The V.M. Remeslo Myronivka Institute of Wheat of National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine

The main direction of scientific activity of the V.M. Remeslo Myronivka Institute of Wheat of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine is the study of theoretical foundations of breeding and creation of grain varieties with a combination of high productivity potential, adaptability and grain quality indicators, as well as the development of energy-saving technologies for growing seeds of Myronivka varieties.

Based on the implementation of the tasks of fundamental research, the following results were obtained:

- collection samples of grain crops of various ecological and geographical origins were experimentally studied, sources of valuable traits were identified and highly productive germplasm was created using geographically distant forms when crossing;

- methods of targeted creation of genetic diversity and selection of winter wheat genotypes based on traits of resistance to abiotic and biotic factors combined with high yield and grain quality indicators were optimized. Winter bread wheat varieties (MIP Aurika, MIP Palianytsia myronivska, MIP Stefaniia) of various grain use directions with increased winter hardiness, high productivity potential and resistance to major diseases and grain quality of strong wheat were submitted to the State Qualification Examination (SQE) at Ukrainian Institute for Plant Variety Examination (UIPVE). Stable and plastic varieties (MIP Roksolana, MIP Nika, MIP Feieriia, MIP Darunok, MIP Vidznaka, MIP Aelita, and MIP Dovira) were created and introduced into farming.

- there were continued researches on the creation of a new high-yielding, resistant to group of pathogens, with improved grain quality indicators of winter bread wheat germplasm when involving varieties-carriers of wheat-rye translocations in the conditions of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. The advisability of making inoculum, evaluating and selecting resistant genotypes of winter bread wheat against Fusarium graminearum has been experimentally proven in order to form high yield components and resistance to the causal agent of Fusarium head blight in early generations of hybrids and in the final steps of breeding. Recommendations “Methodological approaches for creating breeding material of winter bread wheat resistant to Fusarium graminearum Schwabe in the conditions of the central Forest-Steppe of Ukraine” have been developed;

- the theoretical principles of breeding bread and durum spring wheat using genetic and physiological approaches have been substantiated. Competitive varieties of spring bread wheat (MIP Vesnianka) and durum wheat (MIP Perlyna) with high productivity, resistance to major diseases (powdery mildew, brown rust, Septoria leaf blotch, Fusarium head blight), drought and heat tolerance, grain quality, adapted to climate change have been created;

- methodological bases for increasing the ecological stability of spring and winter barley under conditions of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine have been developed. New germplasm and varieties of spring barley (MIP Sarmat, MIP Soniachnyi) and winter barley (MIP Atlas, MIP Strateh, MIP Yanus) have been created with an optimal combination of yield, stability, grain quality indicators according to the areas of use (malting, grain fodder (feed), food), drought tolerance, lodging resistance and resistance against pathogens;

- biotechnological methods have been developed, which include the introduction of new wheat genotypes into in vitro culture, their cultivation on agar media, obtaining calli and cultivating them under selective conditions, obtaining regenerated plants, transferring them to in vivo conditions and analysis for resistance to abiotic stress factors. There were improved methods for evaluating and selecting cereal plants for drought tolerance, frost resistance, vernalization requirement duration, photoperiod sensitivity, and yield;

- a number of methods for evaluating and selecting breeding material have been developed, which have been implemented in the breeding process at the Institute to create qualitatively new varieties: “Method for indirect assessment of drought tolerance of wheat breeding material”, “Method for determining photoperiodic sensitivity of winter bread wheat Triticum aestivum L. varieties in the conditions of the Central Forest-Steppe of Ukraine”, “Method for sterilization of immature wheat and triticale kernels for in vitro culture”, “Method for evaluating and selecting frost-resistant breeding material of winter grain crops”, “Method for selecting winter bread wheat for adaptability”, “Method for evaluating wheat variety samples to drought effects at the initial stages of organogenesis”, “Method for evaluating salt resistance of wheat variety samples at the initial stages of organogenesis”, etc. Recommendations “Assessment and selection of grain breeding material for resistance to abiotic stresses” have also been developed.

According to the results of the applied research tasks, promising winter triticale lines with high productivity, winter hardness, freezing tolerance, drought resistance, resistance to major diseases and lodging were identified. The winter triticale variety MIP Renesans, which is well adapted to the conditions of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine, was submitted to the SQE at UIPVE;

- regularities in the formation of winter bread wheat grain quality indicators depending on the rates of mineral fertilizer application were established; genotypes with high technological properties for creating varieties of strong and valuable wheat were identified;

- winter wheat genotypes resistant to Tilletia caries were identified, which can be used as germplasm for breeding new highly resistant varieties. Methodological recommendations on selection of breeding material for resistance to Tilletia caries were developed, taking into account the artificial background of the pathogen in field conditions;

- sources of winter bread wheat with resistance to drought and salinity were identified. The sources of adaptive traits can be used in hybridization programs aimed at increasing drought and salt tolerance, which is of key importance for the formation of new generation varieties capable of ensuring stable grain production in conditions of climatic challenges. The method of evaluating and selecting breeding material has been developed, which has been implemented in breeding process of the Institute to create qualitatively new varieties: “Method of evaluating salt tolerance of wheat variety samples at the initial stages of organogenesis”;

- individual elements of crop management system for growing pre-basic, basic and certified seeds of new winter and spring wheat varieties for the conditions of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine have been optimized. The influence of abiotic and agrotechnical factors on yield, sowing quality of seeds, biological indicators and morphotypes of embryos has been established. The part of influence for various factors (variety, sowing date, precrop, growing season conditions) on the level of plant productivity has been determined. A number of scientific and methodological recommendations have been developed: “Crop management practice of winter wheat seeds”, “Crop management practice of spring wheat varieties of Myronivka breeding in the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine”, “Crop management practice of spring barley seeds of Myronivka breeding in the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine”, etc.