The objective of the research is wide study of the initial material of winter rye, concentrated in N.I. Vavilov’s world collection of VNIIR and expansion of genetic diversity of forms involved in crossing. Experimental studies have been carried out on the fields of the Tatar Research Institute of Agriculture, located in Laishevsky District of the Republic of Tatarstan on 1050 varieties of VIR collection from 30 countries of the world in 2001-2010. The studied forms are reproduced under fabric insulating cabin. As a result of research initial material on the complex of economic valuable signs for purposeful use in practical plant breeding, which is the basis of working collec-tions of sources, supported with strict limitation on the cross-pollination is identified. It includes both sources on separate basis of productivity and quality, and varieties, combining the complex of economically valuable indicators. The number of identified sources in comparison with standard Radon de-pends on prevailing weather conditions and genetic diversity of studied forms. Significantly fewer selectively valuable forms are identified by technological features than by components of productivity. From 4 to 25 sources having selection value on a range of economically important indicators of plants are an-nually detected. Significantly higher yields compared to the standard show the samples of Immunnaya 5+6, Pallada, Zarechanskaya 2. Found out sources are regular extensions of genetic diversity generated initial material for subsequent hybridization, which allows increasing the productivity of win-ter rye, to overcome the vulnerability of varieties to stress factors. With their participation 450 hybrid combinations of winter rye have been obtained, which are used in selection program. Experimentally-tested initial material can be used in practical winter rye in the Tatar Research Institute of Agricul-ture as well as in research institutions of the Middle Volga and adjacent regions.