Introduction and use of the peach gene pool from China in Nikita Botanical Garden

摘要

Peach origin centers are the mountainous areas in northern and central China, that is why the introduction from this region is particularly interesting for our branch. The most active acquisition of the peach gene pool from PRC by Nikita Botanical Garden took place between 1958 and 1966. Cuttings of 21 cultivars were provided by Turkmen Experimental Station of the Institute of Plant Industry and by Kiev Botanical Garden. Stones of 10 cultivars were received from the Peking Research Institute for Fruit Production and Peking Botanical Garden. The evaluation of this gene pool, according to the complex of economical valuable traits, allowed to select 4 cultivars with large fruit size; 10 with oval and broad-oval, 16 with round, 5 with turnip-shaped fruits and 2 with yellow main skin coloring, 9 with above 50% surface coloring, 21 with melting and 10 with non-melting consistency, 4 with honey taste and 10 with total absence of acid, 2 with harmonious taste (4-5 points), 5 with excellent appearance, 4 with early, 2 with late and 3 with extra late ripening term. 145 hybrid seeds were obtained by crossing 'Tsy Yan Shui Mi Tao' with American cultivar 'Collins'. Working with the progeny of these seeds yielded the cultivar 'Krimskiy Diamant' with excellent commercial properties. This cultivar has been passed for state testing and obtained the RF patent in 2015.