Thanks to the results of worldwide research on sea buckthorn, this plant has become an important crop for the food, nutrition, health, and cosmetic industries, as well as for environmental protection. Numerous high-yielding genotypes of sea buckthorn rich in vitamins and antioxidants have been identified in countries such as Russia, China, India, Germany, and Mongolia. Due to their good adaptability to local environmental conditions, there has been great interest in local sea buckthorn varieties. However, the thorns, small fruits, and high harvesting costs have long discouraged farmers in many countries from cultivating sea buckthorn.
Breeding Strategies of Russian Seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides ssp. mongolica) Varieties as a multipurpose Plant.
Russian sea buckthorn varieties (Hippophae rhamnoides ssp. mongolica) have proven advantageous in economically important traits, such as few or no thorns, large fruits (30–120 g/100), high yield (5–12 kg/plant), high oil and carotenoid content (4–7 %), and ease of harvesting. Russian sea buckthorn varieties have been introduced to the republics of the former Soviet Union, China, Europe (Germany, Finland, Sweden), and North America (USA and Canada), where they have proven successful in commercial cultivation.
Sea buckthorn grows abundantly in the Altai Mountains, Buryatia, Tuva, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, the Caucasus, the Baltic Republics, the Kaliningrad Region, and southwestern Ukraine. The significant differences in the morphological and biochemical characteristics of natural sea buckthorn populations have provided an opportunity for the genetic improvement of this promising plant. Researchers at the Siberian Research Institute of Horticulture named after M.A. Lisavenko (NIISS), were the first in the world to breed thornless, large-fruited, and high-yielding sea buckthorn varieties. This enabled the country to cultivate improved varieties on over 5,000 hectares in 15 regions from Moscow to Krasnoyarsk.
History of Sea Buckthorn Breeding
The first attempts to breed promising sea buckthorn varieties were made in Russia in 1933 by M.A. Lisavenko. In the 1950s, Zh.I. Gatin and E.I. Panteleeva (NIISS) began their breeding work by selecting promising wild sea buckthorn varieties from the Altai-Katun region near the Mongolian border. Particular emphasis was placed on selecting female varieties with good characteristics such as thornlessness, stunted growth, compact crown, winter hardiness, large fruits (0.3 g), thick fruit skin, firm flesh, long stems (5-10 mm) that are easily separated from the branch, high oil content (7 %), high vitamin C content (100 mg/100 g), and carotene content (6 mg/100 g). Male varieties were selected for their winter hardiness and flowering synchronized with the flowering of the female plants. After selection, the first improved varieties bred with the names Novost Altaya (Новость Алтая), Dar Katuni (Дар Катуни), Zolotoy pochatok (Золотой початок), Maslichnaya (Масличная), Vitaminnaya (Витаминная) and Chuyskaya (Чуйская) as well as the male variety Aley (Алей).
In the second phase, starting in 1959, Zh.I. Gatin and E.I. Panteleeva began work on hybridizing distant ecogeographical forms of sea buckthorn. Female forms were obtained from improved elite varieties selected in the Altai region. Male forms originated from Central Asia and the European parts of the former Soviet Union.
Other programs focused on developing dwarf varieties with early ripening, large fruits, a compact crown, no thorns, a firm fruit skin, a long stem, easy mechanical sorting of the fruits, as well as resistance to pests and adaptation to mechanical harvesting. Another focus of breeding is the development of sweet sea buckthorn varieties with a sugar content of over 9% and an acid content of over 1.3%. A second pollinator, Gnom (Гном), with stunted growth, was created.
Over the past 70 years, since 1933, more than 40 improved varieties have been bred at the Lisavenko Institute. Fruit yields range from 7.5 to 18.0 t/ha, the weight of 100 fruits ranges from 62 to 120 g (maximum 140 g), the stem length is 3-6 mm, the oil content is 4-8%, the carotenoid content is 15-48 mg/100 g, the sugar content is 5-10%, and the acidity is between 1.0 and 1.9%. Most varieties are thornless or slightly thorny.
Characteristics of some high-yielding varieties of sea buckthorn bred at NIISS
Augustina (Августина) - a frost-resistant dwarf variety without thorns. The fruits are large (the weight of 100 fruits is 110-140 g), ovoid, orange with soft flesh, a thin peel of sweet and sour taste and a long stem (5.0-6.0 mm). Sugar content up to 9.6%, acids 1.5%, vitamin C - 111.6 mg/100 g, carotenoids 20.0 mg/100 g and oil 6.7%. The yield of fruits at the age of 5 years is 5.2 kg per bush (6.0 t/ha). The variety is early, the fruits ripen in mid-August. And they are suitable for fresh consumption and for processing into various types of products.
