Grain sorghum Vera new variety for universal use

The aim of the study is to select food grade grain sorghum varieties with the specified parameters: early maturing, undersized, high-yielding, with white grain, highly plastic, resistant to major diseases for the arid conditions of the Middle Volga Region and the Urals. The study was carried out on the basis of the laboratory of breeding and seed production of cereals and sorghum crops at breeding nurseries of the Volga Research Institute of Breeding and Seed Production named after P.N. Konstantinov – a branch of the Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science of the Samara Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The objects of research are grain sorghum of Slavyanka (standard) and Vera varieties. Competitive variety testing was carried out in 2018–2020. As a result of long-term purposeful selection work, a new variety of grain sorghum Vera was developed. It refers to the type of grain sorghum, a variety of kaffir. Plants are undersized, from 81 to 100 cm, leveled in height, slightly tillering. The grain is large enough, the weight of 1000 seeds is up to 35 g, easily threshed. The variety is early maturing. It ripens for seeds 87–93 days after germination. It possesses high resistance to phytopathogens and plasticity, is suitable for mechanized harvesting with conventional grain harvesters, both separately and directly. This variety is recommended for cultivation in the Middle Volga (7) and the Urals (9) Regions. Vera grain contains up to 12 % crude protein, up to 79 % starch and 4 % fat. The yield of the total plant biomass is from 14.5 to 17.0 t / ha. The content of panicles in the total biomass is up to 48 %. 100 kg of grain contains 130 k. units. Possible use: for food purposes (flour, cereals, starch, alcohol) and for the production of feed grains. Grain sorghum will allow diversifying the food industry in Russia as a substitute ingredient in confectionery products, expanding the range of products that satisfy consumers.