Yield potential and stability in selected winter wheat landraces and obsolete cultivars of European origin

Productivity of selected European landraces and obsolete cultivars of winter wheat (31 accessions) was estimated in field trials in six environments (two years and three sites) with four modern cultivars as checks. Yield, its stability and response to range of environments were estimated with the aim to characterize the differences between old and modern cultivars and specify valuable landraces and obsolete cultivars. Mean yield of four modern cultivars was by 51% higher than in landraces and obsolete cultivars, best old cultivar Zarja reached 77% of the yield of best modern cultivar Astella. Eleven old cultivars provided mean yields over 4.0 t.ha(-1), local cultivars Bila od Dukovan, Vouska z Tremosnice, Zidlochovicka jubilejni osinata and Chlumecka 12 belonged to this group. Years and especially sites had significant influence on yields, however, impact of these factors was lower in landraces and obsolete cultivars than in modern cultivars. Also relative yields of old cultivars when compared to modern cultivars had clearly increasing trend in environments with lower mean yields. This indicates that landraces and obsolete cultivars could better compensate adverse conditions of environment and provided better yield stability, of course on lower level of yield potential than modern cultivars. Also results of regression analysis confirmed much stronger mean response of modern cultivars to environment (b = 1.63) when compared to the mean response of old cultivars (b = 0.87). Different response to environments can be found also within the landraces and obsolete cultivars. Some of these cultivars, similarly as modern ones, strongly respond to environments (e.g. Bila od Dukovan, Brauner Fuchs, Barbu du Maconnais, Baltischer Winterweizen and Gammel Svensk Landhvetde). On the contrary, cultivars with extremely flat reaction (b = 0.73) were Dolis-Puri 35/4 and Hatvani 5612. Cultivars with this broad general adaptation could provide better results in on farm conservation or in low input growing systems. Among old cultivars of Czech origin Zidlochovicka jubilejni osinata and Chlumecka 12 showed broad adaptation, similar was also cultivar Vouska z Tremosnice, but its response to environment was more balanced.