en.Wedoany.com Reported - Thirteen apple varieties and four clonal rootstocks developed by the "Zhiguli Gardens" Research Institute in Samara Oblast will be included in the national database of Russia's unified apple breeding platform. This database serves as an infrastructure to accelerate next-generation breeding. By participating in the Russian Ministry of Agriculture's program, Samara Oblast has become a key regional partner in federal scientific research cooperation.
The project is part of the national initiative "Technological Support for Food Security," aimed at creating conditions for scientific research in breeding and genetics. Starting in 2025, the Russian State Agrarian University - Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy is leading the construction of a digital ecosystem that integrates genotyping and phenotyping data for major crops, with Stavropol State Agrarian University serving as the coordinator. Samara Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev has designated the development of breeding and genetics as a priority task in the region's socio-economic development plan, promoting import substitution in seed breeding, supporting domestic breeding projects, and introducing digital technologies.
Under the scientific and technical cooperation agreement between Samara State Agrarian University and the "Zhiguli Gardens" Research Institute, a regional module is being implemented: comprehensive phenotypic characterization of samples is conducted, and biological materials are prepared for DNA extraction and genotyping. The first batch of Samara-bred apple varieties to be included in the federal database includes: Orlinka, Maslovskoye, Papyrovka's Daughter, Spartak, Osipovskoye, Pamyati Korolyova, Alexander Boyko, Samara, Original, Pamyati Kedrina, Kutuzovets, Kuibyshevskoye, Zhigulyovskoye; the clonal rootstocks are from the "Volga" series (No. 3, 8, 12, 18). The working group consists of faculty from the basic department of "Horticulture and Breeding" at Samara State Agrarian University and researchers from the institute.
The preliminary assessment completed so far covers: growth vigor, crown shape and volume, branching angle, frost damage degree of xylem and reproductive buds, flowering phenology, and pollen viability, and has recorded the initial susceptibility of samples to major diseases and pests. Monitoring will continue for three years to comprehensively evaluate the phenotypic expression of traits.
Denis Gerasimenkov, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of Samara Oblast, stated that the inclusion of Samara varieties in the federal digital platform is a recognition of the region's scientific breeding level. This data, derived from decades of field trials in the risky farming zone of the Middle Volga region, helps shorten the breeding cycle for new varieties, reduce dependence on imported seed materials, and consolidate the industry's technological sovereignty. The technology, based on genetic mapping, can predict yield potential, stress resistance, and pest and disease resistance before fruit trees bear fruit, which is expected to enhance the competitiveness of Russian breeding and accelerate the launch of innovative varieties.
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