Natalia Georgieva1, Valentin Kosev1 and Teodora Mihova2
1 Agricultural Academy, Institute of Forage Crops, Pleven, Bulgaria
2 Agricultural Academy,Research Institute of Mountain Stockbreeding and Agriculture, Troyan, Bulgaria
Georgieva, N., Kosev, V. & Mihova, T. (2025). Selection estimation of chaenomeles accessions. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 31(4), 731–740
The application of traditional methods in selection-genetic studies is necessary to be combined with new possibilities for estimation. In the present study, based on the application of the ecological-genetic model for organization of the quantitative trait, an attempt was made to determine the genotype of 15 chaenomeles accessions by their phenotype. The applied method makes it possible to increase the breeding process efficiency, and valuable genotypes to be recognized still at the initial stage of breeding, according to their phenotype. Parameters and coefficients that determine the adaptability and plasticity of the accessions in the Middle Balkan Mountains conditions were calculated. The results showed that A14 and A6 possess strong genes of the physiological system of adaptability in terms of productivity and yield. A13, A8, A3, and A11 are characterized by a weak but positive attractiveness. Accession A14 was distinguished by negative attractiveness regarding the vegetation period duration, and A6 had positive manifestations of genes for adaptability (good productivity) and attraction (long vegetation period). A7, A10, A5 and A13 were less productive, but can be used in combinative breeding to develop early-ripening forms. In decorative direction, with positive attraction and adaptability, suitable were A7 and A6 due to the increased number of flowers per bush. Accessions A1 and A2 showed good stability concerning flowers number per bud, and the same can be used as parental components in the decorative direction. The general adaptation index determined A14, A6 and A7 as highly adaptable genotypes. With high values of the coefficient of multiplicativity were A2, A3, A7 and A8 (5.13–3.62), and with good ecological plasticity – respectively, A13 (IEP = 10.3), A14 (IEP = 2.89), A6 (IEP = 1.72) and A17 (IEP = 1.19).