The proso variety Saratovskoe 8 is a mid-season variety created at the Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture of the South-East. It belongs to the sanquineum subtype with a medium-length and density panicle, and red round grains of medium size. The plants are of medium height with a strong stem, resistant to lodging, and elongated-lanceolate leaves. The vegetation period is 95-101 days, which makes the variety mid-late and adapted to the harsh arid conditions of the Volga Steppe zone. Saratovskoe 8 is distinguished by increased survivability and a good response to precipitation in the second half of the growing season, which allows effectively realizing the productivity potential in favorable years.
The variety is characterized by high resistance to lodging and shattering, and is moderately resistant to melanosis, but is susceptible to head smut infection, which requires mandatory seed treatment before sowing. Technological and culinary qualities of the grain and flour are at a high level, exceeding the benchmark variety Saratovskoe 6. The mass of 1000 grains varies from 7.6 to 8.9 grams, and the color of the unpolished grain is yellow. Saratovskoe 8 is included in the list of high-quality varieties and recommended for cultivation in various regions of Russia, including the Lower Volga, North Caucasus, Central, Central Black Earth, Middle Volga, Urals, Western Siberia, Eastern Siberia, and the Far East.
The commercial value of the variety is expressed in a high yield potential — from 2.0 to 4.9 tons of high-quality grain per hectare, which ensures a net income of from 4.5 to 7.5 thousand rubles per hectare. Thanks to the combination of adaptive properties, resistance to adverse factors, and excellent agronomic characteristics, Saratovskoe 8 enjoys high demand in the Volga and North Caucasus regions, as well as in the Saratov, Volgograd, Rostov regions and the Republic of Kalmykia.
