CONTEMPORARY ASSORTMENT OF APPLE IN CENTRAL BLACK EARTH REGION AND PROSPECTS OF GENE POOL OF ALL-RUSSIAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR FRUIT CROP BREEDING IN SELECTION

Abstract

Studies (1972-2019) were carried out on the apple gene pool of VNIISPK by methods of the field assessment of the main production and biological indicators according to generally accepted methods of culivar study. The objects were apple cultivars of various genetic and ecological-geographical origin. A significant improvement in the zoned apple assortment in the Central Chernozem Region was revealed due to the addition of scab-immune, triploid cultivars that combine scab immunity with a triple set of chromosomes, as well as columnar cultivars. Changing conditions require constant updating of the assortment due to the use of new sources of valuable traits in breeding. High resistance to scab (Rvi6 gene) of Moldovan cultivars Koremolda, Koremodet, Romanian cultivars Romus 3 and Romus 4, and Latvian cultivars Baiba, Gita, Dace, Edite was revealed. Wijeik, Tuskan (England), Valuta, Vostorg, Girlianda, Kaskad, Lukomor, Moskovskoye Ozherelie, Poezia, Priokskoye and Sozvezdie can be valuable sources when creating new columnar cultivars (Co gene). The sources of early fruiting, productivity, high commodity and consumer qualities, genotypes with a compact low crown are selected. Valuable sources of high commodity and consumer qualities of fruit of winter ripening cultivars are Gubernskoye, Kondratievskoye, Paskhalnoye, Pervenetz Rtisheva bred at Saratov Experimental Station of Gardening; Belarusian cultivars – Antey, Alesya, Belarusian Sladkoye, Belarusian Malinovoye, Imant, Zorka and foreign cultivars Breburn, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Ligol, Fuji and Honey Crisp. The use of cultivars that are resistant to abiotic and biotic environmental factors in breeding, in combination with sources of high quality fruit, will allow creating new cultivars for intensive biologized fruit orchards that ensure competitiveness and high profitability of production.