Duration of the period for creating apple cultivars and tasks on reducing it

The greatest period of time was spent on creating a cultivar at the first stage of breeding in our institution, when we did not have proper experience in apple breeding. For example, in the sixties of the last century, cultivars Pepin Orlovsky, Orlovskaya Zarya, Nizkorosloye and Sinap Orlovsky were created, in which the period from hybridization to inclusion in the State Register of Breeding Achievements allowed for use was 48, 45, 43 and 34 years respectively. With the acquisition of breeding experience in selecting the initial parent cultivars and improving the methods of growing seedlings in the breeding orchard (growing hybrid seedlings in the crown of a semi-dwarf or dwarf rootstock or on insert rootstocks) the period was significantly reduced — to 20 years for such cultivars as Yablochny Spas, Aleksander Boyko, Maslovskoye and a number of others. The first immune domestic cultivar Imrus (immune russian) was created and included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements allowed for use in just 15 years. It took 16 years to create the Rozhdestvenskoye cultivar. Naturally, on average, much less time was spent on the creation of columnar cultivars due to the earlier entry into flowering and fruiting. Due to the fact that high agricultural technology improves the growth processes of hybrid seedlings in the breeding nursery and in the breeding orchard and reduces their juvenile period, it must necessarily be carried out. This report gives a brief production and biological characteristics of the best apple cultivars of the Institute’s breeding. One of the best cultivars immune to scab is the winter cultivar Imrus (immune russian). The cultivar has a rapid fruitfulness and high yield. Its fruit can be stored in the cold storage until mid-March. Veniaminovskoye and Kandil Orlovsky are also valuable immune cultivars. The fruits of Veniaminovskoye are stored in the refrigerator until the end of February; the cultivar is characterized by the dessert quality of the fruit. The advantages of Kandil Orlovsky are also high rapid fruitfulness and productivity. Triploid Aleksander Boyko is immune to scab and has large size of fruit (220 g) and regular fruiting. Columnar cultivars Priokskoye and Poezia are of great interest. Priokskoye is characterized by scab immunity and high productivity. The fruits are characterized by marketability and high consumer qualities. In the refrigerator, the fruits can be stored until February. It took only 18 years to create this cultivar. The columnar scab-immune cultivar Poezia is characterized by high rapid fruitfulness. Its fruits are stored in the refrigerator until February.

The assessment of field resistance to scab and winter resistance of columnar apple trees in the Samara Region

The research was conducted from 2006 to 2019 in the garden of Research Institute of Horticulture and Medicinal Plants Zhigulevskie Sady in the village of Malaya Tsarevshchina of Krasnoyarsk District of the Samara Region on 14 (0,432 ha), 43 (0,1 ha), 44 (0,05 ha) and 47 (6,8 ha) areas. On the 14th area, to accelerate flowering, fruiting, pollen collection and hybridization, in the springs of 2007, 2009 and 2012, parent varieties-donors of immunity were grafted to scab of domestic and foreign selection in the crown of young fruit-bearing trees of the Northern synapsis. Hybrid seeds obtained by crossing these varieties with local varieties were sown on the seedling plot (in a new plantation) and tested for scab resistance at an early age (from 2 years old). Scab-resistant hybrids were culled, and resistant hybrids were replanted in the breeding garden on the 47th area and tested for winter resistance separately after low-temperature stress in the freezer and in the field. The authors have identified columnar elites resistant to scab, which are superior in winter resistance to the local zoned coastal variety Kutuzovets, zoned variety Northern synapsis and common Antonovka. Apple trees with a columnar crown type of local selection in Research Institute of Horticulture and Medicinal Plants Zhigulevskie Sady with a high field resistance to scab, immunity, winter resistance and other varietal advantages will contribute to the improvement of orchards (amateur, farm, industrial) and import substitution of fruit products in the Samara Region of Russia.

