YIELD AND GRAIN QUALITY OF VARIETIES AND CULTIVARS OF WHITE LUPINE (LUPINUS ALBUS L.)

Due to the lack of irrigation, the question of replacing soybean with an equivalent crop in the context of nutritional value and adaptation to the weather conditions of Crimea arises. One of such crops can be white lupine (Lupinus albus L.). The purpose of the research was twofold: assess L. albus productivity and crude protein content in grain; identify the most promising varieties and breeding numbers of white lupine under conditions of the steppe Crimea. In 2016-2018, the research was carried out on the experimental field of the Research Institute of Agriculture of Crimea according to the B.A. Dospekhov methods of field research and methodology of the State variety testing of agricultural crops. We studied the influence of bioclimatic conditions of the steppe Crimea on the growth, development, grain yield formation and protein content of four varieties (‘Michurinsky’, ‘Alyi Parus’ (standard), ‘Dega’ and ‘Desnyansky 2’) and four promising breeding numbers (‘CH-1022-09’, ‘CH-1677-10’, ‘CH-1397-10’ and ‘CH-6-11’). A wide diversity of weather conditions during the years of research made it possible to evaluate the samples in favorable and stressful conditions. In drier years, the growing season lasted 93–97 days because of the reduction in interphase periods; in milder ones it was101 days. The results in grain yield have been mixed: from 0.48 to 1.45 t/ha in 2016; from 0.35 to 0.56 t/ha in 2017; from 0.39 to 0.54 t/ha in 2018. On average, over a three-year study, breeding numbers ‘CH-1022-09’ and ‘CH-1677-10’ were the most productive. Their yield was 0.65 and 0.81 t/ha, respectively. In 2017, crude protein content varied from 24.02 to 28.49%; in 2018 – from 26.05 to 31.1%. On average, over the years of study, the highest protein content was typical for the varieties ‘Alyi Parus’ (29.30%) and ‘Michurinsky’ (29.03%). Breeding numbers ‘CH-1022-09’ and ‘CH-1677-10’ were distinguished by the highest indicators of productivity and yield; in terms of crude protein content, varieties ‘Alyi Parus’ and ‘Michurinsky’ were the best. Consequently, they are the ones that are recommended for cultivation.