Yield Regularity, Fruit Weight and Consumer Qualities of Triploid Apple Cultivars Developed at the All Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding (VNIISPK)

Abstract

For the first time in Russia, 10 triploid apple cultivars having a complex of valuable commercial traits including high productivity, more regular annual yields and highly marketable fruit, have been obtained from crossings between parents of different ploidy. Many fruitgrowers regard triploid cultivars as being of little use for commercial production. We suggest that this belief is erroneous. At the All Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding (VNIISPK) new triploid apple cultivars have been evaluated for yield regularity, comparative fruit keeping quality, fruit size and marketability. All of the triploid cultivars were notable for their more regular yields compared to diploid cultivars. Triploid and diploid apple cultivars with different dates of fruit maturity were obtained in the program. Fruit of 'Aleksandr Boiko' and 'Vavilovskoye' showed greater storage life among the triploid cultivars as well as 'Sinap Orlovskiy' among the diploids. Most triploid cultivars had a larger fruit size in comparison with the diploids. Triploid cultivars obtained from different initial levels of ploidy did not have better fruit appearance and flavor than diploid cultivars. The introduction of triploid cultivars developed at VNIISPK into commercial use is creating great interest.