Agricultural Aviation and Farming The concept of "aviation varieties" does not exist in the strict scientific sense in the nomenclature of plant breeding. However, historically, this term has been understood to refer to specialized varieties of agricultural crops created or widely introduced during the era of industrialization of Soviet agriculture in the 1960-1980s, whose cultivation was optimally adapted to the use of aviation technology (aviation chemical work, aerial sowing) on vast fields. This was a symbiosis of agronomy, breeding, and aviation industry, aimed at maximum mechanization and efficiency in the conditions of extensive agriculture. Agronomic requirements for "sky" varieties For effective aerial treatment, plants had to possess a set of characteristics different from varieties for manual or tractor labor: Low height and resistance to lodging. This is a key parameter. Tall, weak-stemmed crops (old varieties of rye, wheat) would fall under the weight of dew or after rain, forming "piles". Low-growing (70-110 cm) varieties with strong straw remained standing, allowing An-2 planes ("corn planes") to evenly spray pesticides and herbicides over the crops without creating "bare spots" in areas of lodging. Simultaneous ripening. For harvesting by combines and for effective desiccation (drying of plants with chemicals from the air before harvesting), all plants on the field had to reach full maturity as synchronously as possible. This contrasted sharply with folk varieties, where ripening was stretched out. Resistance to chemical impact. Varieties had to tolerate not only target substances (fertilizers, stimulants) but also the runoff of some chemicals from adjacent fields. This required breeders to incorporate resistance to certain classes of herbicides and fungicides into the genotype. Uniformity in height and habit. An even "carpet" of plants of the same height ensured accurate delivery of chemicals to the leaf surface and even ripening. Historical context ... Read more