Seven apple rootstock selections have been estimated in the capacity of intercalars for the cultivars of moderately vigorous and lower types. Five dwarf and two semi-dwarf clonal rootstocks have been singled out. Certain rootstocks have been selected, which provide the largest productivity and efficiency of intensive plantations that are characterized with high productive and adaptive indices.

The present work gives the results on the investigation of apple cultivar resistance to unfavorable winter conditions in the field and the results on the artificial freezing of shoots in the chambers with the artificial climate by modeling damaging factors.
Cultivars having resistance of buds and basic tissues according to separate components and a complex of damaging factors have been revealed. For the studied period most regionalized cultivars and some new selected varieties created in VNIISPK showed sufficient hardiness to early frosts, to severe frosts up to 38…40°C, and ability to restore the frost hardy state after thaws. Under the frost of 42°C a high resistance of buds and tissues was revealed in cultivars Imrus and Sinap Orlovsky; cultivars Veteran, Candil Orlovsky and Kurnakovskoye showed high resistance of buds and bark under that temperature (damages not over 2 scores).

The survey of our country and foreign data for red currant winter hardiness and drought resistance for the period of 1970…2010 is presented. Data for plants of different climate zones have been summarized. The least investigated points are mentioned: leaf anatomical and morphological structure, photosynthetic activity and water regime. Investigations of winter hardiness and drought resistance of red currants cultivars are being conducted in the frame of the research program of the department «Breeding and variety investigation of berry crops» in the SSI All Russian Research Institute of Horticultural Breeding.

The paper examines the potential stability of sea buckthorn buds in winter conditions in Central Russia. The study of the field hardiness of buds revealed significant differences between the majorities of test samples in this parameter. Baltic sea buckthorn and derivatives from this climatype stand out for high winter hardiness. These varieties are the following: Kenigsbergskaya, Syurpriz Baltiki, Moryachka. The buds of mate forms from East-Siberian climatype, 89-5 and 89-6, and also varieties from the Altai climatype, Podarok Chernozemyu, Prima Dona and Startovaya, were damaged most of all.

Lilac is one of the best known and most popular ornamental shrubs. It is of great importance in greenbelt setting. Winter hardiness is one of the main traits in the evaluating the suitability for planting. This paper gives the results of study of the potential of lilac variety hardiness to low temperatures in autumn and winter by artificial freezing. Resistant lilac varieties have been singled out according to each component of winter hardiness and their complex.

16 new sea buckthorn varieties grown in the conditions of Orel region have been studied for the contents of biologically active matters in fruit. The best genotypes have been selected according to each feature: with ascorbic acid contents over 150 mg/100 g and carotenoid contents over 6 mg/100 g. It has been stated that the most valuable varieties are Donchanka, Karamelka and Startovaya, which combine high contents of ascorbic acid and carotenoids in fruit.

The peculiarities of currant bud mite development relative to the increasing harmfulness on red currants have been studied by scanning electron microscopy method. It has been stated that under maxima air temperature of 35,0°…39,0° C the cycle of mite development stops and the pests become dormant. The scanning electron microscopy method makes it possible to investigate in details the biological and specific mite peculiarities and it may be applied for the purpose of specification as well as determination of a period of mass mite appearance from the damaged bud for a concrete definition of dates of protective treatments.

The used method of fluctuating asymmetry of plant leaf blades (FA) confirmed the role of apple trees as a bioindicator of the environment. The response of 16 varieties with different selection origin on the extremely high summer temperatures of 2010 was shown with respect to the weather effects of the corresponding periods of 2008…2009. These data are unique because they provide an opportunity to determine the responses of apple varieties on the combination of high air temperatures with a sharp deficit of summer rainfalls by FA-method. The differentiation of the varieties is shown according to the degree of their hardiness to high temperatures under natural conditions, which gives grounds for the correction in the selection practice.

At fruit and berry nurseries a great number of harmful organisms are found. Some of these are able to lead not only to the essential decrease of plant productivity but also to the loss of plants. To ensure the effectiveness of gardening it is necessary to produce healthy planting material, strictly check this process and certificate the production.