Аnalysis of source material from Russia and Germany in the selection of soft spring wheat in the conditions of the southern forest-steppe of the Omsk region

The article presents the results of a three-year study (2022–2024) of 186 spring soft wheat genotypes (94 varieties from Russia and 92 from Germany) conducted at the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Omsk Agrarian Scientific Center” in the conditions of the southern forest-steppe of the Omsk region. Russia and Germany represent different climatic and soil conditions. Russia is characterized by a sharply continental climate with harsh winters and hot summers, while Germany has a milder, temperate climate. Studying genotypes from these regions allows for the evaluation of their adaptive potential under contrasting conditions, which is crucial for breeding varieties resistant to stress factors. The study aimed to assess the adaptive potential and productivity of genotypes of diverse ecological-geographical origins in the sharply continental climate of the Omsk region. Key agronomic traits were examined: yield, duration of phenological phases, lodging resistance, resistance to leaf and stem diseases (powdery mildew, brown rust, and stem rust), and spike structure components. It was found that Russian varieties, on average, outperformed German ones in yield (152.4 g/m² vs. 77.4 g/m²), earliness (emergence to heading period – 41 days vs. 46 days), and lodging resistance. The highest productivity was observed in the varieties Irtyshanka 10 (211.5 g/m²), Novosolyanskaya (210.9 g/m²), and Kantegirskaya 89 (201.1 g/m²). German genotypes had longer ear (+0.94 cm) and more spikelets (+0.92 units) but were inferior in grain weight per spike (–0.14 g) and 1000-grain weight (–1.65 g). Sources of comprehensive pathogen resistance were identified: the Russian variety Orenburgskaya 7 and the German samples TRI 842 and TRI 3448. In 2024, contrasting weather conditions (excessive moisture in May and July, drought in June) increased trait variability (yield coefficient of variation – 62.1%). The study results highlight the importance of breeding for adaptability under changing climate conditions and recommend the identified genotypes (Orenburgskaya 7, Novosolyanskaya, Irtyshanka 10, Kantegirskaya 89, Alenkaya-Uymonskaya, Saratovskaya 29, TRI 842, TRI 3448, TRI 1956, TRI 17879, TRI 9424) as sources for developing high-yielding and stress-resistant spring soft wheat varieties adapted to the southern forest-steppe conditions of the Omsk region.