Diversity of the genus Rosa pomological traits in ecological conditions of continental Croatia

Abstract

Rosaceae family is characterized by the large number of genus and species which are of great importance for horticulture. The main goal of this research was to analyze pomological traits in order to determine biodiversity existence between five genotypes (G) of genus Rosa belonging to four different taxons (G1 - Rosa canina L., G2 - Rosa corymbifera Borkh., G3 - Rosa canina L. var. squarrosa A. Rau Rosa squarrosa (A. Rau) Boreau, G4 - Rosa subcanina (Christ.) Vuk., G5 - Rosa corymbifera Borkh) in continental part of Croatia during two years. Genotype had significant effect on all pomological traits, while year and interaction between year and genotype affected the majority of pomological traits. Multivariate discriminant analysis successfully explained 77.48% of total variability. It achieved separation of genotypes G5 and G1 from genotypes G2 and G4 using canonical axis 1 (Can1) (46.74% of total variability mostly influenced fruit length, width, volume, surface, and shape index). Likewise, genotype G2 was separated from genotype G3 by the Can2 axis (30.74% of total variability mostly influenced by fruit mass). Since genotypes G2 and G5 were of the same species (Rosa corymbifera), their separation by Can1 axis indicates notable effect of ecological factors on pomological traits, which was not the case for Rosa canina genotypes (G1 and G3) where no separation occurred, indicating major effect of hereditary factors on studied pomological traits on this species.