The research study was performed to assess the adaptive parameters for the main technology traits (falling number (FN), amylogram height (AH), aqueous extract viscosity (AEV), and gelatinization peak temperature (GPT)) indicating the winter-rye grain’s bread-baking quality to improve them with selective breeding methods. Coefficients of ecological variability (CV), phenotypic stability factor (SF), and ecological plasticity (bi) were estimated for ten varieties of winter rye grown under a wide range of weather conditions in 2015–2024. The tests were designed on the plots of 12 m2 with three replications at a seeding rate of 500 seeds per 1 m2. The highest grain quality was revealed in the GC-494hv rye variety population, which was previously bred for high aqueous extract viscosity of grain meal. With respect to the FN trait, this variety was different in a relatively low coefficient of ecological variability (CV = 27.7%) and higher stability factor (SF = 2.5), showing a weak response to growing conditions (bi = 0.81). High variability in FN and AH traits from year to year was recorded. Therefore, they were found phenotypically unstable and low-heritable (Н2 = 0.20 and Н2 = 0.34, respectively). The AEV trait was found to be more ecologically sustainable with good inheritance (H2 = 0.64), ensuring reliability in selection for grain quality improvement. A negative correlation between the quality characteristics and the adaptive parameters (CV and SF) was revealed. The correlation between FN and CV (r = –0.84 ± 0.10) was strongest. Therefore, the target selection breeding for a larger falling number tends to improve correlatively the ecological sustainability and the phenotype stability of grain quality traits.
Goncharenko et al. (Sun,) studied this question.