VARIABILITY OF FRUIT QUALITY CHARACTERS IN COLLECTIONS AND SELECTION OF GENOTYPES FOR BREEDING CHAENOMELES AS A FRUIT CROP

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1 VARIABILITY OF FRUIT QUALITY CHARACTERS IN COLLECTIONS AND SELECTION OF GENOTYPES FOR BREEDING CHAENOMELES AS A FRUIT CROP Vladimir N. Mezhenskij Donetzjk Branch of the Institute of Horticulture Artemivsjk, Donetzjk Region, Ukraine Abstract Fruit weight, thickness of flesh, measure of fruit flesh development and the number of seeds in the fruil of Chaenomeles was investigated. Considerable variability of these characters was noted in all the species and hybrid groups. The genotypes with a high level of 176

2 expressed characters and their combination are selected. The most promising is the breeding on the basis of superb chaenomeles, using the best genotypes of Japanese chaenomeles, flowering chaenomeles and Cathayan chaenomeles. Key index words: Chaenomeles, fruits, plant breeding Introduction The people of Eastern Asia used the fruits of Chaenomeles in their food from ancient times. Species of Chaenomeles were introduced to Europe, and became widespread due to its great beauty in time of flowering. Their fruits are not edible in raw condition because of hard and very sour flesh, and therefore they had limited usage. They were mainly used for preparing drinks and preserves. The largest interest in Chaenomeles as fruit plants was in the countries which had limited choice of high quality fruit crops because of severe climate. At the beginning of this century, in Ukraine, N.Kashczenko began to breed Chaenomeles as a promising fruit crop (1). Here, in 1937, the first industrial plantation was established (2). Later Chaenomeles was investigated in many institutions, however, the crop did not become widespread, mainly because of poor development of processing industry. The horticulturists of Latvia achieved the greatest success in the introduction of Chaenomeles to the industrial cropping. Here are the largest plantations, and the food industry is producing various processed products. Nowadays it is important to transfer the cultivation to varieties foundation. Breeding programs on Chaenomeles are fulfilled in many countries of Eastern and Northern Europe (3,4, 5,6). For modem intensive and ecological horticulture, Chaenomeles is valuable with its earliness, high yield, annual fruitset, resistance to pests and diseases, suitability for machine cultivation. Fruits, containing many organic acids, pectin substances, aromatic compounds, vitamins C and P, are a valuable raw material for processing in food industry. Materials and methods The investigation was done with the plant species of the collections located in the Donetzjk Branch of the Institute of Horticulture. The seedlings were grown from seeds which were received by delectuses from botanical institutions, from individual gardeners, collected during expeditions. Collection sample consists of several seedlings. Some samples present selections received as vegetatively by propagated material. The plant material was got from the following places: Czechia (Praha, HZ), Belarus (Brest, G.Litvinov), Estonia (Tartu, HBU), France (Strasbourg, HBU). Georgia (Batumi, HBA; Tbilisi, HBA), Germany (Essen, HB) Hungary (Vácrátót. HBA), Korea (Pyongyang, HB), Kirghistan (Bishkek, HBA), Netherlands (Leiden, HBU), Latvia (Dobeh, Labor Pom; Jaunkalsnava, St Expl Sylv; Rīga, HBU; Salaspils, HBA; Smiltene, Sovchoztech; Jurmala, 177