New columnar apple hybrdids of VNIISPK breeding

Within the framework of updating import substitution in agriculture, the issue of creating adaptive, competitive and suitable for intensive gardening apple cultivars is acute. VNIISPK conducts selection for the creation of columnar apple cultivars that meet the requirements of modern market. As a result of purposeful crosses of columnar cultivars of scab immunity donors and diploid gamete donors, a series of hybrids was obtained. 9 analyzed families have 595 seedlings, of which 299 have columnar habitus (50.3%). Among columnar seedlings, 38 seedlings are diploid (2x) and have immunity to scab (Vf), 47 seedlings are triploids (3x), but have only field resistance to scab, 98 seedlings combine in their genotype a triple set of chromosomes and immunity to scab (Vf). Preliminary data on the study of economically valuable features of columnar seedlings by employees of the Apple breeding laboratory of VNIISPK were allocated to select forms of 8 hybrids: from families [Vostorg x 25-37-45 (4x) (Orlovskaya Girlyanda x Wealthy tetraploid - 3 seedlings, [Poezia x 30-47-88 (4x) (Liberty x 13-6-106 (S. Suvorovetz)]- 4 seedlings, [(22-26-124 (Wealthy x OR38T17) x Poezia] - 1 seedling.

Apple-Tree Resistance to Abiotic Factors in Winter

Data on the reaction of apple cultivars to unfavorable autumn-winter conditions were analysed and summarised. New scab resistant apple cultivars (gene Vf) obtained from the hybridisation of local adapted varieties with a donor of scab immunity also displayed hardiness to unfavourable winter conditions. As a result of artificial freezing, the cultivars resistant to spring frost (-3.5 oC) during flowering were identified. The mechanism of adaptation to unfavourable winter conditions, and the possibility of preliminary prediction of winter hardiness according to some indicators of the physiological state of tissues in wintering trees were found. In all apple cultivars, increase of the concentrations of sucrose, anthocyanin and cyanidin was noted during the autumn-winter period, but in winter-hardy cultivars this process was more intensive; the amount of cyanidin in the bark of shoots was 6-8 times higher in comparison with non-winter-hardy cultivars. Higher water loss in non-winter-hardy cultivars was observed under conditions of extreme temperatures, which can lead to significant freezing and sunburns late in winter. In winter-hardy cultivars, peroxidase activity decreased in winter, while in the non-winter-hardy cultivars it remains high, due to incomplete hardening of tissues.

CONTEMPORARY ASSORTMENT OF APPLE IN CENTRAL BLACK EARTH REGION AND PROSPECTS OF GENE POOL OF ALL-RUSSIAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR FRUIT CROP BREEDING IN SELECTION

Studies (1972-2019) were carried out on the apple gene pool of VNIISPK by methods of the field assessment of the main production and biological indicators according to generally accepted methods of culivar study. The objects were apple cultivars of various genetic and ecological-geographical origin. A significant improvement in the zoned apple assortment in the Central Chernozem Region was revealed due to the addition of scab-immune, triploid cultivars that combine scab immunity with a triple set of chromosomes, as well as columnar cultivars. Changing conditions require constant updating of the assortment due to the use of new sources of valuable traits in breeding. High resistance to scab (Rvi6 gene) of Moldovan cultivars Koremolda, Koremodet, Romanian cultivars Romus 3 and Romus 4, and Latvian cultivars Baiba, Gita, Dace, Edite was revealed. Wijeik, Tuskan (England), Valuta, Vostorg, Girlianda, Kaskad, Lukomor, Moskovskoye Ozherelie, Poezia, Priokskoye and Sozvezdie can be valuable sources when creating new columnar cultivars (Co gene). The sources of early fruiting, productivity, high commodity and consumer qualities, genotypes with a compact low crown are selected. Valuable sources of high commodity and consumer qualities of fruit of winter ripening cultivars are Gubernskoye, Kondratievskoye, Paskhalnoye, Pervenetz Rtisheva bred at Saratov Experimental Station of Gardening; Belarusian cultivars – Antey, Alesya, Belarusian Sladkoye, Belarusian Malinovoye, Imant, Zorka and foreign cultivars Breburn, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Ligol, Fuji and Honey Crisp. The use of cultivars that are resistant to abiotic and biotic environmental factors in breeding, in combination with sources of high quality fruit, will allow creating new cultivars for intensive biologized fruit orchards that ensure competitiveness and high profitability of production.

