Characteristics of one-year-old shoots of peach hybrids from the crossing combination 'Flaminia' x 'Autumnglo'

During the two-year period, the characteristics of one-year-old shoots in 11 promising peach hybrids obtained from the cross 'Flaminia' x 'Autumnglo' were studied. The analyzed characteristics included: length and diameter of shoot, length of internode, number of flower buds and vegetative buds per shoot, ratio of flower to vegetative buds, number of flower buds per node and 1-m length of a shoot. Most of these characteristics varied significantly between the studied hybrids. The highest variability was found for number of flower buds per 1-m length of a shoot and length of internode, and the smallest for diameter of shoots. The length of shoot ranged from 35.1 cm (hybrid FA1) to 51.3 cm (hybrid FA6). The length of internode was consistent with the length of shoot. The highest number of flower buds per shoot and node was found in FA10 hybrid (36.0 and 1.52, respectively), and the lowest in FA5 hybrid (20.3 and 0.79, respectively). The number of flower buds per 1 m length varied from 57.1 (hybrid FA5) to 96.7 (hybrid FA1). Hybrids with the highest density of flower buds (FA1, FA9, and FA10) were singled out as potentially the most yielding. These hybrids may be of interest for growing in areas where there is a risk of frost and in breeding when creating new peach cultivars of high yield potential.