Morphological and agronomic characteristics of winter rye cultivars in connection with their resistance to lodging

Background. Lodging resistance of winter rye is associated with morphological features of the stem. Searching for source material to breed non-lodging high-yielding cultivars requires studying the varietal phenotypic diversity according to morphological characters of the stem that affect the resistance to lodging and the productivity of the ear.

Materials and methods. Experiments were carried out in 2017–2020 at the Federal Agricultural Research Center of the North-East (FARC North-East), Kirov. Field resistance to lodging, morphological characteristics of the stem, yield, and ear productivity were evaluated in 16 winter rye cultivars. The study was based on the International COMECON List of Descriptors for the Genus Secale L., and Methodology for the State Variety Trials of Agricultural Crops. The weight of segments of the second lower internodes was measured in 10 plants of each cultivar under laboratory conditions.

Results and conclusions. Negative correlations of lodging resistance with stem length (r= –0.55) and the weight of the second lower internode (r = –0.65) were revealed. Ear productivity of rye cultivars was significantly associated with the wall thickness (r = 0.52) and the length of the second lower internode (r = –0.52). According to the results of the path analysis, the main causes of a decrease in lodging resistance were the weight of the segment (P = –0.467) and the length of the second lower internode (P = –0.408), while an increase was connected with the wall thickness of the second lower internode (P = 0.424). The cultivars differed significantly in their resistance to lodging (LSD₀₅ = 0.8). Cvs. ‘Moskovskaya 12’, ‘Tatyana’, ‘Bylina’ and ‘Yantarnaya’ were identified; they are recommended as source material for breeding for lodging resistance. 

1. Chaikin V.V., Pshenichnaya I.A., Torop A.A. Lodging of winter rye and baking qualities of its grain. Zemledelie = Agriculture. 2013;(5):27-28. [in Russian].

2. Chaikin V.V., Torop A.A., Torop E.A. Change of plant architectonics as a direction in breeding of winter rye. Legumes and Groat Crops. 2021;3(39):23-33. [in Russian]. DOI: 10.24412/2309-348X-2021-3-23-33

3. Fedin M.A. (ed.) Methodology for the state variety trials of agricultural crops. Issue 1. General part. (Metodika gosudarstvennogo sortoispytaniya selskokhozyaystvennykh kultur. Vypusk 1. Obshchaya chast). Moscow; 1985. [in Russian].

4. Goncharenko A.A., Ermakov S.A., Semenova T.V., Filippov S.N. Ways to enhance winter rye breeding for resistance to lodging (Puti povysheniya selektsii ozimoy rzhi na ustoychivost k poleganiyu) In: Rye Breeding: Proceedings of the EUCARPIA Symposium. Leningrad; 1990. p.65-71. [in Russian].

5. Griguletskiy V.G. To the question of stability of rectlinear forms of balance cutters of grain crops against flashback. Part 1. Moscow Economic Journal. 2019;(9):532-557. [in Russian]. DOI: 10.24411/2413-046Х-2019-19015

6. International COMECON List of Descriptors for the Genus Secale L. Leningrad: VIR; 1984. [in Russian; in English].

7. Ivanov A.P. Rye (Rozh) Leningrad; Moscow: Selkhozizdat; 1961. [in Russian].

8. Kedrova L.I., Utkina E.I., Shlyakhtina E.A., Sheshegova T.K., Parfenova E.S., Shamova M.G. et al. Biological bases of manufacture of grain of winter rye in European North-East of Russian Federation. Achievements of Science and Technology of AIC. 2012;(6):21-23. [in Russian].

9. Kobylyansky V.D., Korzun A.E., Katerova A.G., Lapikov N.S., Solodukhina O.V. Flora of cultivated plants. Vol. 2 (Pt 1). Rye. V.D. Kobylyansky (ed.). Leningrad; 1989. [in Russian].

