Adaptation of culture of the apple-tree to cultivation conditions in the south of Russia

Abstract

The apple-tree is the main fruit crop in the world, Russia and its southern regions. In the North Caucasus the percent of the areas occupied by the apple-tree fluctuates (on horticulture zones) from 60 to 90 %.Its wide spread is bound to the high winter hardiness, increased adaptability to the environmental factors, keeping quality and good transportability. However, her reaction to the manifestation of adverse environmental factors is different. One of the major factors limiting success of its cultivation is the temperature schedule of the winter-spring period. The main reason for the total or partial loss of the yield of fruit crops (including apple-trees) is the lack of the created, ecologically balanced zones of their cultivation. It is shown in this work that the species and varietal composition of fruit crops should be formed taking into account compliance in system “fruit crop - environment”, especially in the conditions of self-reliance. The paper presents the optimum and limiting conditions of temperature in the context of the development of apple-tree phenophases. In the resting phase her floral kidneys can bear to -30 °C, in the swelling stage - to -15 °C, the blooming - -8 °C, the appearance of the petals - -4 °C, flowering- -2 °C. The Krasnodar and Stavropol regions (flat territories) in the North Caucasus have the greatest number of lands for its cultivation. There are a lot of lands, restrictedly suitable for cultivation of the apple-tree under the terms of the winter-spring period in the foothill regions of the North Caucasus. In mountain conditions the cultivation of commodity gardens of the apple-tree are limited to the relief and the rigidity of the temperature schedule in the dormant period. By means of geoinformational technologies the ecological map of the optimum placement of the apple-tree in the North Caucasus depending on the temperature schedule of winter-spring development is created. Territories of various degree of usefulness for cultivation of the apple-tree were identified by regions.