Use of grossularia robusta gooseberry species in breeding

Abstract

Gooseberry is a valuable small-fruit crop. The All-Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding (Russia) has been carrying out the breeding work on gooseberries since 1993. The article presents usage data of distant hybridization (interspecies crossbreeding) of gooseberry selection with the Grossularia robusta species. This species is characterized as a valuable traits' donor for obtaining hybrids resistant to American mildew and leaf spotting, as well as weak acicularity and compact bush habitus. Since 2001, we have actively involved this species in breeding. As a result, selected seedlings have been selected from the offspring of distant hybrids with the participation of Grossularia robusta species; these seedlings have the optimal complex of economic traits - resistance to American mildew and leaf spotting damage, sufficient fruit weight and satisfactory parameters of physical and mechanical properties of berries, weak acicularity, compact bush habitus. The obtained selected forms have a set of qualities that are necessary according to the conditions and requirements of mechanized harvesting.