Small-Fruit and Tree-Fruit Research Centers in Ukraine

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About Our Cover divided into separate states, and access to germplasm resources is limited. Thus, Ukraine is interested in developing its own germplasm Small-fruit and Tree-fruit Research repository system. The 13 fruit-crop research centers consist Centers in Ukraine of botanical gardens, institutes, filials (the Ukrainian name for a particularly large re- PROLOGUE science) and vegetable production, because search station), and research stations. The two many Ukrainians, whether in a city or in a rural botanical gardens and three institutes have the The dissolution of the former Soviet Union area, have their own plot of land on which they largest organizations and the most personnel (FSU) in 1991, and the subsequent formation produce as much of their own food as possible. and funding. Each of these five units is inde- of the Newly Independent States (NIS) and the Because their subsistence depends on their pendent of the others. However, methodologi- Baltic States, ended Soviet isolation from the individual capability to produce their own cal leadership comes from the Institute of rest of the world. It also opened the doors to an horticultural products, many Ukrainians are Horticulture in Kiev (Kyiv in Fig. 1), the increased exchange of scientists and scientific tied inextricably to the land. As we traveled largest horticultural research unit in Ukraine. information. Ukraine is one of 12 states that through the villages in Ukraine, virtually ev- This institute controls the budget, the number constitute the NIS. Ukraine was the FSU’s ery house had at least one fruit tree planted in of scientists and support personnel, and the main producer of many small fruits and tree the yard. type of research projects conducted at the two fruits. For example, 30% of all apple orchard In Ukraine, there are 13 major fruit-crop filials and six research stations that we discuss area of the FSU was located in Ukraine, and research centers in diverse geographical loca- in this article. Control of the filials and re- this area produced 40% of the apples con- tions (Fig. 1). The primary intent of the research stations is exercised through semian- sumed in the FSU. search directors in establishing the centers was nual reviews of the progress and future direc- The soils and climate of Ukraine, other to identify specific production areas with ap- tions of each unit. Information about these than the area near the Black Sea, are similar to propriate soil and climate for each crop. At this centers is summarized in Table 1; species those of Iowa, and for that reason, the College time, nearly all crops are produced in each discussed in this article are listed in Table 2. of Agriculture at Iowa State Univ. (ISU) has region of the country, but crops will be pro- pursued the development of scientific ex- duced only in designated regions once systems BOTANICAL GARDENS changes with Ukraine. The central scientific to transport commodities within and out of organization for agriculture in Ukraine is the Ukraine are developed. A secondary intent in Central Botanical Garden Ukrainian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, establishing the 13 research centers was to headed by Olexiy O. Sozinov. Administrators develop a system of outlying research and The Central Botanical Garden, also known from the academy and the Institute of Horti- extension centers that could help local grow- as the Botanical Garden of the Academy of culture in Kiev have visited the United States ers of small-fruit and tree-fruit crops. These Sciences, contains a pomology section, but the and ISU, and personnel from the College of research centers work closely with the public, major purpose of the garden is general public Agriculture and the Dept. of Horticulture at and upon privatization of the collective farms education and appreciation of plants by the ISU have visited Ukraine. Now, these organi- from the FSU, these centers will work with citizens of Kiev. The garden has an excellent zations are exchanging scientists and scien- large commercial producers of these fruit crops. collection of ornamental plants and tree-fruit tific information. This report details a recent Ukrainian horticulturists are working to cultivars, with exhibits on fruit tree topiary trip to Ukraine by R.J.G., D.J.H., and M.V.K. establish their own fruit crops germplasm re- and espalier systems. It also has an outstand- To a Ukrainian, horticulture means all pository system. The intent is to establish each ing walnut collection. The main focus of its aspects of fruit science and ornamental horti- of these in the appropriate region for the given research is the selection, breeding, propaga- culture only; vegetable production and fruit, with only several “acclimatized” species tion, and introduction of alternative crops. viticulture are separate disciplines. Because of being held in any one repository (similar to the Contact: Tatjana Mikhajlovna food shortages in the FSU, most horticultural U.S. Dept. of Agriculture system). During the Cherevchenko (director), Central Botanical research at this time is devoted to fruit produc- time of Soviet influence, the fruit germplasm Garden, Timiryazevska st. 1, 252014, Kiev- tion technology, with little effort devoted to repository for all fruit crops was the Vavilov 14, Ukraine; phone 011-7-044-295-41-05 or ornamental horticulture. To the average Ukrai- Center for Plant Industry in St. Petersburg, 011-7-044-295-26-27. nian, the most popular and necessary form of Russia, and its local stations. The FSU now is (continued on p. 1393) agriculture consists of horticulture (as fruit

