Signal coloration of young leaves of zucchini in the selection of plants with bi-colored fruit

Relevance. In accordance with the needs of the market, in 2008, a variety of zucchini Russian spaghetti with two-colored fruits was created. We faced difficulties in maintaining a high percentage of two-color forms in the variety population. To solve this problem, we studied the possibility of using markers of young zucchini leaves in the selection of forms with different fruit colors in technical ripeness.

Material and conditions. The experience was started in 2005 to 2018 in the open ground on the basis of FSBSI FSVC. In the breeding nursery, research was conducted annually on 30 plants. The color of the fruit was taken into account only in the phase of technical ripeness. The best plants were propagated by incest. In the nursery breeding varieties of Russian spaghetti were sown by family. During 4 years in each family, at different stages of development, 50-100 plants were studied according to the color of the fruit and other economically useful characteristics.

Results. For eleven years, incuchination and selection were carried out on two-color forms of zucchini Russian spaghetti to achieve homozygosity and, accordingly, to align the material with the color of the fruit. Some regularities of the influence of the number of integrirovanii on the color of the fruit has not been observed. Continuing to observe the plants, it was possible to establish a relationship between the color of the fruit in technical ripeness and the pattern on the lower (first) leaves. On plants with a marble pattern, the leaves were mostly green (reticulated); with yellow spots on the leaves – two-colored and with completely yellow leaves – yellow fruits. By selecting plants with yellow spots on the leaves in the early stages, in the phase of the 3-4-th real leaves, we were able to increase the percentage of plants with two-colored fruits in the population of the variety to 95.5-100%. All this greatly simplified the original seed production of zucchini Russian spaghetti.

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