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.

In 2018 and 2020, two winter durum wheat varieties, ‘Yakhont’ and ‘Yantarina’, were included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements for the North Caucasus region. They were developed at the Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” by the intraspecific stepwise hybridization using both varieties and lines created in the ARC “Donskoy” and from the other regions. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the new winter durum wheat varieties ‘Yakhont’ and ‘Yantarina’ according to productivity, resistance to abiotic and biotic stress factors, grain and pasta quality. The study was carried out in 2014–2020 in the ARC “Donskoy” located in the southern part of the Rostov region, which is favorable for winter durum wheat cultivation. The soil of the experimental plot – chernozem ordinary calcareous heavy loamy. The climate of the region is characterized by semi-arid hot summers and moderately mild winters. The sum of positive temperatures is more than 3400°С; Selyaninov hydrothermal coefficient (HTC) – 0.8; average annual air temperature – 9.7°С. The average annual precipitation is 450–600 mm. This paper presents the results of studying varieties according to the traits and properties mentioned above, points to their advantages compared to the standard variety ‘Donchanka’. On average, over seven years of competitive testing, the varieties ‘Yakhont’ and ‘Yantarina’ showed the following: productivity – 8.46 and 8.52 t/ha; 1000-grain weight – 40.8 and 43.5 g; drought tolerance – 4.5 points both; lodging resistance – 4.6 and 4.2 points; leaf rust resistance – 10–20% both. They excided the standard variety ‘Donchanka’ by 1.17 and 1.23 t/ha; 4.0 and 6.7 g; 0.5 points; 1.0 and 0.6 points; 3.0 %; 10%, respectively. The varieties ‘Yakhont’ and ‘Yantarina’ formed higher yields due to the increased number of productive stems per 1 m2 (591 and 542; the standard variety formed 498 productive stems), the productivity per head (1.52 and 1.68 g, the standard variety yielded 1.47 g). According to grain and pasta quality, ‘Yakhont’ and ‘Yantarina’ met not only the requirements of GOST R9353-2016 but also exceeded the standard variety ‘Donchanka’ in vitreousness (by 7.4 and 8.0%), grain nature (by 41 and 46 g/l), gluten content (by 2.0 and 0.70%), falling number (by 4 and 44 seconds), SDS-sedimentation (by 4 and 3 ml).

The main task of agricultural producers has always been and still remains to obtain high and stable yields, which can be provided by new developed varieties, which are the main reserve for increasing grain production. The current paper has presented the study results of the work in 2018–2021, namely, the development of promising varieties and the main features of seed production. The purpose of the study was to estimate promising winter durum wheat varieties according to the main economic and biological traits and properties, quality indicators of grain and pasta, and seed production features. The studied varieties were able to give consistently high yields (from 5.56 to 12.67 t/ha), combining the main economic and biological traits (drought resistance, frost resistance, resistance to major diseases and lodging) and quality indicators of grain and pasta. The study of the physicochemical properties of grain showed that the winter durum wheat varieties met the requirements of GOST 9353-2016 and belonged to the 1–2 quality classes, which was quite enough to produce good pasta and cereal. The pasta color of the varieties ‘Yakhont’, ‘Yantarina’, ‘Uslada’ was yellow (4.3–4.6 points); it was creamy in the variety ‘Yubilyarka’ (3.5 points); the content of carotenoids varied from 507 µg/% (the variety ‘Yubilyarka’) to 610 µg/% (the variety ‘Uslada’). In order to preserve and maintain the main features and properties characteristic for each variety, their seed production is being currently carried out with a comprehensive estimation of both phenotypic (approbation) traits and genotypic ones using protein markers. The varieties ‘Yakhont’, ‘Yubilyarka’, ‘Yantarina’ and ‘Uslada’ have clearly distinguishable spectra of gliadins 3.2.3T2, 13.2T+6T.3.T1, 5.2.4T1 and 13X.4T.3.2, which makes it possible to control their varietal purity at all stages of seed production.

