The use of breeding indices when estimating winter durum wheat productivity

Special attention is currently being paid to the role of genetic and physiological systems that contribute to improving productivity and can be estimated in the form of indices. The current study was carried out in the southern part of the Rostov region at the experimental plots of the FSBSI «ARC “Donskoy”» in 2021–2023 aimed at studying the breeding indices of promising winter durum wheat varieties and lines and their effect on productivity. There have been considered such breeding indices as Mexican, Canadian, ear potential, plant productivity and prospects. Considering the Mexican index, which reflects the capabilities of the mechanical tissues of straw, there have been identified 8 samples Lakomka, Khrizolit, Pridonie, 536/19, 971/19, 1147/19, 1174/19, 1037/17 with high values (0.020–0.023 g/cm) in comparison with the standard variety Kristella. The Canadian index ranged from 4.93 pcs./cm for the standard variety to 7.13 pcs./cm for the variety Khrizolit. According to ear potential index, the varieties and lines varied from 0.082 cm/cm for the standard variety Kristella to 0.097 cm/cm for the line 536/19. The index of prospects shows the ability of straw to transport plastic substances into grain. According to this indicator, the studied samples ranged from 42.7% (the variety Grafit) to 55.4% (the line 536/19). According to the classification, the winter durum wheat varieties and lines varied from low (IPR 11.0; grain weight per ear was more than 2.0 g). In these studies, there was a significant correlation between yield and the ear potential index (r = 0.57 ± 0.22).