Environmental testing of oil flax varieties in the Rostov region

Oil flax is still commercially successful crop at the market, its seeds demand is going up, and export of agricultural production is rising. Production scale-up and seed qualities improving require for introduction of new highly productive varieties adapted to a local cultivation conditions. Environmental testing of varieties allowed estimating a potential of productivity and reaction of oil flax varieties in zone of insufficient moistening (Oporny settl., Azov district, Rostov region) at the different conditions of the moisture supply, selecting the most adaptive genotypes possessing breeding value. As object of the research we used 12 varieties of oil flax. The years of the research (2016-2018) were differed with contract weather conditions; hydrothermal coefficient is equal to 1.30; 1.38; 0.30, respectively. As favorable for the crop development 2016 and 2017 were noted. Maximal seed yield in 2017 was showed by the following varieties: Avangard (2.42 t per ha), Raduga (2.37 t per ha), VNIIMK 622 (2.33 t per ha) and Sapphire (2.30 t per ha), reliably exceeding the standard variety VNIIMK 620. The variety Avangard formed the highest seed yield increase - 0.21 t per ha in average for three years. We revealed the highest compensative ability in the varieties Avangard (1.46) and Raduga (1.47). We noted as the most adaptive to the different cultivation conditions varieties Sapphire, VNIIMK 622 and Avangard, which variation coefficient was 60.7-69.5%. A positive correlation between seed and oil yield per a hectare (r = 0.90 ± 0.17) is fixed. Due to our results the varieties Raduga and Avangard combined high seed yield and oil yield per a hectare and are differed with high economic efficiency of production, clear profit 21650 and 21078 RUR/ha, respectively, and can update agricultural production. Studying of oil flax varieties in the contrast conditions showed their wide environmental plasticity that allows recommending them for production in the different regions.