In the regions of insufficient and unstable moisture, hydrothermal conditions are the main natural factors that determine the level of crop productivity. The purpose of our study was to identify the role of the main meteorological factors in the formation of winter durum wheat productivity at different periods of its growth and development. The study was carried out in the southern part of the Rostov region in the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” in 2003–2014. The objects of the study were winter durum wheat varieties and breeding lines of competitive variety testing, sown in black fallow, in four replications, with a plot area of 25 m². The current paper presents the analysis results of the average daily temperature, precipitation, hydrothermal index (HTI) by the periods of winter durum wheat growth and development through the years of study, average varietal productivity for each year. It has been established that the characteristic features of the studied years are a temperature rise, especially in the pre-sowing and sowing periods, during the wintering period and the resumption of spring vegetation, and irregular precipitation, their shift in the fall from November to October, in the winter from February to January, in the spring from April to March, and its decrease or absence during the active growing season. The conducted correlation analysis between main meteorological factors and productivity showed a decisive role of the temperature regime in winter durum wheat productivity formation. It turned out to be less significant in relation to precipitation. This indicates that winter durum wheat productivity does not depend on the total amount of precipitation, but on its distribution, moisture presence in soil, and temperature. According to the analysis of the main meteorological factors, their connection with productivity, there have been identified positive and negative points in the ontogenesis of winter durum wheat associated with climate change, which must be taken into account in breeding and growing technology. There have been determined the main objectives for winter durum wheat breeding, aimed at improving such adaptive properties as drought resistance, heat resistance, especially at the initial stages of growth and development, winter tolerance, disease and pest resistance occurred due to climate change (septorisis, pyrenophorosis, bacteriosis and fusarium of heads and kernels).

The high requirements imposed by modern pasta processing enterprises on the grain quality of both spring and winter Triticum durum dictate the necessity to develop new methods, approaches for estimating breeding material and selecting high-quality genotypes. Correlation analysis, which makes it possible to identify practically positive and negative factors, minimize the most unfavorable ones, accelerate, and increase the efficiency of the breeding process, is one of them.The purpose of the current work was to study the correlation between quality traits of winter durum wheat and to determine the most accessible and informative ones as selection criteria in the breeding process.The field and laboratory (determination of grain quality parameters, rheological properties of dough and pasta) study was carried out on the basis of the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy”, from 2014 to 2020. The material for the study were the varieties and lines of Competitive Variety Testing (n = 35).There have been presented the analysis results of a correlation between quality traits of kernels, hard semolina, pasta of winter durum wheat. There have been identified the most accessible, informative and significant traits, such as protein percentage, gluten quality (GDI), alpha-amylase (FN) activity, which have a decisive effect on the strength, cooking properties of pasta, rheological properties of the dough, which can be used as selection criteria in the breeding process, including at the early stages. Thus, protein percentage has positively correlated with pasta strength (r = 0.73), dough durability and elasticity (r = 0.86 and r = 0.61), valorimetric estimation (r = 0.55); GDI and FN have correlated with pasta strength (r = 0.69 and r = 0.57), durability (r = 0.92 and r = 0.57), elasticity (r = 0.75 and r = 0.50). The cor­relation between cooking properties of pasta and the above-mentioned traits was negative (positive correlation): digestibility by weight and volume with protein percentage (r = –0.60 and r = –0.71), GDI (r = –0.49 and r = 0.47), FN (r = –0.48 and r = –0.56), dry matter losses, respectively, r = –0.87, r =–0.85, r = –0.78. The content of carotenoids and the color of pasta are characterized with a mean positive correlation (r = 0.46). There has been found that informatively significant quality traits (protein, GDI, FN, carotenoids) are positively correlated with each other from moderate (protein with carotenoids r = 0.36) to strong (protein with FN r = 0.94) links, but negatively with such important parameters for winter durum wheat as 1000-kernel weight and grain unit. Therefore, when selecting breeding forms and lines with increased values of the main traits, it is necessary to control 1000-kernel weight and grain unit, or at least one of them.

