To stimulate livestock production increase, it is necessary to improve the production of high-quality feed with high protein percentage. The purpose can be achieved by an increase of sown area for perennial leguminous herbs and, in particular, alfalfa. The varietal alfalfa composition is constantly being replenished with new, more productive and adapted varieties for different growing zones. The biological potential of this crop allows now conducting its successful breeding. Annually the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” lays the alfalfa collection nurseries including breeding samples from different countries with certain useful traits. According to the study results alfalfa plant height ranged from 75.7 cm (“K-20367”) to 122.5 cm (“G-4”). On average, through the study, the samples formed a low yield of green mass. 19 samples had yields from 1.70 kg/m2 to 2.46 kg/m2 , which is significantly lower than the standard indicator (3.29 kg/m2 ). The samples “K-51698”, “G-1”, “K-50512”, “G-3”, “G-4” produced a significant excess of green mass productivity in comparison with the variety “Rostovskaya 90” (4.13–4.86 kg/m2 ). On average during the years of 2016–2018, foliage amount of the samples varied from 41% to 53%. The samples “K-50512”, “G-1”, “G-3”, “G-4” showed a significant excess of absolutely dry matter (ADM) productivity (from 1.42 kg/m2 to 1.65 kg/m2 ). Among the samples seed productivity varied in the range of 15.2–94.9 g/m2 . Only 3 samples (“K-50511”, “K-51201”, “G-2”) showed a significant excess in the studied traits compared to the standard variety “Rostovskaya 90” (63.3 g/m2 ), their seed productivity was 85.7 g/m2 , 86.8 g/m2 and 94.9 g/m2 , respectively. The protein percentage of absolutely dry matter according to the study ranged from 17.79% to 21.47%. The samples “K-43260” (20.95%), “K-50512” (21.34%), “K-31800” (21.47%) showed the largest indicators. In the current study there have been analyzed correlations between the studied traits.
The estimation of the initial material is the most important part of the breeding process. There is a great necessity in additional objectivity of its characteristics, in identification of the parameters of environmental adaptability, stability, resistance to stressful environmental conditions. Within the collection nursery there have been studied adaptability parameters of 16 sainfoin samples (Onobrychis arenaria Kit. DC) of a sandy species. The purpose of research was to identify sainfoin forms with a complex of adaptive traits based on such characteristics as “green mass productivity” and “seed productivity” to use them in future breeding work. There have been used conventional techniques in the study. The estimation of the adaptability parameters was carried out according to Eberhart S.G., Russell W.G. (1966) presented by V.A. Zykina et al. (2005) and by V.Z. Pakudin (1984). The conducted dispersion analysis of the two-factor trial on the productivity of sainfoin samples showed the correlation between the genotype and the environment. The change in green mass and seed productivity was greatly influenced by the factor ‘year’ (‘environment’) (51% and 58%, respectively). The influence of the factor ‘variety’ (‘sample’) was less (40.7% and 35.5%), the correlation of these factors was also reliable, the interaction variance exceeded the error value and was 65% and 79%. The estimation of sainfoin samples for the presence of adaptive properties revealed that almost all the studied samples had at least one adaptive parameter. But, the sainfoin samples that have several or a set of calculated adaptive properties are obviously more valuable for the use in the breeding process. When cultivating for green mass and seeds, the samples ‘S 5/05’ and ‘GIA 4’ had a high level of resistance to stressful growing conditions (Umin-Umax), a high level of environmental adaptability (bi) and stability (Si2 ), and the samples ‘GIA 2’ and ‘GIA 11’ have these parameters only if they are cultivated for green mass. The variety ‘Severokavkazsky Dvuukosny’ is characterized with high resistance to stressful growing conditions (Umin-Umax) and genetic flexibility ((Umin + Umax) / 2), with a high level of ecological adaptability (bi) and homeostatism (HOM).
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