10. Kobylyansky V.D., Solodukhina O.V. The role of the Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry in the initiation and development of new trends in winter rye breeding in Russia. Proceedings on Applied Botany, Genetics and Breeding. 2015;176(1):5-19. [in Russian]. DOI: 10.30901/2227-8834-2015-1-5-19

11. Lukyanova I.V. Analysis of specific and varietal features of the resistance of cereal crop stems to lodging, taking into account their physical and mechanical properties and architectonics for use in breeding (Analiz vidovykh i sortovykh osobennostey ustoychivosti stebley zlakovykh kul tur k poleganiyu s uchetom ikh fiziko-mekhanicheskikh svoystv i arkhitektoniki dlya ispolzovaniya v selektsii) [dissertation]. Krasnodar: Kuban State Agrarian University; 2008. [in Russian].

12. Muszynska A., Guendel А., Melzer М., Moya Y.A.T., Röder M.S., Rolletschek H. et al. A mechanistic view on lodging resistance in rye and wheat: a multiscale comparative study. Plant Biotechnology Journal. 2021;19(12):2646–2661. DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13689

13. Ponomareva M.L., Ponomarev S.N. Morphometric parameters of stem as criteria for estimation of resistance of winter rye to lodging in the conditions of Middle Povolzh’e. Agricultural Biology. 2004;39(3):90-94. [in Russian].

14. Rovdo T.V., Artsiukh D.Yu. Results of studying collection accessions of winter rye in terms of the main economically important traits. Zemledeliye i selektsiya v Belarusi = Farming and Breeding in Belarus. 2021;(57):251-258. [in Russian].

15. Teteryatchenko G.K. Anatomical method for assessing source material of winter bread wheat for productivity, frost resistance and resistance to lodging (Anatomicheskiy metod otsenki iskhodnogo materiala myagkoy ozimoy pshenitsy na produktivnost, morozostoykost i ustoychivost k poleganiyu). Scientific and Technical Bulletin of the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Research Institute of Plant Industry. 1984;146:28-32. [in Russian].

16. Tikhvinsky S.F., Butorina L.K. Fight against lodging of agricultural crops (Borba s poleganiyem selskokhozyaystvennykh kultur) Leningrad: Kolos; 1983. [in Russian].

17. Torop A.A., Chaykin V.V., Torop E.A., Kuzmenko S.A. Practical use of methods that provide both high yield and adaptability to environmental conditions in winter rye breeding. Achievements of Science and Technology of AIC. 2020;34(3):32-35. [in Russian]. DOI: 10.24411/0235-2451-2020-10306

18. Torop E.A, Сhajkin V.V., Torop A.A. Method of estimation of winter rye selection material for lodging resistance. Agricultural Science Euro-North-East. 2011;3(22):14-16. [in Russian].

19. Torop E.A., Chaikin V.V., Torop A.A. Method of selection of lodging-resistant cereals (Sposob otbora ustoychivykh k poleganiyu form zernovykh kolosovykh zlakov). Russian Federation; patent number: 2382549C2; 2008. [in Russian]. URL: https://yandex.ru/patents/doc/RU2382549C2_20100227 [дата обращения: 07.03.2022].

20. Wójtowicz T., Grabowska-Joachimiak A., Zieliński A. Analysis of morpho-anatomical stem properties determining its mechanical strength in selected rye cultivars. International Agrophysics. 2020;1(34):123-131. DOI: 10.31545/intagr/115096

21. Wright S. Correlation and causation. Journal of Agricultural Research. 1921;20:557-585.

22. Zakharov V.G., Syukov V.V., Yakovleva O.D. Correlation of morphoanatomical traits with lodging resistance in spring wheat in the Middle Volga region. Vavilov Journal of Genetics and Breeding. 2014;18(3):506-510. [in Russian].

23. Zaytseva I.Yu., Shchennikova I.N. Association of morphological traits with lodging resistance in spring barley under the conditions of the Volga-Vyatka region. Proceedings on Applied Botany, Genetics and Breeding. 2020;181(3):32-40. [in Russian]. DOI: 10.30901/2227- 8834-2020-3-32-40

24. Zuo Y., Zhang X., Zuo S., Ren X., Liu Z., Dong L. et al. Changes of stem characteristics, senescence indexes and yield and quality of wintering rye under different populations. Sustainability. 2021;13(12):6876. DOI: 10.3390/su13126876