EVALUATION OF WINTER WHEAT VARIETIES FOR YIELD AND STABILITY UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF BELGOROD REGION

Abstract

A comprehensive evaluation of 13 winter soft wheat varieties of various
ecological and geographical origins was carried out focusing on yield, plant height, and
adaptability parameters. The aim was to identify genotypes combining high productivity with
stability under conditions of sufficient and excessive moisture. The research was conducted in
2020–2022 at the experimental field of the Belgorod Federal Agrarian Research Center of the
Russian Academy of Sciences (Belgorod region, Gonki farm) with hydrothermal coefficients
of the growing seasons ranging from 1,21 to 1,62. It was found that varieties Volzhskaya 100,
Almera, and Sintetik possessed the highest homeostatic capacity for plant height (Hom =
25,7; 16,8; and 14,2, respectively). Based on average yield, three groups were distinguished:
high-productive Sintetik (64.7 dt /ha), Volzhskaya 100 (64,5 dt /ha), and Olshanka (64,1 dt
/ha); medium-productive (56,2–60,6 dt /ha); and low-productive (50,0–54,0 dt /ha). The variety Volzhskaya 100 demonstrated the best combination of plasticity and stability (bi = 0,96;
Sd² = 6,3) with the highest breeding value (Sc = 52,2). A positive correlation between plant
height and yield was revealed in the stressful year 2021 (r = 0,41; p < 0,05), indicating an
adaptive advantage of taller genotypes under conditions, which were not limited by drought.
The varieties Volzhskaya 100, Sintetik, and Olshanka are recommended for production in the
Central Chernozem Region; Volzhskaya 100 (stability), Sintetik and Olshanka (productivity),
and Almera (homeostatic capacity) are recommended as sources of valuable traits for breeding.