Evaluation of common buckwheat cultivars

During three years a set of 20 selected buckwheat cultivars of different origin was studied. In the total, 16 selected characters, inclusive of 10 qualitative ones and some morphological characters, growth and development phases and productivity elements, were studied. The highest variance level was determined in yield - coefficient of variance (v = 51.9%), rutin content in above-ground mass (v = 46.92%) and rutin content in seeds (v = 33.17%). The lowest values (v < 10%) were computed for contents of starch, crude protein and some mineral elements (P, K, Mg). The effect of years was significant in all studied characters. The differences in all three years were significant in plant height, oil content and K content. As to the yield level, the cultivars involved in experiment could be divided into three groups (with the yield higher than in the control cultivar Pyra, with the mean yield and with low yield). Cultivars were differentiated using cluster analysis according to all evaluated characters into three clusters. When we implemented groups and clusters the set could be divided into six subgroups. Cultivars Sumcanka, Krupinka, Hruszowska, Skorospelaya and Prego thigh yield and optimum combination of other characters) fell in the first subgroup.