Received for publication 4 Oct. 1994. Accepted for publication 6 Oct. 1994. Journal Paper no. J-16050 of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Ex- periment Station, Ames. Project no. 0186. Travel to several of these institutions was supported in part by a grant from the Newly Independent States/Baltics Research Exchange Program of the Iowa Agricul- ture and Home Economics Experiment Station. The cost of publishing this paper was defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. Under postal regula- tions, this paper therefore must be hereby marked advertisement solely to indicate this fact. 1Associate Professor of Horticulture. 2Doctoral Student. 3Director. 4Deputy Director. 5Biotechnology Laboratory Director.

Front cover: The red currant, Ribes rubrum L., is representative of the red, black, and white currant and other small fruits studied at L’viv. Photo- graphed by David J. Hannapel at the L’viv filial. Fig. 1. Map of Ukraine that shows major cities, botanical gardens, institutes, filials, and research stations.

1214 HORTSCIENCE, VOL. 29(11), NOVEMBER 1994 (continued from inside front cover) Table 1. Characterization of the 13 small-fruit and tree-fruit research centers in Ukraine. Scientific personnel Avg Approx. Tech. & General General annual Research center Year area No. suppl. climate soil rainfall Temp Type Name Location founded (ha) labs. DSc PhD personnel type type (mm) sumz Botanical garden Central Kiev 1946 250 10 4 40 60 Mild Gray 610 3020 Botanical continental forest Garden Nikita Nikitay 1812 1000 11 2 30 63 Dry Sandy, 500 3900 Botanical subtropical black, Garden HOCx Institute Inst. of Melitopol’ 1937w 3500 10 1 46 57 Sharp Sandy, 443 2730 Irrigated (1970) continental gray Horticulture forest Mliev Inst. Mlievv 1918w 2500 7 0 20 28 Sharp Deep 610 3020 (1989) continental black, HOC Inst. of Kiev 1930 2200 17 7 95 140 Mild Gray 610 3020 Horticulture continental forest Filial L’viv L’viv 1959 800 3 1 8 20 Continental Gray 670 2695 forest Donets’k Artemivsku 1938 1500 7 0 32 40 Sharp Deep 480 3230 continental black, HOC Research station Prydnistrovska Prydnistrovskat 1970 450 2 0 14 14 Mild Deep 624 3100 continental black, HOC Podil’ska Podil’skas 1969 800 2 0 7 10 Mild Deep 544 2825 continental black, HOC Crimean Symferopol’ 1932 1500 8 0 28 36 Mild Sandy, 501 3635 continental black, HOC Krasny Kut Krasny Kutr 1968 600 2 0 14 12 Sharp Deep 528 3070 continental black, HOC Chernihiv Chernihiv 1996 1200 N/A N/A N/A N/A Sharp Gray N/A N/A continental forest Sevastopol’ Sevastopol’ 1935 230 4 0 7 33 Mild Light 501 3635 continental clay zTemperature sum corresponds to the sum of the number of degrees the daily average temperature is >5C during an entire year. yNear Yalta. xHOC = high organic content. wEarlier year was foundation as a research station and year in parentheses is year converted to an institute. vNear Cherkasy. uNear Donets’k. tNear Chernivtsi. sNear Vinnytsia. rNear Kharkiv. Nikita Botanical Garden Ukraine; phone 011-7-0654-33-55-97 or 011- Contact: Fedir Kalenich (director), Insti- 7-0654-33-55-30; fax 011-7-0654-33-53-86. tute of Irrigated Horticulture, Vakulenchuk st. Nikita Botanical Garden was established 99, 332311, Melitopol’, Zaporizhia Oblast, in 1812 and is located just east of Yalta in the INSTITUTES Ukraine; phone 011-7-06142-3-13-78. Crimea. Its program focuses on the breeding and selection of nearly all fruit and ornamental Institute of Irrigated Horticulture Mliev Institute crops, and it is a major repository for apple, apricot, peach, plum, sweet cherry, and walnut This institute is located in Melitopol’, in This former research station was the first species. Scientists breed apricots, Prunus southeastern Ukraine, and as its name implies, fruit research station in the FSU (established dominicata, sweet and sour cherries, peaches, all crops are grown on irrigated land. Its re- in 1918); it became an institute in 1989. It is the pears, quince, and apples. Collaborative work search specialties are the breeding, selection, smallest of the three institutes, but it is well with U.S. scientists in botanical gardens has and production technology of sweet cherry known because it was established and devel- been established, mostly as a mechanism for and other stone fruits, with a small amount of oped by the most famous of Ukrainian po- germplasm exchange. The garden also intro- research dealing with pears and apples. This mologists, Lev Symyrenko (Fig. 2). duces subtropical fruit and nut species into the center has developed many Ukrainian culti- Symyrenko worked almost his entire profes- region, and it has large breeding and selection vars of sweet cherry, such as ‘Melitopols’ka sional career in this geographical area. He programs for these crops. With the removal of Rannya’, ‘Prysadybna’, and ‘Bigaro selected many apple cultivars used in the FSU, political barriers in the NIS/Baltics, scientists Aratovskogo’, and it possesses an excellent including ‘Symyrenko’, one of the most popu- at Nikita Botanical Garden are eager to ex- collection of sweet cherry germplasm. One lar cultivars in Ukraine, Russia, and eastern change information and share germplasm with successful research project conducted at this Europe because of high yield and excellent collaborators throughout the world. institute was the development of the technol- dessert quality. This institute now specializes Contact: Adolf I. Lischuk (director), Nikita ogy to obtain dukes, an interspecific hybrid in the breeding, selection, cultivar screening, Botanical Garden, 334267, Yalta, Crimea, between sour cherry and sweet cherry. and production technology of apple, pear, black

