THE GENE POOL OF SWEET CHESTNUT IN THE ADYGEI BRANCH OF FRC SSC OF RAS

Since 2011, the Adygei Branch of the Federal Research Centre the Subtropical Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences has been conducting research work within the research topic "Creation, study and preservation of nut crops genetic collections". The aim of these studies is to preserve the valuable gene pool of sweet chestnut in the North Caucasus. For this purpose, healthy large-fruited trees were identified and selected during the expedition surveys. Promising mother plant forms suitable for selection, industrial cultivation and amateur gardening were identified in the course of further study of the selected specimens. 18 mother plants were selected for further detailed study. All selected promising sweet chestnut forms meet the requirements stated in the methodology. The fruits of the mother plants were sown in plastic containers. The seed progeny of the selected promising chestnut forms was planted on an experimental collection site on the territory of the Adygei Branch of FRC SSC of RAS. 57 forms grow on the site. The plants were planted according to the scheme 6x6 m. Phenological phases were studied in the offspring of promising sweet chestnut mother plants. Over three years of research, their indicators shifted by about 8 days. The patterns of growth and development of sweet chestnut plants were also investigated. The unevenness in height and annual growth was revealed. The dependence of the plants’ height on the stem diameter was studied, the correlation coefficient was calculated, and the equation of such dependence is given. The dependence of plant height on annual growth was studied, the correlation coefficient was calculated, and a moderate relationship was revealed. The dependence of the stem diameter on the annual growth was studied, the correlation coefficient was calculated, and the equation of this dependence is given.