The current paper has described the method of developing a spring shot wheat variety (Triticum sphaerococcum Percival) Sakara and its characteristics. The purpose of the current study was to show the efficiency of the ongoing breeding work with Indian dwarf, using the variety ‘Sakara’ as an example, to increase grain productivity and resistance to leaf-stem fungal diseases, while maintaining the high grain quality characteristic of shot wheats. Research methods were adapted for shot wheat based on the methods adopted in spring bread wheat breeding. The developed variety has features characteristic for a species, namely a short strong non-lodging stem and, as a result, 9 points of lodging resistance; a shot kernel shape with 25.6 g of 1000-grain weight; a dense, non-drooping head; excellent quality indicators of grain and flour, according to most indicators corresponding to GOST 34702-2020 for strong wheat. The T. sphaerococcum species, due to its characteristic morphological features, has a lower grain productivity than T. aestivum, mean productivity of the variety ‘Sakara’ for three years of testing was 34 % less than that of the standard spring bread wheat variety ‘Yoldyz’. There has been shown that the developed variety in our soil-climatic zone is characterized by high field resistance to powdery mildew (2 points of resistance on average over the years), leaf rust (there were only single pustules during the years of a strong spread of the disease). With artificial infection of seeds with the inuclium of hard smut, the damage degree of the variety averaged 7 %. The first spring shot wheat variety ‘Sakara’ has been recommended in the State List of Breeding Achievements since 2023 for cultivation from 1 to 12 regions.

In 2018, 21 varieties of spring soft wheat were recommended for cultivation in Tatarstan, with a specific weight of 79.2% in the structure of the harvested area under spring wheat. Determining the degree of resistance to diseases of these varieties allows you to properly plan protective measures throughout the republic. Studies were conducted in 2015-2018 on the experimental fields of Tatar Scientific Research Institute of Agricultural Sciences. Varieties, recommended for cultivation, differ in the degree of field resistance to the main fungal diseases. The Ester and Zlata varieties have the maximum field resistance to powdery mildew (average 7 points), Chelyaba Stepnaya and Tulaykovskaya Nadezhda varities have the minimum (4 points). Most spring wheat varieties are susceptible to the local brown leaf rust population. The following varities remain resistant to leaf brown rust: Tulaykovskaya 10, Ekada 113, Tulaykovskaya 108, Arkhat, Ulyanovskaya 105, Tulaykovskaya Nadezhda. Moreover, the homogeneity of the genetics of most resistant varieties (caused by the resistance gene Lr19) does not allow epiphytoties of leaf brown rust in the future. According to the 2016-2018 studies, the least degree of stem rust damage was observed in the varieties: Tulaykovskaya 10, Ekada 113, Tulaykovskaya 108, Arkhat, Ulyanovskaya 105 and Tulaykovskaya Nadezhda, on average, 5-10%. There are no varieties, which are immune to stem rust. In 2017 in the conditions of the massive development of dark brown spotting, there were no signs of disease on the leaf of Kazanskaya Yubileinaya variety, the resistance of this variety is determined by the Sb1 gene. The maximum susceptibility to dark brown leaf spotting has the Simbirtsit and Idelle varieties. An integrated resistance to the studied diseases have varieties: Ekada 113, Tulaykovskaya 108 and Arkhat.

In the Republic of Tatarstan, due to favorable soil-climatic and market conditions, spring wheat production is developed, but wheat grain yields are limited by a number of unfavorable factors, one of which is a spread of fungal diseases. At the same time, the pressure of pathogenic fungi makes it possible to carry out fruitful breeding work in Tatarstan on resistance to diseases, which is on of the main activity of the Kazan Research Center of the RAS. The purpose of the current study was to estimate ten new varieties for resistance to major fungal diseases. The study on resistance to leafy diseases, such as powdery mildew, stem rust, brown leaf rust, dark brown leaf blotch was carried out at a natural infectious background, to kernel smut on an artificial infectious background inoculating seeds with spores of kernel smut. The study was carried out between the years of 2017 and 2021. The analysis for the possible presence of stem rust resistance genes was performed by a PCR analysis. As a result of the study, there was found out that the varieties ‘Sto let TASSR’, ‘Balkysh’, ‘Khazine’, ‘Chistopolskaya’, ‘Bulyak’ had a complex resistance to all studied diseases. The variety ‘Sitara’ had a strong field resistance to powdery mildew and kernel smut. The variety ‘Barakat’ had a strong field resistance to powdery mildew and leaf rust. The variety ‘Nadira’ was moderately resistant to powdery mildew and dark brown leaf spot. The varieties ‘Ekada 265’ and ‘Ekada 282’ were highly resistant to local stem rust populations. The molecular genetic estimation of the stem rust resistant varieties of spring bread wheat ‘Chistopolskaya’, ‘Sto let TASSR’, ‘Balkysh’, ‘Ekada 282’ for the identification of effective Sr-genes has shown that their resistance is apparently regulated by the Sr31 gene.

Wheat kernel smut (KS) is a disease of the reproductive organs. With low-cost and organic farming, grain farmers can face significant losses from this disease. The purpose of the current study was to identify resistant samples to KS pathogens in the Republic of Tatarstan during artificial inoculation of seeds with smut spores. There have been studied the spring wheat varieties recommended for cultivation in the Republic of Tatarstan, almost isogenic lines of the Red Bobs variety carrying the known Bt-genes Bt 1–10 from the collection of the All-Russian Institute of Genetic Resources of Plants named after N.I. Vavilov. When analyzing the species structure of the KS population spread in Tatarstan for 9 years (2012–2020), it was found that the species Tilletia caries prevailed over T. levis and the ratio of species depended on the soil pH before sowing. The minimum ratio of the number of spores of T. laevis / T. caries species in the studied samples was noted at the soil pH of 4.5. The correlation coefficient between indicators of soil solution response and species ratio was 0.86 (tfact˃ttheor at 1% significance level). The genes Bt 2, Bt 5, Bt 8, Bt 9, Bt 10 were highly effective for the Tatarstan KS population in the period of 2018–2021. The samples ‘M83-1621’ (cat. VIR 66238) of the USA and ‘AC Cadillac’ (cat. VIR 64565) of Canada carrying the Bt 10 gene had no signs of the disease. Most of the varieties recommended for cultivation (65%) are highly and very strongly susceptible to KS. Three varieties ‘Chernozemnouralskaya 2’, ‘Sitara’ and ‘Burlak’ are found weakly susceptible to KS.