Valentina T. Volovik

The morphobiological and economically valuable characteristics of the promising variety of spring rapeseed 'Svetozar' are presented. The variety was created using chemical mutagenesis: as a result of processing seeds of the 'Vikros' variety with ethylmethanesulfonate at a concentration of 0.03%, followed by the selection of lines characterized by precocity, lodging resistance, and improved biochemical composition of seeds. Distinctive morphological features: shortened internodes of the main stem, shoots of the first order are basal, located close to each other in a "whorl", which increases the resistance of plants to lodging; simultaneous flowering of shoots of the first order and the central brush, due to which the maturation of seeds on the plant accelerates and occurs amicably on all tiers; a surepic type of arrangement of pods, which increases the resistance of plants to seed shedding during overstocking on the root and adverse weather conditions during harvesting. The average seed yield over five years of testing was 2.37 t/ha, which is 0.39 t/ha higher than one hundred. The fat content is 45.4 ± 2.1%, protein — 24.2 ± 2.0%, fiber — 8.4 ± 2.9%. It guarantees the production of 28–32 t/ha of green mass with an output of up to 6 t/ha of dry matter. The low content of glucosinolates in seeds (11.6–13.9 mmol/g) will allow the use of seeds, cake and meal when feeding animals in high doses. The variety is approved for use from 2023 in five regions of Russia — Northwestern, Central, Volga-Vyatka, Ural and West Siberian.

Thods of cultivation in single-species and mixed crops, resource provision of grass sowing. It is shown that perennial grasses, the species and varietal composition of which allows the use of a wide variety of elements of landscape systems, significantly reduce the cost of feed production and reclamation measures. According to generalized data, all landscape systems of the Central Federal District of various geological origin are suitable for intensive cultivation and use of perennial herbaceous vegetation. To intensify grass sowing in the Central Federal District, it is necessary to increase the acreage on arable land to 4.0 million hectares and productivity of over 3.0 thousand fodder units from 1 hectare.

As a result of the treatment of “Vikros” spring canola with the chemical mutagen ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), a high-protein mutant form without glaucous bloom (wax bloom) on leaves, shoots, and siliques was isolated. Segregation into glossy and glaucous forms was always observed in the progeny of glossy plants from self-pollination, and the proportion of glaucous plants could reach up to 25%. The progeny of glaucous plants were homogeneous and did not segregate. If during the period of seed germination and seedling development the soil did not dry out and remained moist, and the average daily temperature did not exceed 16 °C, then the amount of glossy plants could reach 99%. Glossy plants possessed qualities valuable for breeding forage varieties, such as the increased content of protein in seeds (more than 30%), and change phenol metabolism, чтo прoявляется a reduced amount of lignin and sinapine in comparison with the original cultivar. In addition, plants without wax coating showed weakened shoot growth, decreased pollen fertility and seed production, and reduced lignin content in the shoots. Glossy mutants are of interest for the obtaining of fodder low-sinapine and low-lignin varieties of spring rapeseed.

The requirements and key characteristics for breeding winter rapeseed for the temperate/forest zone are formulated on the basis of agritechnical and climatic conditions. Assessment of the stock material discovered the sources of the valuable agronomic traits, such as winter hardiness, seed quality, and productivity. Freezing in a climate-controlled growth room was used along with geographically diverse intravariety hybridization for subsequent selection of the most winter-hardy specimen. Use of parental forms that provide both high yields and superb seed quality resulted in a number of varieties combining winter hardiness with good harvesting features. As a result, winter rapeseed cultivars yielding a capacity of 6.0–6.5 t of seeds ha^–1 and oil content of 44–48% with low glucosinolates and zero erucic acid content were created, thus opening vaster cultivation areas for the crop. Using the cultivars created by the All-Russia Williams Fodder Research Institute for further breeding facilitates a more sustainable and economically efficient oilseed production, expanding the cultivation areas of winter rapeseed in the European center of Russia, providing high-quality cooking oil and energy feed additives for animal husbandry.