Analysis of initial breeding material based on key economically valuable traits

The article presents results from analysing a nursery of initial breeding material (hybridisation nursery) to identify and incorporate the most suitable cultivated potato varieties and interspecific hybrids created from phylogenetically distant species into breeding work to develop new potato varieties adapted to the soil and climate conditions of the Western Forest-Steppe region of Ukraine.The main research methods used were field trials, analytical techniques, and statistical analysis.The results showed that interspecific hybrids are characterised by many tubers per plant (11.3-27.0),with relatively high average tuber weight (74-89 g).These hybrids exhibit traits of cultivated varieties in terms of high productivity per plant, average tuber mass, and marketability of tubers (up to 95.0 %).The interspecific hybrids are characterised by high tuber marketability, increased starch content, and high resistance of vegetative mass to late blight (7.3-8.8 points on a 9-point scale).Analysis of the interspecific hybrids as one of the groups incorporated into the breeding work allows the conclusion that developing varieties with high yields combined with late blight resistance and valuable economic traits is possible.Ukrainian and foreign potato varieties in the initial breeding material nursery, such as Slava, Legenda, Duzha, Svalyavska, Shchedryk, Myroslava, Chervona Ruta, Krynytsa, and Pryhozha, are recommended for incorporation into the hybridisation process to create new breeding material.