THE ROLE OF DOMESTIC BREEDING IN IMPROVING THE APPLE ASSORTMENT IN RUSSIA

Abstract

Large-scale purposeful work of breeding institutions in Russia has significantly improved and expanded the apple assortment in Russia. Over the past 15 years (2005-2020) alone, more than 70 apple cultivars, including the first triploid and scab immune cultivars in Russia, have been included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements. During this period 20 apple cultivars were created in VNIISPK, 15 cultivars were created in the Siberian Research Institute and other institutions of Siberia, and 13 apple cultivars were created in the I. V. Michurin Russian Research Institute of Genetics and Breeding of Fruit Plants. 8 apple cultivars each were created and included in the State Register in the All-Russian Breeding and Technological Institute of Horticulture and Nursery Production and the North Caucasus Federal Scientific Center for Horticulture, Viticulture and Winemaking, 5 cultivars in Dagestan and 3 cultivars in the Lupin Research Institute. An equally important tasks are facing breeding institutions in the future. It is necessary to reduce significantly the time for the creation of the cultivar and its introduction into production. The experience of VNIISPK shows that it takes an average of 24 years to create competitive apple cultivars with winter fruit ripening and about the same amount for production testing and introduction of cultivars into wide production. This report provides examples of faster creation and introduction of new valuable apple cultivars into production. A significant acceleration of the introduction of valuable new cultivars into wide production can be facilitated by the simultaneous laying of small production test gardens with 100-200 trees of the tested cultivars with controls. Of particular interest are columnar apple cultivars for creating super-intensive amateur and industrial orchards.