The article gives a comprehensive assessment of 5 varieties (Lada, Agata, RIMA, Arcea, Maestro) and 5 breeding lines of spring soft wheat according to the yield and adaptive properties. The studies were carried out in 2018-2022 in the conditions of the Ryazan region on dark gray forest soil. The potential for productivity and adaptability was determined according to the method of L. A. Zhivotkov et al., the degree of yield variation (СV, %) – according to B. A. Dospekhov,  the yield range (d, %) – according to V. A. Zykin, index of stability (L') – according to A. A. Gryaznov, the indicator of the level of stability of the yield of a variety (PUSS) – according to E. D. Nettevich et al., ecological plasticity (bi), stability of yield (σ2d) and index of environment conditions (Ij) – according to S. A. Eberhart and W. A. Russell. It has been established that on average for 2018-2022 the highest yield potential was noted in the varieties Arcea (5.19 t/ha), Maestro (5.69 t/ha) and line  268 (5.33 t/ha). It was revealed that the productivity of the Maestro variety and line 268 was higher than the average varietal both under favorable conditions of 2022 (Ij = +6.2) – by 16.3 and 9.7 %, and under unfavorable dry conditions of 2019  (Ij = -5.4) – by 22.0 and 24.5 %, respectively. The productivity of the Arcea variety under conditions of severe drought was 99.1 % of the average varietal, which indicates good adaptive properties. As the result of the assessment by the linear regression coefficient (bi), it has been established that the varieties RIMA, Agata, Lada, Arcea actively respond to the improvement of external environmental factors (bi = 1.23; 1.35; 1.43; 1.52, respectively). According to the results of a comprehensive assessment of adaptive properties, the Maestro variety and line 898 were distinguished, which were characterized by a relatively stable yield (СV – 9.3 and 5.2%; σ2d  – 7.71 and 9.09; L' – 6.12 and 9.44; PUSS – 209.6 and 176.5 %, respectively) and high adaptability to environmental conditions (CA – 1.17 and 1.01, respectively).

There has been presented the information on the purposeful process of developing the spring bread wheat variety ‘Arseya’, which was included in the state list of breeding achievements of the Russian Federation in the Central Region in 2020. The mean productivity of the variety plots of the Central region was 3.0 t/ha, the maximum productivity of 4.8 t/ha was obtained in the Bryansk region in 2018. The purpose of the current study was to estimate the valuable traits of the new spring bread wheat variety ‘Arseya’ with the zoned varieties of the Central region in a comparative analysis. As a result, there was found that the mean productivity of the variety ‘Arseya’ was 4.94 t/ha in the competitive variety testing for 2015–2020. Through the years of study, the lowest and highest levels of productivity exceeded the standard values of the variety ‘Agata’ on 0.30–0.49 t/ha. The comparative analysis of the varieties zoned in the Central Region showed that the new variety ‘Arseya’ exceeded them in productivity on 0.50–0.88 t/ha, or 10.1–17.8% on average. There was established that the highest level of productivity was formed under the optimal weather conditions of 2017. The largest productivity values were given by the varieties ‘Dariya’ and ‘Arseya’ with 6.28 t/ha and 5.72 t/ha, respectively. The lowest productivity range was identified in the varieties ‘Agata’ and ‘Arseya’ with 11.6% and 11.9%, respectively. The variety ‘Arseya’ under the generally accepted cultivation technology, showed the productivity potential by 86%. When calculating the stability factor (S.F.) indicators and the productivity range (d), there has been identified that the varieties ‘Agata’ and ‘Arseya’ have the lowest values of 1.33 and 1.35, i.e. 24.7% and 25.9% respectively. The spring bread wheat variety ‘Arseya’ is fully adapted to local agroclimatic conditions.

To increase the efficiency of agricultural production, it is necessary to use highly productive varieties in the Central Non-Chernozem Region with genetic protection of the crop from limiting environmental factors. This work provides the economic and biological value of the mid-season variety of spring soft wheat Maestro, which is included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation in 2021 in the Central Region. The variety was created in the Federal Scientific Agroengineering Center VIM by the method of targeted individual selection from the hybrid population F4, obtained by crossing the varieties Omskaya 33 (FGBNU Omsk Agrarian Scientific Center) and Esther (FGBNU FITS Nemchinovka). The most important agrobiological feature of the variety is its high adaptability to various cultivation conditions, which manifests itself primarily in productivity that is stable over the years. The yield in competitive variety testing over seven years of research was 5.74 t / ha, exceeding the standard Agata variety by 1.04 t / ha. During the years of the State test (2019 - 2020), the average yield in the Central region was 3.67 t / ha. The maximum yield of 5.70 t / ha was recorded in 2020 on the chernozem soils of the forest-steppe zone of the Ryazan region. It is especially important to note that under unfavorable agro-climatic conditions, the Maestro variety does not reduce its productivity, but forms a yield 25.2% higher than the Agata variety. At the same time, it effectively responds to the improvement of growing conditions by a significant increase in yield of 1.30 t / ha compared to the Agate standard. On average, for the years 2015-2021, showed the following indicators of grain quality: grain nature 771 g / l, vitreousness 50%, protein content 14% and crude gluten in flour 30.6%, deformation energy of the dough 253 e.a., bread volume 351 cm3, dimensional stability during baking 0.62 mm, organoleptic characteristics are good 4-5 points.

The studies were carried out in order to identify the responsiveness of five varieties of spring wheat to the variants with applying mineral fertilizers and to study the specific features of the formation of elements of the yield structure. The work was carried out in 2019-2021 on dark gray forest heavy loamy soil in the Ryazan region. The experiment scheme was: N0P0K0 (control); N64P64K64; N64P64K64 + N30; N64P64K64 + N30+ N15. Over the years of the research, the yield in the experiment varied from 2.45 to 5.57 t/ha, depending on the growing conditions, mineral fertilizers and variety. The use of the mineral background N64P64K64 contributed to a significant increase in the productivity of varieties by 1.02-1.69 t/ha. The most responsive to the improvement of the background of mineral nutrition were varieties Maestro, Arsey and Agata, the yield increased by 48, 42 and 39 %, respectively, in comparison with the control. All varieties, with the exception of Maestro, reacted positively to nitrogen fertilization in the tillering phase (N30), increasing the yield by 0.48-0.62 t/ha. The supplementary nitrogen of RIMA, Lada, and Agata varieties was used in the best way; the addition of N64P64K64 to the background was 15, 12, and 11 %, respectively. It was revealed that under the influence of additional nitrogen (N30) in varieties, the plant stand increased by 7.3-11.2 %, the number of spikelets – by 1.3-4.7 %, the number of grains ‒ by 0.3-12.3 %, grain weight per ear ‒ by 0.9-21.4 %. The use of the second fertilizing with nitrogen in the booting phase (N15) led to a decrease in productivity, especially in Lada and Arsey varieties ‒ by 7.9-9.5 %. Variety Maestro proved to be indifferent to nitrogen fertilizing. The data obtained will be used in the adjustment of varietal technologies for the cultivation of spring wheat.