The use of wild-growing Prunus L. species in breeding adaptive dwarf rootstocks of peach

All modern technologies of peach cultivation are focused on the use of clonal, mainly dwarf, rootstocks. Technical efficiency and resistance to pathogens are also important. The work on the creation of such clonal rootstocks of peach is carried out at the Krymsk Experiment Breeding Station (EBS), a branch of VIR, on the basis of the stone fruit crop genetic diversity accumulated at the Station, primarily using the wild species which can serve as donors and sources of important breeding traits. The studied fruit crop genetic diversity was found to contain the most promising genotypes, for instance dwarf P. pumila L., P. tomentosa Thunb., P. ulmifolia Franch., P. pedunculata Maxim., P. tenella Batsch (= Amygdalus nana L.) and P. petunnikowii Rehd.; soil pathogen-resistant genotypes, e.g., P. davidiana Franch. and its hybrids Barrier (P. davidiana x P. persica Stokes)), Sputnik (P. kansuensis Rehd. x P. davidiana), Major (P. amygdalus Stokes x P. davidiana), etc.; chlorosis-resistant genotypes: Kuban 86 (P. cerasifera Ehrh.x P. persica), VSV 1 (P. incana (pall.) Roem. x P. tomentosa Thunb.); as well as the genotyopes that display easy rooting of the lignified cuttings, e.g., P. cerasifera Ehrh., P. pumila L., Kuban 86, etc. Of great interest are the recently developed dwarf, adaptive and productive rootstocks, such as Best (P. pumila x P. cerasifera) and Uprjamec (P. cerasifera x P. ulmifolia). The testing of new clonal rootstocks has shown their suitability for the use in peach plantations cultivation applying modern intensive technologies, and for the production of peach planting material using intensive technologies.

The State Register of Breeding Achievements Approved for the Use in the Russian Federation includes such clonal rootstocks of peach as Kuban 86, Evrika 99, VVA 1, VSV 1, Best and Zarevo. The clonal rootstock Uprjamec has been accepted for the state trials.

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