The comparative study of apple (Malus) cultivars on the rootstocks 62-396 and PB-4 in the conditions of the Republic of Belarus showed, that the use of PB-4 apple rootstock resulted into significant decrease in indexes of trees growth and development (stem diameter up to 42%, tree height up to 41%, crown volume up to 70%), fruits dimension up to 25% and the crop sum up to 63%. Thereby it does not allow estimating objectively new cultivar samples on a complex of economically valuable signs. It is established that the use of the rootstock 62-396 with obligatory installation of a support allows realizing more fully the genetic potential of apple cultivars on fruits efficiency and quality. Also it helps to reduce the testing time of promising cultivar samples for elite selection and transferring them to the State Variety Trial. Seed rootstock use is reasonable for early fruit bearing cultivars of a new generation. It is especially up-to-date for planting it on light soils and at planting orchards in primary regions with mechanical harvesting application. The seed rootstock of the seedlings of the cultivar 'Antonovka' differs by good compatibility with all cultivars. It is relatively undemanding to soils and irrigation and it does not need a support.

The developed in the conditions of the Republic of Belarus method of rapid assessment apple (Malus) hybrids by parameters of their fruiting and harvest quality allows in course of the primary cultivar evaluation to select more precisely the investigated hybrids of apple by the realization of the genetic potential of productivity and fruit quality. The presented technique provides a shortening testing of promising hybrids for selection into the elite and state evaluation in average of 4-5 years, as well as initial testing of new introduced varieties and hybrids of apple. Based on the data for the primary study of apple varieties and hybrids it was efficient to use rootstock 62-396 with planting schemes 4.5 x 2.5 m - for strong-growing varieties, 4.0 x 2.0 m – for average height ones, 4.0 x 1 5 m – low height varieties. Rootstock PB-4 can be used with a planting scheme: 3.0 x 1.5 m - for high- and medium-height varieties, 3.0 x 1.0 m- low height varieties, but in this case it is necessary to consider the support structures in the form of a trellis and irrigation, as well as special techniques of crown formation.

In the conditions of the Republic of Belarus the morphological, economic and biological characteristics of a new apple (Malus) cultivar 'Sakavita' received in the Institute for Fruit Growing are presented. The cultivar is an all-purpose one. It is good for fresh use and for producing directly squeezed juice and fruits wiped with sugar and sterilized which are of high quality. It was received from crossing of 78-151242 x 86-541125.135 hybrid forms. They were the derivatives of the following cultivars 'Antej', 'Byelorusskoye malinovoye', 'Orlovskaya girlyanda', 'Prairie Spy' and BM41497. The cultivar is of a precocious fructification. It enters the fructification on the 2nd year after planting in an orchard on the 62-396 stock. It is high-yielding (30,3 tons per hectare), winter-hardy and resistant to scab and to diseases complex of a cortex and wood. The season of optimal consumption is 5 months – from December till April – at keeping fruits in a fruit store with natural refrigerating. It was transferred to the State Variety Trial of the Republic of Belarus in 2011.

Along with black and red currant there is such a kind as a golden currant. A golden currant (Ribes aureum Pursh.) is often found in a native habit. But it is underinvestigated and is referred to nonconventional berry crops in horticulture. In comparison with black and red currant, a golden one is more resistant to drought, heat and soil salinization. It is used, basically, as a rootstock for black, red and white currant, and for a gooseberry at cultivation of bole forms in an ornamental gardening or as erosion preventive and recultivating plants. In the conditions of the Republic of Belarus the article presents short morphological description, history of occurrence, distribution and cultivation of the given berry crop in various regions.

The hybrid fund of 574 plants of gooseberry from 20 combinations of convergent crossings of American and European cultivars and hybrids is studied. Five hybrid groups of various species have been analysed according to the trait 'bush height'. Combinations of crossings together with the genetic basis of the three species Gr. robusta, Gr. succirubra, Gr. reclinata and Gr. succirubra, Gr. hirtella, Gr. reclinata are characterized by the highest output of hybrids suitable for mechanical harvesting. The basic types of the inheritance of the trait 'bush height' are negative domination and depression of tall-growth trait what witnesses about recessivity of this trait.

