EVALUATION OF SELF-FERTILITY IN BLACK CURRANT CULTIVARS IN THE NORTHWEST OF RUSSIA

Background. High yield is one of the main requirements for modern black currant cultivars. It depends on many factors, but is always linked to self-fertility. Highly selffertile cultivars are of particular importance in areas with unfavorable weather conditions during flowering, because they are able to provide high yields even in single-cultivar plantings. In this regard, it is very important to study selffertility of cultivars in order to identify those with the highest level of this character for use in breeding and large-scale cultivation.

Materials and methods. The study of selffertility was carried out at Pushkin and Pavlovsk Laboratories of VIR in 2014–2017. Fifty-seven black currant cultivars of different genetic and ecogeographic origin were the material of the research. The degree of self-fertility was measured by conventional techniques in 3 variants of pollination: 1) natural self-pollination; 2) artificial self-pollination; and 3) free pollination. Statistical data processing was performed using Microsoft Excel and the guidelines by B. A. Dospekhov.

Results and conclusions. Highly self-fertile cultivars were identified, which may be recommended for breeders as sources of this trait: ‘Navlya’ (k-42228), ‘Dobrynya’ (k-42121), ‘Golubichka’ (k-32624), ‘Golosievsky velikan’ (k-44176), ‘Valentina’ (k-15631A), ‘Kozatskaya’ (k-44187), ‘Arapka’ (к-44175), ‘Kanakhama’ (k-44197) and ‘Fat’ (k-42509). High yield in the Northwest of Russia can be secured by cultivars that combine high self-fertility with large fruit size: ‘Valentina’ (k-15631A), ‘Vernisazh’ (k-43126), ‘Garmoniya’ (k-40677), ‘Dobrynya’ (k-42121), ‘Desertnaya Ogoltsovoy’(k-45670), ‘Joninai’ (k-43124), ‘Kanakhama’ (k-44197), ‘Karri (k-44172), ‘Mila’ (k-40673), ‘Sevchanka’(k-45551), ‘Sofievskaya’(k-43131), ‘Talisman’ (k-44183), ‘Yubileinaya Kopanya’ (k-44189), ‘Shalunya’(k-41988), and accession 2780-20-33 (k-15575A). It is shown that free pollination and artificial self-pollination
provide a positive impact on the fruit setting level, fruit weight and seed productivity. Natural autogamy, on the contrary, tends to decrease the weight of berries and the number of seeds in them.

1. Programme and methodology of variety studies for fruit, berry and nut crops (Programma i metodika sortoizucheniya plodovykh, yagodnykh i orekhoplodnykh kultur). Orel: Res. Inst. of Fruit Crop Breeding; 1999. [in Russian].

2. Arasu N.T. Self-incompatibility in Ribes. Euphytica, 1969;19:373-378. Buglova L.V. Pollen grain fertility, viability and optimal preservation period in the genus Trollius (Ranunculaceae) (Fertilnost, zhiznesposobnost i optinalnye sroki khraneniya pyltsy predstaviteley roda Trollius [Ranunculaceae]). Botanicheskii zhurnal = Botanical Journal. 2015;100(3):270--277. [in Russian].

3. Dospekhov B.A. Methodology of field trial (Metodika polevogo opyta). Moscow: Agropromizdat; 1985. [in Russian].

4. Ogoltsova T.P. Black currant breeding: past, present and future (Selektsiya chernoy smorodiny – proshloye, nastoyashcheye, budushcheye). Tula; 1992. [in Russian].

5. Gruner L.A., Kuleshova O.V. Productivity components and autogamy of blackberries in Orel region (Komponenty produktivnosti i samoplodnost yezheviki v usloviyakh Orlovskoy oblasti). Contemporary Horticulture. 2017;4:38-43. Available from: http://journal.vniispk.ru/pdf/2017/4/30.pdf [in Russian].

