Productivity of sweet sorghum (Sorghum saccharatum L.) depending on the elements of plant сultivation technology for biofuel in the zone of insufficient moisture in the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine

Purpose. To reveal the influence of harvest timing of biomass of sweet sorghum various varieties and hybrids on their productivity and biofuel yield in the zone of insufficient moisture in the Eastern Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Methods. Biological (conducting field research during 2017–2020) and statistical (descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, correlation and regression analyzes). Results. The lowest yield of sweet sorghum green biomass was during harvesting in early August. In ‘Sylosne 42’ and ‘Favoryt’ varie­ties it was 52.6 and 61.1 t/ha, in ‘Medovyi F1’ and ‘Dovista’ hybrids – 76.3 and 77.7 t/ha, respectively. The postponement of harvesting to mid-September allows increasing the yield of varieties ‘Favoryt’ and ‘Sylosne 42’ to 97.1 and 103.5 t/ha, ‘Dovista’ and ‘Medovyi F1’ hybrids up to 146.6 and 132.9 t/ha, respectively. With even later harvesting periods, an increase in the yield of green biomass was observed only in ‘Dovista’ (up to 152.5 t/ha). In the full ripening phase (BBCH 92–98), sugar sorghum plants accumulate the maximum amount of sugars in the sap. The highest cap sugar content was in plants of ‘Medovyi F1’ hybrid – 17.5%, in the other studied cultivars it varied from 14.8 to 15.5%. The hi­g­hest yield of biofuel and energy per unit area was achieved with gro­wing ‘Dovista’ (up to 815.8 GJ/ha) and ‘Medovyi F1’ (up to 792.0 GJ/ha) hybrids. Despite the high level of plasti­city, ‘Favoryt’ variety is inferior in total energy yield (up to 547.2 GJ/ha). ‘Sylosne 42’ has the lowest plasticity index (b = 0.79); however, it is the most stable variety, which allows to obtain a stable, though not high, energy yield (up to 559.6 GJ/ha). Conclusions. In the zone of insufficient moisture in the Eastern Forest-Steppe of Ukraine, the hi­ghest productivity indicators and the maximum energy potential can be provided by the hybrids of sweet sorghum ‘Dovista’ and ‘Medovyi F1’ for their harvesting not earlier than the phase of full maturity

Harnessing Sorghum Landraces to Breed High-Yielding, Grain Mold-Tolerant Cultivars With High Protein for Drought-Prone Environments

Intermittent drought and an incidence of grain mold disease are the two major constraints affecting sorghum production and productivity. The study aimed at developing drought-tolerant sorghum varieties possessing a high protein content and tolerance to grain mold with stable performance using additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) and genotype and genotype × environment interaction (GGE) biplot methods. Systematic hybridization among the 11 superior landraces resulted in subsequent pedigree-based breeding and selection from 2010 to 2015 evolved 19 promising varieties of grains such as white, yellow, and brown pericarp grains. These grain varieties were evaluated for their adaptability and stability for yield in 13 rainfed environments and for possessing tolerance to grain mold in three hot spot environments. A variety of yellow pericarp sorghum PYPS 2 (3,698 kg/ha; 14.52% protein; 10.70 mg/100 g Fe) possessing tolerance to grain mold was identified as a stable variety by using both AMMI and GGE analyses. Four mega-environments were identified for grain yield and fodder yield. Sorghum varieties PYPS 2, PYPS 4, PYPS 8, and PYPS 11 were highly stable in E2 with a low grain mold incidence. Besides meeting the nutritional demand of smallholder farmers under dryland conditions, these varieties are suitable for enhancing sorghum productivity under the present climate change scenario.