In the conditions of the Republic of Belarus there were presented the results of estimation of a field resistance to a scab within five research years of apple (Malus) hybrid fund. This fund has passed the selection for a scab resistance on an artificial infection background of the pathogen V. inaequalis. The results of comparative efficiency use of apple introduced cultivars as initial forms – donors of various monoresistant to the disease genes such as Rvi4, Rvi6, Rvi10 are introduced. In each family there were singled out the genotypes which affect was not exceeded 2 points in the conditions of an annual rigid infection background of the causal organism of a scab. Use of the cultivars Reka (gene Rvi4) and Redkroft (gene Rvi6) in a breeding work appeared to be the most productive. In their hybrid offspring there were singled out 74 and 58 % respectively of high resistant and resistant to the disease genotypes of a new generation possessing scab resistance stable in time.

In the conditions of the Republic of Belarus there were presented the data on growth and productivity of the cultivars 'Antej' and 'Alesya' at the rootstocks of various growth vigour such as PB-4 (superdwarf) and 62-396 (dwarf) ones. The researches were made in the orchard planted in 2003 by a two-year-old planting material with seedlings of different crowning types in the nursery. The rootstocks growth vigour and variants of seedlings pruning have affected apple productivity. Apple trees productivity of both cultivars at the rootstock 62-396 was higher by 2-3 times than at the rootstock PB-4. The productivity and specific efficiency of a cross sectional area of a stem was higher at crowned trees of the cultivar 'Antej' while at the cultivar 'Alesya' it was higher at uncrowned ones. For establishing of intensive apple orchards by a two-year-old planting material for heavy branching cultivars with a ringed type of fructification it is preferable to use the seedlings crowned in the nursery at the height of 80 cm from a soil level. As for poor branching cultivars combining the II and III types of fructification it is better in this case to use uncrowned seedlings.

In vitro propagation of two strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) cultivars ('Alpha' and 'Slavutich') was studied in the conditions of the Republic of Belarus. Late-ripening cultivar 'Alpha' was passed to the State Variety Trial in 2008. 'Slavutich' (medium term of ripening) was included into the State Register of Varieties and Wood and Shrubby Species of the Republic of Belarus in 2009. When the benzyladenine concentration in nutrition medium increases, first of all, it stimulates the propagation coefficient growth, but higher concentrations inhibited both the growth and propagation of regenerant plants. We recommend Murashige-Skoog medium supplemented with 0,5 milligrams per liter BA. For cultivar 'Alpha' benzyladenine concentration should be reduced to 0,1 – 0,2 milligrams per liter in a passage prior to transplantation to the rooting medium. Plants propagated in vitro were used for virus-free mother plantations of strawberry cultivars 'Alpha' and 'Slavutich'.

At in vitro propagation of gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa) cultivars such as 'Malachite', 'Kurshu dzintars', 'Severny kapitan' and 'Ravolt' there was used Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. It was modified by the content of macrosalts, phytohormones and by a source of carbohydrates. At the micropropagation initial stage (1 – 2nd passages) of gooseberry cultivars it is possible to use a nutritional medium in which all macrosalts of MS are reduced by 20% as well as the one in which only the content of ammonium nitrate and potassium is three times reduced. For pulling of conglomerates of gooseberry regenerant plants it is better to use a medium in which all macrosalts of MS are reduced by 20 % with GA3 addition in a concentration of 0,3 or 0,5 milligrams per liter and in a combination of 6-BA (0,1 – 0,2 milligrams per liter). As a source of carbohydrates it is possible to use both sucrose and glucose. At the propagation of gooseberry cultivars in a sterile culture varietal features were determined. The cultivar 'Sevetny kapitan' differs by its good development in culture in vitro. The propagation of 'Ravolt' and 'Kurshu dzintars' depends on cultivating conditions. The cultivar 'Malachite' is badly propagated in sterile conditions.

In the conditions of the Republic of Belarus there were presented the information devoted to the problem of diseases study of Vaccinium spp., caused by intracellular pathogens (viruses and phytoplasmas). Virus and virus-like diseases of plants of the genus Vaccinium L. are described. They are blueberry red ringspot virus (BRRV), blueberry scorch virus (BIScV), blueberry shock ilarvirus (BSIV), blueberry shoestring virus (BSSV), tobacco ringspot virus (TRSV), tomato ringspot virus (TomRSV), blueberry leaf mottle virus (BLMV), peach rosette mosaic virus (PRMV), cranberry ringspot, blueberry mosaic, cranberry false blossom, blueberry stunt and blueberry witches' broom. Symptoms, vectors of transmission and diagnostic methods of virus and virus-like diseases are described and can be used at the initial stage of healthy planting material production of the genus Vaccinium L. plants.