Fruit growing
and viticulture of South Russia

Annotation

The climate of the Astrakhan Region is sharply continental and on the degree of aridity it concedes only to the Central Asian deserts. Continentality is expressed in the contrast between hot summer and cold, windy and snowless winter. In this regard the research on an assessment and selection of perspective variety-rootstock's apple-tree combinations which are ecologically adapted for arid conditions are very actual direction. The assessment of winter hardiness and drought resistance of apple variety-rootstock's combinations under the conditions of the Astrakhan Region is presented in the article. Research was carried out with 27 combinations of an apple-tree on the rootstocks introduced and breeding of NCRRIH&V rootstocks. The studied varieties are Rennet Simirenco, Aydared, Melba. The complex assessment of hot and drought resistance was carried out by a technique of preliminary selection of perspective genotypes with ecological stability and biological value of fruits, a winter hardiness assessment - using a field method. In the course of field tests the difference between apple-tree varieties are determined by resistance to the damaging factors of a cold season. Rennet Simirenko was the most winter-hardy on all rootstocks: frost damage of annual shoots was made 0,1-0,8 points. The insignificant frost damage is noted at Melba on rootstocks of CK 4, CK 7, M 26, SK 2 (0,4-1,0 points). The weak frost damage is noted at Aydared on CK 3, CK 7, CK 5 (1,4-2,2 points). Rennet Simirenko on rootstocks of CK 5, CK 4, CK 7, M 4 had the highest resistance to a drought. The most optimal combination of hot and drought resistance is revealed for Rennet Simirenko on the rootstocks of CK 4, CK 7 and for Aydared on the rootstocks of CK 4, M 4.