Horticultural plant breeding program for the development of breeding material to promote the introduction of conventional, integrated and organic growing technologies, 2025

Project goal: Creation of horticultural cultivars suitable for the agroclimatic conditions of Latvia for the implementation of environmentally friendly agricultural crop cultivation technologies

Creation of new cultivars or breeding for the implementation of integrated vegetable, fruit tree and berry cultivation technologies is a complex long-term activity that includes several interrelated stages:

Pre-breeding

Goal: Study traits important for breeding, selecting their donors, and developing and improving breeding methods.

This breeding stage includes:

• study of existing plant material collections and selection of potential parent plants,
• collection, selection and research of new donors of traits important for breeding,
• creation of new breeding raw material by conducting experimental crossings, including interspecific crosses,
• development and improvement of breeding methods,
• study of plants and their associated pathogens for the improvement of breeding methods.

Traditional breeding

Objective: Create breeding material and select the most promising genotypes in hybrid or collection plantations.

This breeding stage includes:

• crossing using selected parent plants,
• evaluation of the properties of the obtained hybrids and selection in greenhouse and field conditions,
• selection of hybrids using molecular markers specific to the desired traits,
• assessment of disease resistance using plant pathology methods.

Evaluation of candidate varieties and new varieties under production conditions

Objective: Select candidate cultivars to be submitted for registration from the most promising genotypes under production conditions and develop or adapt production technologies for new and candidate cultivars.

This breeding stage includes:

• evaluation of elite hybrids, candidate varieties, and new varieties under commercial cultivation conditions, evaluation of agronomic properties,
  development or adaptation of cultivation technologies, and more, development of the IMP strategy,
• development or adaptation of harvesting and storage technologies, development of suitable processing products for fruit plants suitable for processing, and assessment of nutritional value.

Commercialization of cultivars

Objective: Strengthen the copyright of new cultivars and promote their recognition and availability.

This breeding stage includes:

• conducting cultivar distinctness, uniformity and stability tests (AVS test) and registering new varieties,
• promotional activities for new varieties and/or their products, and demonstrations for potential growers.

Horticultural species included in the breeding program:

• Apple
• Raspberries
• Blackcurrants
• Japanese quince
• Plums
• Pears
• Cherries
• Apricots
• Melons
• Onions
• Garlic

The project's results will be published on the Institute of Horticultural website at the end of the implementation phase and will be available free of charge to all companies operating in the relevant sector or sub-sector.