Evaluation of triticale variety samples by crop structure elements

Breeding improvement of triticale requires the search for genetic sources for hybridization. Our research aims at identifying high-yielding genotypes of winter triticale and determining the influence of structural elements on this indicator to optimizing selection during the breeding process. In 2014–2018, fifty variety samples of triticale were studied in the North Caucasus Federal Agricultural Research Centre. Soil – ordinary chernozem, medium loamy, medium-thick, low-humus. Black fallow preceded all × Triticosecale Wittmack samples. The experiment was laid having only one replication. The area of the plot was 1 m2. Triticale variety ‘Valentin 90’ served as a standard. We identified 25 medium-yielding and 25 high-yielding varieties. Grain yield in the first group was lower than in the second one and amounted to 784 ± 191 g/m2 and 1024 ± 202 g/m2, respectively. High-yielding samples exceeded the average-yielding ones in the number of spikelets (32.0 ± 2.17 and 31.2 ± 2.18 pieces), grains per ear (69.1 ± 13.0 and 64.5 ± 10.6 pieces) and weight of grain per ear (3.26 ± 0.61 and 3.00 ± 0.61 g). The yield and weight of grain per ear vary significantly (Cv > 20 %). Ear size, number of grains in the ear and spikelet, 1000 grain weight and triticale ear density do not vary much (Cv > 10 %). The most stable trait is the number of spikelets per ear (Cv < 10 %). A weak positive correlation was observed between the yield and number of grains per spikelet (r = 0.18 ± 0.06), yield and ear (r = 0.22 ± 0.06), as well as yield and weight of grain per ear (r = 0.29 ± 0.06). In the group of high-yielding variety samples, there was a reliable weak negative correlation between the yield and number of spikelets per ear (r = −0.32 ± 0.08), between the yield and ear density (r = −0.24 ± 0.09). Grain yield of more than 1.000 g/m2 had the following variety samples – ‘Ugo’, ‘RAH 121/04’, ‘Kitaro’, ‘Tewo’, ‘Ratne’, ‘Slavetne’, ‘Adas’, ‘Dar Belorussii’, ‘Dinamo’, ‘Dinaro’, ‘Liniya 71’, ‘Lamberto’, ‘PRAG 203/1’, ‘Nemchinovsky 1’ and ‘Valentin 90’ (standard).