Breeding evaluation of the collection of endemic wheat species Triticum aethiopicum Jakubz and Triticum carthlicum Nevski as a source material for expansion of the gene pool of soft spring wheat

The study of the yield, grain quality, resistance to abiotic and biotic environmental factors of a collection of rare wheat species - Ethiopian wheat (endemic to Ethiopia) and Persian (Kartala) (endemic to Georgia) under risky farming conditions of the Central Region of the Non-Black Earth Zone was conducted. It is shown that in the central zone of Russia, Ethiopian wheat samples ripen 4-9 days later, and Persian wheat - 5-15 days later than the standard - the soft wheat variety Zlata. Perhaps this is due to sensitivity to a photoperiod uncharacteristic for these species. All Ethiopian wheat samples were characterized by dwarfism and lodging resistance, while Persian wheat samples differed in both height and lodging resistance. Samples with high resistance (No. 8, 10, 11 and 12) were selected. Ethiopian wheat accessions with moderate resistance to powdery mildew (No. 12 and 14) and immunity to leaf rust (No. 16) and Persian wheat accessions with complex immunity to leaf rust and powdery mildew (No. 8, 11 and 12) and complex resistance to leaf rust, powdery mildew and septoria (No. 3 and 5) were found. They can be used to create varieties of soft wheat resistant to leaf rust, powdery mildew and septoria in the Central Region of the Non-Black Earth Zone of Russia. Relatively high-yielding accessions of Ethiopian wheat (No. 12, 14, 15 and 17) and Persian wheat (No. 2, 7, 11 and 12) were selected. For use in the breeding process, it is better to take accessions with the maximum yield, assuming less negative impact on the hybrid material. The morphological marker of high yield of Ethiopian wheat can be the weight of grain per plant, for Persian wheat - the number and weight of grains per ear. Grain of Ethiopian wheat was characterized by different colors, including purple, large size, vitreousness, low naturalness, high content of protein and gluten, strong pre-harvest germination in the ear. For red-grained forms, a slightly lower percentage of germinated grains was noted in comparison with white-grained and violet-grained. Grain of Persian wheat was distinguished by low weight, high vitreousness and naturalness, high content of protein and gluten, low pre-harvest germination regardless of grain color.