VALUABLE DONORS OF DIPLOID GAMETES FOR TRIPLOID APPLE TREE VARIETIES CREATION

As a result of the long-term research, several of the most promising donors of diploid gametes were selected among apple cultivars and elite seedlings. Among the cultivars, these are Antonovka Ploskaya (2-4-4-4x), Melba tetraploid (4x), Papirovka tetraploid (2-4-4-4x) and Wealthy tetraploid (2-4-4-4x), while among the seedlings these are 13-6-106 (Suvorovetz seedling) (4x) and 30-47-88 (Liberty × 13-6-106) (4x + Vf). New apple cultivars of summer maturation Avgusta, Dariona, Maslovskoye and Osipovskoye have already been released with the participation of Papirovka tetraploid (2-4-4-4x) and included in the State register of breeding achievements admitted for use. New zoned cultivars Alerksandr Boyko, Bezhin Lug, Vavilovskoye and Ministr Kisilev have been released with the participation of Wealthy tetraploid (2-4-4-4x). Triploid apple cultivars Orlovsky Partizan, Patriot and Mars have been released with the participation of 13-6-106 (Suvorovetz seedling) as a donor of diploid gametes. Orlovsky Partizan and Patriot are zoned, while Mars is passing the state testing. 30-47-88 (Liberty × 13-6-106) (4x + Vf) is of particular value as both a donor of diploid gametes and a donor of scab immunity (Vf). Priorities in apple breeding at VNIISPK are the development of the immune to scab (24 scab immune cultivars are zoned) and columnar cultivars (5 cultivars are zoned: Vostorg, Girlianda, Poezia, Priokskoye and Orlovskaya Yesenia). We have already developed triploid apple cultivars that have immunity to scab. It is tempting to create triploid cultivars that are immune to scab and columnar ("three in one"). The creation of such cultivars will allow to provide more regular fruiting in the orchard and fruits of high commodity and consumer qualities (due to triploidy), improve the environmental situation in the orchard and its surroundings (due to immunity to scab), and significantly increase the yield (due to column-shaped varieties). We hope that in the coming years such cultivars will be created, since there are already selected apple seedlings with such a combination of valuable features.

PROSPECTS OF USING NEW VARIETIES OF APPLE TREES AS A RAW MATERIAL FOR JUICE PRODUCTION

Fruit suitability of apple cultivars of new generation of VNIISPK breeding, which have immunity to scab (Vf, Vm), triploidy (3x), and columnarity (Co) as well as combine scab immunity and columnarity (Vf + Co), scab immunity and triploidy (Vf + 3x) in one genome, was studied for the purpose of juice production. The technological estimation was done according to the following indicators: juice output, contents of soluble dry substances, sugars, organic acids, P-active compounds in juice and organoleptic qualities of juice. The new cultivars showed a high level of the technological indicators important for juice production. This makes them promising in the production of natural juice directly pressed for consumption and for further concentration. Apple cultivars, such as Bolotovskoye, Osipovskoye, Spasskoye, Priokskoye and Bezhin Lug, are suitable for the production of baby food since the juice of these cultivars meet the requirements TR № 178-FZ in the contents of soluble dry substances and titrate acids for baby food. The technology development of innovational cultivars cultivation in raw orchards could significantly allow solving the problem of the shortage of raw materials in the national juice industry.

DIRECTIONS AND SUMMARIZED THE APPLE SELECTION

Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding (VNIISPK) is the main supplier of new apple cultivars that meet high requirements of the up-to-date fruit-growing in the central part of Russia. By the present, 54 apple cultivars with different dates of fruit maturation have been developed at the Institute and included in the State Register of breeding achievements admitted for use. For the first time in Russia and in the world, a series of triploid apple cultivars have been released and included in the State Register. These cultivars are characterized by more regular fruiting by years, high marketable and consumer qualities of fruit and higher autogamy. More than 20 apple cultivars having scab immunity (Vf) have been developed. The first Russian scab immune cultivar Imrus is widely introduced into production. Triploid cultivars released at the Instiute and having immunity to scab deserve special attention. Five columnar apple cultivars Priokskoye, Poezia, Vostorg, Girlianda and Orlovskaya Yesenia have been developed for intensive and super intensive orchards and included in the State Register (zoned). A large interdisciplinary team of the Institute is working to create cultivars that meet high production requirements. The team of scientists includes breeders, biochemists, cytoembryologists, technologists for processing of fruits, physiologists, phytopathologists, agrochemists and staff of other specialties. The Institute is working on the problem of intensification and acceleration of the process, which makes it possible to reduce the period from hybridization to the transfer of the cultivar to the state test and its inclusion in the State Register (zoning). To do this, it is proposed that the originator institutions already lay small production test plots when the cultivar is transferred to the state test. The priority task of the Institute in the coming years is to create triploid columnar cultivars that are immune to scab.