Articles
WAYS OF APRICOT CULTURE DEVELOPMENT IN THE NORTH CAUCASUS
In the Soviet Union the northern border line of apricot culture which is a valuable stone fruit crop lies here.
Apricot growing in this zone has a number of problems.
In Krasnodar and Stavropol regions, on the plains of Dagestan, in Kabardino-Balkaria and North Ossetia, longterm winter thaws are rather frequent, thus provoking tree dormancy breaking.
Apricot fruit buds in these conditions are easily damaged by frosts, though intact wood of this tree can withstand temperatures of 25–30°C below zero.
Flower damage by frosts is not so often met.
Cold weather, rains and winds during the flowering period may also cause the irregular apricot fructification in these areas.
In areas with high atmospheric relative humidity, apricots are heavily affected by grey mould (Botrytis cinerea Pers.) and leaf spot (Closterosporium carpophilum (Lev.) Aderh.). In the wet climate of the Sochi region with annual rainfall of 1400 mm, the damage caused by diseases is so great that apricots do not fruit at all, though here they are not affected by frosts.
Cytospora dieback causes significant deterioration of apricot plantations.
At present in growing apricots insufficient fruit bud resistance in winter time is the main reason why its production is quite a problem in the North Caucasus.
The problem, mentioned above, has been approached in two ways:
- by breeding projects aimed at developing more frostproof, regular-
- fruiting apricot varieties,
- by optimization of its distribution on the territory of the North Caucasus.