Assessment of gene pool of black currant Federal Horticultural Center for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery by resistance to currant gall mite in the Bryansk Region

Abstract

Since controlling currant gall mite (Cecidophyopsis ribis Westw.) is a challenging and ineffective task, developing genetic resistance to the pest is one of the main priorities in breeding programs for Ribes nigrum both in Russia and abroad. The task was assigned at the FSBSO “Federal Horticultural Center for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery” to combine efficiently the positive economic and biological traits of previously developed varieties with resistance to phytophagous pests in hybrid progeny. The study evaluates the genetic collection and hybrid material of black currant for resistance to currant gall mite, as well as identifies the most promising parent pairs for mite-resistant progeny. The research objects included 107 varieties of various genetic origins, 30 of which were of foreign breeding. An assessment of the genetic collection carried out for ten years (since 2012) during the seasons of mass manifestation of the currant gall mite and reversion, is presented. Approximately 1,200 seedlings, planted in 2017, were studied. The methodologies for studying fruit, berry, and nut crops were used to assess the degree of incidence of the currant gall mite. The statistical processing of experimental results was performed using the Microsoft Excel program. As a result, the genetic sources and donors of resistance to the currant gall mite were identified (Barmaley, Dar Smolyaninovoi, Kipiana, Svityazyanka, Chernooka, Wonderful Moment, Ben Hope, Big Ben, etc.). The promising combinations of crosses were identified based on the yield of seedlings resistant to Cecidophyopsis ribis: Ben Hope×Kipiana, Ben Hope×Dar Smolyaninovoi, Kipiana×Dar Smolyaninovoi, Barmalei×Dar Smolyaninovoi, Ben Tirran×Kipiana, 9-28-1/02×Bryansk Agate, Dar Smolyaninovoi×33-27-1, 33-27-1×Kipiana. In the progeny of these parental forms, the selected forms were identified (3-63-01, 3-63-02, 9-197-3, 3-16-1, 7-28-01, 8-123-1), which combine resistance to the currant gall mite with large fruits and tolerance to fungal diseases.