High-Yield Hybrids. We found out what domestic breeders are working on

In 2024 , the State Register included 24 new varieties and hybrids of plants created by breeders of the Scientific and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Agriculture.

Leia, Gray, Cardinal...

The creation of highly productive varieties and hybrids of agricultural crops, the improvement of the seed production system is one of the areas of work of the center's scientists, the effectiveness of which largely determines the food security of our country. This topic is relevant at all times and more than one generation of Belarusian scientists has dedicated their lives to this activity. Since 1964, breeders of the scientific and practical center have created more than 500 varieties of grain, leguminous, forage, industrial and cereal crops. 

Over the last 6 years alone, 77 new varieties developed by the center’s scientists out of 91 submitted for testing have been included in the state register.

- This is a fairly high figure - 84.5%. For example, European breeders consider their work successful if 15-18% of varieties are registered, - says Sergey Kravtsov, General Director of the Scientific and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Agriculture. - Scientists at our center have created a highly effective system of selection and seed production of agricultural plants using the latest scientific methods. Today we can present a wide range of varieties, original and elite seeds that meet all modern requirements and are not inferior in productivity and quality of the resulting products to foreign analogues.

This year, the State Register of Varieties of Belarus was expanded with 20 new varieties bred by the scientists of the center, 35 varieties were submitted for state variety testing. The following varieties are zoned: winter rye Zhaleika; winter wheat Gray, Leya, Stasya, Ilvi; spring wheat Krasavitsa; winter triticale Ekvator, Borets, Avenue; spring barley Litvin, Fantik; buckwheat Dzeya; lupine Demyan, Iskander, Jockey; spring rape Gelius; winter rape Rodnik, Cardinal; festulolium Galuboisk; crested wheatgrass Malarytski.

The latest domestic varieties are not inferior to foreign ones and can completely replace them, scientists say . For example, the winter wheat variety Leya, which is characterized by high productivity (up to 105 c/ha) and resistance to the main types of diseases, can replace the foreign variety Skagen. And the winter wheat variety Ilvi is not inferior to the Polish Marquise. The winter wheat variety Gray is suitable for semi-intensive cultivation and is a full-fledged replacement for the Polish variety Bogatka. Winter rapeseed Cardinal is equal in yield to foreign F1 rapeseed hybrids. Winter triticale Avenue is an excellent replacement for the Polish variety Grenada. Belarusian spring barley Litvin meets the requirements of interstate GOST 29294-2021 and is suitable for growing and producing premium malt. And spring barley Fantik is able to completely replace all zoned foreign varieties.

Today, the center’s scientists are focused on creating hybrids that are distinguished by high yields.

– A lot of work is being done in this direction: the first F1 hybrids have been created based on CMS winter rye, corn, sugar and fodder beets. There is reason to hope that new domestic hybrids of winter rye, rapeseed and other crops that are not inferior to foreign analogues will be created in the near future. The selection process for 19 types of perennial legumes and cereal grasses will be launched, – says Eroma Urban, First Deputy Director General for Research.

The achievements of the center's breeders - Head of the Cereal Crops Department Viktor Bushtevich and Senior Researcher of the Department Mikhail Dashkevich - are also noted among the best results of the activities of scientists of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus in the field of fundamental and applied research last year: obtaining high-yielding varieties of winter triticale. Belarusian scientists were the first to create green-cut varieties of triticale and obtained qualitatively new breeding material. For example, the Slavko winter triticale variety is distinguished not only by its high yield, but also by the energy and protein nutritional value of the green mass, which is used as fresh feed for animals.

For the health of the nation

Belarusian breeders are also engaged in the creation of specialized varieties. For almost every grain crop, the center's scientists obtain and then introduce into production domestic varieties of grain crops intended for both bread baking and forage production, as well as for the production of alcohol, starch, amino acids, etc. 

New varieties of agricultural crops developed by our scientists are in demand in the CIS countries. For example, 55 varieties are included in the State Registers for use in Russia in 37 regions and are used in total on more than 2 million hectares.

New developments of our scientists are widely presented at the International Specialized Exhibition BELAGRO, which is held this year from June 4 to 9. The theme of the exhibition is "New Generation Varieties - the Year of Quality". This year, 24 new plant varieties and hybrids created by the center's scientists were included in the State Register of Belarus.

The exhibition presents the achievements of all subsidiary research organizations that are part of the Scientific and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Agriculture. These include new varieties of agricultural plants, new forms of fertilizers that increase crop yields and product quality, and preparations for their protection.

 RUE "Institute of Flax" presents two new varieties: flax-fibre Accent and oil flax Alliance. The first was created in 2022 and has been undergoing state variety testing since 2023, it is distinguished by high decortication ability. And the intensive variety of oil flax Alliance has a high yield potential. The first Belarusian hybrid of sugar beet Krasa, bred by RUE "Experimental Scientific Station for Sugar Beet", has high technological qualities, which has a positive effect on reducing sugar losses during processing.

Among the developments of the Institute of Plant Protection is a new drug with fungicidal and bactericidal action, which has no analogues in Belarus. The Institute of Land Reclamation will demonstrate the capabilities of the diagnostic and search equipment KSD-160u for detecting defects in hydraulic structures in hard-to-reach places. And the Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry will present the Intelligent Information System (IIS), which is capable of assessing the potential of soil fertility and developing a set of necessary measures to obtain the highest possible yield .

Visitors to the exhibition can not only see, but also taste the achievements of our scientists at the tasting "Products from our seeds - for the health of the nation" - try bread from flour of various varieties of domestically bred wheat, made in the center's biotechnological laboratory, barley drink, rye kvass, oat milk . And also learn more facts about the beneficial properties of flaxseed oil, taste cooked sausage, the main component of which is wheat and pea protein.

The State Register includes 14 domestically bred corn hybrids created by the center's scientists. They are suitable for cultivation for green mass and grain in all regions of Belarus.

Anna MASLYAKOVA,
photo - BELTA and provided by the Scientific and Practical Center
of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Agriculture