Changing of seed amount and 1000 seeds weight by years, their impact on seed yield of sunflower varieties

The variability of economically useful traits (1000 seeds weight and seed number per head) in varieties of the Saratov breeding was studied in 2010-2019. The correlation between traits the seed number and yield, the 1000 seeds weight and yield was determined. A strong correlation between the seed number and yield was revealed in varieties Saratovskiy 20 and Saratovskiy 82. The correlation between the 1000 seeds weight and the sunflower yield was weaker than in the previous traits. A strong correlation was noted only in the variety Saratovsky 20. A negative correlation was found between the 1000 seeds weight and the seed number per head in all studied varieties. For the first time on sunflower, an analysis of the yield increase by the Professor V.A. Ilyin’s method was used to distinguish the influence of each factor (seed number per square meter and 1000 seeds weight) on yield of nine varieties, depending on the year conditions for ten years. The varieties Saratovsky 85 and Saratovsky 86 had the maximum yield increase due to the seed number. A variety Slastena had the highest yield increase (due to both studied traits) on average over the years of observation.