Breeding value of spring durum wheat accessions for performance traits under environment of Ukrainian Forest-Steppe

Purpose. To identify spring durum wheat accessions with high yield level and by yield components for their involvement in breeding programs as a source material. Methods. Field, statistical. Results. The results of the study of 65 collection samples of spring durum wheat of various ecological and geographical origin in terms of productivity in 2016–2018 are presented. The research results indicate that the samples of spring durum wheat had different yield level depending on the conditions of the year of cultivation. According to the calculations of the degree of yield stability parameters, the samples were found that ensure its level under fluctuations in weather conditions with regression coefficient close to one as follows ‘Omskiy izumrud’ (RUS), ‘Korona’, ‘Toma’, ‘Nauryz 6’ (KAZ), ‘Dura king’, ‘Candura’ (CAN), ‘Tera’, ‘Novatsiia’ (UKR), thus indicating their semi-intensive type. Collection samples of spring durum wheat that under optimal weather conditions are capable of producing significant yield increase are distinguished by wide ecological reaction. These are samples with regression coefficient more than one ‘MIP Raiduzhna’, ‘Hordeiforme 13-07’ (UKR), ‘Lan’, ‘Salaut’, ‘Ertol’ (KAZ), ‘Bezenchukskaya 205’, ‘Lilek’ (RUS). These samples can be characterized by their adaptive properties as intense ones, with a pronounced response to the environment. Over the years of the research, grain number per spike varied from 35.9 to 38.8 pcs. Year conditions in 2016 were the most favorable for plant growth and development, while index of conditions was 4.1, and the average grain number per spike was 41.4 pcs. Year conditions in 2017 and 2018 were less favorable for growth and development of durum spring wheat, and therefore there was a negative value of index of year conditions (lj = -5.1 and lj = 0.5, respectively) with less grain number per spike (32.2 and 38.2 pcs., respectively). According to the trait «1000 kernel weight», the samples were identified with regression coefficient close to one under fluctuations of weather conditions, i.e ‘Korona’, ‘Raya’ (KAZ), ‘Lilek’, ‘Bezenchukskaya 205’ (RUS), ‘MIP Raiduzhna’ (UKR). The grain weight per spike in the collection samples varied from 1.27 to 1.77 g. The stable samples ‘Ertol’, ‘Salaut’, ‘Damsinskaya yantarnaya’ (KAZ), ‘Lilek’ (RUS), ‘Novatsiia’ (UKR), ‘Duraking’, ‘Candura’ (CAN) promising in spring wheat breeding were identified and can be involved in hybridization. Conclusions. Stable and plastic samples were identified among collection material of spring durum wheat in terms of productivity for involvement in scientific programs as source material.