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Table 2. Common name, genus, specific epithet, and authority of species cited in the text. Table is organized production in Ukraine are cultivars that V. alphabetically by common name. These species are used in breeding and selection programs at the Kopan and K. Kopan developed at the insti- various research units. tute. Examples of these cultivars are Common name Genus Specific epithet Authority ‘Rusanivka’, ‘Festyval’na Romashka’, and Actinidia Actinidia arguta (Siebold & Zucc.) Planch ‘Prysvjata’, whose berries are large, ripen kolomikta (Rupr. & Maxim) Maxim uniformly, and produce high yields and are deliciosa (A. Chev.) C.F. Liang et resistant to pests, respectively. var. deliciosa R. Ferguson Contact: Mikhailo V. Andriyenko (direc- Apple Malus ×domestica Borkh. tor), or Petro V. Kondratenko (deputy direc- floribunda Sieb. tor), Institute of Horticulture, 252027, Kiev- ×atrosanguinea Schneid × 27, Novoselki, Ukraine; phone 011-7-044- zumi Rehd. 266-65-48 (MVA) or 011-7-044-266-65-58 pumila Mill. Apricot Prunus armeniaca L. (PVK); fax 011-7-044-266-65-49. Contact cerasifera Ehrh. with any of the directors or scientists at the Cherry, duke Prunus ×effusus (Host) C.K. Schneid. filials or research stations should be initiated Cherry, sour Prunus cerasus L. through the office of the director of the Insti- Cherry, sweet Prunus avium L. tute of Horticulture in Kiev. Currant, black Ribes nigrum var. europeum L. nigrum var. sibiricum L. FILIALS dikusha Fish. petiolare Dougl. atrosanguineum Pursh. L’viv bracteosum Dougl. ≈ Currant, red and white Ribes rubrum L. This filial, located 30 km northeast of vulgare Jancz. L’viv, contains ≈800 ha devoted to fruit-crop Gooseberry, green Ribes grossularia Michx. research. It is located near the Carpathian Gooseberry, red Ribes hirtellum Michx. Mountains and has ample rainfall (Table 1) Peach Prunus persica (L.) Batsch and mild weather. This unit specializes almost Pear Pyrus communis L. solely on small-fruit research, with some work ussuriensis Maxim. on apples and pears. The main small-fruit Plum Prunus americana Marsh. crops are red, black, and white currants; straw- domestica L. dominicata --- berries; gooseberries; and raspberries. In par- Quince Cydonia oblonga Mill. ticular, the gooseberry cultivars Neslukhivsky, Raspberry Rubus idaeus var. vulgatus L. Kamenjar, and Visoki Zamok, developed at odoratus L. this filial, are the best in Ukraine due to their Sea Buckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides L. disease resistance, high yield, and ease of Strawberry Fragaria ×ananasa Duch. mechanical harvest. This filial also is known chiloensis L. for its pear cultivars, such as ‘Zolotovorits’ka’, ovalis Lehn. ‘Etude’, ‘Vyzshnytsia’, and ‘Stryis’ka’. The Walnut Juglans regia L. research laboratories at L’viv focus on small- fruit breeding, genetics, and selection, soil chemistry, and production technology. This currant, and several stone fruits. Some post- the breeding, genetics, and selection of almost filial has the largest collection of small-fruit harvest technology and processing research all fruit crops grown in Ukraine. Future re- germplasm in Ukraine and welcomes inquir- also is done here. There are only a few con- search will include molecular biology and ies from scientists from around the world. trolled-atmosphere storage