Efficiency of using indexes method in the comprehensive assessment of the genetic collection in the winter hexaploid triticale

The paper presents the comparative assessment results of 53 collection samples of winter hexaploid triticale of various ecological and geographical origin using traditional statistical methods and methods of complex indices (Jk), perspectivity indices (Jp), ecological plasticity (Jsp), Finno-Scandinavian (FSJ), Mexican (Mi), and adaptive potential. By the traditional statistical method, high-yield varieties with high values of individual elements of plant productivity were identified: (k-3717) Kaskad, (k-4071) Ramzay, (k-3969) Trizub, (k-3924) Popsuevskaya, (k-3900) Prometey, (k-4095) Shalanda, (k-4097) Buket. The following varieties were identified by the method of complex indices: (k-3909) Topaz, (k3717) Kaskad, (k-3931) Skif, (k-4071) Ramzay, (k-3969) Trizub, (k-4074) Valentin-90, (k-4078) Bordo, (k-3924), Popsuevskaya, (k-3968) Interes, (k-3901) Mars, (k-3900) Prometey, (k-4003) Disko, (k-3999) Anvo, (k3701) Fidelio, (k-4095) Shalanda, (k-4097) Buket. According to the indices' complex that determine the prospects of the variety, the grainforming ability of its ear, resistance to lodging, high adaptive potential, the following varieties were identified: (k-3909) Topaz, (k-3717) Kaskad, (k4020) Zavet, (k-3932) Skolot, (k-4071) Ramzay, (k-4074) Valentin-90, (k4076) Knyaz, (k-3924), Popsuevskaya, (k-3968) Interes, (k-3966) Ajax, (3965) Pshenichne, (k-3900) Prometey, (k-4003) Disko, (k-4005) Korvetta, (k-3999) Anvo, (k-3701) Fidelio, (k-4095) Shalanda, (k-4097) Buket, (k3562) Antey, (k-3582) Patriot. The study results allow to speak about the usage efficiency of the indices method for a comprehensive winter triticale assessment.


Introduction
Triticale is a promising new crop for the feed and baking industries [1,2]. This crop's sown area in Russia and abroad is constantly expanding -this is the merit of selectioners who are constantly working on the creation of new varieties.
The State Register of Selection Inventions as of 2021 includes 96 varieties of winter and 20 varieties of spring triticale [3].
Currently, breeding work with triticale is being intensively carried out in the Don, Krasnodar, Voronezh, Moscow, Stavropol Research Institutes of Agriculture, as well as in neighboring countries (Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan) [4]. In the Leningrad Research Agriculture Institute Branch of Russian Potato Research Centre, breeding work with this crop began in 2002 with the study of variety samples from the collection of the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources with the subsequent work expansion on the full scheme of the breeding process.
New varieties of winter triticale are distinguished by increased winter resistance, drought resistance, resistance to the most dangerous diseases, high yield potential, increased content of complete protein, which determines the high fodder value and nutritional value of this crop. So in 2020, Bilinda winter triticale variety was included in the State Register of Selection Inventions, which was approved to be used in the North-West (2) region of Russia. This mid-season, winter-resistant, high-yielding variety has a high adaptive potential to biotic and abiotic stressors when grown for green forage [5].
However, a significant expansion of triticale sowing poses new tasks for breeders to create and introduce varieties of winter triticale with wide ecological adaptation [6,7].
The development of winter triticale breeding in the North-West region of Russia requires a comprehensive study of the replenishing gene pool from the world collection of N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources in order to identify sources of economically valuable traits and create new genotypes [8].
Grain yield is an integral indicator of plant productivity characterizing the ability of a variety to realize its genetic potential in specific soil and climatic conditions. This is the interaction result of the quantitative traits of a plant with environmental conditions. Both traditional statistical methods and indices methods are used for a comprehensive assessment of high-yielding samples.
The purpose of our research was to determine the efficiency of using the indices method in a comprehensive assessment of winter hexaploid triticale collection samples by the main elements of the yield structure under the conditions of the Leningrad region.

