Sovremennoe sadovodstvo – Contemporary horticulture

Nowadays, with the development of genomic technologies, it is becoming increasingly possible to establish pathogen resistance genes in the grape genome and to move from traditional generative breeding of grape cultivars to marker assisted selection (MAS) at the gene and genome level. Compared to traditional approaches, the application of MAS in the context of background selection is a breakthrough in making valuable traits of wild species available in breeding programs in a manageable time frame. MAS allows targeted pyramiding of resistance loci. The combination of different resistance loci is of interest not only for the degree of resistance but also for the expectation of higher resistance. The application of MAS also makes possible the selection of suitable parents with optimized pyramiding potential. One of the directions of breeding work on the creation of new cultivars was breeding for resistance to phylloxera, downy mildew and powdery mildew. However, preconceptions regarding the wine quality of the new resistant varieties prevented their entry into the market. These prejudices are still popular and may be the reason why much of the wine community ignores significant progress in breeding and sticks to using well-known varietal wines or blends in practice. What is new is the need to increase viticulture resilience and adaptation to changing environmental conditions. Climate change with its extreme weather conditions has already necessitated a change of cultivars in many wine regions. A paradigm shift is therefore knocking on the door: new cultivars (PIWI) versus traditional cultivars for climate-adapted and sustainable viticulture.

A promising trend in agronomy is considered to be apple breeding at the polyploid level, which ensures the production of triploid high-quality varieties necessary for growing in intensive orchards and more adaptive to the conditions of the modern ecological environment,. A wide range of initial tetraploid forms is necessary for obtaining triploids. When using tetraploids as pollinators it is necessary to consider the features of formation of male gametes. It allows to select correctly the initial forms for crossing and identify the necessary amount of hybridization. Data on the study of meiosis in microsporogenesis in the tetraploid apple form 34-21-39 [30-47-88 [Liberty × 13-6-106 (s.s. Suvorovetz)] (4x) × Krasa Sverdlovska (2x)]] are given in this paper. In most microsporocytes the pictures of meiotic division were correct. The spectrum of violations was small. The percentage of violations at all stages of division ranged from 11.3 % to 22.5 %. Chromosome runs and lags, emissions of individual chromosomes into the cytoplasm of the microsporocyte and bridges between anaphase groups were noted. Tetrad stage was characterized by the presence of polyads (pentads, hexads and heptads). At the final stage of meiosis, 77.7 % of correct tetrads were formed. Despite of the presence of abnormal pictures of division in microsporogenesis, the tetraploid apple form 34-21-39 (4x) had a high percentage of visually normal viable pollen, as evidenced by the results of the analysis of ploidy of hybrid progeny involving this form as a pollinator. In the crossing combination Girlianda(2x) × 34-21-39(4x), 80,0 % of hybrid progeny turned out to be a triploid set of chromosomes. It is concluded that there is a possibility of using the tetraploid apple  form 34-21-39 (4x) as a pollinator in the breeding programs using polyploids.

Features of the resistance of sour cherry varieties from the bioresource collection of the Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding (VNIISPK) to fungal diseases were studied in the period from 2018 to 2020. During the studies, the resistance of the genotypes to coccomycosis and moniliosis, two main diseases of sour cherries in the Orel region, was determined. 20 genotypes were studied, among which there were 14 varieties, as well as one elite and three selected forms of VNIISPK breeding, as well as two varieties of different genetic and ecological-geographical origin. The research was carried out on the basis of garden plantings of the department of breeding, variety study and varietal agricultural technology of stone fruit crops of the VNIISPK. Based on the results of the research, a certain degree of genotype dependence on diseases was revealed. Thus, the level of resistance to coccomycosis was higher than that of the control variant, as shown by the genotypes Podarok Uchitelyam, ELS 84847, Novella, ОS 84735, Muza and Bystrinka. The varieties Ostheim Griotte and Umanskaya Skorospelka showed an insufficient degree of resistance to this disease. At the same time, Shokoladnitsa, Orlitsa, Vereya, Putinka, ОS 84854, Podarok Uchitelyam, Novella, Rovesnitsa and Bystrinka proved to be resistant to moniliosis, as well as Prevoskhodnaya Venyaminova, which was not affected by moniliosis at all. Umanskaya Skorospelka and ОS 84595 were the least resistant ones. The studies made it possible to identify a number of genotypes that were the most resistant to both diseases. They are Podarok Uchitelyam, Novella and Bystrinka, which can be used in breeding for complex resistance to fungal diseases of sour cherries.

The study of the maintaining the quality of fruits of Altai apple cultivars (the harvest of 2019—2021) presents the results of changes in the mass and taste of fruits during the long-term storage (up to 5 months). The fruits were stored in a refrigerator at a temperature of +2°C and a relative humidity of 85%. The first estimation was carried out after two months of storage, then it was every month. The objects of the study were the fruits of new Altai apple cultivars Chupinskoe and Yubileynoye Kalininoy; Altayskoye Zimneye was taken as control. At the end of the experiment the largest weight loss compared to the initial value during storage (10.5 g) was shown by Yubileynoye Kalininoy – from 64.8±2.0 to 54.3±2.5 g. Altayskoye Zimneye showed the minimal natural loss (9.5%): the difference in the weight between the beginning of the 5-month storage period and the end was 7.4 g. The decrease in the weight of apples of  Chupinskoye was 12.0% (from 58.1±1.0 g to 53.6±2.2 g). At the beginning of the storage, the best taste (at the level  of 4.5—4.6 points) was noted in Chupinskoye. No significant differences in this indicator were noted for all cultivars during the years of study. The maximum values of the indicator for the cultivars were observed at different storage periods: Altaiskoye Zimnee showed an improvement in taste characteristics during the entire period of observation reaching 4.7 points in 2021 and 4.9 points in 2019 and 2020, by the end of storage. Chupinskoye acquired the best taste (4.9 points) 2—3 months after the beginning of storage. A decrease in taste characteristics was noted further (within up to 5 months the level dropped to 4.2 points in 2019 and 3.6 points in 2020). No significant improvement in the taste of fruits of Yubileynoye Kalininoy during the storage period was noted.