8th INTERNATIONAL WHEAT CONFERENCE

To be able to produce high-quality end product even in the years with severe disease, new varieties
must have good, genetically determined grain quality, conforming to the national standards for
high-quality wheat.
New varieties belonging to North-Caucasian gene pool must have good flexibility and adaptability
in a wide range of environments. Hard wheats are more preferable, because in case of overmaturation
such wheats would have slower rate of quality deterioration caused by enzyme-mycotic damage
and repeated infestation by FHB.
According to the model, new FHB resistant varieties must have high or moderate winter-hardiness,
high rate of soil moisture utilization, strong, deep penetrating and fast developing root system.
Further improvement of winter wheat will be done through pyramidizing of genes from various
gene pools. The new model genotype must incorporate genes from specific resistance donors belonging
to South-American, Chinese-Japanese, West-European and North-Caucasian groups: FhbSA+
FhbCJ+ FhbWE+ fhbNC.
We have developed winter wheat varieties of different ecotypes, most closely approaching the new
model. They are the ultra-early maturing variety Kuma and mid-season variety Sila – of steppe
biotype and mid-season variety Pamyat of forest-steppe biotype. Being biologically different, these
varieties complement each other when grown in various environmental zones.
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