Adaptation of American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon ait.) to ex vitro conditions using the hydroponic method

The purpose of research is to study the characteristics of adaptation of V. macrocarpon plants, varieties of foreign and Russian selection, obtained by the in vitro method, to non-sterile conditions using a peat substrate and using a hydroponic installation. The studies were carried out on the basis of Northern Federal University named after M.V. Lomonosov and Surgut State University using generally accepted methods in 2021-2023. The objects of the study were plants of V. macrocarpon varieties of North American (Ben Lear, Piligrim) and Russian (Meryanka, Slavyanka) selection, obtained by the method of microclonal propagation. Adaptation of regenerated plants was carried out in a vertical ABS hydroponic installation (manufactured by Active Biological Systems LLC, Russia) in periodic flooding mode. 7, 14, 20, 30, 50 and 70 days after transplantation, the survival rate and morphometric indicators of plant growth (number and length of shoots, number of leaves, number and length of roots) were systematically recorded. The experiments were carried out in 3 replicates with 100 regenerated plants in each. The maximum survival rate of regenerated V. macrocarpon plants when adapted using a hydroponic installation (100 %) was noted on the 50-70th day of cultivation, on a peat substrate (75-80 %) - on the 70th day. The maximum values of morphometric parameters of V. macrocarpon plants on the 70th day of cultivation were noted when using a hydroponic installation (number of shoots - on average 4.1-5.1 pcs.; length of shoots - 24.9-30.2 cm; number of leaves - 84.0-95.4 pcs.; number of roots - 20.4-25.6 pcs.; root length - 21.3-26.1 cm), whereas when adapting to a peat substrate, the length of shoots was shorter on average 1.9-4.2 times, number of leaves - 1.2-1.7 times. Russian varieties had advantages in the number of shoots, number and length of roots compared to North American varieties.