EFFECT OF THE MORPHOLOGICAL TRAITS ON SEED YIELD OF LUCERNE BREEDING POPULATIONS IN LITHUANIA

Phenotypic correlation coefficients between seed yield and morphological traits of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) breeding populations were determined. Ranking of populations by seed yield and subsequent calculating of correlations showed that as higher differences in seed yield among populations was as higher correlations were obtained. Among the characters examined seed yield was positively correlated with the length of raceme, number of flowers, pods and seeds per raceme, number of seeds per pod (r=0.31*, 0.61*, 0.42*, 0.57*, 0.53*, respectively). Negative relationships were determined between spring regrowth height, alfalfa mosaic, flowering period, plant regrowth height after harvest, 1000 seed weight and seed yield (r= -0.42*, -0.81**, -0.64*, -0.71*, -0.41*, respectively)

Relationships among alfalfa resistance to Sclerotinia crown and stem rot, Sclerotinia trifoliorum and oxalic acid

Sclerotinia crown and stem rot (SCSR) of alfalfa caused by Sclerotinia trifoliorum is one of the main constraints for efficient alfalfa cultivation in temperate climate all over the world. The resistance of 200 alfalfa accessions to Sclerotinia crown and stem rot was evaluated during 2010 to 2011 in the field nursery established in 2009. The resistance of alfalfa accessions germinating seeds to mycelium of Sclerotinia trifoliorum and oxalic acid (OA) concentrations of 10, 20, 30 mM was screened under laboratory conditions. The statistically significant differences at P<0.05 were determined among evaluated alfalfa accessions resistance to all screened factors. The reactions of alfalfa accessions to disease under field conditions showed that majority of the non-adapted accessions were heavily diseased, whereas the resistant accessions had only negligible disease severity. The germination of accessions seeds at oxalic acid concentration of 30 mM showed strong correlation (r = -0.817**, P<0.01) with SCSR severity in 2011. Among OA concentrations, this one showed the highest correlation rate with SCSR as well as was the least time consuming method. This method of seeds germination on mycelium of S. trifoliorum was unfit due to its weak correlation with SCSR and higher inputs.Keywords: Alfalfa, resistance screening, Sclerotinia trifoliorum, oxalic aci

Coleoptile length and plant height of modern tall and semi-dwarf European winter wheat varieties

A total of 124 recent winter wheat accessions of European origin were screened for coleoptile length and plant height. Most of the accessions (74.2%) possessed a coleoptile length ranging between 5.00 and 7.00 cm. The German varieties Ebi, Pegassos, Flair without Rht genes had a coleoptile length of 9.08, 9.43, 9.56 cm and a plant height of 97, 95 and 98 cm, respectively. The Serbian variety Pobeda possessing Rht8 had a coleoptile length of 9.14 cm and a plant height of 71 cm. The varieties possessing Rht-B1b, Rht-D1b had a significantly shorter mean coleoptile length (5.45 cm) and mean plant height (84.5 cm) than the varieties without Rht genes (7.41 and 99.6 cm). The correlation between coleoptile length and plant height was medium (r = 0.613, p < 0.01) when the calculation excluded the varieties from Central and Southern Europe. The similar plant height, but not coleoptile length of the varieties possessing different dwarfing factors enables development of novel varieties with desirable height and coleoptile length from the European winter wheat germplasm

Augalų selekcija

Bibliogr.: p. 220-221Vytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij

Naujausios žieminių kviečių veislės – genetinis šaltinis atsparumo ligoms selekcijai

ur experimental evidence suggests that of all the winter wheat cultivars tested only 6.3% possessed complex resistance to powdery mildew (PM) and tan spot (DTR). The cultivars susceptible to both diseases accounted for 50%. The genotypes with only PM resistance were more numerous (29.2%) than those with only DTR resistance (12.5%). Maximal severity of DTR was scored 9, while that of PM - 7 (using a 1-9 scale). The mean of area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) for all cultivars was 188 for PM and 516 for DTR. The cultivars ‘Aperitif ’, ‘Torild’, ‘Striker’, ‘Tulsa’, ‘Director’, ‘Dromos’, ‘Symbol’, ‘Tuareg’ and ‘Brilliant’ possessed the highest complex resistance to both diseases. Maximal severity of PM for these cultivars was scored 4, DTR - 5. The maximal AUDPC for PM was 69 and for DTR 342

Chlorophyll fluorenscence characteristics of different winter wheat varieties (Triticum aestivum L.)

The objective of the study was to estimate the fluorescence level of newly developed winter wheat varieties. It was detected that the minimum (actual) fluorescence yield (Ft) and the maximum fluorescence yield (Fm), measured with every saturation pulse, as well as the quantum yield (Y) and rate of electron transport (ETR) in the illuminated leaves of the winter wheat varieties Ada and Alma were higher than in the control variety Širvinta. The fluorescence parameters of the variety Seda were weaker. Nevertheless, the grain yield of this variety was higher compared with the other varieties. The variety Seda is late ripening and more resistant to leaf diseases. Therefore, at the time of the experiment, the total area available for photosynthesis of the variety Seda was higher compared with the other varieties. The maximum electron transport rate in rapid light curve in the leaves of the wheat varieties Ada and Alma was measured to be 850 μmol m-2s-1 and for the variety Seda 800 μmol m-2s-1 of photosynthetically active radiation. In order to select plant breeding material using the chlorophyll fluorescence method more precisely, it is necessary to group the varieties or breeding lines according to the dates of maturityVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij

