Analysis of a modern condition of sunflower seeds’ quality in the Russian Federation

A well-developed system of a seed production is the most important condition for efficiency increasing of a crop production. Seed growing is a branch of the agricultural science and agricultural production, that is aimed to provide the economy with high-quality seeds of cultivated crops. The research was carried out on the basis of the data from the reports of some branches of Russian Agricultural Center on the quality of sunflower seeds, which were sown by the agricultural producers of all forms of ownership for 2008-2018 harvest in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The goal of research is to study and analyze the current state of sowing and varietal qualities of sunflower, which was carried out to understand the problems and develop proposals for seed culture improving in the country, as well as facilitating the development of proposals for the regional seed production system improving. As a result of the analysis, it was revealed that seed production of domestic varieties and hybrids of sunflower throughout the Russian Federation was not sufficiently developed, there were low rates of variety change and variety renewal, while the structure of the varietal composition of sunflower seeds sown, largely differed by the Federal Districts. Everywhere, except Central Federal District, and especially on the territory of Ural and Siberian Federal Districts, a significant proportion of the crops are occupied by off-grade sunflower seed. In the production, there is a high proportion of high-quality seeds of mass reproductions. In Central, North Caucasus, Southern, Volga Federal Districts, sowing is mainly conducted by seeds of foreign selection: the proportion of seed of foreign selection, which were imported from abroad, continues to increase, and at present, the country average foreign seed proportion is almost 50%. Despite the significant number of varieties and hybrids, which are included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements, the varietal resource is not used efficiently enough. As for sowing qualities, the sowed seed is mostly substandard due to contamination, which indicates an insufficient financial and technical base of seed farms.

семеноводство, подсолнечник, сорта, сортовые и посевные качества, seed-growing, sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) variety, varietal and sowing qualities of seeds