2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Literally half a century ago, there were specimens with unstable characteristics in the range of grapes for the northern regions. They needed: compulsory shelter in the winter, massive chemical treatments against pests and diseases. The breeders were faced with the task of increasing resistance to unfavorable factors, improving the commercial quality of products. What techniques have helped solve these problems?
Division of grapes into groups
According to biological characteristics, methods of obtaining new specimens, varieties are divided into 3 groups:
1. Populations. Old grapes of local varieties, bred by natural selection. In the process of life, they were able to adapt to the conditions of this climate. Harvest successfully.
2. Clones. Vegetatively propagated variants with certain characteristics (disease resistance, ripening period, fruit size).
3. Hybrids. Intervarietal artificial crossing of different specimens with each other. The new plant absorbs all the best characteristics of the parents or surpasses them in certain properties.
The latter direction is most often used by breeders.
Basics of the method
To obtain new plants with resistant traits, hybridization is used:
• intervarietal;
• repeated;
• distant;
• complex.
The starting material is varieties with improved quality traits of various origins. Crossing includes forms in which the properties desired for the new variety prevail. At the same time, negative signs are minimized. In several stages, a complex stepwise pollination is carried out, bringing the new hybrid to a given ideal.
Qualitative characteristics
For table grapes, the following requirements are met:
1. Smart appearance, density of bunches.
2. One-dimensional large size, color of berries, simultaneously ripening within a single branch, the whole bush.
3. Seedlessness or a small number of easily separated seeds.
4. Thin skin, juicy fleshy pulp.
5. Pleasant aroma, taste, optimal ratio of sugar-acid balance (sugar is more than 16 g / 100 cc, acid is from 4 to 8 g).
6. High availability of vitamins, trace elements, amino acids to ensure the value of the culture.
7. Good transportability. Resistance to separation from branches, crushing degree. Storage periods.
8. Frost resistance within -25 … 27 degrees. Resistance to major diseases (mildew, gray rot, oidium, phylloxera) is not less than 3.5 points.
The listed quality indicators guarantee a stable, high yield.
Seedling test
Seeds are obtained by pollination, which are subsequently sown in the experimental field. Within 3 years before flowering, material is discarded by external signs using a specially developed technique.
Seedlings are checked for disease resistance, creating an artificial infectious background. Leave without shelter in the cold season, checking winter hardiness. Poorly developed plants are discarded. With the onset of the fruiting period, the berry yield is additionally evaluated for 3 years of testing.
At all stages, a reference sample is taken for comparison. At least 100 seedlings of one group are used for analysis. The result is the most resilient, strongest and most productive plants available for production.
Versatility
There are no universal varieties in nature. At one time this fact was noted by I. V. Michurin. He argued
“Our local assessments of the merits of new varieties, no matter how complete and objective they are, not only cannot apply to entire areas, but even within one area should be limited to relatively small areas with approximately homogeneous climate, relief and soil … Universal in suitability for all localities of varieties of perennial fruit plants can not be. Their development depends, in addition to climatic conditions, and on the composition of the soil, and on the subsoil layers, as well as on the distance of the subsoil water. Then the prevailing winds in a given area play a big role … All these and many other conditions can increase or decrease the dignity of varieties of fruit plants so much that one and the same variety in one garden will establish itself as a first-rate one in terms of profitability, in another garden of the same area it will be far from profitable."
Seedlings have the best adaptability to the conditions of the area. Vegetative material grown in a different climatic zone can behave unpredictably when the climate changes.
When buying grapes for the Middle Lane, try to take time-tested zoned varieties. You should not chase the promoted novelties. Sometimes an old, tested specimen shows better qualities in comparison with a modern "masterpiece".
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