Against the backdrop of growing climatic variability, the identification of genotypes combining high yield with stability and resilience to stress factors has become a central objective of contemporary wheat breeding. Therefore, the objective of this work was to assess the stability and adaptability of a collection of 13 wheat–wheatgrass hybrids (WWHs, lines) (Triticum aestivum L. (2n = 42)) in comparison with 10 commercial spring bread wheat (Tr. aestivum L.) cultivars under various meteorological conditions. This study was conducted in one location (Moscow region, Russia) over three growing seasons (2020, 2021, and 2022), which included a highly stressful year (2021) characterized by a severe combination of drought and heat during critical growth stages. Statistical analysis employed analysis of variance (ANOVA), clustering, and modern models for assessing the genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI)—AMMI (Additive Main Effects and Multiplicative Interaction). The results showed a significant effect of year conditions on all yield components. Under the stressful conditions of 2021, most genotypes exhibited a 30–70% decrease in productivity. Cluster analysis revealed a dynamic regrouping of genotypes depending on the conditions of the growing season. The AMMI model identified genotypes with high stability, such as Sudarinya (ASV = 9.3) and WWH 200 (ASV = 11.2), as well as genotypes specifically adapted to certain conditions: KWS Akvilon (ASV = 52.1) to stressful conditions and WWH 127 (ASV = 55.9) to favorable conditions. Under stress, lines WWH 107, WWH 127, and WWH 2430 exhibited the most adaptive strategies, including compensatory mechanisms, making these hybrids promising for further breeding. In conclusion, although wheat–wheatgrass hybrids demonstrate high productive potential under favorable conditions, their successful use in breeding requires the selection of genotypes that combine productivity and stress resistance. The identified stable and adaptive genotypes are valuable for developing new competitive cultivars under changing climatic conditions.

   Relevance.  The selection of pairs for crossing is the main task of studying a collection of any crop. It is important to know which parental forms have high variety-forming ability. Therefore, the aim of our study was to study the nature of the inheritance of quantitative productivity traits by F ₁ hybrids of soft spring wheat and to identify the most promising combinations for further breeding work.    Material and Methods. Intraspecific F ₁ hybrids and their parental forms of soft spring wheat were used as the material for the study. The original forms were comprehensively studied (including the index method) in collection nurseries in 2019-2021, differing in meteorological conditions. The most productive varieties were used as maternal forms, and forms with high resistance to diseases, lodging, and high grain quality were used as paternal forms. Based on each maternal form, a series of F ₁  hybrids of the topcross type were obtained. In F ₁ hybrids, the inheritance pattern of quantitative traits of the ear of soft spring wheat related to yield (number and weight of grains per ear, number of grains per ear, weight of 1000 grains) was analyzed and phenotypic dominance indices were calculated (according to Griffing), where depression corresponds to the value D < -1; recessive inheritance – at - 1 < D < -0.5; additive effect of genes – at -0.5 < D < 0.5; dominance – at 0.5 < D < 1; heterosis is observed at D > 1. The coefficient of true heterosis was calculated according to Omarov D.S. Results.  It was found that approximately half of the studied hybrid combinations exhibit heterosis in the number of grains in the main spike (about 60%), about 30% of combinations exhibit heterosis in the number of grains in a spikelet, over 60 % – in the weight of grains from the main spike and about 80 % - in the weight of 1000 grains. This serves as indirect evidence of the effectiveness of the index method for selecting pairs for crossing. Promising combinations with a forecast of selection in subsequent generations of transgressive yield lines of spring wheat for CRHZ were identified. For the maternal form Zlata, the best combinations were obtained with pollinators MK No. 41, Sudarynya, Simbirtsit and MK No. 153; for Ekada 66 – Simbirtsit, Zlata; for Granni – Liza, Lada; for KVS Aquilon – AC Taber, Agata, AC Karma; for Ivolga - Granni.

Biofortification of wheat with anthocyanins is a strategy for solving the problem of “hidden hunger” and preventing chronic diseases. In this study, the blue aleurone trititrigia line ‘Istra 116’ is characterized as a new genetic resource for wheat breeding. Field and laboratory assessments (the years 2021–2024) compared its characteristics with the commercial trititrigia variety in ‘Pamyati Lyubimovoy’ and wheat varieties (Triticum aestivum L.). ‘Istra 116’ showed excellent agronomic qualities: a higher coefficient of productive tillering (1.93 versus 1.2), longer spikes (up to 17.5 cm) and grain yield (4.2 t/ha), exceeding the control for trititrigia (2.6 t/ha) and comparable to winter wheat (4.5 t/ha). A laboratory baking assessment confirmed its satisfactory quality (overall score 4.5/5). The blue pigment from the aleurone layer partially passed into the flour, giving the bread a darker crust but retaining the anthocyanins in the finished product. The results position ‘Istra 116’ as a dual-purpose genetic resource: a potential commercial biofortified crop and a valuable donor of the blue aleurone layer trait for traditional wheat breeding, offering a practical way to increase the nutritional value of basic foodstuffs.

This study used cryoSEM to analyze the seasonal stability of leaf surface micromorphology in cereal hybrids derived from crossing maternal ×Trititrigia cziczinii × Thinopyrum junceum lines with paternal wheat–wheatgrass hybrids. Over two growing seasons, relatively rare traits showed high stability, while most traits exhibiting initial diversity demonstrated seasonal variability. Paternal traits (hairs, prickles, elongated silica cells) predominated in hybrids, and hybrid diversity correlated significantly with paternal, but not maternal, line diversity. In 2025, a significant decrease in some paternally specific traits and an increase in rounded silica cells were observed compared to 2024. Coordinated dynamics were revealed: variations in maternal traits correlated positively with each other and negatively with some paternal traits. While certain micromorphological features exhibited relative stability, employing such traits for taxonomic purposes necessitates caution and a thorough understanding of their inherent variability ranges.