6. Panova N.I. Self-fertility of some varieties and forms of pears (Samoplodnost nekotorykh sortov i form grushi). Author’s synopsis of the PhD (Agric. Sci.). thesis. Moscow; 2000. [in Russian].

7. Koloteva N.I. Apomixis and its use in black currant breeding (Apomiksis i yego ispolzovaniye v selektsii chernoy smorodiny). Byull. nauchnoy informatsii TsGL im. I.V. Michurina = Bulletin for Scientific Information of the Michurin Central Genetic Laboratory. 1990;48:46-48. [in Russian].

8. Rainchikova G.P. Biology of flowering and pollination of black currant varieties of different origin in the conditions of Belarus (Biologiya tsveteniya i opyleniya sortov chernoy smorodiny razlichnogo proiskhozhdeniya v usloviyakh Belorussii). Author’s synopsis of the PhD (Biol. Sci.). thesis. Minsk; 1971. [in Russian].

9. Koloteva N.I. The phenomenon of apomixis in black currant and its importance in breeding (Yavleniye apomiksisa u chernoy smorodiny i yego znacheniye v selektsii). In: Breeding and variety trials of black currant (Selektsiya i sortoizucheniye chernoy smorodiny). Barnaul; 1981; p.79-85. [in Russian].

10. Smirnov A.G. Studying pollination of black currant (Izucheniye opylyayemosti chernoy smorodiny). In: Cultivation of black currant in the USSR (Kultura chernoy smorodiny v SSSR). Moscow; 1972; p.456-465. [in Russian].

11. Korotkov N.I. Dependence of black currant productivity from meteorological background in an early stage of growing, and the use of this indicator to characterize a variety (Zavisimost produktivnosti chernoy smorodiny ot meteofona v ranniy period vegetatsii i ispolzovaniye etogo pokazatelya dlya kharacteristiki sorta). Byull. nauchnoy informatsii TsGL im. I.V. Michurina = Bulletin for Scientific Information of the Michurin Central Genetic Laboratory. Michurinsk; 1989:47:41-43. [in Russian].

12. Tikhonova O.A. Self-fertility of black currant cultivars (Samoplodnost sortov chernoy smorodiny). Contemporary Horticulture. 2015;1:39-53. Available from: http://journal.vniispk.ru/pdf/2015/1/7.pdf [in Russian].

13. Koteeva N.K., Mirgorodskaya O.V., Bulysheva M.M., Mirislavov E.A. Pollen development in Ribes nigrum (Grossulariaceae) under low temperatures (Formirovaniye pyltsy Ribes nigrum (Grossulariaceae) pri nizkikh temperaturakh). Botanicheskii zhurnal = Botanical Journal. 2015;100(10):1001-1014. [in Russian].

14. Vavilov A.S. Self-fertility and self-sterility of varieties and species of black currant (Samofertilnost i samosterilnost sortov i vidov chernoy smorodiny). In: Breeding of black currant (Selektsiya chernoy smorodiny). Novosibirsk; 1980; p.111-115. [in Russian].

15. Programme and methodology of variety studies for fruit, berry and nut crops (Programma i metodika sortoizucheniya plodovykh, yagodnykh i orekhoplodnykh kultur). Michurinsk: Res. Inst. of Plant Breeding; 1980. [in Russian].

16. Volodina E.V. Biology of flowering in black currant (Biologiya tsveteniya chernoy smorodiny). Bulletin of Applied Botany, Genetics and Plant Breeding, 1972;46(2):157-167. [in Russian].

17. Programme and methodology of variety studies for fruit, berry and nut crops (Programma i metodika sortoizucheniya plodovykh, yagodnykh i orekhoplodnykh kultur). Orel: Res. Inst. of Fruit Crop Breeding; 1999. [in Russian].

18. Voluznev A.G. Zazulina N.A. Heterostyly in cultivars and hybrids of black currant (Geterostiliya u sortov i gibridov chernoy smorodiny). Plodovodstvo = Fruit Growing. 1983;5:30-33. [in Russian].