3 V.Dobrynina), Lithuania (Kaunas, HBA; Vilnius, A.Riliškis), Moldova (Kishinev, Arb; Kishinev, HBA), Portugal (Coimbra, HBU), Russia (Astrachanj, Abr; Jvanovo, Ja.Zhuravlec; Nizihnij Novgorod, HBU; Majkop, N.Kuslja; Rostov ad Donum, HBA; St.Petersburg, HBIB; Selivanovo, Schola Special Sylv; Soczi, Arb; Stavropolj, HBI Agr; Ufa, HBA), Slovakia (Košice, HBU; Slepčany, Arb), Tadjikistan (Dushanbe, HBA; Chorog, HBA). Ukraine (Artemivsjk, Arb; Artemivsjk, I Horticult; Askanija-Nova, park B; Bila Tzerkva, Arb; Charkiv, HBIAgr; Charkiv, HBU; Donetzjk, HBA; Donetzjk U; Icznja, Arb; Kyiv, Arb U Agr; Kyiv, HBA; Kyiv, HBU; Kyiv, ROPH; Lybny, Arb; Lybny, Schola Special Sylv; Mclitopolj, I Horticult; Odesa, HBU; Oljginka. Arb; Simferopolj, St. Expl Horticult; Uzhgorod, HBU), Uzbekistan (Tashkent, HBA). Samples were received under the names: Chaenomeles cathayensis, C. cathayensis var. wilsonii, C. japonica, C. japonica var. alpina, C. lagenaria, C. maulei, C. maulei var. alpina, C. speciosa, C. x superba, Cydonia japonica.. Protracted joint growing of different species in the botanical collections promoted the introgressive hybridisation of Chaenomeles. Many samples are like the mixture of C. japonica with C. x superba, or C. speciosa with C. x superba.. It is very difficult to draw a line between the specimens of C japonica and the specimens of C. x superba deviated to C. japonica, taking into account only morphological characters. Besides, some of the samples were got under erroneous names. That is why, in accordance with Weber's work (7), the identification of samples was done. The specimens were determined as C. cathayensis (Hemsl.) Schneid. Cathayan chaenomeles, C. x clarkiana C.Weber Clark's chaenomeles, C. japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. ex Spach Japanese chaenomeles, C. speciosa (Sweet) Nakai flowering chaenomeles, C. x superba (Frahm) Rehd. superb chaenomeles. In the estimation of fruit weight, thickness of flesh layer, measure of fruit flesh development and the number of seeds was done in the fruit of all collection plants, on the basis on the recommendations (8). Using these data on every specimen, the calculation of the arithmetic mean, the error of the arithmetic mean and variation coefficient were done, which, together with the limits of variability of investigated parameter for samples and individual seedlings, give the possibility to estimate variability of experimental units. Results and discussion The majority of the investigated specimens have rather small fruits with thin, poorly developed flesh, that lower; their value. At the same lime the data which are given in the table testify considerable variability of fruit quality characters in some species of Chaenomeles, that allows, with the help of analytical breeding, to select the genotypes that are superior than the average. Fruit weight, thickness of flesh and measure of flesh development are enlarged along the line: Japanese chaenomeles flowering Chaenomeles 178

4 Cathayan chaenomelcs, having intermediate meaning among hybrid groups. Cathayan chaenomeles excels other species and hybrid groups in respect to the number of seeds in the fruit, too. Cathayan chaenomeles has the largest fruits. The mean fruit weight of five samples was 124 g, and some of the seedlings had 227 g. The maximum weight of one Cathayan chacnomeles fruit was noted 360 g. Verification by progeny showed that Cathayan chaenomeles is a good donor for large-size fruits. The best results are reached while crossing it with superb chaenomeles many hybrids have fruits with the weight of 100 g and more. Unfortunately, because of thorny and, mainly, not sufficiently winter hardy progeny, for involving of Cathayan chaenomeles germplasm into newly created varieties no less than two generations are needed. The fruits of Cathayan chaenomeles are outstanding in respect to the thickness of mesocarp, the layer of which in some of the specimens reached 20 mm. The thicker the flesh layer, the higher is the content of flesh in the fruit. The measure of flesh development, which is calculated as a ratio between the fruit diameter and the core hollow diameter, indicates the cultural type of fruit. The most valuable for breeding are specimens which combine a series of characters on a good level. For such variations we take the individuals which have fruits with the weight of g, flesh layer of mm, measure of flesh development , or exceeding these characteristics. Among the 1084 investigated seedlings, such combination of characteristics are found in: Cathayan chaenomeles - 7 genotypes, or 70.0% in the population, flowering chaenomeles - 5 genotypes, or 4.7%, and superb chaenomelcs - 13 genotypes, or 1.6%. Forty more samples have 50 genotypes with parameters which draw near to the desired ones, and can be used in breeding. Some samples are characterized by the presence of a great number of valuable genotypes, e.g. the samples of superb chaenomeles which are grown from the seeds obtained from Bishkek and Rostov-on-Don. In these samples, a half and more of seedlings of the population are represented with combination of three well-expressed characteristics of fruit quality. According to these characteristics, they exceed the samples used for preliminary breeding. The latter include the samples of Japanese chaenomelcs and superb chaenomeles received from Dobele, Smiltene, Stavropol, Vilnius. The seedlings of these samples are closer to the wild type, but only some of them draw nearer to the desired combination of parameters. We use them in breeding because of such characters as earliness, thornlessness and low habitus. We should estimate the best samples obtained as vegetatively propagated selections, too. One of the selections of flowering chaenomeles received from Majkop was used in crossing with superb chaenomeles. Created hybrids are characterized with large, thick-flesh and with high development of fleshy fruits. However, they have some essential drawbacks, that like, in the cases of Cathayan chaenomeles use, demand back crossing them with the best superb chaenomeles selects. 179

