NEW CULTIVARS OF GARDEN CHRYSANTHEMUM (CHRYSANTHEMUM × MORIFOLIUM (RAMAT.) HEMSL.) SELECTED BY FRS SSC OF RAS

The problem of import substitution in ornamental gardening makes it urgent to replenish the assortment of flower crops with highly decorative and sustainable domestic cultivars. The paper presents the results of breeding work with garden chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum × morifolium) carried out at the Federal Research Centre the Subtropical Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The purpose of the research is to create and introduce into culture new competitive cultivars adapted to the conditions of the humid subtropics of Russia. The objects of study were new cultivars of domestic breeding: ‘Shkola biznesa’ (medium early), ‘Schast’e’, ‘Katyusha’, ‘Pobeda’ and ‘Matsesta’ (medium late). The ‘Symphony’ cultivar, cultivated in the region for more than ten years, was used as a control. The studies were carried out in unheated greenhouses in the village of Razdolnoye (Sochi) with a threefold repetition. Decorative (decorative bush, inflorescences, abundance of flowering) and economic (productivity, duration of flowering, resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors, as well as the coefficient of vegetative reproduction) signs were evaluated. The results showed that all the new cultivars surpassed the control in the overall score (86–91 points versus 80 for ‘Symphony’). Cultivars of ‘Matsesta’ and ‘Pobeda’ are characterized by more abundant flowering, and ‘Matsesta’ is characterized by increased decorative inflorescences, ‘Schast’e’, ‘Katyusha’ are characterized by long flowering periods, a stronger peduncle and a compact bush shape. The new cultivars have demonstrated high resistance to rust, chrysanthemum aphids and meadow spittlebug, as well as to drought and winter conditions. The productivity and flowering duration of the new cultivars were also higher than the control indicators. Based on the data obtained, the cultivars are recommended for universal use: industrial cut cultivation, landscaping and floristry. The work makes a significant contribution to the renewal and expansion of the domestic range of flower crops.