Elizaveta (Елизавета) - bred in 1981. The plant has a bushy shape, the crown is oval, dense in the middle. The fruits are large (weight of 100 fruits is 81.5-110 g), cylindrical, orange, with a long stem (5.0-6.0 mm). The fruits have a sweet and sour taste and a pleasant aroma. Sugar content 5.9-8.9%, acids 1.1-1.6%, vitamin C - 71.3 mg/100 g and oil 4.4-5.1%. Winter hardiness is high. Yields in the 6th year are 14.7 and after 8 years 18.01/ha. Fruiting begins in the 4th year after planting. The fruits are suitable for fresh consumption and for various types of processing.
Chuyskaya (Чуйская) - is the most widespread sweet variety of sea buckthorn in Russia and many other countries. The fruits are large (weight of 100 fruits is 70-90 g), oval in shape and bright orange in color. It contains up to 134 mg of vitamin C per 100 g of fresh fruits, carotenoids 13.7 mg/100 g and oil 6.2%. The yield at the age of 7 years is 12.5-14.7 t/ha. It is easily harvested by hand. Up to 100-150 kg of berries can be collected in 8 hours.
Chechek (Чечек) - was bred in 1973. It has a bushy growth with a compact crown, without thorns. The fruits are large, (the weight of 100 fruits is 77.0-95.6 g), broadly oval, orange. The peel is thick. The length of the stem is 4.0-5.0. mm. The taste is sweet and sour. Sugar content 7.8%, acids 1.3%, vitamin C - 157.0 mg/100 g, carotenoids 24.7 mg/100 g and oil 7.8%. It ripens in late August to early September. The average yield after the 4th year is 16.8 t/ha.
Chulyshmanka (Чулышманка) - was bred by geographically distant hybridization in 1990. It is a dwarf form with a strong and compact crown. The fruits are medium-sized (weight of 100 fruits is 62.4-67.2 g), oval and bright orange. The taste is sweet and sour, aromatic. The stalk is long (5.0-6.0 mm). It ripens from August 25 to September 10. Sugar content 7.96%, acids 1.39%, vitamin C - 169.4 mg/100 g, carotenoids 23.3 mg/100 g and oil 6.2%. The average yield at the age of 7 years is 12.5 t/ha.
Dzhemovaya (Джемовая) - the fruits are oval, orange-red, the weight of 100 fruits is 60.0-73.0 g. It is a late-ripening variety. Sugar content 5.8%, acids 1.3%, vitamin C - 154.0 mg/100 g, carotenoids 29.3 mg/100 g and oil 10.2%. The yield in the 6th year is up to 6.0 t/ha and in the 7th year 16.0 t/ha. Plants begin to bear fruit 4 years after planting. The fruits are suitable for versatile use.
Tenga (Теньга) - was bred by the method of geographically distant hybridization. The fruits are medium-sized (weight of 100 fruits is 58.7-69.0 g), oval, bright orange. It is an early variety. Sugar content 5.8-9.8%, acids 1.3-1.5%, vitamin C - 101.6-264.1 mg/100g, carotenoids 12.5-31.7 mg/100g. It is a high-yielding variety; the yield in 6 years is about 26.8 t/ha. It bears fruit regularly from the 4th year after planting.
Zolotistaya Sibiri (Золотистая Сибири) - was bred by the method of geographically distant hybridization. It has a bushy shape with an oval crown of medium density. The weight of 100 fruits is 80 g, the length of the stem is 4-5 mm. The fruits ripen in early September. Sugar content 7.2%, acids 1.76%, oil 6.4%, vitamin C - 165.0 mg/100 g, carotene 5.5 mg/100 g, vitamin E - 5.2 mg/100 g and vitamin B - 1.01 mg/100 g. Frost resistance is high. The yield in 6 years is 14.6 t/ha and after 7 years 25.6 t/ha.
Panteleevskaya (Пантелеевская) - was bred by crossing in 1968. The fruits are large (weight 100 g is 80.5 - 110.8), oblong-oval, red-orange, sweet and sour. The length of the stem is 3.0-4.0 mm. The flesh is firm and contains sugar 5.8%, acids 1.9%, vitamin C - 87.5 mg/100 g, carotenoids 17.2 mg/100 g, oil 5.7%, vitamin E - 10.5 mg/100 g. The fruits ripen from September 5 to 25. The yield in 6 years is 10.9 t/ha and after 7 years 22.91 t/ha. The fruits are suitable for various types of processing.
Rosinka (Росинка) - is a dwarf variety with an oval crown and sparse foliage. The fruits are large (up to 0.8 g/1 berry), broadly oval, orange. The flesh is firm with a sweet and sour taste. The length of the stem is 4.0-6.0 mm. Sugar content 5.6-8.0%, acids 1.3-2.0%, vitamin C - 40.2-92.0 mg/100 g, carotenoids 17.3 mg/100 g and oil 4.1-7.0%. The yield of fruits in the 6th - 7th year after planting is 15.7 t/ha.
The latest varieties include Klavdiya (Клавдия) and Essel (Эссель), which have a high carotene content, large fruits and high yield.
Pollinator Aley (Алей) - was created from the open pollination of the Novos't' Altaya variety with the Katun ecotype in 1961 and introduced in 1988. It is an excellent pollinator and is recommended for all female sea buckthorn varieties. It is characterized by the absence of thorns, frost-resistant buds, abundant flowering and high pollen viability.
