Assessment of yield, plasticity and stability of spring barley cultivars grown in the European North of the Russian Federation

In recent years, modern agroclimatic environmental conditions in the European North of the Russian Federation are determined by constant fluctuations of biotic and abiotic factors, which require a high level of plasticity and stability of crop yield and quantitative characteristics from cultivars used in agricultural production. Therefore, determining the plant response to changing environmental factors in order to select the most promising breeding seeds, is an important task for breeders. The research was conducted on experimental field of N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in the nursery of competitive variety testing in 2017—2019. Cultivars of spring barley of local selection were studied. Indicators of cultivar plasticity and stability were calculated by the method of S.A. Eberhart, W.A. Rassell (1966), the indicator of genetic flexibility — by the method of R.A. Udachin (1990). Various weather conditions during the research period enabled to evaluate the breeding material comprehensively. The hydrothermal coefficient (according to G.T. Selyaninov) varied from 1.85 to 3.06 during the research years. Ten cultivar samples of spring barley were analyzed to identify a plastic stable genotype. As a result, a high level of stability was shown by samples k-037712 (Ϭ2 = 0.01), k-038404 (Ϭ2 = 0.02). Samples with a neutral genotype were identified: k-039257, k-036982 (bi < 1) and a sample weakly responding to environmental changes — k-038806 (bi = 0.23). The bi value is very close to 1 in Kotlassky cultivar, which shows a high ecological plasticity. Sample k-038806 has the lowest coefficient of linear regression (0.23), therefore, it is suitable for cultivation on unfertilized soils. The selected genetic sources will be used in breeding to develop highly productive cultivars of spring barley for the conditions of the European North of the Russian Federation.