The role of apple breeding in the biologization of fruit production

Large-scale purposeful work on apple breeding is being carried out in the oldest research institution of Russia, Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding, which will celebrate its 175 anniversary in April 2020. The creation of triploid scab immune (Vf) columnar varieties is currently the priority area of breeding. At the Institute for the first time in Russia and in the world, a series of triploid apple varieties has been created from intervalent crossings (Avgusta, Bezhin Lug, Dariona, Ministr Kisilev and Orlovsky Partizan). 24 scab immune apple varieties with different dates of maturing have been developed including the first domestic scab immune variety Imrus as well as Afrodita, Candil Orlovsky, Veniaminovskoye, Stroevskoye and Orlovskoye Polesie. Triplod varieties with immunity to scab are of particular value (Aleksandr Boyko, Vavilovskye, Maslovskoye, Rozhdestvenskoye, Yubilar and Yablochny Spas). 5 columnar apple varieties with immunity to scab have also been created and zoned (Vostorg, Girlianda, Orlovskaya Yesenia, Poezia and Priokskoye). Hence, triploid and columnar varieties with immunity to scab have first been created. The founders are faced with the task to create columnar triploid varieties with immunity to scab ("three in one"). Selected hybrid seedlings of that type have already been obtained with the fruit of high marketable and consumer qualities. Breeding for the improvement of the fruit biochemical composition is also carried out at the Institute. Apple varieties with higher content of sugars in fruit have been created and zoned: Osipovskoye (12.2%), Orlovsky Partizan (11.8%) and Ivanovskoye (11.8%) with an average sugar content in the fruit 10.6%. The varieties with higher content of P-active substances in fruit have been created: Candil Orlovsky (558 mg/100 g) and Orlovsky Pioner (514 mg/100 g), with average content 364 mg/100 g.