Prospects of seabuckthorn breeding activity at Lisavenko Research Institute of Horticulture for Siberia

Seabuckthorn gene pool in collections of Lisavenko Research Institute of Horticulture for Siberia which is a division of the Federal Altai Scientific Center of Agro-BioTechnologies is represented by more than 14 thousand hybrid seedlings and over 450 varieties under selection. It allows to provide comprehensive selection on different agronomic traits and to achieve permanent assortment improvement. The main aim of the research was to select seabuckthorn varieties distinguished by characteristics that meet the requests of industrial sector with focus on various technological approaches. Seabuckthorn varieties of hybrid origin from crossbreeding of 1993-2005 were studied. The experiments were carried out in forest-steppe zone of Altai Krai in 2016-2020. According to the results of comprehensive evaluation, groups of the most promising varieties were proposed as a source of various agronomic traits. The potential of breeding activity was shown as well as possibility of seabuckthorn assortment improving was proved. In particular, within sweet-fruited varieties such samples as 57-01-1, 146-02-1 and 226-00-1 with sugar-acid index of 6.4, 5.4 and 5.3, respectively, have been selected as well as fruit of 198-99-3a and 62-01-2 varieties weighed about 1.0 g, that is almost 0.3 g higher compared to Chuiskaya variety (control) and Altaiskaya (the sweetest one). Two varieties - 149-00-3 and 664-00-2 - were included to the group with very low tear-off force of fruits - 95 and 110 g, respectively, which was significantly lower compared to the control (Chuiskaya) and the standard variety (Anastasia). That means high suitability of these varieties for harvesting by hand picking. The hybrid 185-99-5 had an average fruit weight of 1.67 g which was two times higher than fruit weight of the control variety. Highly promising red colored variety (258-03-1) had high oil content in fruits. That positions it as an extremely promising variety for seabuckthorn oil concentrate processing. Most of estimated varieties were included in various reference groups demonstrating by that the combination of agronomic traits.