Formation, study and use in breeding of Camphorosma Lessingii populations in the Northwestern Near Circum-Caspian Sea Region

This article presents the results of studies aimed at identifying the formation features and assessing the drought- and salt-stress-resistant Camphorosma lessingii Litv. specimens. Camphorosma lessingii is a semi-shrub with a height of up to 55 cm from the Chenopodiaceae family. The range covers various areas of the Central Asia and Eastern Europe arid zones, where it grows on sandy, clay, and gravelly soils along the margins of salt marshes, and has a long growing season (240–255 days). Camphorosma lessingii is an ecologically hypergaloxerophyte, characterized by extremely high resistance to environmental conditions of abiotic stress — air and soil drought, heat, and dry weather. It begins to grow in early April, blooms in August, and fruit formation occurs at the end of October. Camphorosma lessingii is characterized by highly competitive resistance in mixed crops with Kochia prostrata and Artemisia lercheana. Camphorosma lessingii is highly nutritious and is well eaten by sheep in summer and autumn. In the fruiting phase, the leaves contain 18.4% crude protein, 10.2% crude fat, and 1.05 fodder units in 1 kg of dry matter, and fruits, re-spectively, 42.6% and 18.0%. Wild populations are characterized by a high degree of biodiversity. We have studied 26 specimens of various ecological and geographical origins. Based on three years of research, spicemens resistant to abiotic environmental factors have been identified, characterized by xerothermal and salt resistance. These spicemens are supposed to be used as a promising source material for breeding programs.