lines have been originated and included in the working collection; their yields significantly exceeded those of the parents. This working collection will contribute to the creation of promising and competitive cultivars as a raw material basis to produce healthy foods.