Materials and methods
Winter hexaploid triticale varieties of various ecological and geographical origin from the collection of the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) were used as research materials.
Sowing of the collection nursery was carried out on plots of 1 m 2 , threefold replication, sown variety -standard Kornet variety.

Research results
The set of collection samples was diverse and represented by promising zoned varieties, as well as sources and donors of various traits and properties: high productivity, early maturity, lodging resistance.
In the collection nursery, 53 samples of winter triticale from different countries of the world were studied: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Romania (table 1). For all variety samples of winter triticale, the elements of the yield structure were assessed. Their agrobiological characteristics are presented in Table 2.
In terms of the "ear length" indicator, all studied samples had values in the range from 8 to 11.4 cm. The highest values for the ear length (11.3 -11.5 cm) were shown by Popsuevskaya, Skif, Dozor, Gorchinske variety samples, the least value of the ear length (8.0 cm) were observed in Monica and Eldorado samples. In our studies, variety samples Kaskad, Skif, Valentin-90, Interes, Mars, Prometey, Disko, Anvo, Shalanda significantly differed according to the trait "number of grains per ear" from Kornet standard (65.6 pcs.), exceeding the standard in terms of the number of grains per year by 9.9 -24.7%. The highest number of grains was formed in the ear of the short-stemmed Skif variety sample (81.7 pcs.), the lowest -in Chernobrivets (46.2) ( Table  2).
According to the "grain weight per ear" trait, the studied variety samples showed the value in the range from 2.43 to 4.9 g, while the value of this indicator for Kornet standard was 4. Samples were identified for a complex of traits with high yield and high values of individual elements of its structure -Kaskad, Ramzay, Knyaz, Popsuevskaya, Interes, Prometey, Anvo, Chernobrivets, Shalanda, Buket.
All the studied variety samples of the winter hexaploid triticale collection were evaluated by the method of complex indices [10], the values of which are presented in Table 3. According to our research, variety samples Kaskad, Valentin-90, Popsuevskaya, Interes, Prometey, Anvo, Fidelio, Shalanda and Buket had high values of the complex index (1.44-3.21) and are of certain interest as an initial breeding material. When analyzing the complex assessment data of the winter triticale collection variety samples by the statistical method and the method of complex indices, five matches were found. Similar conclusions are available in studies on the triticale crop by other researchers [10]. Some researchers also used the indices of perspectivity, adaptive potential, Mexican, Finno-Scandinavian and the index of ecological plasticity in breeding practice on cereals [11,12]. Data characterizing the adaptive traits and ecological plasticity of winter triticale collection samples in the conditions of the Leningrad region were obtained, which are presented in Table 4. The perspectivity Index (Ip) characterizes the ability of the stem to transform plastic substances directly into grain.
According The Mexican index (Mi) characterizes lodging resistance. In our studies, the selection threshold (over 4.2 units) for this indicator was exceeded by 15 out of 53 variety samples.
The adaptive potential of plants characterizes the resistance of varieties to lodging and is determined by the ratio of the stem length to the ear length (ds/dk). The best varieties according to this indicator were: Zavet, Skolot (7.2), Skif (6.7), Ramzay (6.6), Knyaz (7.1), Pshenichne and Patriot (7.0).
The ecological plasticity index (Isp) was used; it shows how much the studied variety sample has an advantage over other varieties [12]. According to this indicator, varieties are selected that will form a high yield in the region. In the studies, the best varieties in terms of Isp were: Kornet (1.

Conclusions
1. For the creation of new winter triticale genotypes with improved complex economically significant properties, increased resistance to bio-and abiostressors of the environment, the variety samples selected for all the studied indices are of interest -Ramzay, Knyaz, Bordo (Russia), Fidelio (Poland). 2. The index assessment made it possible to identify promising samples, which were also identified according to the data of statistical processing.