Genetic resources

The Polli Research Centre for Horticulture is responsible for investigation and preserving of genetic resources of fruit and berry cultivars and selections bred in Estonia. In addition, a numerous collection of introduced from abroad cultivars are held for evaluating of their perspective in Estonia.

The whole number of accessions in collections is about 1100, including 449 apple, 95 pear, 95 plum, 98 cherry, 76 strawberry, and 110 black currant genotypes. Among these Estonian- origin are 90 apple accessions, 44 pears, 40 plums and 33 sweet cherries. Safety duplicate accessions of Estonian-origin-cultivars are held in other public and private collections. Database is accessible to public through the genebank at Jõgeva Plant Breeding Institute and uses the SESTO platform provided by Nordic Gene Bank (Sweden).  Click here to browse the database

Fruit breeding

The breeding activity is resulted with creating 26 apple cultivars, 3 pear, 19 plum, 1 sour cherry, 16 sweet cherry, 4 strawberry, 6 raspberry, 1 red currant, 3 white currant, 13 black currant, 1 gooseberry, and 10 apple vegetative rootstocks. The best older cultivars, bred before 2000, are:

• apples Kaja', 'Koit', 'Lembitu', 'Sidrunkollane Taliõun', 'Sügisdessertõun', 'Talvenauding', and 'Tiina;
   
• pear 'Pepi';
   
• plums 'Ave', 'Julius', 'Kadri', 'Kressu', 'Liisu', 'Polli Munaploom', and 'Suhkruploom';
   
• sweet cherries 'Arthur' (up to 2004 was named 'Kristiina'), 'Johan' ('Priima'), 'Meelika', 'Norri' ('Nord'), and 'Polli Rubiin';
   
• black currant 'Varmas';
   
• white currant 'Hele';
   
• raspberries 'Helkal' (yellow) and 'Tomo' (red).