Evaluation of apple tree variety resistance to abiotic stressors based on similarity to an ideal model

Abstract

The current climate changes significantly impact agriculture posing new challenges for fruit crop breeding. This study proposes a comprehensive approach to evaluating the resistance of apple tree varieties to abiotic stressors including winter hardiness, drought resistance, and heat tolerance. The developed model of an "ideal" variety is based on determining critical threshold values for resistance to low and high temperatures as well as water deficiency. The research employed artificial freezing of shoots, laboratory simulation of dehydration and heat stress, and cluster analysis to rank varieties by their alignment with this model. The results showed that the varieties Vympel, Akademik Kazakov, Jay Darling and M. floribunda exhibited the highest resistance to abiotic factors. Applying modeling in breeding enables consideration of complex multifactorial interactions between genotype and environment, significantly enhancing the efficiency of selecting promising varieties. The developed evaluation system may be applied to breeding other fruit crops allowing the selection of genotypes resistant to extreme climatic conditions. This approach fosters sustainable agroecosystems capable of withstanding adverse environmental factors including sharp temperature fluctuations, long droughts, and erratic weather patterns. The findings confirm the promise of a comprehensive approach and highlight the need for further research in genetic modeling of varieties adaptive to global climate change to ensure food security and sustainable agricultural development.