Breeding of new pear cultivars in Belarus

Pear breeding has old traditions at the Institute for Fruit Growing in Belarus since 1932. The pear collection (660 genotypes including cultivars and hybrids of Pyrus communis – 303, P. ussuriensis – 151, P. pyrifolia – 85, P. × bretschneideri – 7, and interspecific hybrids – 7) has been investigated for potential use in breeding and enlarged with genotypes obtained from interspecific crosses.
One of the aims of our breeding program is to create new original breeding populations with combined multiple resistance to the most important diseases and damaging abiotic factors in our climate.
Many accessions from the collection were included in hybridization.
As a result of investigation during more than 20 years of pear hybrid selection development, 7 Belarusian pear cultivars were released in the period of 2005-2014. These are the new cultivars: ‘Prosto Maria’, ‘Spakusa’, ‘Yasachka’, ‘Viliya’, ‘Kudesnitza’, ‘Kupala’ and ‘Zaveya’, with resistance to fungal diseases and winter frost combined with high crop yields and attractive and quality fruit.
The assessment of the pear breeding revealed the best value parents and cross combinations which used cultivars of P. communis with F₂-F₄s of P. ussuriensis, P. pyrifolia and P. × bretschneideri.

XIV EUCARPIA Symposium on Fruit Breeding and Genetics

Z.A. Kazlouskaya, V.A. Yakimovich

pear breeding, interspecific hybrid, cultivar

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2017.1172.21