Stability and Adaptation of New Tobacco Varieties to Three Growing Areas under Rain Fed Conditions in Zimbabwe

Background: Variety development is a continuous process that caters for the ever changing farmer crop growing conditions. Changing climatic conditions, soil fertility conditions, crop disease and pest regimes as well as farmer agronomic practices require that new varieties adapted to new practices be availed to growers so that they continue to get high yields. Initial variety development processes are carried out by the breeder, usually on station and usually involves aggregation of traits of interest into a genotype with little or no information about the response of the genotype to different farmer cropping situations. However, before the varieties can be recommended to growers, they need to be evaluated in multi-environment trials (MET) in order to identify varieties with broad adaptation for general recommendation and those with specific adaptation for targeted environment production. Methods: In order to evaluate the adaptation and stability of newly developed tobacco varieties to three growing locations in Zimbabwe, seven varieties were evaluated in a randomised complete block design with three replicates at Kutsaga Research Station near Harare, Trelawney and Tengwe over three seasons ranging from 2013 to 2015. Result: The study results showed significant differences among the varieties and locations tested for saleable yield (P less than 0.05). Of all the varieties tested, T76 was the most stable showing consistently high performance across the seasons and locations tested followed by T75. However, ETH03 was the least stable variety of them all. Unlike what is currently believed in the tobacco industry in Zimbabwe, the variety K RK26 is no longer the most broadly adapted. Based on the study results, the varieties, T76, T75 and ETH06 are stable and, therefore, recommended for growing across the whole of the tobacco farming belt in Zimbabwe.

Varietal descriptors of sorghum varieties (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) for registration and breeder's rights

The registration and breeder's rights of varieties and hybrids in our country is very low compared to developed countries, however, the generation of this technology is frequent and they are marketed without an official registration. That is why the objective of this work is to characterize two precommercial varieties of sorghum, one with white grain and another with red grain in order to obtain the breeder's right. The characterization was carried out in the experimental fields of the University Center for Biological and Agricultural Sciences of the University of Guadalajara in the spring summer cycle of 2019 on two sowing dates. The methodology that was considered was the technical guide for varietal characterization approved by the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants UPOV. Central tendency analyzes were performed, the variation within materials was statistically analyzed using dispersion measures for grouped data such as range, variance, standard deviation, coefficient of variation and mean. Which provided the information for the decision of compliance with the main characteristics that allow each variety to be differentiated and to comply with the precepts that it is a new, homogeneous and stable variety.

Yielding stability of early maturing potato varieties: Bayesian analysis

Field trials conducted in multiple years across several locations play an essential role in plant breeding and variety testing. Usually, the analysis of the series of field trials is performed using a two-stage approach, where each combination of year and site is treated as environment. In variety testing based on the results from the analysis, the best varieties are recommended for cultivation. Under a Bayesian approach, the variety recommendation process can be treated as a formal decision theoretic problem. In the present study, we describe Bayesian counterparts of two stability measures and compare the varieties in terms of the posterior expected utility. Using the described methodology, we identify the most stable and highest tuber yielding varieties in the Polish potato series of field trials conducted from 2016 to 2018. It is shown that variety Arielle was the highest yielding, the third most stable variety and was the second best variety in terms of the posterior expected utility. In the present work, application of the Bayesian approach allowed us to incorporate the prior knowledge about the tested varieties and offered a possibility of treating the variety recommendation process as a formal decision process.

The assessment of winter wheat agrocenoses adaptivity in the conditions of the submontane zone of the Central Caucasus

The article presents the results of 3 years study on the adaptation of the properties of various winter wheat varieties to the conditions of the submontane zone of the Central Caucasus. The indicator of the ontogenetic adaptability was the homeostaticity of the plants. We have studied thirty winter wheat varieties according to the parameters of ecological plasticity, productivity and resistance to the destructive complex of diseases and pests like Fusarium head blight, brown and yellow rust, Septoria blight, tan spot etc. The yield of the mixed variety crops was 4.5 t/ha; the increase was 9%. In the crops of the triple mixture of the strong Veda and Delta varieties (25%) with the valuable Batko variety (50%), which differed in resistance to various diseases, the average yield of 52 cwt/ha was obtained with the protein content of 12%, the gluten content of 28% and the flour strength of 320 a.u. The authors used the resistance of the precocious Kuma variety to the damage by the cereal leaf beetle as a protective screening crop along with the field perimeter. Such a screening crop of the stable variety prevents the colonization of the crops of the other less resistant varieties with pests. The genetic diversity of the variety creates the conditions for regulating and stabilizing the phytosanitary state of the crops and increasing their productivity. With this agrotechnical method, it becomes possible to regulate and stabilize the phytosanitary situation in the fields and to increase grain productivity and quality.

