Perennial Grains in Russia: History, Status, and Perspectives
Morgounov A. Shchuklina O. Pototskaya I. Aydarov A. Shamanin V.
August 2025Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Crops
2025#5Issue 4
The review summarizes the historical and current research on perennial grain breeding in Russia within the context of growing global interest in perennial crops. N.V. Tsitsin’s pioneering work in the 1930s produced the first wheat–wheatgrass amphiploids, which demonstrated the capacity to regrow after harvest and survive for 2–3 years. Subsequent research at the Main Botanical Garden in Moscow focused on characterizing Tsitsin’s material, selecting superior germplasm, and expanding genetic diversity through new cycles of hybridization and selection. This work led to the development of a new crop species, Trititrigia, and the release of cultivar ‘Pamyati Lyubimovoy’ in 2020, designed for dual-purpose production of high-quality grain and green biomass. Intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) is native to Russia, where several forage cultivars have been released and cultivated. Two large-grain cultivars (Sova and Filin) were developed from populations provided by the Land Institute and are now grown by farmers. Perennial rye was developed through interspecific crosses between Secale cereale and S. montanum, demonstrating persistence for 2–3 years with high biomass production and grain yields of 1.5–2.0 t/ha. Hybridization between Sorghum bicolor and S. halepense resulted in two released cultivars of perennial sorghum used primarily for forage production under arid conditions. Russia’s agroclimatic diversity in agricultural production systems provides significant opportunities for perennial crop development. The broader scientific and practical implications of perennial crops in Russia extend to climate-resilient, sustainable agriculture and international cooperation in this emerging field.
amphiploids , genetic diversity , grain wheatgrass , perennial wheat , production technologies , rye , sorghum
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Biodiversity Department, Al Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, 050051, Kazakhstan
Agronomy Department, Omsk State Agrarian University Named After P.A. Stolypin, Omsk, 644008, Russian Federation
Main Botanical Garden Named After N.V. Tsitsin, Moscow, 127276, Russian Federation
Biodiversity Department
Agronomy Department
Main Botanical Garden Named After N.V. Tsitsin
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