Phenological features of the initial phases of flowering and vegetation of apricot cultivars of Dagestan

Abstract

Abstract. Purpose. The study is aimed at a comparative analysis of apricot cultivars of various ecological and geographical origin of the genetic collection of the Mountain Botanical Garden by the initial phenological phases of flowering and vegetation in order to determine their degree of interconnection and determine the autochthonous varieties and forms of the Dagestan apricot. Methods. The study is based on the methods of phenological observations in accordance with generally accepted methods with their own additions. Results. It was revealed that the appearance of red bud varieties varied in a wide range (March 28 – April 21), on average, on April 6. The white bud phase was observed in the first and second decade of April from the 1st to the 25th day of the month, and the beginning of flowering from April 5 to 28. Vegetative buds begin to wake up as a whole later than generative ones, with the exception of varieties and hybrids bred from crosses with plum and alpine plum. Beginning swelling buds, flushing buds and leaves in the second and third decade of April, on average on April 11, 21 and 25, respectively. Correlation analysis showed the presence of a positive correlation between the majority of generative and vegetative traits of varieties and forms of apricot, significant at the level of P ≤ 0,05. An inaccurate correlation was found between the trait “bud swelling” and all generative traits. According to the results of cluster analysis, the proximity of most of the cultivars of Dagestan origin to each other was established, with the exception of the Khonobakh variety and its varieties, which turned out to be closer to the Central Asian varieties, which is probably due to its allochthonous origin. The scientific novelty of the study is to assess the phenological phases of flowering and swelling of apricot cultivar leaves under the conditions of the Tsudakhar experimental base showed that the majority of Dagestan cultivars are early flowering (13 samples from 22) and medium (7), while in European and Central Asian prevail varieties of medium and late flowering.