The current paper has presented the study results (2015–2020) of the influence of changing weather conditions on durum winter wheat productivity and grain quality. The purpose of the study was to identify the main stress factors limiting durum winter wheat productivity under changing climate conditions and to determine the direction and issues for further breeding. The objects of the study were the varieties ‘Amazonka’, ‘Agat Donskoy’, ‘Kristella’, ‘Lazurit’, ‘Oniks’, ‘Diona’, ‘Eyrena’, ‘Yakhont’, ‘Kiprida’, ‘Yubilyarka’, ‘Yantarina’, ‘Uslada’, ‘Donchanka’ (a standard variety) developed by the FSBSI Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”. There have been studied the meteorological data (average daily temperatures and precipitation) through the years of study as well. On the basis of the analysis, there have been established main stress factors of these years that affected productivity, namely drought in different vegetation periods with the pre-sowing and sowing periods in August and September of 2019; the periods ‘sprouts-tillering’ in October, December and the periods ‘tillering-stem extension’ in March, April; grain filling period in 2020; atmospheric drought during the period of active vegetation in April, June of 2018; excessive moisture with rainfalls and squally winds that caused lodging, diseases, grain flowing off and discoloration in 2014–2015, 2015–2016. The agricultural year 2016–2017 was the most favorable in terms of temperature regime, precipitation and their distribution (at the level of the long-term average), with an average varietal productivity of 9.49 t/ha. Yield decrease depending on this or that stress factor (in comparison with the favorable year of 2017) was on 54.5% in 2019, 32.5% in 2020 and on 21.4 in 2015 and 27.2% in 2016. The exception was the year of 2018, when with sufficient soil moisture, productivity was on 26.3% more than in 2017. Due to the study results of winter durum wheat varieties according to their traits and properties to the indicated stress factors in 2015–2020, there have been identified the issues for each direction, the solution of which will be aimed at developing stress-resistant, resistant to lodging and diseases varieties with large stable yields and high grain quality.

Currently, with the growth of scientific and technological progress, the issue of the effect of negative anthropogenic factors on the environment is of great urgency. Due to it there is a necessity to develop the most adaptive agricultural varieties, which is the basis of environmentally friendly agriculture. The current study was carried out on the basis of the FSBSI Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”, located in the southern part of the Rostov region in 2018–2020. The objects of research were 8 varieties sent to the State Variety Testing in 2017–2020 and 5 promising breeding lines of the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy”. The weather conditions during the years of the study were contrasting, with the most favorable ones in 2018, when there was obtained a record yield of winter durum wheat from 11.25 to 14.04 t/ha. Differences in the yields of the winter durum wheat varieties over the years were characterized by the variation range from 31.9 to 52.4%. There has been identified insignificant deviations in the yields of the variety ‘Solntsedar’ (+3 – -1.9 t/ha) and the variety ‘Zoloto Dona’ (+3.2 – -2.3 t/ha). The greatest deviations from the average yield were established in the varieties ‘Khrizolit’ (+4.5 – -3.6 t/ha), ‘Almaz Dona’ (+4.3 – -2.9 t/ha) and the line ‘721/15’ (+4.8 – -3.3 t/ha). Due to the assessment according to the adaptability parameters, there have been identified 3 groups of varieties. They are the adaptable varieties ‘Lakomka’, ‘Ellada’, ‘Khrizolit’, which will produce maximum yields under cultivation in the areas with favorable agro-climatic conditions at high agro-backgrounds; the weakly responsive varieties ‘Zoloto Dona’ and ‘Solntsedar’, for cultivation on a low agricultural background, which maintain stable yields with the mean values of 6.88–7.04 t/ha), they react poorly to external conditions, i.e. better adapted to bad and worst environments. The varieties ‘Kristella’, ‘Uslada’, ‘Dinas’, ‘Almaz Dona’ are suitable for cultivation on a medium agricultural background, because they are adaptable varieties with bi = 0.97–1.00. However, the variety ‘Almaz Dona’ turned to be unstable in terms of yields. The promising lines that participated in the analysis with different ecological characteristics will be further involved in breeding programs to increase the adaptability of new varieties. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the new varieties and promising lines according to productivity, homeostaticity, adaptability; to identify ecologically adaptable varieties and lines and to give recommendations for further use.