New cultivars of Asiatic hybrid lilies bred at the I. V. Michurin Federal Scientifi c Center

The article describes the results of lily breeding at the I. V. Michurin Federal Scientifi c Center. New cultivars of Asiatic hybrids with diff erent fl owering periods were created, such as Lebedinoe Ozero, Valentina, Bagration, Rozovyi Zhemchug, Rubinovye Zvezdy. All of them are listed in the National Register of Cultivars and Hybrids of Agricultural Plants Approved for Use. The research aims to broaden the domestic assortment of Asiatic lily hybrids with new cultivars surpassing the best analogues across the globe in a combination of ornamental and economic traits. Lily breeding at the I. V. Michurin Federal Scientifi c Center has been conducted since 1963. More than 200 cultivars have been developed for open-fi eld cultivation in diff erent climatic zones of this country under the scientifi c supervision and with direct participation of M. F. Kireyeva, a candidate of agricultural sciences, as well as candidates of agricultural sciences N. V. Ivanova, N. G. Korshikova, V. V. Martynova, G. M. Pugacheva, and M. A. Sokolova. Of these cultivars, 88 have copyright certifi cates, 11 are protected by patent, and 53 are listed in the International Lily Register. At present, the main areas of Asiatic lily hybrid breeding at the I. V. Michurin Federal Scientifi c Center include expanding the range and duration of fl owering, creating cultivars with original fl ower colors and shapes, increasing the number of fl owers in infl orescences, and enhancing resistance to diseases and adverse environmental factors. Currently, we continue to hybridize lilies, study hybrid seedlings, and choose selected and elite forms. The most resilient and highly ornamental elite forms are transferred to the State Cultivar Commission of the Russian Federation after a multi-year thorough study. The new cultivars of Asiatic hybrid lilies are characterized by a wide fl owering range. The Lebedinoe Ozero and Rozovyi Zhemchug cultivars belong to the medium-early, Valentina to the medium, Rubinovye Zvezdy to the medium late, and Bagration to the late fl owering groups. The average duration of the fl owering period of these cultivars is 14–15 days. The perianth coloration of the presented cultivars is bicolor (40 %), yellow (20 %), dark red (20 %), and purple-red (20 %). The pattern on the tepal surface consists of spots of various sizes and quantities (40 % of the cultivars), dabs and spots (20 %), dabs, strokes, and spots (20 %), and no pattern (20 %). The star-shaped fl ower is predominant in the new cultivars (80 %). The semi-turban shape is only characteristic of plants of the Rubinovye Zvezdy cultivar. The plant height varies from 85.4 cm (Valentina) to 107.8 cm (Bagration). Plants of the Rubinovye Zvezdy cultivar are characterized by the smallest fl ower diameter (12.1 cm); Lebedinoe Ozero fl owers have the largest diameter (15.5 cm). The number of bulbs formed over two years of cultivation ranges from two (Bagration, Valentina, Rozovyi Zhemchug) to three bulbs per plant (Lebedinoe Ozero). The number of bulblets formed in the suprabulbous root zone varies from 3.5 (Valentina) to 6.5 bulbs per plant (Rozovyi Zhemchug). The new cultivars are characterized by moderate resistance to diseases and pests as well as resistance to abiotic environmental factors

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