Аңдатпа
All scientific research on variety testing, varietal agrotechnology, protection, and nurserymanagement of fruit crops in the West Kazakhstan region was previously conducted using vigorous plantson seed rootstocks. However, plantings that are characterized by early fruiting, compact size, conveniencefor agrotechnical operations, protection and harvesting measures, as well as the possibility of denser treeplacement, are now becoming increasingly popular. In the region, there is a strong demand for plantingmaterial of low-growing apple trees as the main fruit crop. For the production of such seedlings, it isnecessary to introduce vegetatively propagated clonal rootstocks into regional zoning, as they make itpossible to regulate the growth vigor of grafted cultivars, accelerate the onset of fruiting, and rapidlyincrease yields in subsequent years. The introduction of dwarf fruit crop plantings into production is a longterm process since these are perennial plantations. The establishment of a modern orchard must bepreceded by a thorough study of rootstock–cultivar combinations in nursery fields and orchards, bothbefore and after the onset of fruiting, with the selection of the optimal variant. Under the sharplycontinental climate conditions of the West Kazakhstan region – characterized by annual droughts, low snowcover, and soil freezing to depths of up to 1.5 m – such rootstock traits as winter hardiness, droughtresistance of the root system, and resistance to the main regional diseases and pests are of greatimportance in apple seedling production. The rootstock must be maximally adapted to local growingconditions and technologically efficient for propagation. In the direction of developing low-growing appletrees in the region, the following organizations are working: Ural Agricultural Experimental Station LLP, theS.I. Isaev Experimental Garden-Nursery, and the Ulanov P.S. peasant farm. As a result of many years ofresearch by scientists studying the behavior of clonal rootstocks in mother plantations and nurseries, theRussian-bred clonal rootstock 54-118 has been proposed for expanded regional zoning in the WestKazakhstan region as one of the most adaptable and technologically efficient forms for the local climate,possessing a sufficiently high level of winter hardiness, drought resistance, and compatibility with cultivars.