Four decades of apple breeding at the Fruit Research Institute at Čačak

Summary

From 1952–1992 431 parental combinations with 111 cultivars and hybrids were used in apple breeding and selection. 15 cultivars were used only as female parents, 40 only as male parents and 56 as both parents. Over 100,000 hybrid seedlings were produced and planted in the field. 135 promising hybrids were selected among the population — 126 of them with known parents and 9 promising hybrids created by open pollination of six cultivars. 66 promising hybrids were chosen and selected for further trials, two of them were named and released as cultivars: Hybrid J/10/43/59 (Starking × Jonathan) — Čačanska pozna; and Hybrid J/5/8/63 (G. Delicious × Jonathan) — Čadel. The promising hybrid J/5/2/63 (G. Delicious × Jonathan) is currently under test and is expected to be named as new cultivar. 69 promising hybrids are left to be studied.