No 4 (2024)

The existing apple assortment needs regular updating by introducing genotypes capable of integrating all elements of agronomic technology and maximizing economic returns in the production cycle. The aim of the research was to create a new productive winter apple cultivar with an increased level of resistance to abiotic and biotic stressors and a set of high market and consumer qualities of the fruit. The experimental plantings are located at the breeding and experimental-industrial sites of the I.V. Michurin Breeding and Genetic Center, with a planting scheme of 6 × 3 m. Hybrid seedlings were developed in a nursery with a planting distance
of 90 × 30 cm. The study of the inheritance of significant breeding traits at the age of 2—3 years was carried out without prior сulling; the plants were planted in the breeding orchard. The study used the new apple cultivar ‘Pokrovskoye’ and the zoned cultivar ‘Bolotovskoye’ (control), with 32 trees of each cultivar on rootstock 54-118. ‘Pokrovskoye’ was obtained from hybridization in 2000 by pollinating the flowers of ‘Charodeika’, developed at the VNIIGiSPR named after I.V. Michurin, with the pollen of ‘Zolotaya Korona’ from the North Caucasian Federal Scientific Center for Horticulture, Viticulture and Wine-making. Fruiting was regular, with no noted periodicity. At a young age, its yield was 23.3 kg/tree; during the full fruit-bearing period, the average yield reached 44.0 kg/tree. The fruits were medium-sized to large, with an average weight of 165 g and a maximum of 215 g. They were attractive, and their appearance and taste awere rated at 4.6 points. The cultivar is promising for cultivation in the Central Black Earth region and can be recommended for industrial cultivation.

The main purpose of the study is to develop new varieties of currants with reliable environmental adaptation, high yield and resistance to diseases in the conditions of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Scientific work is carried out at the Kushnarenkovsky Breeding Center for fruit and berry crops and grapes of the Bashkir Scientific Research Center of Agriculture of the Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The objects of research are black currant varieties 'Karaidel' (standard) and ‘Truzhenitsa’. The study was conducted in the period from 2005—2022. As a result of the long-term target breeding work, a new variety ‘Truzhenitsa’ (breeding number is 3-57) has been developed. This variety is distinguished for its high productive qualities, large berry size, drought resistance, and field resistance to major diseases and pests. The variety is promising for industrial and amateur gardening. The purpose of the variety for the use of products is universal. In 2024, it was included in the State Register of Protected Breeding Achievements in the Ural region of the Russian Federation.

This article presents the results of a study of the frost resistance of black currant cultivars bred by the South Ural Research Institute of Horticulture and Potato Growing, a branch of the Ural Federal Agrarian Scientific Research Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in the field conditions of the Southern Urals for 2022—2024. The study was conducted to identify the most frost-resistant cultivars. The work was carried out by growing shoots in vessels with water and visually assessing the color change of tissues on longitudinal sections. Ten black currant cultivars were used as research objects. It was found that, depending on weather conditions and varietal characteristics, the degree of tissue subfreezing in winter varied from 0.1 to 1.5 points. In 2022 and 2023, at a minimum air temperature of -35°C and -34°C, tissue freezing was 0.1—0.5 points. In 2024, at a minimum air temperature of -38.5°C, tissue freezing reached 1.5 points. It was noted that the bark and buds were more damaged than other parts of the bush (wood, core). ‘Sibylla’, ‘Rusalka’ and ‘Mayak’ turned out to be more resistant to freezing in 2022—2024 (the average value was 0.2—0.3 points). ‘Sudarushka’ and ‘Zhemchuzhina’ were more susceptible to freezing (the average value was 0.6 points). ‘Podarok Ilinoy’, ‘Zyuratkul’, ‘Venera’, ‘Kialim’ and ‘Pigmey’ were characterized as cultivars moderately resistant to freezing.

Garlic is the oldest vegetable plant, which has been cultivated for about 5 thousand years. China ranks first in the world in terms of gross garlic production, followed by India and South Korea. Russia ranks fourth in garlic production. This crop is appreciated for its precocity, winter hardiness, yield, high nutritional and medicinal properties, unique biochemical and mineral composition. Recently, interest in the cultivation of garlic has been increasing significantly and issues related to the selection of the most adaptable and high-yielding varieties with high product quality remain relevant. In 2021—2022 and 2024, at the experimental field of the Pushkin laboratories of the Department of Genetic Resources of Vegetable Crops of VIR, studies were conducted to study and evaluate 9 samples of winter garlic from various regions of the Russian Federation according to the main economically valuable characteristics of plants in order to identify the most promising for cultivation and breeding in the North-West. It was revealed that garlic samples were able to preserve their characteristics when grown in other soil and climatic conditions and were characterized by high indicators of economically valuable characteristics and biochemical composition. All the studied samples had high winter hardiness. The samples of ‘Krasnodarsky’, ‘Chemalsky’ and ‘Zimostoykiy’ formed large bulbs with an average weight of 44.5—47.8g and large cloves of 6.7—8.1 g, had the highest yield (12.28—13.04 t/ha), high soluble solids content (41.2—43.3%) and sugars (21.4—23.0%); they are promising for cultivation and use in breeding work. The results made it possible to identify these samples as adapted to growing conditions with high potential for productivity and quality of bulbs. The ‘Chemalsky’, ‘Krasnodarsky’ and ‘Karelskiy’ samples were selected for reproduction by aerial bulbs.

Among the beautifully flowering shrubs, lilac is the most decorative. Its application in landscape design is diverse. It is widely used in park culture, adorns squares, city boulevards and estates. The genus Syringa L. includes more than 30 species and more than 2500 varieties that can be successfully used for green construction, as they are characterized by high decorativeness and ecological lability. Currently, botanical gardens, research institutes, arboretums are conducting comprehensive research aimed at improving and studying the methods of reproduction of lilac plants, expanding information about their biology and genetics. When growing lilacs, planting material, seed and vegetative reproduction are used. Open and protected grounds were used for seed propagation of lilac species. Observations showed a positive effect of the protected ground microclimate on the emergence, growth and development of lilac seedlings. The conditions for growing lilac seedlings significantly affect their biometric indicators. The height of the above-ground part of seedlings in protected ground is 10—15 cm more than that of seedlings in open ground. Thus, it is possible to obtain standard seedlings - lilac rootstocks in one year in the conditions of the Leningrad Region. A lot of practical work has been done on growing varietal lilacs by the method of improved copulation (with a ligule) using Hungarian lilac as a seed rootstock. Experiments were conducted with six rare varieties of common lilac. The biometric parameters of two-year-old seedlings were influenced by the growth force of the grafted variety. The following varieties showed intensive growth in height: ‘Cosmos’ – 113 cm (open ground), ‘Baikal’ – 144.7 cm (protected ground). The following varieties showed moderate growth in height: ‘Baikal’ – 85 cm (open ground), ‘Karl X’ – 122 cm (protected ground). Analysis of the condition of seedlings of lilac varieties and their compatibility with the rootstock showed that in the environment of the Leningrad Region, growing lilac varieties ‘Cosmos’, ‘Baikal’, ‘Nadezhda Krupskaya’ provides an output of standard two-year-old seedlings of up to 70—80%. The results of the work make it possible to accelerate the cultivation of lilac seedlings for landscaping needs and to propagate varietal lilacs subject to compatibility of the rootstock and scion.