Specific features of germination of some vaccinium (Vaccinium) in N. V. Tsytsin Main Botanical Garden RAS

The purpose of the study was the establishment of seed germination features of representatives of the genus Vaccinium, having edible fruits and grown in Moscow Region, in a comparative aspect. The objects of study were the representatives of the genus Vaccinium: V. myrtilloides, V. erythrocarpum, V. arctostaphylos, V. gaultherioides. The seeds were sown in dendrological nursery of Tsytsin Main botanical garden RAS in January and March of 2019 in a heated greenhouse with an average temperature of +20-25 °C, superficially, either on high moor peat of low disintegration degree, or its mixture with coarse-grained washed sand. The seeds of V. myrtilloides were sown without stratification, the rest were stratified. The process of shoots appearing was observed till May, 2019. The sizes of seeds, seed germination, the length of seedlings, overwinter mortality rate of seedlings were established: for V. myrtilloides (0.128 ± 0.016 × 0.096 ± 0.006 mm; 35.40 %; 1.11 ± 0.13 cm; 28.07 %), V. erythrocarpum (0.184 ± 0.009 × 0.122 ± 0.008 mm; 12. 90 %; 1.48 ± 0.07 cm; 0 %), V. arctostaphylos (0.154 ± 0.008 × 0.134 ± 0.007 mm; 32.76 %; 1.39 ± 0.15 cm; 5.26 %) and V. gaultherioides (0.168 ± 0.014 × 0.103 ± 0.007 mm; 25.71 %; 4.10 ± 0.51 cm; 0 %). V. gaultherioides was supposed to be the most promising species for further introduction studies, and applied manipulations to introduce it into the culture were satisfactory. For V. erythrocarpum, V. arctostaphylos and, especially, V. myrtilloides, further studies are required, including those considering the preparation of seeds for sowing.