Wheat Microevolution under Intensive Breeding Process in the Northern Caucasian Region

Abstract

In 2005 it was the 50th Anniversary of the outstanding variety Bezostaya 1, which was developed at our Institute by Academician Pavel P. Lukyanenko. This variety had been grown in many countries of the world, covering in some years more than 13 million hectares and more than 160 million hectares during the whole period of its utilization. Due to high yielding, good grain quality and ability to adapt to a wide range of environmental and technological conditions this variety won the first place in the International Variety Trial in 1971 and 1972. After this Dr. Johnson considered this variety to be the best genotype for many wheat areas of the world. It is remarkable that among Bezostaya 1’s progenitors there was an Argentine variety Klein 33, donor of Rht gene and leaf rust field resistance. 124 winter bread wheat varieties have been developed after Bezostaya 1. The major trends of Krasnodar breeding are balanced improvement of potential yielding and grain quality and development of great number of genetically and biologically different varieties, which helps to extend the crop’s adaptation potential. Potential yielding of our new varieties Tanya, Doka, Ktasnodarskaya 99 averages 12 tons per hectare. The varieties like Delta, Deya, Moskvitch possess FHB and other fungal disease resistance; Zimorodok, Polovchanka, Knyazhna, Starshina, Soratnitsa, Selyanka, Russa are tolerant to late sowing, deficient, over-compacted and saline soils. New varieties have very good baking quality, middle to high protein content; differ in growing period within 7–12 days. Their frost-resistance is increased by 1 –2 ^ˆC. Winter wheat microevolution in the Northern Caucasia can be characterized by the following properties: a) increase of coenosis capacity due to higher ear productivity and plant density; b) prolongation of grain filling period; c) attraction rate acceleration; d) plant nitrogen metabolism intensification; e) plant ‘‘economics’’ improvement All these changes have been achieved during 50 years due to intraspecific and distant crossing within the system of complex step-wise hybridization and use of genetic ‘‘bridges’’ – synthetic amphidiploids