Selection for breeding use of plum varieties resistant to spring frosts from the bioresource collection of VNIISPK

Abstract

Spring frosts during flowering and fruit setting often deprive the plum of the harvest, worsen the general condition of trees and the quality of fruits. In this regard, the purpose of the research was to isolate plum varieties resistant to spring frosts for breeding use. The research was carried out in 2022-2023 at the sites of the primary variety study of stone crops and in the laboratory of the Physiology of the stability of fruit plants of the Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding. The objects of the study were plum varieties of various genetic origin of the bioresource collection of the Institute. The assessment of resistance to spring frosts in the field was carried out in accordance with the "Program and methodology of variety study of fruit, berry and nut crops". In laboratory conditions, artificial freezing was carried out in the climate chamber Espec PSL-2KPH (Japan). The stability of generative organs of Prúnus doméstica, Prunus salicina and Prunus × rossica Erem. varieties was evaluated. in field and controlled conditions. Varieties of Prunus × rossica Erem. - Vetraz’, Gek, Zlato Skifov and Prunus salicina - Orlovskaya mechta, Skoroplodnaya, Suvenir Vostoka showed high stability of flowers and buds after the action of temperature -3 °C. The varieties Hungarian Zarechnaya, Stanley and Kuban Comet withstood a temperature of -3 °C with a proportion of dead buds of no more than 10 % and flowers of no more than 25 %. The data obtained under controlled conditions had a close correlation with the field assessment of damage to plum blossoms r = 0.75. The most resistant to spring frosts in the field and laboratory conditions are the varieties of plum Kubanskaya cometa, Skoroplodnaya and Orlovskaya mechta.