MOUNTAIN PINE SEED PRODUCTION IN MARI EL REPUBLIC

Abstract

Introduction. The necessity to obtain an assessment of the perspective for successful introduction of  Mountain pine in Mari El Republic proves the topicality of the research. The goal of the research is to assess seed production of mountain pine in Mari El Republic. Objects and methods. The research was carried out on the basis of the fund of Botanical garden-institute of Volga State University of Technology. To assess the seed production by the standard methods of taxation, five taxons of Mountain pine were studied  by the procedure of E.Mozolevskaya, O. Kataev, E. Sokolov. An  appraisal by points of  categories of state was used. The sanitary condition of taxons was determined by a number of characteristics.  An account of cones harvesting by V.Kapper scale with the definition of  the extent of seed production was made by eye. A complete gathering of cones from all the trees was also performed. Fifty (one hundred) cones of one cone year were gathered from each tree, measured (accurate within 0.001 mm) and analyzed for morphometric characteristics. Length, diameter, number of seeds, percent of seed efficiency and air dry weight of cones were determined . Fifty - one hundred seeds of each tree were separately measured (accurate within 0.001 mm) and studied  to obtain morphometric characteristic of seeds and wings. Length and width of seeds and wings were determined. An assessment of sowing qualities of seeds included determination of purity, weight of  1000 pcs. of seeds, their germinating capacity and germinating force, and degree of infection of fungal deceases. Results of measurement of cones and seeds  were processed by the methods of  variation statistics and dispersion analysis. Results. The introduced in the Republic of Mari El plants of Mountain pine are of satisfactory health status, all the taxons have entered the reproductive period by existence of cones. Seed production of the studied taxons varies from weak to very good   degree. Productivity depended on the age and  the state of a tree. P. Mugo taxon showed the highest productivity. Mountain pine seeds had medium degree of infection of fungal deceases. It was determined that saprophytic fungi of Mucor genus were an external source of infestation, parasitic  fungi of Alternaria and Fusarium geni were an internal source of infestation. Conclusion. Mountain pine seed production in Mari El Republic shows a good   reproductive ability, which is the evidence of the perspective for its successful introduction in the region.