Shaerococcum triticale is the new grain crop for cultivation after sunflower

Sphero-coccum triticale forms have been developed through interspecific crossing of a shpaerococ- cum wheat variety Sharada (T. sphaerococcum Perc.) and a winter hexaploid triticale variety Valentin 90. The sphero-coccum trait introduced into the triticale cultivated a highly intensive plant architecture: shortened, firm stem with well-developed mechanical tissues, resistant to lodging; vertically oriented leaf blades, which adds to the crop tolerance to higher plant density; and good grain quality due to higher protein and gluten content. As testing plots, the new lines of sphaerococcum triticale when grown with high rates of nitrogen application showed yield up to 11 t/ha thus superseding the parent triticale variety Valentin 90 by 1.5 t/ha and the standard bread wheat variety Pamyat’ by 2.5 t/ha. Valentin 90 is one of the best triticale varieties in terms of bread-making quality: loaf volume and general bread-making score. This makes it even more important that the new lines superseded Valentine 90 in bread-making qualities. Thus, the best sphaerococcum triticale lines (100 g flour, no improvers used) produced loaves 855-875 ml in volume and the general bread-making score was 4.5-4.7 (5-point scale). But, together with the positive traits, the sphaerococcum trait also introduced spike shortening and increased spike density, which naturally lead to Fusarium head blight susceptibility.The variety Tit suits best of all to be grown after sunflower since it performs a good adaptive ability and needs a background with minimal fusarium risk.