MODELS FOR DESCRIBING THE VARIATION IN GRAIN WEIGHT IN WHEAT EARS – ANALYSIS OF THE VENEZIO VARIETY

The study analyzed the productivity elements of the wheat ear, the Venezio variety, and used regression analysis to model the variation of grain weight in the ear in relation to the morphological productivity elements of the ear. The experiment was carried out within the ULS “King Mihai I” from Timisoara, during 2021 - 2022. The ear productivity elements determined were: ear length (EL), spikelet number per ear (SpkN), grain number per ear (GNE), and grain weight per ear (GWE). The experimental data showed statistical reliability (F>Fcrit, Alpha = 0.001). A strong, positive correlation was recorded between GNE and GWE (r = 0.89). Moderate correlation was recorded between SpkN and GNE (r = 0.70). Low correlation was recorded between SpkN and GWE (r = 0.63), between EL and SpkN (r = 0.57) and between EL and GWE (r = 0.52), respectively. Regression analysis facilitated the estimation of the GWE parameter under different conditions of statistical certainty; R2 = 0.604, p = 0.089 when using the EL and SpkN parameters, R2 = 0.892, p<0.001 when using the EL and GNE parameters, respectively R2 = 0.817, p = 0.0038 when using the SpkN and GNE parameters. The RMSEP parameter confirmed the results of estimating the GWE, respectively RMSEP = 0.1601 in the case of estimating GWE based on EL and GNE. The results recorded, under the study conditions, are important to quantify the grain yield of the wheat ear, the Venezio variety, and to analyze the technology elements and environmental factors that contributed to the variation of productivity elements and the formation of GWE, at the level of wheat ears.