Authors: I. R. MANUKYAN, candidate of biological sciences, associate professor, M. A. BASIEVA, candidate of agricultural sciences, E. S. MIROSHNIKOVA, candidate of agricultural sciences, V. B. ABIYEV, junior researcher, North Caucasian Research Institute of Mountain and Piedmont Agriculture – the Affiliate of Vladikavkaz Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1 Williams Str., 363110, RNO-Alania, Prigorodny district, Mikhailovskoye village; phone 8 928 487-61-55)
Keywords: winter wheat, variety, drought resistance, sucrose, osmotic pressure.
Abstract: The success of breeding in the creation of drought-resistant varieties depends largely on the correct assessment of the de- gree of stability of the varieties and hybrids created. In recent years, of great interest are the methods of early diagnosis on seeds and seedlings, as they allow to evaluate all year round and analyze a large number of breeding material. The article presents the results of laboratory and field studies of breeding material of winter wheat of the world collection of Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) on drought resistance and productivity in drought conditions. De- termination of plant resistance to moisture deficiency in the laboratory experiment was carried out on the ability of seeds to germinate in highly osmotic solutions of sucrose (10 %, 15 %, 20 %), that allowed to select samples with high water absorp- tion capacity. The criterion of drought resistance in the field was the yield of the studied varieties, formed in the conditions of field soil drought, expressed by a new index (coefficient) of plant productivity of PPI. The advantage of the selection PPI in combining the three main parameters of productivity: the length of the ear, the number of grains in the ear and the weight of the grain from the ear.According to the results of laboratory experience, all samples were divided into three groups according to the index of seed germination on a 10 % sucrose solution. The group of highly stable and above average stability included 20 samples. The results of laboratory experience were compared with the results of field tests. Indicators of PPI above 11 had selection samples: Areal (15,1), Veldava (13,2), Albatros odesskiy (11,3). The selected samples can be considered promising for further use in breeding for drought resistance in the foothills of the Central Caucasus.
