North American apple-tree species: sources of useful agronomic traits for breeding

The results of studying the collection of North American apple-tree species are presented. Forms with a whole set of traits interesting for breeding are highlighted, including such features as late flowering schedule, disease resistance, long shelf life of fruits, etc. In addition, the small-fruited ornamental apple-tree (crab apple) accessions obtained from North American species are briefly described, and the most valuable of them are recommended for practical uses.

Microsatellite loci variability in apple cultivars developed at VIR

Background. Microsatellite (SSR) markers are now widely used both for studying genetic diversity in fruit crop collections, including apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.), and for genotyping individual accessions. The apple collection held by VIR, being the largest in Russia, contains cultivars bred at five experiment stations of VIR. These cultivars not only meet the requirements of horticulture in the region of their origin, but also are interesting as sources of valuable traits for breeding programs. However, these cultivars have not previously been studied using microsatellite markers. Materials and methods. A set of 10 SSR markers (CH02c02b, CH03d01, CH01f03b, CH02d08, CH02c02a, CH05e03, CH02c09, CHVf1, CH01h01, COL) was used for genotyping 35 apple cultivars developed at VIR and four parental forms. Fluorescently labeled PCR products were separated by capillary electrophoresis on ABI Prism 3130xl.Results. In 35 apple cultivars from VIR, 97 alleles were identified at ten studied loci. The number of alleles per locus varied from 5 (CH02c02b) to 17 (CH02c02a). The frequency of unique alleles was 26,8%, with 12,4% for rare alleles. Polymorphism information content (PIC) values varied from 0,49 (CH02c02b) to 0,91 (CH02c02a) and averaged 0,76. Expected and observed heterozygosity levels averaged 0,79 and 0,56, respectively. Cluster analysis did not reveal a clear division of cultivars according to the place of origin (experiment stations of VIR), but revealed clustering according to pedigrees.Conclusion. A high level of polymorphism was observed in 35 apple cultivars from VIR using ten SSR markers. The obtained data on the allelic composition of the studied cultivars can be used for their identification and contribute to more efficient collection management. Further studying and SSR genotyping of VIR’s apple collection and comparison with the data obtained in the presented work can help to identify the origin of cultivars with unknown pedigrees.

The World Vegetable Center Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) Core Collection as a Source for Flooding Stress Tolerance Traits for Breeding

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is a heat tolerant vegetable crop with high economic and nutritional importance in parts of Asia, Africa, and America. The okra biodiversity held in gene bank collections could be mined for traits for breeding more stress tolerant and nutritional cultivars. An okra core collection of 166 accessions comprising A. esculentus, A. moschatus, A. caillei, and A. manihot has been assembled from the World Vegetable Center germplasm collection (840 accessions) based on diversity analysis with 20 microsatellite markers. A selection of A. esculentus accessions of the core collection (75 accessions) and 20 breeder-selected genotypes have been screened for variation of their response to flooding stress under field conditions using a high throughput phenotyping system. Growth increment per day and changes of physiological indices were measured before, during, and after application of 9 days of flooding stress. Several accessions showed only a small reduction in daily growth increment during flooding. Across the germplasm panel, maintained growth was correlated with maintained normalized differential vegetation index and was negatively correlated with plant senescence index. Accessions with maintained growth and health under flooding were selected for future further analysis and use in breeding.

SOURCES OF VALUABLE TRAITS FOR BREEDING SPRING SOFT WHEAT IN THE MIDDLE VOLGA REGION

The work was carried out in 2018-2019 in the forest-steppe zone of Samara region. The purpose of the research is to conduct study samples of collection nursery of various ecological and geographical origins and identify new sources of economically valuable traits for breeding in the forest – steppe of the Middle Volga region. The material for research was 352 collection samples of spring soft wheat, including 108 foreign varieties and hybrids and 244 domestic samples of breeding institutions of the Russian Federation. Meteorological conditions during the research years were quite severe, and vegetation took place in arid and acutely arid conditions (hydrothermal coefficient in 2018 – 0.51, in 2019 – 0.48, with a long-term value in the region of 0.73). The greatest variability over the years of research was observed in the indicators of grain yield of samples (Сv=23.9...27.5 %) and plants height (Сv=10.8...12.9 %). According to the research results, 30 new genetic sources of economically valuable traits of spring soft wheat were identified. Sources of precocity (period of shoots-earing 35...37 days): Uralskaya kukushka, Chelyaba rannyaya, Tyumenskaya 25, Lutescens 70, Odeta, Libertina, Chi Mai, Long Fu 7, M83-1551. Sources of short stems (plants height 40...45 cm): KWS Torridon, KWS Jetstream, Florens, Eleganza, Long Fu 13. Sources of consistently high productivity (grain yield 415...554 g/m2, and the yield increase over the standard 71...210 g/m2): Erythrospermum 4089, Grekum 5523, Lutescens 6029, Lutescens 6074/6-23, Lutescens 6102/1-32, Lutescens 6102/1-34 Erythrospermum 6517/24-1, Ekada 214, Burlak, Ulyanovskaya 105, Lebedushka, Saratovskaya 73. Sources of high protein content (15.4...16.7 %) and gluten (36.0...42.0 %) in grain: Erythrospermum 3898, Erythrospermum 4112, Erythrospermum 4171, Erythrospermum 5289

