Characteristics of new varieties and elites of domestic apple trees in the Samara Region

Hybrid seedlings of domestic apple trees for scab resistance were selected at the age of 1–2 years in a breeding nursery after their artificial infection. Transplanted into a breeding garden, the selections were immediately evaluated for winter hardiness, resistance to low extreme temperatures and other factors of the winter period. At the age of 9–10, they were allocated to the elite in terms of taste and fruiting. Elite plants with signs of better taste and high yield from among stable hybrids were selected in the field and on a tasting commission. The qualities of taste and fruiting were dominant in determining the culture of hybrid apple trees in the continental climate characteristic of the Samara Region. Elite seedlings were grown in a nursery on a semi-dwarf rootstock 54–118 and transplanted two-year-olds into a collection garden for primary variety study. The observations were carried out at the Scientific Research Institute of Horticulture and Medicinal Plants «Zhigulevskie Sady» in the village of Malaya Tsarevshchyna. The variety study included a visual and tasting assessment of fruit quality (appearance, taste, size, pulp structure), yield, character, stability and type of fruiting of the tree, assessment of crown shape, general condition of trees, stability of scab resistance and hardiness, and others.