units in Ukraine, genetic engineering of targeted species. The and a small unit exists at Mliev. Most of the institute is divided into 17 departments that Donets’k fruit crops produced at the institute and the range from breeding, production technology, surrounding collective farms are processed and economics to biotechnology. Great em- This filial is northeast of the city of into juice or wine, with a small amount used phasis is placed on plant pathology research, Donets’k, in the city of Artemivsk. It is the for preserves. Recently, V. Laskavyi has de- because there is a scarcity of protective chemi- easternmost fruit research unit. Its main pro- veloped several new plum cultivars that are cals that can be used on fruit crops. The insti- duction specialization is nursery production of well adapted to mechanical harvest and can be tute also includes three research farms in met- all species of fruit trees, and Ukrainians com- dried readily. ropolitan Kiev. The institute building is lo- pare this unit with some of the major fruit-tree Contact: Ivan I. Khomenko (director), cated just south of the Kiev city limits on a nurseries in the world. At this filial, the main Mliev Institute, v. Mliev, Horodische rayon, farm that has fertile soil high in organic matter. scientific research work involves apple root- Cherkasy Oblast, 258532, Ukraine; phone 011- One farm is in Dmytrivka, an area with sandy stock breeding and selection and plant propa- 7-04734-2-24-40. soil, where research focuses on new technol- gation. This unit has an extremely large labo- ogy for orchards planted in sandy soil. The ratory complex that propagates virus-free, Institute of Horticulture other farm, in Fastiv, will become the small-fruit and tree-fruit plants for commer- germplasm repository for apple for all Ukraine. cial use. Lilia Taranenko, a scientist at this The Institute of Horticulture at Kiev is the The locations of these three farms provide a filial, has developed many cultivars of tree center of fruit-crop research in Ukraine. This wide range of soil types. This institute pos- fruits. Among her many achievements are the facility was established in 1930 and is the sesses the largest collection of germplasm of apple cultivar Kalvil Donets’ki, ‘Annushka’ largest Ukrainian fruit-crop research unit. It tree-fruit crops in all Ukraine. In the past, this sour cherry, ‘Chudovyshnia’ duke, and employs 242 professionals, with a distribution germplasm collection was used only by Ukrai- ‘Donchanka’, ‘Ugolek’, and ‘Sestrienka’ sweet of 7 DSc, 95 PhD, and 140 technicians and nian scientists for their breeding projects; now, cherries. The main crops grown here are sour professional staff. This institute oversees the this germplasm collection is open to scientists cherry and plums. The largest repository (≈500 research conducted at the two filials and six around the world. The best breeding and selec- cultivars) of sour cherry germplasm in Ukraine research stations described later in this article. tion programs developed at the institute are in is at this filial. Rainfall in this area is limited Research projects conducted at the institute apple, pear, and strawberry. For example, 80% (≈480 mm) and, therefore, most of the filial is span all ranges of fruit-crop physiology, and of the plants used for commercial strawberry under irrigation. Donets’k filial has 72 scien-

