Economic and biological evaluation of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. varieties bred by the Federal Horticultural Center for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery

This study comparatively evaluates three Schisandra varieties bred by the the Federal Horticultural Center for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery (Russia). The varieties – Pervenets (control, year of creation – 1999), Debut (year of creation – 2013), and Alex (year of creation – 2023) – are evaluated based on a set of key agronomic and biological characteristics. These varieties are adapted to the temperate continental climate of the European part of the Russian Federation and are suffi ciently winter-hardy for cultivation in open ground without cover or removal from supports. The plants are monoecious. The Debut and Alex varieties are distinguished by their large fruits. Their fruits represent an infructescence, a juicy fruit aggregate resembling a raceme weighing 11.5 (18.0) and 13.7 (25.7) g, with 19.2 (32) and 18.8 (28.9) pcs per brush, respectively. The weight of one berry is 0.70 (0.90) and 0.73 (0.89) g, respectively. Debut showed the highest weight of 1000 seeds (31.9 g), compared to Alex (24.5 g) and Pervenets (21.1 g). The Debut and Alex varieties surpass Pervenets in the content of soluble solids (16.5 and 16.3% versus 15.1 %), sugars (4.3 and 4.2 % versus 4.0%), and ascorbic acid (96.8 and 68.6 mg/% versus 44.0 mg/%, respectively). In terms of yield, both new varieties exceeded the Pervenets standard variety: Debut – by 26.3 % and Alex – by 42.3 %.