Powdery mildew resistance of the Lithuanian winter wheat breeding material

At the Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture, during 2004-2006, resistance to powdery mildew of approximately 1,500 winter wheat lines was assessed in check and competitive trial nurseries. Our experimental evidence showed that there were no genotypes with effective resistance single-genes among the iines tested. Effective powdery mildew resistance from start to end of vegetation season depended on the quantitative resistance level. The most resistant lines were evaluated with a score of 2 and area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) values ranging between 1.0-5,4. The most susceptible genotypes from the collection nurseries had score 8-9 and AUDPC values ranging between 1350-2220. The correlations between maximal disease severity and AUDPC values were strong (r = 0.79-0.92). Genotypes with AUDPC values up to 10 represented 93 lines or 7% in the check triai nursery and 22 lines or 9% in the competitive trial nursery. Lines evaluated with a score 4-5 and AUDPC value 100-300 dominated in 2004. In the next year the dominant genotypes had resistance scores 3-4 and AUDPC value 50-200. The highest powdery mildew resistance (score 2 and AUDPC value 1.0) was identified for the lines MaverichA/icto, Flair/Lut.9392, Strumok/Lut.9321, Zento$/Lut.97-6, Strumok/Lut.9313, Dirigent/ Cortez in 2006Vytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij

Tolerance to pre-harvest sprouting in Lithuanian winter wheat advanced lines

Tolerance to pre-harvest sprouting of winter wheat advanced breeding lines was evaluated at the Lithuanian institute of Agriculture in 2005 and 2006. The tests were conducted with intact ears germinated in plastic boxes on wet filter paper in a plant growth chamber. A total of 131 breeding lines were tested during the experimental period. The experiment revealed that sprouting cumulative index (SCI) characterises resistance of lines to pre-harvest sprouting more precisely than sprouting final score (SFS). The SFS ranged from 4.3 to 9.0 in 2005 and from 5.4 to 9.0 in 2006. The SCI value was 0.14-1.0 in both years. Lines in 2005 were more susceptible to pre-harvest sprouting than those in 2006. The most resistant were found to be the lines Flair/Asketis, Tor-frida/Beaver/ZTarso, Sirvinta1/LIA3480, while the most susceptible ones were Elena/Flair, Mer-maid/Alidos, Flair/Lut.96-3 in 2005. In 2006, the most resistant lines were Pegassos/Dream, Belisar/Briz, Lars/Lut.96-3 and the most susceptible were Rostovchanka/Lut.96-3, Rector/Briz, Rostovchanka/Flair. The SFS of resistant lines was up to score 6 and the SCI value reached 0.3 in both years. The SFS of susceptible lines was 9.0 and the SCI value more than 0.9 in both yearsVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij

Demand for applied research of agricultural engineering and crop management in Lithuania

Great emphasis has been placed on agriculture by the European Union (EU), considering that agricultural production provides a framework for development of the processing industry and ensures food provision. Europe 2020 Strategy presents coordinated objectives of support for the rural development for the years 2014–2020. It has been emphasized that each Member State needs to set its national headline targets. Implementation of strategic provisions of the EU and Lithuania requires adequate identification of the priorities of agricultural scientific research and experimental development. It may significantly contribute to securing competitiveness, economic and social progress of the agricultural sector. The aim of the research was to prepare proposals for the Lithuanian Programme that sets the scientific research and experimental development priorities, long- and short-term research programmes for the period until 2020 in the view of demands of economy. Individual Working Groups (WG) have been formed of specialists of Lithuanian research and educational institutions as well as the advisory services. WG have proposed prospective applied research to develop within different areas of agriculture in 2014–2020. This served as the basis for the survey aimed at identifying a general demand for applied scientific research and potential problem areas in relation to agriculture, food economy and rural development that could be addressed by prospective applied scientific research. An anonymous survey was used across the country and summary results have been presented for two areas: crop management and agricultural engineeringLietuvos žemės ūkio konsultavimo tarnybaVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij

Grain Yield Performance and Quality Characteristics of Waxy and Non-Waxy Winter Wheat Cultivars under High and Low-Input Farming Systems

Waxy starch with a modified amylose-to-amylopectin ratio is desired for a range of applications in food and non-food industries; however, yield performance and grain quality characteristics of waxy wheat cultivars are usually inferior in comparison to advanced non-waxy cultivars. In this study, we compared waxy (‘Eldija’, ‘Sarta’) and non-waxy (‘Skagen’, ‘Suleva DS’) winter wheat cultivars grown under high and low-input farming systems over two cropping seasons by evaluating their yield and grain quality, including flour, dough, and starch physicochemical properties. The yield of waxy cv. ‘Sarta’ was significantly lower compared to the non-waxy cultivars across all trials; however, waxy cv. ‘Eldija’ had a similar yield as non-waxy cultivars (except under high-input conditions cv. ‘Skagen’). Moreover, no significant differences were observed between protein and gluten content of waxy and non-waxy cultivars. Low amylose content typical for waxy wheat cultivars highly correlated (r ≥ 0.8) with lower falling number, flour yield and sedimentation values, lower nitrogen % used for grain, higher flour water absorption and flour particle size index. In general, properties dependent on starch structure demonstrated consistent and significant differences between both starch types. The prevailing heat waves during the grain filling period decreased grain test weight but increased protein and gluten content and caused gluten to be weaker. Dough development time at these conditions became longer, dough softening lowered and starch content decreased, but A-starch, starch peak and final viscosity values increased. Low-input farming had a negative effect on grain yield, grain nitrogen uptake and grain test weight but increased phosphorus content in grain. The unique dough mixing properties of waxy cultivar ‘Eldija’ suggest that it could be used in mixtures along with non-waxy wheat for dough quality improvement