Distribution of morphological traits in ornamental peach cultivars according to their priority

Background. Distinguishing morphological traits of peach varieties (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) and their gradations to a greater extent reflect the range of variability characteristic of the peach cultivars grown for fruit. Ornamental peach cultivars have their original features, especially as far as quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the flower are concerned. The use of wild peach and almond species in breeding for decorative purposes significantly widened the range of morphological variation in cultivars and invoked new gradations of their morphological traits. Therefore, it is vital to revise periodically the tables of morphological characters used in the assessment of cultivars. Materials and methods. The work was based on the ornamental peach collection maintained at the Nikita Botanical Gardens. Main morphological traits of cultivars were studied using the peach variety testing guidelines of the Russian State Variety Testing Commission, UPOV Guidelines, the Descriptor List of the Genus Persica Mill., and Expert Examination Methods for Ornamental Peach Varieties. Results. Analysis of the collection according to the main ornamental and morphological traits showed that its diversity in form is represented by 5 grades of tree height, 4 of tree vigor, 5 of tree habit, 10 of corolla color, 5 of double-flowering degree, 9 of flower shape, 4 of leaf color, 8 of flowering time, etc. This allowed us to adjust the tables of morphological characters for describing ornamental peach cultivars when they are assessed for their distinctness, and add new data, namely: 25 new traits with a set of grades and 22 new grades of tree, shoot and flower descriptors, which were absent in the peach testing guidelines of the Russian State Commission and UPOV (1995); 31 traits and 23 grades were added to the new UPOV Guidelines; and 1 trait and 16 new grades to the Expert Examination Methods for Ornamental Peach Varieties. Conclusions. The identified new traits and gradations, which were absent in the previously accepted expert examination procedures, expand the conception of ornamental peach variability. Thirty-one traits characterizing the plant’s overall ornamental appearance during the flowering period were classified as first-priority traits; six of them (tree height, tree habit, flower color, flower shape, double-flowering degree and flowering time) are recommended for classifying cultivars into groups.

1. ECPGR. The European Prunus Database. A new list of Prunus passport data and descriptors. 2011, 24 p. Giovannini D., Liverani A., Bassi D., Lateur M. ECPGR Priority Descriptors for Peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch]. ECPGR. Draft version 1 – august 2013.

2. Методика проведения испытаний на отличимость, однородность и стабильность. Персик, нектарин. Prunus persica (L.) Batsch. RTG/0053/1. Госкомиссия Российской Федерации по испытанию и охране селекционных достижений, 2000. С. 296–306

3. Hu D. Ornamental peaches. Zhongguo lin ye chu ban she, Beijing, 2010.

4. Комар-Темная Л. Д. Методика проведення експертизи сортів персика декоративного Persica mira Koehne, P. davidiana (Carr.) Franch, P. kansuensis Rehd. на відмінність, однорідність i стабільність // Охорона прав на сорти рослин. Київ, 2007. Вип. 1, ч. 3. С. 145–156

5. Komar-Tyomnaya L. D. Use of Wild Species in Ornamental Peach Breeding. Acta Нorticulturae, 2015, 1087, pp. 415–421. DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2015.1087.56.

6. Комар-Тёмная Л. Д. Признаковая коллекция декоративного персика Никитского ботанического сада // Материалы Шестой Международной научной конференции «Биологическое разнообразие. Интродукция растений». 20-25 июня 2016 г., г. Санкт-Петербург, Россия. С. 155–157

7. Komar-Tyomnaya L. D., Trifonova A. A. Genetic diversity of ornamental peach from Nikita Botanical Gardens collection studied by AFLP-analysis. Book of proceedings. YII International Scientific Agriculture Symposium. Jahorina, Oktober 06-09, 2016, pp. 136–141.

8. Komar-Tyomnaya L. D. The main directions and results of ornamental peach breeding in the Nikita Botanical Gardens. Acta Нorticulturae, 2018, 1201, pр. 535–540. DOI:10.17660/ActaHortic.2018.1201.71.

9. Смыков А. В., Комар-Темная Л. Д., Горина В. М., Шоферистов Е. П., Федорова О. С., Шишова Т. В., Корзин В. В., Цюпка С. Ю., Иващенко Ю. А. Генофондовые коллекции косточковых культур Никитского ботанического сада // Научные записки природного заповедника «Мыс Мартьян». 2015. Вып. 6. С. 164–228

10. UPOV. Guidelines for the conduct of test for distinctness, uniformity and stability. Peach, nectarine (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch.) TG 53/6. 1995.

11. UPOV. Guidelines for the conduct of test for distinctness, uniformity and stability. Peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch.) TG 53/7. 2010.

12. Хлопцева И. М., Шарова Н. И., Корнейчук В. А. Широкий унифицированный классификатор СЭВ рода Persica Mill. / Научно-технический совет странчленов СЭВ. ВИР им. Н.И. Вавилова. Л., 1988. 48 с.

13. Xiuying Z. The second report in the classification of ornamental peach-blossom cultivars // Acta Нorticulturae, 1995, 404, pp. 102–109. DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.1995.404.17.

14. Yoon J., Liu D., Song W., Liu W., Zhang A., Li S. Genetic Diversity and Ecogeographical Phylogenetic Relationships among Peach and Nectarine Cultivars Based on Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) Markers // J. Аmer. Soc. Hort. Sci., 2006, 131 (4), pp. 513–521.