The potential of durum winter wheat cultivars in Ukraine

Purpose. To highlight the durum winter wheat breeding results at the Plant Breeding and Genetics Institute – National Center of Seed and Cultivar Investigation (PBGI – NCSCI) during many years. Methods. Multiple both intraspecific and interspecific (with varieties and forms of common wheat) hybridization, including introgressive hybridization to create certain desired genotypes. Evaluation of the created lines and hybrids by a number of biological and economic characteristics, including the resistance to frost (winter hardiness), drought and main diseases, as well as protein content in the grain and its vitreousness. Results. There were 6 durum winter wheat cultivars replacement in Ukraine during past 65 years, with the leading role in the assortment belonging to cultivars created at the PBGI – NCSCI. The creation of varieties was focused on the introgression of dwarfism genes and alleles with low photoperiod sensitivity, improving floral fertility, increasing resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. New cultivars (the sixth cultivars replacement) belong to the varieties of durum winter wheat leucurum (‘Lainer’, ‘Shliachetnyi’, ‘Blyskuchyi’, ‘Almaznyi’, ‘Yantarnyi’, ‘Kryshtalevyi’, ‘Zolotystyi’, ‘Marmurovyi’, ‘Sriblastyi’), hordeiforme (‘Areal Odeskyi’, ‘Hranatovyi’) and leucomelan (‘Prestyzhnyi’, ‘Yaskravyi’). All of them are cultivars of intensive type and universal use which are characterized by high resistance to lodging, drought and the most common diseases and average or above average frost resistance. Their grain has high vitreousness and high or above average protein content. Conclusions. Today, in the agricultural production of the steppe and forest-steppe zones of Ukraine, the most common cultivars of hard winter wheat of the fifth cultivars replacement are well established and therefore the most widespread: ‘Hardemarin’, ‘Burshtyn’, ‘Kontynent’, ‘Kreiser’, ‘Linkor’ and ‘Bosfor’. New varieties (sixth cultivars replacement) are also gradually spreading: ‘Areal Odeskyi’, ‘Liner’, ‘Prestyzhnyi’, ‘Shliakhetnyi’, ‘Blyskuchyi’, ‘Yaskravyi’, ‘Almaznyi’, ‘Yantarnyi’, ‘Kryshtalevyi’, ‘Hranatovyi’, ‘Marmurovyi’, ‘Zolotystyi’ and ‘Sribliastyi’ which belong to the selection of the Plant Breeding and Genetics Institute – National Center of Seed and Cultivar Investigation.