INDIRECT ASSESSMENT PARAMETRES OF GRAIN QUALITY AND YIELD OF WINTER SOFT WHEAT IN THE FOREST-STEPPE OF THE MIDDLE VOLGA REGION

Abstract

An increase of winter soft wheat productionshould be accompanied by its qualityimprovement. The purpose of the research was to study indirect parametres used for assessing winter soft wheat grain qualityin terms of varietal profile and crop as a whole. The objectives of the research were to establish the formationfeatures of grain quality parametres of winter soft wheat, the correlations between them, as well as correlations with the yield of the studied crop. The material for the research was 15 varieties of winter soft wheat, included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements, approved for use in the Middle Volga region. It was established that dry conditions during formation of winter wheat grain and its filling had a positive effect on gluten content and hardness, and in combination with high temperatures - on glutenquality. The grain-unit of winter wheat grain increases in the conditions of sufficient moisture. There are no statistically significant inverse relations between yield and grain quality parametres of winter soft wheat: the quantity and quality of gluten, grain hardness, which means that they can be combined in one genotype. The grain-unit of grain can significantly positively correlate with the yield and hardness of grain of the studied crop in some years. All considered parametres of grain quality of winter soft wheat significantly depend on the variety (contribution of 5.2-32.7%), environmental conditions (contribution of 24.5-85.4%) and the interaction of the genotype and the environment (contribution of 5.4-42, 5 %). This means that the problem of production of high-quality grain of the studied crop in the region can be solved by careful selection of varieties that combine quality with high production potential, usage of a system of varieties and developed agricultural technologies based on them.