Pollinator Gnom (Гном) - was bred in 1970 by crossing the Vitaminnaya variety with the Chulyshman ecotype from the Altai Mountains and registered in 2008. It has a stunted bushy growth with a compact crown, without thorns. The generative organs of the flower are highly frost-resistant. Pollen productivity is high. The Gnom variety is used in breeding as a source of low growth and the absence of thorns and high frost resistance of flower buds.
Sea buckthorn breeding in other institutes in Russia
Research work on sea buckthorn breeding in Russia was also carried out by the Nizhny Novgorod State Agricultural Academy (NGSCHA). Selection work was started in 1949 by I.P. Eliseev. The first varieties Shcherbinka-l and Shcherbinka-2 (Щербинкa-1, 2) have large fruits, few thorns and are stunted. The pollinator was obtained from seeds of the Katun 24 variety irradiated with gamma rays. Female varieties with red fruit color and high oil content were bred. The institute selected hybrid varieties and elite forms of sea buckthorn with a high content of carotenoids, such as Zarevo (Зарево) - 259 ppm, Nadezhda (Надежда) - 316 ppm, Plamennaya (Пламенная) - 224 ppm and Ryabinka (Рябинка) - 333 ppm.
The Buryat Experimental Station of Fruits and Berries (BFBES) in Ulan-Ude began targeted sea buckthorn breeding in 1976. Seven low-growing varieties adapted to the harsh conditions of Buryatia were bred and introduced, such as Acula (Ацула), Ajaganga (Аяганга), Stepnaya (Степная), Sayana (Саяна), Bayan-Gol (Баян-Гол), Baykalsky Rubin (Байкальский рубин) and Naran (Наран). The oil content in the fruits was relatively high in the Sayana (7%) and Naran (9%).
The Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk has developed a number of hybrid varieties of sea buckthorn with large fruits and few or no thorns. The Rumyanets (Румянец) variety with red fruits and a high content of carotene, ripens in mid-August. The Druzhina (Дружина) variety is an early (mid-August), stunted plant with large fruits. Kapriz (Каприз) is an early variety with a high sugar content of up to 10% and a pleasant aroma. Podruga (Подруга) has very large fruits (0.9-1.1 g) and Zarnitsa (Зарница) is a late variety with orange-red fruits, a high content of carotene 28.8 mg/100g and oil 4.5%. The hybrid variety Triumf (Триумф) was bred in 2009. The fruits are large (0.7-0.8 g), red and have a wide stem (5-8 mm). They contain 93 mg of vitamin C per 100 g, 3.4 mg of carotene per 100 g and 4.3% oil. The variety ripens late (in mid-September). The yield of fruits is 11 kg per plant. In Russia and other countries, a significant elite variety Zyrjanka (Зырянка) has been introduced. The weight of 100 fruits is 61-64 g, vitamin C - 110 mg/100 g, carotenoids 9.7 mg/100 g and the yield of fruits is 13.9 kg per plant.
Minusinsk Experimental Station of Horticulture, selected varieties such as Obilnaya (Обильная) and Prevoskhodnaya (Превосходная). Many varieties with high yield potential were introduced with promising results. New varieties such as Minusa (Минуса) and Solnechnaya (Солнечная) were bred and introduced in Central Siberia. They achieved yields of up to 25 tons/ha.
At the Michurinsk Zonal Experimental Farm for Growing Fruit and Berries Novosibirsk, research in the field of selection and breeding was focused on developing varieties with high yield potential and a high content of biologically active components. Work began in 1995 and resulted in the new variety Zolotoy Kaskad (Золотой каскад) registered in 2004 and five other commercial varieties. The highest content of vitamin C was found in the red fruits of the Krasny Fakel (Красный факел) variety 148 mg/100 g and Ivushka (Ивушка) 115 mg/100 g. The red fruits of the Sibirsky Rumyanets (Сибирский румянец) variety showed a high content of carotenoids (46 mg/100 g). The fruits of the Krasny Fakel variety showed a high content of fruit oil (6.3%).
Work on sea buckthorn breeding began in the Botanical Garden of Moscow State University in Moscow in 1952. Emphasis was placed on the introduction of high-yielding sea buckthorn varieties that grow even under stressful conditions. Of the 32 varieties of sea buckthorn, 7 are commercially grown: Trofimovskaya (Трофимовская), Botanicheskaya (Ботаническая), Botanicheskaya aromatnaya (Ботаническая ароматная), Botanicheskaya lyubitelskaya (Ботаническая любительская), Moskvichka (Москвичка), Ortradnaya (Ортрадная) and Perchik (Перчик).
Among the many Russian varieties, Chuyskaya is the most successful, and is grown commercially in Russia as well as other countries in Europe and North America. Some Altai varieties have proven susceptible to diseases and pests when introduced to new areas. Overall, however, Russian sea buckthorn varieties have been very successful and have become the basis for commercial cultivation worldwide.