Influence of tissue strength on root damage and storage losses of sugar beet

Harvesting and cleaning of sugar beet lead to root damage, which increases storage losses due to wound healing and by causing entry points for pathogens. This study aimed at quantifying the effects of variety and site on the tissue strength of sugar beet roots, and moreover, to evaluate the impact of tissue strength on damage and storage losses. For this purpose, field trials with three varieties were carried out at six sites, three in Germany and the others in Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden in 2018. Texture analysis and storage trials were conducted in Göttingen. Puncture and compression measurements revealed differences in tissue strength between varieties and sites. Drought stress during the vegetation period significantly reduced the tissue strength. Tissue strength of sugar beet roots turned out to be an environmental stable variety characteristic. It is not possible to draw conclusions from tissue strength to storage losses at a site, since many other factors, such as growing conditions, diseases and damage due to harvester settings have a strong impact. However, tissue strength might be an indicator for damage susceptibility and storage losses of sugar beet varieties.

Influence of Meteorological Conditions in Precarpathian on Morfological and Parameters of Oil Flax

The article presents the results of a ten-year study of oil flax varieties of different ecological and geographical origin in the conditions of Precarpathian region. The aim of the study was to analyze the influence of weather conditions in Precarpathian on the formation of the main morphological and biochemical parameters of oil flax. The research was conducted during 2009–2018 on the basis of the research plot at Drohobych Ivan Franko State Pedagogical University (Precarpathian zone). The objects of the study were varieties of oil flax obtained from the flax breeding laboratory of the Institute of Oilseed Crops NAAS. The experiments were based on generally accepted methods and recommendations. Varieties were sown on two-meter plots using the typical row method with row spacing of 15 cm. The weather conditions of the research were contrasting and reflected the features of the regional climate. It was found that the climatic conditions of the growing years influenced the manifestation of such signs as “plant height”, “weight of 1000 seeds” and “oil content in seeds”. The height of oil flax plants for the period 2009–2018 varied from 51.4–70.1 cm. Wet and warm weather led to a significant increase in the height of oil flax plants. Less rainfall during the growing season affected the formation of height stem for all varieties. The varieties of oil flax used in the studies differed in the weight of 1000 seeds in different years of cultivation. The highest level of the sign “mass of 1000 seeds” was for the variety Southern Night, and this index was the lowest for the variety Kivika in different years of cultivation. The year 2012 was the most favorable for the formation of the mass of 1000 seeds of oil flax. Compared to rest years of study, all varieties showed the highest productivity in this year. The lowest level of the index “weight of 1000 seeds” was observed in 2010. It was found that the weather conditions of growing years affected the oil content in oil flax. The Southern Night variety was the most stable variety by this index among the other varieties with an oil content of 43-45% in different years of cultivation. The relative fluctuation of the oil content for this variety did not exceed 3%. The results of the study showed that the climatic conditions of Precarpathian region are favorable for the cultivation of oil flax and affect the manifestation of morphological and biochemical characteristics.

A study of an operative outcome of a basitrochanteric fractures of the hip treated by dynamic hip screw and enders nail with percutaneous canulated cancellous screw

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Basicervical or cervicotrochanteric fracture of the femur is considered stable variety of fracture pattern. Most common incidence is seen in elderly patient and in young patient with probably high energy trauma. Appropriate Osteosynthesis confers excellent outcome when reduction is optimally achieved.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> 86 basitrochanteric fractures had been treated with enders nail or dynamic hip screw (DHS) at our institute by a single surgeon. Implant selection was done purely based on plain radiograph, associated co-morbidities and fracture geometry. Patients had been followed up at 1 month, 3 month and 6 month.<strong></strong></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> In our study there were 86 patients out of which 63 patients (73.25%) were treated with enders nail and 23 patients (26.74%) were treated with DHS. Mean age of patients was 57 years. We noted minimum follow up of 8 months while maximum follow up of 4.5 years where as mean follow up duration is 18 months. We almost noted excellent to fair results in both groups.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Most of the implants in basitrochanteric fractures worked on control collapse principle. Both DHS and enders nail with percutaneous cc screw follow this principle and when used with a proper technique, optimal reduction usually fetch the favourable outcomes with minimalistic approach.</p>