High yield guarantee

Six specialists are engaged in variety testing at the state agricultural institution “Lepel Variety Testing Station”. Each of them is responsible for 107 variety trials. Based on their activities, 85 varieties have been entered into the state register, and 20 have been recognised as promising.

Naturally, testing is conducted according to all agrotechnical rules and technological requirements. This is achieved thanks to the small plots allocated for each variety – a hundred square metres. Last year, a total of 646 varieties of 38 crops were tested. So, what yields are obtained with proper care?

Of the seven winter wheat varieties (“Kopylyanka”, “Kapella”, “Lucius”, “Markiza”, “Secret”, “Figura”, and “Sailor”), “Secret” yielded the highest – 90.4 c/ha, and “Kopylyanka” yielded the lowest (74.7 c/ha). “Secret” has the best winter hardiness – rated at five points. “Figura” has the worst – 3.6 points. Bread from “Sailor” was rated at five points, and from “Markiza” – at 4.6 points.

The spring wheat varieties “Dosvitak”, “Laska”, and “Lyubava” had yields of 56.3 c/ha, 64.8 c/ha, and 60.2 c/ha respectively, with bread quality scores of 4.4, 4.2, and 3.9.

The rye varieties “Ukoznaya”, “Verasen”, and “Zaozerskaya” showed excellent winter hardiness and yielded 43.6 c/ha, 59.7 c/ha, and 60.9 c/ha respectively. However, “Zarnitsa” had yields of 74.1 c/ha and 70.3 c/ha in the previous two years, but only 26 c/ha last year. The reason for this decline is poor winter hardiness, rated at "1" point.

Oat varieties “Zavet”, “Aivary”, “Debut”, and “Bingo” yielded 68.8 c/ha, 62.8 c/ha, 65.2 c/ha, and 72.1 c/ha respectively.

Of the 11 malting barley varieties, “Suveren” yielded the highest – 63.2 c/ha, and “Gostinets” yielded the lowest (46 c/ha). “Fest” contains the highest percentage of malt protein – 10.99%, and “Kangu” contains the lowest (10.14%).

Of the seven winter rapeseed varieties, “Citro” proved to be the most productive – 49.4 c/ha (its average yield over three years of testing is also the best – 42.7 c/ha). “Lidar” was the least productive – 27 c/ha (average over three years of testing – 30.6 c/ha).

Nine varieties of spring rapeseed were tested over three years. The most productive variety during the testing period was “Mobil CL (PPC ZR 11109)” – 27.9 cwt/ha. The lowest yield was from “Hermes-control” – 22.7 cwt/ha. Last year, the best yield was achieved by “Solar CL (NPC ZR 11209)” – 38.6 cwt/ha, and the worst by “Trapper” (30 cwt/ha). In 2010, “Hermes-control” had the lowest yield – 15.5 cwt/ha. The variety with the highest fat content was “DK 7170 KL” – 44%, and the lowest was “Hermes-control” (38.6%).

Among the early three potato varieties, the best average yield was from the German variety “Vineta” – 322 cwt/ha, and the worst from “Lileya” (287 cwt/ha). In terms of tuber marketability, “Vineta” excelled with 92%, and in terms of starch content, “Lileya” (14.9%). The worst marketability was observed in “Lileya” – 87%, and the lowest starch content was in the German variety “Evalina” – 12.2%.
Four varieties of mid-early tubers were tested over three seasons. Compared to “Yavar” at 270 cwt/ha, the German variety “Red Fantasy” yielded 328 cwt/ha. Belarusian “Falvarak” (80%) and Dutch “Labadiya” (91%) showed high marketability, while “Labadiya” (12.5%) and “Yavar” (15.7%) excelled in starch content.

The mid-early potato varieties “Skarb”, German “Kaskad”, and Czech “Red Hanna” yielded 302 cwt/ha, 261 cwt/ha, and 298 cwt/ha respectively, with marketability of 86%, 78%, and 81%, and starch content of 12.3%, 12.4%, and 10.5%.

The mid-late group of tubers included the varieties “Lasunok”, Dutch “Ramos”, and “Santana”. Their average three-year yield was 227 cwt/ha, 307 cwt/ha, and 278 cwt/ha respectively, with marketability of 86%, 82%, and 89%, and starch content of 18.3%, 13.9%, and 16.2%.

“Atlant”, “Safir”, and “Maximum” are late potato varieties. Their yields were 264 cwt/ha, 391 cwt/ha, and 226 cwt/ha respectively, with marketability of 85%, 96%, and 67%, and starch content of 17.9%, 13.9%, and 22.6%.

Uladzimir SHUSKEVICH