Winter hardiness of Iris barbatus L. in the climatic conditions of the nonchernozem zone of Russia

Abstract

The article presents a comparative analysis of such an important trait that is economically valuable for vegetative reproduction in the bearded iris as the degree of winter hardiness of rhizomes. Economic efficiency for the industrial production of planting material is also calculated. The degree of winter-hardness was determined by the ratio of the number of plants left before winter to the number of plants that grew up in early spring. As a result of research, 84 varieties of domestic and foreign selection were assessed, among which a total of four groups were identified with varying degrees of winter hardiness. Observations have shown that the irises of domestic breeding and time-tested foreign varieties, which have been cultivated for a long time in central Russia, are most resistant to overwintering. The economic efficiency of growing planting material was 144% per unit area (1 ha).