5 Some of the best value of selects were received from Stavropol. As for to their origin, they go back to materials bred by Kashczenko. On their basis, we created large hybrid populations. The first observations for hybrids entering into fruit bearing showed many selects with excellent characteristics: fruit weight g, thickness of flesh mm, measure of flesh development The typical peculiarity of chaenomeles fruits is the presence of many seeds. In species the average quantity of seeds in one fruit exceeds 50, and in Cathayan chaenomeles 90; some specicmens of all species and hybrid groups have 100 and more. The maximum quantity of seeds in one fruit registered in Cathayan chaenomeles is 164. Decreasing the number of seeds, and accordingly increasing flesh content in fruit, is an important breeding problem. In collection populations there are seedlings with seeds in a fruit, however, their progeny have a typical quantity of seeds. In this respect the select of superb chaenomeles, got from Stavropol, is especially interesting. It has fruits with a few seeds and seedless, and is a donor of this character. Unfortunately, all created hybrids with a few seeds are characterized with small fruits and poorly developed flesh. In the course of long cultivation in Europe, there appeared a second genocentre of Chaenomeles, the variety of which was successfully domesticated as a fruit crop. The breeding on the basis of superb chaenomeles, with use of the best selects of different species, is more promising in our region. In breeding Chaenomeles, besides fruit weight, thickness and measure of flesh development, the number of seeds, there must be taken into account also: fruit shape, relief of the surface, the condition of skin, the time of ripening, chemical composition and consistence of flesh. Definite variability of collection populations allow to breed genotypes - donors of fruit quality, so that in future with the help of hybridization we can reach the best expression and combination of these characters among the obtained hybrids. References Kashczenko N.Ph The first steps of my nursery for plant acclimatization in the city of Kyiv. (In Russian). Rostov - on - Don. 24 pp. Driga I. E From the works of the academician N.Ph. Kashczehko on the acclimatization of new plants (in Russian). Trudy Botan. Sada AN USSR Vol. 2:87-96 Ralomskyte G.S Biological features of Japanese Chaenomeles (Chaenomeles japonica (Thunb.) I.indl. ex Spach) and perspectivies of its cultivating in Lithuanian SSR. Synopsis of thesis. (In Russian). Kyiv. 23 pp. Mezhenskij V.N Economical and biological features of Chaenomeles (Chaenomeles Lindl.). Synopsis of thesis. (In Russian). Leningrad. 18 pp. Ruisa S.A Introduction, breeding and industrial cultivation of Japanese quince in Latvian SSR (in Russian). Sostojanie i perspectivy razvitija redkich sadovych kultur v SSSR. Sb. naucz. tr. VNII sadovodstva. Miczurinsk, Ponomarenko N.S Biological characteristics and intraspecific variability of Chaenomeles japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. ex Spach in Moldavia. Synopsis of thesis. (In Russian.. Kishinev. 22 pp Weber C The genus Chaenomeles (Rosaceae). Jour. Arnold Arb. Vol. 45: , Mezhenskij V.N A scale for estimating the quality of Chaenomeles fruits (in Russian). Sostojanie i perspectivy razvitija redkich sadovych kultur v SSSR. Sb. naucz. tr. VNM sadovodstva. Miczurinsk,

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