APPLE TREES VARIETIES OF VNIISPK SELECTION IN PRODUCTION

Abstract

The creation and improvement of adaptive apple assortment for industrial gardening in the Central zone of Russia is the main goal of the continuous work of breeders and specialists of related specialties of VNIISPK. A group of apple cultivars of various maturation periods has been created for both industrial gardening and amateur household farms. These apple cultivars are characterized by high adaptability to abiotic and biotic environmental factors, suitability for modern industrial production; they have attractive fruits with excellent taste and high content of biologically active substances. Fifteen VNIISPK cultivars are immune to scab along with a complex of economically valuable traits. The presence of the gene of immunity to scab in cultivars leads to a decrease in the fungicidal load in the orchard and, as a consequence, to the ecologization of fruit products. Nineteen VNIISPK apple cultivars are triploid. This biological feature is of great economic importance. Triploid cultivars are characterized by high-quality fruits, more regular fruiting and high yield. Seven triploid cultivars are also immune to scab, which increases their value. The share of apple cultivars of our breeding recommended for the Central Chernozem region is 44%, and for the Central region - 23% of the total apple assortment. Our apple cultivars not only satisfy the traditional tastes of the population, but are also characterized by a complex of biological and economically valuable features that allow them to be successfully introduced into intensive orchards, thereby playing an important role in solving the problem of import substitution of fruit products and year-round provision of fresh apples to the population. In many areas of the Central and Central Chernozem regions of Russia, the orchards are planted with VNIISPK cultivars. In Altukhovo LLC, Tula region, these orchards occupy 540 hectares. The average level of profitability of cultivation of 6 cultivars of VNIISPK breeding in this farm has amounted to 72.8% over the past five years. In the joint-stock company "Dubovoye" (Tambov region), the total area with our apple cultivars is 167.2 hectares with a profitability of 73.7%. In the “Komsomolets” stud farm (Tambov region), the average level of profitability for three VNIISPK cultivars occupying 48 hectares has amounted to 125.7% over the past five years.