BLACKSTONE AND REDSTONE – THE DIAMANTES OF UKRAINIAN BREEDING17.01.2017

The fall in the value of commodity products has forced farmers to turn their faces to domestic breeding. Indeed, can we consider ourselves UKRAINIAN manufacturer using imported equipment, seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and technologies? What is ours? SUN! WATER! EARTH! Where sells products? Loading on ships, trains and truck for export. What remains to us? SMILE OF FAT AND SATISFIED EUROPEANS! Come to your senses!


On the territory of Ukraine is breeding achievements that are implemented in industry, actively working and quite well-known institutes of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Well, who didn’t know sunflower hybrid Jason or corn hybrid Kadr? But the time is passing - to replace the old come new hybrids, which absorbed the achievements of nowadays. In place of the old breeding institutions come new - more mobile, powerful and modern. A number of new breeding establishments of private ownership appeared in Ukraine since independence. These establishments often have links with the institutions, however, unlike academic – work more efficiently and smartly. One of the first private breeding establishments – is well known among manufacturers, primarily for its sunflower and corn hybrids, All-Ukrainian Scientific Institute of Breeding "VNIS".

Rape, together with the sunflower and corn, is an important commercial crop. Wherein, the economic value it has acquired recently. The most companies pay their attention on it and began actively breeding work. You can verify of this by comparing years of entry into the State Register of Ukraine and the numbers of varieties of rape in different companies. For some farms, this culture is one of the most cost-effective and provides working capital in August and September, when it is so needed on the farms. Particular importance the rape is for producers of north and west, and to those regions where the cultivation of sunflower is limited by traditions or weather conditions. For a long time in production almost unused varieties of sunflower, corn and beets. In the register of plant varieties permitted for use in Ukraine, has been recorded nearly 500 hybrids of corn and sunflower. Everyone knows and not doubts that the first generation hybrids are more technological, dominate varieties for yield, uniformity, etc. Unlike the aforementioned cultures for which the creation of hybrids in the Soviet Union were a necessity, for rape in most domestic agencies, with some exceptions, is still performed "antiquated" selection of varieties.
However, we would like to stay on exceptions, which we hope, then will be a rule for our country.


Thus, the current breeding for heterosis requires a substantiated knowledge of genetics culture, using of DNA markers, and analysis of inheritance of main feature. In VNIS there are breeding programs for creating hybrids of different directions of rape and opened the lab of biotechnology and genetic analysis. This is the prerequisite and basis for creation a modern hybrids that of their properties are not inferior to the best world analogues. Hybrids are created on three types of cytoplasmic male sterility. All hybrids have a low content of erucic acid and glucosinolates. It was started breeding to create hybrids with a modified fatty acid composition of the oil.
In 2014 the hybrids submitted to state testing, which have no analogues in the national breeding and go hand in hand with leading international brands. These hybrids are resistant to herbicides of complex action, including imidazole group. Against the background of other high performance yield, resistance to abiotic factors and technology, they are characterized by an obvious advantage - the ability to control the purity of the crop.
REDSTONE PC-00 type, early ripe (300-305 days). Originator: LLC All-Ukrainian Scientific Institute of Breeding "VNIS". Glyphosate salt application rate to 4 l/ha. It is features by a high resistance to abscission and strong energy of germination. Average yield of seeds during the years of testing: 38-45 cwt/ha and yield potential of 70 cwt/ha.


BLACKSTONE IMI 00-type, early ripe (295-300 days). Originator: LLC All-Ukrainian Scientific Institute of Breeding "VNIS". The application rate of the imidazole group herbicide (Euro-Lightning) 1-1.2 l/ha. It is features by a high drought tolerance and resistance to blossom weevil damage. Average yield of seeds during the years of testing: 40-46 cwt/ha and yield potential of 72 cwt/ha.


Clearfield production system is suitable for rape cultivation technologies both classical and beyond minimum or zero tillage. Good results achieved in soils with high organic matter and even on stony soils, as well as by the lack of moisture and other adverse factors.


Clearfield production system facilitates protection of crops from weeds to the farmers as reduces herbicidal treatments. Thus, they have more time to focus on eliminating other factors that lead to lower yields.


Flexibility in the timing for weed control becomes even more important when the weather is not conducive to field work. Finally, because of this, farmers can better organize their work in a field that allows them to get the best results. Indeed sowing the rape - it is always a very busy period and flexibility in the use of herbicides help farmers to pay more attention to other stages of agricultural work.

Among the new products that should be expected in the near future – the line of rape hybrids that are resistant to herbicides and hybrids that are resistant to insects.


The peculiarity of the All-Ukrainian Scientific Institute of Breeding "VNIS" is a continuous cycle from scientific work at the molecular level to certified seed ‘FROM GENE – TO THE FIELD’. A seed breeding is conducted under control and with the direct participation of breeders - authors of hybrids, thus preserving the varietal quality and implement them in YOUR FIELDS.