Distribution areas and biomorphological characteristics of the gooseberry in the western areas of Azerbaijan

The article provides materials on the study of the economic efficiency of new and non-traditional berry crops for cultivation in the Western regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The results of the research have established that the cultivation of non-traditional (gooseberry) species both in mountainous and lowland areas are economically profitable crops. In the mountains of the Lesser Caucasus, there are a lot of species and varieties of the main berry species such as raspberries, blackberries, currants, gooseberries, strawberries, which are widely used by the local population. Along with them, there are in nature in natural growth such non-traditional breeds in culture as gooseberries, as well as new ones for local culture, blueberries and bilberries. The local population harvests from wild plants and cultivates them by planting them in household plots. Expeditionary studies have established that gooseberries are common in various regions of the Lesser Caucasus, mainly in the lower and middle tiers of the forest, at an altitude of 1164 ... 1175 m above sea level, and blueberries and bilberries are relatively higher, at an altitude of 1181 ... 1845 m above sea level. It has been established that all the studied wild berry plants have a high (80 ... 100%) index of vitality.