Preliminary results of the study of apricot flowering phenology in Mountainous Dagestan

This paper presents the results of a comparative assessment of the flowering phenophases of apricot cultivars and natural forms of various ecological and geographical origins in the mountainous conditions of Dagestan, with the aim of subsequently identifying genotypes with late flowering periods.

The study was conducted on 130 apricot varieties and forms of varying ecological and geographical origins. In the spring of 2025, a phenological assessment was conducted at the Tsudakhar experimental base using five flowering traits: red bud, white bud, and the beginning, end, and duration of flowering.

Synchronous passage of the “red bud” (March 26–28) and “white bud” (March 30–31) phases was established in all accessions. In 89.2 % of accessions (116 genotypes), the "red bud" phase was observed from March 25–30, and the “beginning of flowering” (117 accessions) – from March 30 to April 4. The flowering duration in 85% of accessions was 10–15 days. The shortest flowering duration was noted in European varieties (5 days), ending by April 7–11. Extremely low variability of phenological traits (CV < 7 %) was revealed, due to the influence of high average daily temperatures in March. Dagestan genotypes of cultivated and wild origin demonstrated early flowering periods. Late flowering periods are typical for hybrid forms – 60 %, as well as samples from other groups from 2.8 to 14.3 %, with the exception of the Dagestan wild‐growing and Moscow groups.

The existing assortment of Dagestan varieties, forms and natural specimens is characterised as early flowering, which in the conditions of global warming requires the creation of new late flowering forms, such as the introduced genotypes: 'Zapozdaly', hybrid 8134, 'Kubansky Cherny', 'Tip Krasnoshchekogo' and the local variety 'Musa'.

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