The department of crop breeding
Head of the department
Tetiana Yuriivna Marchenko, Ph.D. (Doctor) in Agricultural Sciences, Senior Researcher.
Contact information: tmarchenko74@ukr.net; 0954429212
Wheat Breeding
Main directions of scientific activity: Development of theoretical basis of wheat breeding and creation of short-stemmed and medium-stemmed soft winter wheat varieties for irrigated and non-irrigated agriculture in the steppe and forest-steppe ecological zones of Ukraine. Fundamental research on the genetics of traits and properties of winter wheat that determine the adaptive and productive potentials of these varieties and the quality of their grain. Development of a model and creation of soft winter wheat varieties for irrigation conditions with a yield potential of 8.0-10.0 tons/ha. Under the conditions of implementing variety-specific agronomy practices, such yield can be achieved at 95-100% capacity.
Key Scientific Achievements:
Varieties: Khersonska Bezoshta, Khersonska 99, Ovidiy, Kokhana, Blago, Maria, Konka, Burgunka, Anatoliya, Ledyа, Koshova, Soborna, Perlyna Stepу, Akvilegiya, Khersonska Fortetsya, added to the State Register of Plant Varieties of Ukraine. The varieties developed by the institute under irrigation conditions ensure grain yields of 8.5-10.5 tons per hectare. When grown on non-irrigated areas, these varieties achieve yields of 7.0-7.5 tons/ha for winter wheat and 4.0-5.0 tons/ha for spring wheat. A notable characteristic of these soft winter wheat varieties is their high resistance to abiotic and biotic environmental factors, such as low winter temperatures and common phytopathogens in Ukraine, including powdery mildew, brown rust, fusarium, septoria, and others. These varieties are highly valued for their grain quality. Created varieties of hard winter wheat are high-yielding, sufficiently winter-hardy and drought-resistant. In the southern regions of Ukraine, they can achieve yields of 7.0-7.5 tons/ha on irrigated fields and 5.0-6.5 tons/ha on non-irrigated fields with optimal crop rotation. These varieties, including Dnipriana, Kassiopiya, Andromeda, are listed in the State Register of Plant Varieties suitable for cultivation in Ukraine. The developments related to soft and hard wheat varieties are protected by intellectual property rights, including 38 copyrights and 20 patents.
Soybean Breeding
Key Scientific Activities in Soybean Breeding: The main directions of scientific activity in soybean breeding are as follows: conducting agrobiological studies of the initial material, searching for effective sources and donors of resistance, and developing theoretical foundations for creating high-yielding varieties of soybean and peanuts with high nitrogen-fixing and adaptive abilities for irrigated conditions in southern Ukraine.
Breeding work is carried out with the aim of creating high-yielding soybean varieties of different maturity groups with seed yields ranging from 3.0-3.5 tons/ha for early-maturing varieties to 4.0-5.5 tons/ha for intermediate and medium-maturing varieties, with a vegetation period ranging from 80 to 125 days. These varieties are characterized by a high protein and oil content. Initial research has been initiated in peanut breeding with the goal of creating high-tech, high-yielding varieties (3.0-4.0 tons/ha) that are resistant to diseases, with different maturity groups and a vegetation period ranging from 90 to 105 days. These varieties have a protein content in seeds of up to 25% and an oil content of up to 7%.
Key Scientific Achievements
The main scientific achievements in soybean breeding include the identification of sources of early maturity, high seed productivity, resistance to lodging, fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases, and resistance to pod shattering, with high and stable protein and oil content in the seeds. An initial breeding material has been developed, based on which 30 soybean varieties have been bred independently and in collaboration with other research institutions over the years and registered in the State Register of Plant Varieties of Ukraine and other countries.
The early-maturing variety “Diona” has been recognized as a national standard in its maturity group by the State Commission for Variety Testing for an extended period. The most widely grown varieties currently include “Diona,” “Faeton,” “Danaya,” “Sofiya,” “Svyatohor,” “Monarkh,” and “Panna.” The early-maturing varieties “Diona,” “Monarkh,” and “Panna” are reliable precursors for winter crops in all regions of Ukraine, and they are recommended for sowing in post-harvest and post-fallow crops under irrigation conditions.
In addition to soybeans, two medium-fiber cotton varieties, “Dniprovsky 5” and “Pidozersky 4,” have been created and registered in the State Register of Plant Varieties suitable for cultivation in Ukraine. These varieties are early-maturing, with a vegetation period of 115-120 days, rapid maturity of the first and second-tier bolls, and a fiber yield of 37-38%. They are recommended for cultivation in the southern regions of Ukraine.
Alfalfa Breeding
The primary focus of scientific research: Developing new high-yielding varieties of alfalfa with a combination of specific traits and properties tailored to production requirements.
Key Scientific Achievements
Interrelationships between morphobiotypic characteristics of alfalfa root systems and economically valuable traits have been identified to facilitate more targeted selection based on root systems as a factor in improving soil fertility and structure, as well as increasing above-ground biomass productivity. Informative traits, such as the diameter of the taproot and the volume of the root system, have been determined, which are associated with key characteristics that define the overall plant productivity and can be used as indirect selection criteria for root mass accumulation and nitrogen-fixing capacity. These developments have enabled the creation of alfalfa varieties with robust root systems, high productivity, and adaptive capabilities, capable of accumulating 2.5-3.0 tons/ha of biological nitrogen in the soil. A methodology for selecting alfalfa with enhanced root mass accumulation has been developed. Research on biological nitrogen fixation in the institute is conducted in the following directions: studying the polymorphism of nitrogen-fixing productivity in alfalfa plants, identifying donors with high nitrogen-fixing activity, and creating alfalfa varieties with increased nitrogen-fixing capacity based on these donors, as well as selecting highly efficient symbiotic pairs of variety-strain. In response to climate change, the development of drought-tolerant alfalfa varieties is a current requirement. Therefore, breeding work has begun on creating alfalfa varieties with a combination of economically valuable traits, including high forage and seed productivity, and drought tolerance.
Ten varieties of alfalfa have been created: Nadiejda, Synska, Khersonska 9, Unitro, Veselka, Serafima, Zoryana, Anzhelika, Luiza, and Elegiya, which have been included in the State Register of Plant Varieties of Ukraine and granted the status of National Heritage of the state. Original and elite seeds are grown at the Institute of Irrigated Agriculture of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences, as well as at the experimental farms “Kopani,” “Askaniske,” and LLC “Zolotiy Kolos.” Breeding work with sainfoin has been initiated, and the initial material has been developed for the production of new high-yielding varieties suitable for the conditions of the southern region. The breeding of perennial grasses started in 1978 under the guidance of O.V. Svyrydov. The breeding work aimed at creating new high-yielding varieties of perennial grasses adapted to local conditions is of great importance for strengthening the forage base. As a result of the breeding work, five competitive varieties of perennial grasses of the southern ecotype suitable for haymaking and pastures in the conditions of the dry steppe of Ukraine have been created and included in the State Register of Plant Varieties suitable for distribution in Ukraine.
