ASSESSMENT OF ECOLOGICAL PLASTICITY OF WINTER WHEAT VARIETIES IN THE CONDITIONS OF A FOOTHILL ZONE OF THE CENTRAL CAUCASUS
In modern economic conditions, an important reserve for increasing the yield and improving the quality of grain is the selection of varieties adapted to environmental conditions using new, more advanced methods for assessing environmental plasticity. The results of the study of 11 varieties of winter soft wheat in the foothill zone of the Central Caucasus are presented. A comprehensive assessment of the parameters of environmental plasticity and adaptability using various methods. The average annual yield (2016-2018) varied from 0.66 to 1.05 kg/m2. According to the results of analysis of variance, the predominant contribution to the overall variability of productivity belonged to the genotypes of the studied samples (factor «grade»), their share was 50 %. The share of variability caused by the influence of environmental conditions (the «year» factor) was 26.5 %. To identify adaptive genotypes by productivity, regression and correlation analyzes were performed, and various breeding indices were calculated. The intensive type includes: „Alyans“ (bi = 1.46, S2i = 0.14), „Lazurnaya“ (bi = 1.91, S2i = 0.24), „Areal“ (bi = 1.61, S2i = 0.14), „Antonina“ (bi = 1.46, S2i = 0.15), „List 25“ (bi = 2.49, S2i = 0.2). Less plastic and stable genotypes are characterized by: „Gordovita“ (bi = 0.46, S2i = 0.03), „Malvina“ (bi = 0.41, S2i = 0.01), „Kuma“ (bi = 0.67, S2i = 0, 03) „Don 107“ (bi = 0.34, S2i = 0.01), „Zira“ (bi = 0.41, S2i = 0.002). The following varieties are highly productive: „Areal“, „Malvina“,„Antonina“, „Zira“, „Don 107“ (1.05 kg/m2, 0.87 kg/m2, 0.85 kg/m2, 0.78 kg/m2, kg/m2, respectively). The closest correlation with productivity was shown: the stability index IS (r = 0.93), the new plant productivity index PPI calculated by us (r = 0.75), the adaptability coefficient Yi (r = 0.73) and the breeding value index Sc (r = 0.71).