19. Ogoltsova T.P. Black currant breeding: past, present and future (Selektsiya chernoy smorodiny – proshloye, nastoyashcheye, budushcheye). Tula; 1992. [in Russian].

20. Zhdanov V.V. Self-fertility of black currant varieties and its inheritance in a hybrid progeny (Samoplodnost sortov chernoy smorodiny i nasledovaniye yeyo v gibridnom potomstve). Author’s synopsis of the PhD (Agric. Sci.). thesis. Michurinsk; 1970. [in Russian].

21. Panova N.I. Self-fertility of some varieties and forms of pears (Samoplodnost nekotorykh sortov i form grushi). Author’s synopsis of the PhD (Agric. Sci.). thesis. Moscow; 2000. [in Russian].

22. Zhdanov V.V. Biological features of flowering, pollination and fertilization in varieties and seedlings of black currant in connection with the degree of their self-fertility (Biologisheskiye osobennosti tsveteniya, opyleniya i oplodotvoreniya sortov i seyantsev chernoy smorodiny v svyazi so stepenyu ikh samoplodnosti). In: Breeding, variety trials and agricultural practices for fruit and berry crops (Selektsiya, sortoizucheniye, agrotekhnika plodovykh i yagodnykh kultur); Vol. V; Orel; 1971; p.114-121. [in Russian].

23. Rainchikova G.P. Biology of flowering and pollination of black currant varieties of different origin in the conditions of Belarus (Biologiya tsveteniya i opyleniya sortov chernoy smorodiny razlichnogo proiskhozhdeniya v usloviyakh Belorussii). Author’s synopsis of the PhD (Biol. Sci.). thesis. Minsk; 1971. [in Russian].

24. Smirnov A.G. Studying pollination of black currant (Izucheniye opylyayemosti chernoy smorodiny). In: Cultivation of black currant in the USSR (Kultura chernoy smorodiny v SSSR). Moscow; 1972; p.456-465. [in Russian].

25. Tikhonova O.A. Self-fertility of black currant cultivars (Samoplodnost sortov chernoy smorodiny). Contemporary Horticulture. 2015;1:39-53. Available from: http://journal.vniispk.ru/pdf/2015/1/7.pdf [in Russian].

26. Vavilov A.S. Self-fertility and self-sterility of varieties and species of black currant (Samofertilnost i samosterilnost sortov i vidov chernoy smorodiny). In: Breeding of black currant (Selektsiya chernoy smorodiny). Novosibirsk; 1980; p.111-115. [in Russian].

27. Volodina E.V. Biology of flowering in black currant (Biologiya tsveteniya chernoy smorodiny). Bulletin of Applied Botany, Genetics and Plant Breeding, 1972;46(2):157-167. [in Russian].

28. Voluznev A.G. Zazulina N.A. Heterostyly in cultivars and hybrids of black currant (Geterostiliya u sortov i gibridov chernoy smorodiny). Plodovodstvo = Fruit Growing. 1983;5:30-33. [in Russian].

29. Zhdanov V.V. Self-fertility of black currant varieties and its inheritance in a hybrid progeny (Samoplodnost sortov chernoy smorodiny i nasledovaniye yeyo v gibridnom potomstve). Author’s synopsis of the PhD (Agric. Sci.). thesis. Michurinsk; 1970. [in Russian].

30. Zhdanov V.V. Biological features of flowering, pollination and fertilization in varieties and seedlings of black currant in connection with the degree of their self-fertility (Biologisheskiye osobennosti tsveteniya, opyleniya i oplodotvoreniya sortov i seyantsev chernoy smorodiny v svyazi so stepenyu ikh samoplodnosti). In: Breeding, variety trials and agricultural practices for fruit and berry crops (Selektsiya, sortoizucheniye, agrotekhnika plodovykh i yagodnykh kultur); Vol. V; Orel; 1971; p.114-121. [in Russian].