Flowering and fruiting characteristics of new blue honeysuckle hybrids in the conditions of the Sverdlovsk region

The article presents the results of a three-year study of eight new honeysuckle hybrids in the southern taiga of the Middle Urals in comparison with the control cultivar ‘Polyanka Kotova’. The aim of the research is to describe the phenological features of flowering and fruiting, to conduct a comparative study of the morphobiological characteristics for new selected honeysuckle hybrids bred by the Sverdlovsk Horticultural Breeding Station. Weather conditions during the observation period (2022–2024) reflected the continental climate in the Middle Urals (extreme daily temperature fluctuations, cold snap, snowfalls in May, drought, steady rains), and it was possible to evaluate the fruiting and yield of samples in contrastive conditions. The sum of average daily positive active temperatures required for the beginning of honeysuckle hybrids flowering was in the range from 237 to 281 °C, for the beginning of heavy bearing it was in the range from 883 to 933 °C. The cultivars 1-18-11, 1-18- 23, 2-18-5, 2-18-6, 3-18-14, 3-18-26 statistically significantly exceeded the control cultivar in maximum and average fruit weight under observation conditions. Additional complex analysis of morphobiological characteristics (abundance of flowering and fruiting; shedding; taste) in 2024 made it possible to select samples with high tasting qualities 1-18-23, 2-18-5, 2-18-6. Among them, the best fruiting and the weakest fruit shedding were observed for the hybrid 1-18-23. It is necessary to continue longterm observation of selected hybrids in order to obtain the most promising material for further breeding.