QUALITY INDICATORS OF WINTER SOFT WHEAT VARIETIES IN ECOLOGICAL VARIETY TRIALS

Improving the quality of wheat grain is an important task of agricultural production. In recent years, the production of strong and valuable wheat, necessary for the production of high-quality baking flour, has decreased. In this regard, the study of the quality of grain varieties of winter wheat in specific soil and climatic conditions of the Rostov region is becoming topical. Therefore, the purpose of our research was to study the main indicators of grain quality of varieties of soft winter wheat (protein and gluten content, flour strength, bread size from 100 g of flour) in ecological variety trials to select the best under conditions of the Rostov region. The studies were carried out on the trial fields of the Laboratory of selection and seed production of winter soft wheat of intensive type of the State Scientific Establishment “Agricultural research center «Donskoy»” (Rostov region) in 2014–2016. Seventy-five varieties were studied in the course of the research. Planting dates – optimal for implementation of agricultural and agro-technical measures. Planter – «Wintersteiger Plotseed S.» Seed placement depth – 4–6 cm. Preceding crop – black fallow. Accounting square of fields – 10 m2, double replication. Seeding rate – 4.5 million seeds per hectare. Grain quality was assessed according to the methods of the national standards of the Russian Federation. Such grain quality indicators as gluten content (according to GOST R 54478-2011), protein mass fraction (as required by GOST 108460-91), baking properties of flour (in a laboratory using the remix method) were determined. The article discusses the main indicators of the quality of grain and flour of winter soft wheat varieties in ecological variety testing and compares them. Analysis of the main indicators of the quality of varieties in trials showed that in the south of the Rostov region in 2014–2016 flour strength and gluten content were the most variable indicators. In terms of protein content (> 14.5 %), 8.0 % of the studied varieties were in full compliance with strong wheat standards; by the gluten content (> 28 %) – 7.0 %; by the flour strength (>280 e.a.) – 9.0 %. Five varieties of winter soft wheat: ‘Aksinya’, ‘Tanais’, ‘Asket’, ‘Nakhodka’, ‘Yumpa’ (Russia) with a complex of economically valuable traits are of greater interest for practical breeding in terms of improving grain quality.