GENETIC RESOURCES AND THE PROGRESS REACHED BY WINTER WHEAT BREEDING

Abstract

This paper shows the contribution in  the development of the winter wheat crop, from the beginning of the breeding activity, through the testing and identification of the most adequate autochthonous and foreign wheat varieties, and later, through creating, introducing and extending in production of eight varieties: Bucovina, Suceava 84, Aniversar, Gaşparom, Magistral, Esenţial, Drobeta and Voroneţ. The cultivars Aniversar, Gaşparom, Magistral and Esenţial were cultivated during period 1996-2005. These cultivars registered an average yield of 6367 kg/ha, reaching a yield rise of 197% in comparison with the average yield registered during the period 1951-1955.  Thus, during the last 60 years an ascending dynamic progress, materialized through an yearly increasing rate up to 1,4% was registered, in comparison with the average yield obtained at the standard variety Flamura 85, during 1996-2005. The superiority of the eight varieties created at the Agricultural and Development Research Station of Suceava, from the productivity and yield stability point of view, was statistically demonstrated, through the distribution of the correlations and variability of productions, in comparison with the standard varieties from the above mentioned periods. An important progress concerning the physiological breeding characteristics such as: winter, foliar diseases and lodging resistances, was registered, too.