1394 HORTSCIENCE, VOL. 29(11), NOVEMBER 1994 Krasny Kut

This station is in northeastern Ukraine, west of the city of Kharkiv, and is the most northerly and easterly station at this time, but a new station is being established to the north (see Chernihiv). Krasny Kut focuses on the “northern culture” of various crops, especially apple. Important apple cultivars developed at this station are ‘Kalvil Krasnokuts’ky’, ‘Shafran Krasnokuts’ky’, and ‘Kalvil Berendey’ and important pears are ‘Progress’, ‘Zymova Krasnokuts’ka’, and ‘Lymonka Osinna’. A new, rapidly expanding area of FIG. 2, HALFTONE emphasis is research and development of al- SHOOT at 100% ternative fruit crops. The center specializes in the introduction and testing of all types of alternative crops throughout Ukraine. Some CROP AS SHOWN examples of new alternative crops are sea buckthorn and Actinidia.

DROP KEYLINE Chernihiv

This research station is under development. Once it is operational in 1996, it will be the northernmost unit. Much of its work will focus on strawberry, black currant, and other small-fruit production technology, because the soil type and climate are well suited for production of these crops.

Sevastapol’ Originally, this research station was not part of the Ukrainian system, but rather it was a station of the Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry in St. Petersburg. As such, this station Fig. 2. Monument to Lev Symyrenko, Ukraine’s most famous pomologist, in the formal rose display garden is one of many that once belonged to the FSU at the Mliev Institute. (Photographed by D.J.H.) but now belongs to Ukraine. This unit special- tific personnel and is more than twice as large research station has developed pruning tech- ized in the maintenance and introduction of as the L’viv filial. niques for apple that allow old, established the complete collection of tree-fruit germ- orchards to be renovated. A secondary re- plasm from the Vavilov Institute, and will RESEARCH STATIONS search focus involves production technology continue as a germplasm repository. for sour cherries, strawberries, and other small Sevastapol’ is a military-based city that is fruits. closed to foreign visitors. Prydnistrovska Crimean EPILOGUE This research station, located near the city of Chernivtsi, is the farthest west. Its specialty This unit is the southernmost Ukrainian Agricultural research and development is walnut, pear, and peach production research. research station. Located just north of personnel in Ukraine now can be open and Research also is directed toward breeding, Symferopol’, it specializes in research on pro- communicative about their research, and hor- cultivar and variety screening, and production duction technology of peaches, apricots, pears, ticulturists the world over will benefit. Ukrai- technology of other fruit crops, such as apple and apples. This station tests and has devel- nian researchers are eager to discuss the re- and sweet cherry. This research station is oped production technology for “warm cli- sults of their work, and they are particularly known around the world for its walnut collec- mate” fruit trees, especially apples, that nor- eager to develop international collaborative tion. Collaborative research on walnut is an mally are grown only in more temperate areas. research projects. For many small fruits and excellent possibility for international research- These apple cultivars are grown only in south- tree fruits, the germplasm holdings of Ukraine ers to interact with Ukrainian scientists from ern Ukraine and differ from cultivars grown in are large and varied, and they may be very this research station. the northern part. In addition, much work has valuable to researchers throughout the world. focused on high-density growing systems for Podil’ska apple. Breeding and selection programs are in place for apples, pears, and small fruits. This RICHARD J. GLADON1, DAVID J. HANNAPEL1, This station is near the city of Vinnytsia, station has developed the apple cultivars and MIKHAILO V. KOLOMIETS2 which is close to central Ukraine. The main Avrora, Solgirs’ke, and Tavriya, and the pear Dept. of Horticulture crop produced in the Podill’a region is apple, cultivars Desertna, Tavrychanka, and Iowa State Univ. which is well suited to this area’s optimum Akimovs’ke. Because the climate is warm and Ames, IA 50011-1100 rainfall, soil type, and temperature fluctua- slightly arid, some research concerns irriga- tions. Much of the research focuses on apple tion practices, especially drip irrigation with and MIKHAILO V. ANDRIYENKO3, PETRO V. production technology, with projects related fertigation. This unit also does limited KONDRATENKO4, and VOLODYMYR KOPAN5 to orchard ground cover management, prun- postharvest work, mostly related to storage Institute of Horticulture, Kiev ing techniques, and training systems. This systems. 252027, Kiev-27, Novoselki, Ukraine

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