Komparativna analiza korelacije morfoloških i pomoloških odlika autohtonog i internacionalnog sortimenta jabuke u Bosni i Hercegovini

Autochthonous apple cultivars in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) are a result of several centuries-long selection of introduced apple genotypes. This selection was done by the fruit growers, who were searching for cultivars with good pomologic traits and physiologic characteristics needed in order for these genotypes to thrive in traditional fruit production. It can be assumed that the morphologic and pomologic traits that were under the selection pressure, in this period, are not identical to the ones in focus of modern breeding programs. The main goal of this paper is to examine the correlations between 18 morphologic and pomologic characteristics within the autochthonous and the international groups of apple genotypes respectively, in order to identify the differences in the relationships of the analyzed traits between the mentioned groups. In this way, the differences in the selection pressures, which were present in the development of the two groups, could be detected. As part of this study, 24 autochthonous and 15 international, modern apple cultivars, all maintained in the ex situ collection of the fruit tree nursery „Srebrenik“, Špionica, were analyzed using 18 morphologic and pomologic traits. The results of the study indicate that traditional B&H cultivars, which yield larger fruits, are characterized by flatter and broad shaped fruit. It was also determined that among autochthonous cultivars, genotypes with horizontal growth of branches yielded larger fruit, while genotypes with more vigor yielded smaller fruit. The aforementioned was not detected among the international apple cultivars, which is most likely caused by the breeding processes which sought to harmonize the tree habit of the modern cultivars. Larger diversity of the fruit shape which was detected among the autochthonous cultivars increases the usability of these genotypes for plant breeding purposes, as well as for the use of these fruits within rural tourism sector in B&H.