S.B. Lepekhov
Altai research institute of agriculture, Nauchny gorodok, 35, Barnaul, 656910, Russia
E-mail: Этот адрес электронной почты защищён от спам-ботов. У вас должен быть включен JavaScript для просмотра.
Summary. The aim of the research was to study the variation of the trait "the number of sterile spikelets per a spike" and its relation with the yield of varieties of spring soft wheat of steppe ecological type under different conditions. The investigations were carried out at experimental field of Altai RIA in 2010-2012. The objects of the study were 47 mid-season and 19 middle-late varieties of spring soft wheat of steppe ecological type of different geographical origin. The soil of the experimental plot was leached black soil. Cultivars were sown after two fore-crops (fallow, wheat). The replication was triple with randomization inside the blocks. The number of spikelets per a spike, the number of sterile spikelets in a spike and grain weight were determined by the analysis of 30 plants of every variety. The influence of the factor "year" in total variation of the examined trait was 24…28 %, of the factor "genotype" – 16…20 %. The number of sterile spikelets per a spike significantly negative correlated with grain weight per a spike (from -0.54 to -0.85) and yield (from -0.1 to -0.56) under severe drought conditions. The total amount of spikelets in a spike often positive correlated with the number of sterile spikelets in both mid-season and middle-late varieties (r = 0.21…0.64 and r = 0.35…0.68, respectively). In the years with long early summer drought according to the quantity of sterile spikelets it is possible to make reliable conclusions about the drought resistance of middle-late varieties only, but not of mid-season ones. Mid-season varieties with minimal number of sterile spikelets in a spike in years with short early summer drought were characterized by low grain productivity under other conditions and were of minimal interest for breeding of spring soft wheat varieties of steppe ecological type.
Keywords: sterile spikelets, yield, spike productivity, drought resistance, spring soft wheat, mid ripening variety, middle-late variety.
Author Details: S.B. Lepekhov, Cand. Sc. (Agr.), Senior Researcher (e-mail: Этот адрес электронной почты защищён от спам-ботов. У вас должен быть включен JavaScript для просмотра.).
For citation: Lepekhov S.B. Sterile spikelets in spikes as an indicator of drought resistance of spring soft wheat. Dostizheniya nauki i tekhniki APK. 2015. V. 29. №6. pp. 27-30 (In Russ)