The article summarizes the study results of adaptability parameters of winter durum wheat depending on its forecrop. The study was carried out in the Rostov region in 2015-2017. As the objects of the study there have been used 8 winter durum wheat varieties ‘Donchanka’, ‘Amazonka’, ‘Agat Donskoy’, ‘Kristella’, ‘Lazurit’, ‘Oniks’, ‘Diona’ and ‘Eyrena’. The variety ‘Donchanka’ was taken as a standard variety. In the field trials the varieties were sown after weedfree and green fallows, and after such forecrops as peas, sunflower and maize for grain. The obtained data showed that green fallow was the most favorable forecrop for winter durum wheat, an average yield of which was 7.69 t/ha. When sown after various forecrops, all varieties had different adaptability parameters. The best forecrops were weedfree fallow (‘Kristella’ with 7.78 t/ha, ‘Lazurite’ with 7.74 t/ha), green fallow (‘Agat Donskoy’ with 8.30 t/ha, ‘Lazurit’ with 8.46 t/ha) and peas (‘Oniks’ with 7.41 t/ha, ‘Diona’ with 8.11 t/ha). Among the whole set of the varieties, the variety ‘Agat Donskoy’ (bi>1) proved to be the most highly responsive, while maintaining in most cases high stable yields (si2 <1), productivity of the varieties sown after all forecrops, except sunflower, was 6.93-8.30 t/ha. With productivity increase of 1 t/ha, it improved its indicator (bi) by 1.16-5.15 t/ha. The variety ‘Eyrena’ is recommended for cultivation on an extensive background, since through the years of study it turned out to be the least responsive - with productivity increase by 1 t/ha, it improved its indicator (bi) by 0.01-0.55 t/ha after such forecrops as peas, sunflower and maize for silage.

Одним из основных направлений в селекции озимой твердой пшеницы является выведение устойчивых сортов к распространенным в Ростовской области болезням. Огромное значение для решения этой задачи имеет создание собственного исходного материала, изучение его в условиях искусственных инфекционных фонов, отбор устойчивых и выносливых образцов для дальнейшего вовлечения их в селекционный процесс. Цель исследований-изучение сортов и линий озимой твердой пшеницы конкурсных испытаний на устойчивость к листовым болезням при искусственном заражении на специально созданных инфекционных фонах. Представлены результаты иммунологической оценки 114 сортов и линий озимой твердой пшеницы к возбудителям бурой, желтой, стеблевой ржавчины, мучнистой росы, септориоза (инфекционный полевой фон), пиренофороза (естественный фон). Установлено, что большая часть сортов и селекционных линий по степени поражения относилась к устойчивым или слабовосприимчивым: к бурой ржавчине-74,3%, желтой-84,3%, мучнистой росе-77,1%. К септориозу, стеблевой ржавчине и пиренофорозу озимая твердая пшеница оказалась более восприимчивой: высокой устойчивостью и слабой восприимчивостью характеризовалось всего лишь 15,8, 38,7, 28,1% образцов соответственно. Выделены сорта и линии. устойчивые к каждому патогену в отдельности и с групповой устойчивостью к трем-четырем видам (Амазонка, Агат донской, Оникс, Лазурит, Тейя, Эйрена, Яхонт, Юбилярка, 840/11, 993/12 и др.). Дана их характеристика по урожайности и другим хозяйственно-ценным признакам и свойствам. Все они рекомендованы в качестве источников устойчивости для использования в селекционных программах.

The current paper has presented the study results of grain quality and pasta properties of the new and promising winter durum wheat varieties developed in the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” in 2016–2018. The purpose of the study was to evaluate winter durum wheat varieties according to such traits as grain quality and pasta properties to identify the best genotypes and recommend them for use in the breeding process and wider introduction into production. There have been identified the varieties “Yubilyarka” (96%), “Kristella” (94%), “Lakomka” (92%), “Diona” and “Yantarina” (91%) with maximum values of general hardness. All studied genotypes have formed the nature weight of grain corresponding to a first quality class (from 786–814 g/l). There have been identified the varieties “Kristella” (13.9%), “Donchanka” (13.8%), “Diona” (14.0%), “Yakhont” (14.0%), “Yubilyarka” (13.6%), “Yantarina” (13.7%), “Uslada” (13.6%), “Zoloto Dona” (13.6%), “Solntsedar” (13.9%) and “Almaz Dona” (13.5%) with protein percentage in grain corresponding to a first quality class. As a result of the study, it was found that all the studied varieties had good rheological properties of gluten and formed a DCI from 80 units (the variety “Eyrena”) to 102 units (the variety “Donchanka”) and belonged to the 2-nd group. The varieties “Diona”, “Eyrena”, “Yakhont”, “Yantarina” and “Solntsedar” had high rheological properties of dough. There have been identified the genotypes of the varieties “Donchanka” (613 μg/%), “Solntsedar” (626 μg/%) and “Almaz Dona” (630 μg/%) with the maximum concentration of carotenoid pigments, which could be used as sources to improve the trait “carotenoid content”. Throughout the years of study, the varieties were characterized by high indices of dry pasta color (4–5 points). According to a brittle strength of dry pasta there have been identified the varieties “Kristella” (775 g), “Donchanka” (774 g), “Diona” (757 g), “Yantarina” (782 g), “Solntsedar” (766 g) and “Dinas” (769 g) with the best indices of the trait. The varieties identified both by a single and by a set of traits characterizing grain quality of winter durum wheat and its final products, can be used in the breeding process as an adaptive initial material. The introduction of the best varieties into production will partly solve the problem of deficiency of high-quality durum wheat in the south of Russia.