Evaluation of long-leaved mint (mentha longifolia l.) Accessions for economically valuable traits

Aim. To investigate new mint accessions, to select reference accessions and sources of valuable traits, to form and enrich the collection, to involve valuable mint gene pool accessions in breeding and to use collections in training and educational programs. Results and Discussion. The results of studying long-leaved mint accessions of the working collection comprising 47 accessions collected from 11 countries (29 from Ukraine, 6 from Russia, 3 from France, 2 from Italy, by 1 from Azerbaijan, Germany, Belgium, Georgia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Bosnia, and Herzegovina each) are presented. Based on results of this work with the mint collection, a descriptor of long-leaved mint was developed; it covers the entire range of plant trait variability within the species Mentha longifolia L. and is a basis for systematization of reference accessions and forms of trait collections, which are potentially suitable as starting material for breeding, scientific and educational programs. The descriptor comprehensively describes the accessions, satisfying breeders` and scientists` needs. The following reference accessions and sources of economically valuable traits were selected: for high productivity of dry grass – UG0600312 (128 g), UG0600251 (119 g), UG0600268 (114 g); for high productivity of dry leaves – UG0600246 (54 g), UG0600312 (45 g); for high productivity of raw rhizome – UG0600263 (350 g), UG0600282 (327 g), UG0600262 (325 g), UG0600372 (323 g), UG0600312 (319 g); for large bush diameter – UG0600312 (99 cm), UG0600282 (76 cm), UG0600281, UG0600248, UG0600339 (75 cm); for large rhizome diameter – UG0600351 (7,0 mm), UG0600339 (6,4 mm), UG0600312 (6,2 mm); for tall plants – UG0600281 (84 cm), UG0600312 (83 cm), UG0600282 (69 cm); for high resistance (9 points) to major diseases (anthracnose, powdery mildew, rust, septoria leaf spot) and pests (sucking and polyphagous) – UG0600364, UG0600319, UG0600315, UG0600263. Conclusions. The studies on the collection of long-leaved mint accessions resulted in the working collection, which includes 47 accessions from 11 countries. The investigation of this collection allowed for identification of sources of valuable economic traits, increasing the breeding efficiency to create varieties for different economic purposes. The descriptor of long-leaved mint plant traits was developed; it covers the entire range of variability of plant trait within the species Mentha longifolia L.