Morpho-anatomical and physiological-biochemical parameters of buckwheat seeds in connection with selection for high and high-quality yield

The article presents the results of many years of research on the morpho-anatomical and physiological-biochemical parameters of seeds in buckwheat cultivars of different breeding periods. It is noted that as a result of selection, the increase in crop yield is achieved both by enlarging the seeds and increasing their number. The correlation coefficient between the yield and the weight of 1000 seeds was +0.89, and with the number of seeds it was + 0.78. In modern varieties, compared with local populations, the geometric parameters of the elements of the seed anatomy increased on average: the cross-sectional area - by 19.6%, the area of the endosperm-by 16.3%, the area of the embryo – by 24.5%. The embryo became both longer (by an average of 14.7%) and thicker – by an average of 11.4%. The increase in the amount of spare substances and the capacity of the seed embryo in modern varieties made it possible for plants to develop more steadily and efficiently at the initial stages of organogenesis. The conclusion is made about the urgent need to adjust the current direction in the selection of buckwheat in the direction of optimizing the ratio between grain size, nutritional and technological value in seeds, taking into account the physiological role of the trait in the adaptive and productive process of plants. A promising variety of buckwheat should be characterized by the following parameters of grain quality and processability: weight of 1000 seeds – 30-31 g; film content – 19-20%; yield of cereals – 75%; protein content – 15.0-15.5%; content of heavy metals-below the permissible norm. It is quite possible to achieve these parameters by selection, since the gene pool of the crop is characterized by a large polymorphism of grain quality indicators.