Abstract only

The development of new high-yielding varieties always has been and still remains the primary objective of grain crop breeding programs in Azerbaijan. The winter wheat breeding program established by our institute aims at the development of new high-yielding winter wheat varieties for various soil and climatic regions of the Republic. To develop improved varieties, a large collection of winter wheat germplasm including aboriginal and introduced winter bread and durum wheat varieties has been established by the laboratory of grain crop breeding and primary seed production. The accumulated material is studied comprehensively: number of days to maturity, plant height, resistance to lodging and diseases, grain quality and yield components are measured and analyzed. Based on the analyses of the obtained data, parents are selected for using in the crossing program. The objective of our study is to identify germplasm with valuable agronomic traits for further utilization in the breeding program. Field experiments were carried out at the Absheron Experimental Base ofR1 of Agriculture in 2002-2003. Material of the study included 430 entries, out of which 274 and 156 were bread and durum wheat entries, respectively. The check variety for bread wheat was Bezostaya-l , while variety Mirbashir-50 was used as a check for durum wheat. Planting of the material was carried out in the 3rd decade of October, manually. Each entry was planted on a 1 m2 plot. Bread wheat entries were planted at the rate of 400, and durum wheat entries at the rate of 300 fertile seeds per plot. Crop management practices were carried out and phenological notes were taken according to the standard scheme. The plant height is known to be important in obtaining high yields, as tall wheat plants tend to lodge in response to high rates of mineral fertilizers, which finally adversely affects yield. Under the conditions of irrigation, we observed in our material high variability for plant height, which varied from 60 to 135 cm, compared to 100 cm height of the check variety Bezostaya-1. Plant height of the short stature varieties such as Kirghiz dwarf, F364FI51 (Turkey), and Azerbaijani varieties Moor, Nurlu-99, and Qiymatli 2/17 was 60 cm, 70 cm, 80 cm, 85 cm and 90 cm, respectively. Height of these varieties was 10-40 cm less as compared with the check. Plant height of the tall stature genotypes such as Azerbaijani varieties Ferrugineum 0704/2 and Sheki-l, Russian variety Saratov- 29, Canadian varieties Canada-1 and Canada-2, and others varied from 125 cm to 135 cm, which was for exceeduns the check for 25-35 cm. In durum wheat germplasm plant height varied within 80-160 cm. Azerbaijani varieties Qaraqalciq-2 and Terter were both as high as 90 cm. Plant height of US variety Kalvin, French variety Zahino and check variety Mirbashir-50 were recorded to be 80 cm, 80 cm and 115 cm, respectively. The average difference between the abovementioned varieties and the check (Mirbashir- 50) in plant height was estimated to be 25-35 cm. Plant height ofthe tall genotypes varied within 135- 160 cm. The tallest were Russian variety Melyanopus-69, and Azerbaijani varieties Shirvan- 3, Agbuqda-13 and Shark 160 cm, 140 cm, 140 cm, and 135 cm, respectively, being in average 20-45 cm taller than the check. Tall genotypes demonstrate a tendency to lodging. As shown in the table, a number of bread and durum wheat entries have higher values for the yield components than the check varieties. Excluding Lutescens 2656, values of the number of grains per spike of all new varieties exceed that of the check Bezostaya-1 by 9.3-19.6, while the values of 1000 grain weight by 0.9-5.7 g. Bread and durum wheat entries. which dif- fered in a number of traits. were selected and in- volved in interspecific and intraspecific reciprocal crosses. About 80-100 combinations of intraspecific and interspecific crosses are carried out annually. AII F 2 hybrids. which are not resistant to all types of rust, bunt and powdery mildew. are discarded. Seed of the remaining F 2 hybrids is sent to the Terter, Gobustan, and Jalilabad experimental stations and the Sheki base station for further study. At the sites of the zonal stations more targeted breeding is carried out under the local soil and climatic condi- tions.

English

0408|AGRIS 0401|AL-Wheat Program

Juan Carlos Mendieta

CIMMYT Publications Collection