Contemporary horticulture

The challenge of selecting optimal apple cultivars suitable for the conditions of the Russian climate remains relevant due to the specific characteristics of the territories, such as severe frosts and susceptibility of apple cultivars to diseases – particularly scab. The study was aimed at identifying promising apple cultivars and elite forms developed at the I.V. Michurin Federal Scientific Center that could be effectively used in industrial production. The main objectives were to assess the resistance of new cultivars to adverse environmental conditions, determine their fruit quality characteristics, and evaluate their potential productivity. A standard methodological approach was applied, including field trials and laboratory analyses. The study focused on four cultivars and two elite apple forms developed by the research team. It was found that the ‘Gurman’ and ‘Pokrovskoe’ cultivars, as well as the elite form 11‑3‑1, exhibit high tolerance to low temperatures and good resistance to scab. Their yield exceeds that of existing cultivars, while the fruits are characterized by good consumer qualities. Thus, the research confirmed the high efficiency of the developed cultivars and the promise of continuing work to improve the apple assortment for Russian regions.

In the formation of highly productive apple orchards in regional horticulture, the key aspect is the selection of the optimal combination of scion and rootstock. In the conditions of the southern forest-steppe zone of the Republic of Bashkortostan, we studied on the interaction of apple varieties bred by the Bashkir Research Institute of Agriculture of the Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences: Bashkirsky Krasavets, Buzovyazovskoye, Bashkirskoye Zimneye on semi-dwarf and medium-sized rootstocks Ural-5 (Orenburg OSSV VSTISP), MM-106 (East Malling Research Station), 54-118 and 6-20-11 (Michurinsk State Agrarian University). The objective of the study was to study and identify the most productive scion-rootstock combinations of apple trees in the conditions of Bashkortostan. Productivity studies were conducted during 2020—2022 on a test plot of an orchard without irrigation, with a planting scheme of 5 × 3 m planting scheme. The study presents comparative research data on key biometric indicators and yield parameters in accordance with generally accepted methodologies. The combination of the Bashkirsky Krasavets variety on the MM‑106 rootstock showed the best results for tree height, canopy projection area, and crown volume – 3,5 m, 2,84 m², and 4,88 m³, respectively. The Ural‑5 rootstock provided the best values for trunk circumference across all studied varieties and the highest yield of 19,1 t/ha for the Bashkirskoe Zimnee variety. The MM‑106 rootstock ensured the best yields for the Bashkirsky Krasavets and Buzovyazovskoe varieties – 24,4 t/ha and 22,6 t/ha, respectively. The Buzovyazovskoe variety showed the highest fruit weight across all rootstocks – from 94,1 g on the 54‑118 rootstock (control) to 102,4 g on the MM‑106 rootstock. Analysis of variance did not reveal significant differences among the scion‑rootstock combination variants, which allows us to recommend them for use in the conditions of the Republic of Bashkortostan.

The aim of the work is to study the effect of corrective additives of sapropel and ammonium nitrate to the basic peat‑sand substrate (created with the participation of high‑moor acidic peat) on the rhizogenic activity of green cuttings and the morphometric parameters of rooted gooseberry cuttings. The studies were carried out in the forest‑steppe horticultural zone of the Krasnoyarsk Territory in 2017–2019. The gooseberry variety used was ‘Cherny Cherkashina’. Propagation of the crop by green cuttings was carried out according to the generally accepted method. The cuttings were planted in a greenhouse equipped with fine‑drip irrigation, on substrates corresponding to the experimental variants. The basic substrate consisted of a mixture of peat and sand in equal volumetric proportions. To reduce the acidity of the peat (pH_H2O = 3.1), sapropel from the local Maly Kyzykul deposit (pH_H2O = 7.4) was used. Experimental variants: peat + sand (control); peat + sand + sapropel 10 t/ha; peat + sand + sapropel 15 t/ha; peat + sand + sapropel 20 t/ha; peat + sand + N₃₀ peat + sand + sapropel 10 t/ha + N₃₀; peat + sand + sapropel 15 t/ha + N₃₀; peat + sand + sapropel 20 t/ha + N₃₀. A statistically significant increase in the rhizogenic activity of cuttings was obtained in the variants peat + sand + sapropel 15 t/ha + N₃₀, and peat + sand + sapropel 20 t/ha + N₃₀. A statistically significant increase in the rhizogenic activity of the cuttings was obtained in variants 6 and 7 (peat + sand + sapropel, 15 t/ha + N₃₀ and peat + sand + sapropel, 20 t/ha + N₃₀), where, on average over the years of research, 57.0% and 60.0% of the planted cuttings rooted, respectively. This exceeds the control values by 5.9% and 8.9%. The application of sapropel at doses of 15 and 20 t/ha significantly increased the number of first‑order lateral roots on rooted cuttings and their total length.

Environmental protection and all its components are essential for maintaining the integrity of the biosphere and its ability to sustain the key characteristics vital for human life and health. One of the major environmental challenges of our time is the decline of plant biodiversity. To address this issue, various strategies are employed: legislative protection, in situ conservation, ex situ cultivation, reintroduction, and preservation of genetic resources in gene banks. Regional Red Data Books and lists of protected plants play a special role in biodiversity conservation, as does the preservation, cultivation, and study of species ex situ in botanical gardens and arboreta. The aim of the research is to study the ecological and biological characteristics of rare and endangered plants from the Oryol Region within the bioresource collection of the arboretum at the All‑Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding (VNIISPK), with a view to ex situ conservation and their subsequent use in plant breeding and landscaping. The studies were conducted in the VNIISPK arboretum (Oryol Region, 53°00’N, 36°00’E), which hosts 14 rare plant species native to the Oryol Region. According to the research findings, all studied species do not exhibit aggressive traits towards other plants. Of these, nine species have adapted well to cultivation conditions and complete all phenological development phases annually; they are recommended for ex situ conservation and use in landscaping in central Russia. The following species are recommended for use in breeding programs due to their consistent excellent and good fruiting: Beardless Iris (Iris aphylla), Integrifolial Clematis (Clematis integrifolia), Common Liverleaf (Hepatica nobilis), Transylvanian Liverleaf (Hepatica transsilvanica), Siberian Squill (Scilla sibirica), Hollow Corydalis (Corydalis cava).