THE POSSIBILITIES OF EXPANDING NUT CROPS PLANTING IN THE TERRITORY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ADYGEA

The purpose of these studies is to preserve the valuable gene pool of nut crops and expand their planting in the territory of the Republic of Adygea. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to perform several tasks. First, it is necessary to identify and select healthy large-fruited species of common hazel, walnut and chestnut, which was done. And secondly, it is necessary to study promising species suitable for selection, industrial breeding and amateur gardening. The Adygei Branch of the Federal Research Centre the Subtropical Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences has been conducting research since 2007. During the expedition studies, healthy large-fruited species suitable for breeding, industrial breeding and amateur gardening were identified and selected. For a detailed study, 18 species of chestnut, 134 species of walnut and 50 species of common hazel (26 wild and 24 cultivated) were selected. The fruits of the mother plants of walnut and chestnut were sown in plastic containers. The seed progeny of the selected promising forms were planted on experimental collection sites on the territory of the Adygei Branch. Common hazel was propagated and transferred to experimental collection sites by vegetative offspring – stripping and layering from mother forms. All experimental collection sites are located at an altitude of about 530 meters above sea level. In the course of research, the phenological phases were studied in the offspring of promising nut-bearing mother plants for 2021–2023. As for the chestnut, the efflorescence phase of female flowers in 2023 shifted by a whole month, and the swelling phase of male inflorescences shifted by three weeks. According to its natural conditions, the Republic of Adygea is a suitable territory for expanding nut crops. Fertile soils, as well as the mild warm climate of this territory, are favorable for growing nut crops. Despite climatic anomalies, there are also effective methods of dealing with them. Moreover, the issue of expanding the Russian agricultural crops planting is currently more relevant than ever.