Promising hybrids of Asiatic lilies breeding of All-Russian Horticultural Institute for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery

The purpose of the work was to select hybrids of Asian lilies promising for landscaping from the gene pool of the All-Russian Horticultural Institute for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery, to characterize their advantages. Peculiarities of hybridization (the optional isolation of stigmas and castration) are refl ected, as well as grouping of lilies by fl owering time and height of fl ower-bearing shoots, valuable traits for breeding. The main features taken into account in the preparation of combinations of crosses and selecting seedlings in order to obtain hybrids that are diverse in appearance and stable in culture were: fl owering periods – from early to latest, infl orescence shape – from hemispherical to pyramidal, compact infl orescence, anthers sterility, originality forms and colours of fl owers, resistance to botrythiosis and alternariosis, ability to vegetative propagation by traditional methods, including the ability to form bulbills in the leaf axils. Ten promising Asian hybrids have been selected from the Institute’s hybrid lily fund, which are stable in open ground culture, varied in colour (one-colour and two-colour in various tones), fl ower shape (wide open, cup-shaped, chalmoid), fl ower-bearing shoot height (from short to tall), fl owering periods (from early to medium late). Among them ‘Alye Parusa’ and ‘Izyashchnaya’ are originally from Lilium davidii and are characterized by high drought tolerance, tall, elegant fl owers; ‘Ogonek’, 15.17 and 15.22 possess cytoplasmic male sterility; ‘Ogonek’, 15.17 and 15.21 possess early or medium early fl owering; ‘Meduza’, ‘Ogni Biryulevo’, ‘Tsaritsa’ possess an interesting coloring of fl owers; ‘Alye Parusa’, ‘Zagorye’, ‘Izyashchnaya’, 15.22 are tall, suitable for long cuts; in hybrids ‘Zagorye’ and 15.22 large leaf bulbills form in the axils of the leaves, which will contribute to the long-term cultivation of these lilies. All characterized hybrids are valuable material not only for fl ower decoration, but also as parent forms for breeding.

Характеристика продуктивности и качества урожая столовых сортов Negr

Успехи в создании новых перспективных высококачественных сортов винограда в значительной мере зависят от разнообразия исходного генетического материала, знания его ценных хозяйственных характеристик. В результате анализа показателей продуктивности и качества урожая 47 местных столовых сортов V. v. orientalis Negr. выявлены источники ценных хозяйственных признаков для селекции: Сатени черный, Хусайне люнда, Зени амар, Шами абиад и Риш баба, которые являются источниками раннеспелости, крупноягодности, крупноплодности, высокой продуктивности и качества винограда. Сорта Сатени черный, Кировобадский столовый клон 216, Шами абиад выделены для совершенствования конвейера столовых сортов и рекомендации для включения в Госреестр сортов, допущенных для промышленного возделывания в РФ.Success in creating new promising high-quality grapevine cultivars largely depends on diversity of the original genetic material, and knowledge of its valuable economic characteristics. Analysis of productivity and harvest quality indicators of 47 local V. v. orientalis Negr. table cultivars revealed sources of valuable economic traits for breeding: ‘Sateni chernyi’, ‘Husayne Lunda’, ‘Zeni Ama’, ‘Shami Abiad’ and ‘Rish Baba’, which are the sources of early ripeness, large yield, large fruit, high productivity and quality of grapes. The cultivars ‘Sateni chernyi’, Kirovobad table clone 216, ‘Shami Abiad’ were selected to improve the conveyor of table grapes, and will be recommended for inclusion into the State Register of varieties approved for industrial cultivation in the Russian Federation.

Formation of buckwheat genepool collection in Ukraine and directions of its usage

The national collection of buckwheat in Ukraine consists of more than 2,000 samples.The material is studied, reproduced and preserved in special storage facilities with controlled environmental conditions and temperature, humidity of grain in the hermeticcontainers. The research work, conducted over the genepool, has allowed separating the source of valuable for selection treats: high yield and productivity, large grain, low-growing plant, high seedling vigor, resistance towards abscission and impact of abiotic and biotic environmental factors. As a result of the fulfilling research program "Plant genetic resources" following actions are conducted annually:allocation of 10-15 sources of selection and agronomic traits of plant productivity, grain quality, adaptability of the material, etc .;software research and breeding facilities standards, sources and donors of valuable traits for breeding and other research - about 100 collection samples; transmission of 1-2 educational collections (30-50 samples) to educational institutions.