Michurin CGL

Michurin CGL
Michurin CGL

History of Creation and Development Stages

The Michurin Central Genetic Laboratory (CGL) is a leading Soviet research institution in the field of genetics and breeding of perennial crops. It pioneered the expansion of commercial viticulture into the central and northern regions of the RSFSR.

The institution's history dates back to the experimental pomological nursery established by I. V. Michurin in the town of Kozlov (now Michurinsk) in 1875. In 1928, the Breeding and Genetic Station of Fruit and Berry Crops was organized on the basis of the nursery. By a Decree of the People's Commissariat for Agriculture of the USSR in 1934, it was transformed into the Central Genetic Laboratory (CGL). I. V. Michurin continuously directed the scientific research activities of the station until his death in 1935, after which his student, Professor I. S. Gorshkov, became the first official director of the newly formed laboratory.

During the Soviet period, the CGL functioned as the main theoretical and practical center for distant plant hybridization. In 1992, the institution was granted the status of the All-Russian Research Institute of Genetics and Breeding of Fruit Plants (VNIIGiSPR). In 2016, the institute integrated into the consolidated Federal Scientific Center named after I. V. Michurin (FSC named after I.V. Michurin) as its leading selection and genetic center. Renowned breeders Y. I. Potapenko, E. I. Zakharova, A. Y. Kuzmin, I. M. Filippenko, and L. T. Shtin made outstanding contributions to the establishment of the laboratory's viticultural research and the development of Michurin's scientific legacy.

Main Research Areas

The laboratory's activities in the field of viticulture were aimed at overcoming the climatic limitations of the country's central and northern zones through biological methods that were advanced for their time:

  • Distant Interspecific Hybridization: Incorporating the wild Amur grapevine (Vitis amurensis), which possesses unique frost resistance (down to -40 °C), into crosses with large-fruited European varieties (Vitis vinifera) and North American hybrids (Vitis labrusca).
  • Mentor Method and Vegetative Hybridization: A system developed by I. V. Michurin for the targeted training of young hybrid seedlings by grafting them onto specific mentor rootstocks to fix desirable economically valuable traits.
  • Physiology and Cytogenetics: Investigating cellular structures, root system frost hardiness, and developing methods to protect vineyards against downy mildew (mildew) and powdery mildew (oidium) under high humidity conditions.

Breeding Results and Developed Varieties

Grape varieties bred at the CGL laid the foundation for northern viticulture. The laboratory successfully combined the haploid sets of species from different continents, producing plants capable of withstanding winter temperatures down to -35…-40 °C.

Renowned grape varieties bred by the Michurin CGL:

Historical Michurin Varieties (The Foundation of Breeding):

  • Russky Concord: A productive, universal table grape of medium ripening period. According to the official VIVC passport, it was obtained from the targeted pollination of the American variety Concord with the pollen of the wild Amur grapevine (Concord × Vitis amurensis). It exhibits high winter hardiness, attractive bunches, and a characteristic Isabellina aroma. It served as a primary parental donor for subsequent generations of hybrids.
  • Buytur (Registered in VIVC as Buitur, ID: 1803): An extremely frost-resistant rootstock and technical variety. Its international passport lists the pedigree strictly as Vitis riparia × Vitis amurensis. It is primarily used as a highly resilient rootstock in zones with deep soil freezing, as well as a valuable donor of absolute frost hardiness.
  • Korinka Michurina: A frost-resistant technical grape variety. It stands out for its early ripening and ability to winter without protection in the conditions of Central Russia. It is also utilized as rootstock material.

Soviet and Modern Period Grape Varieties:

  • Michurinets (№ 83-33): A table grape variety with greenish-yellow berry coloration, melting mucilaginous pulp, and a harmonious flavor profile. It was transferred to the Far East, where it demonstrated excellent performance in grafted culture on Alpha rootstock.
  • Ampel: A vigorous, perfect-flowered technical grape variety of early ripening period with rounded, greenish-yellow berries. It possesses complex resistance to downy mildew, powdery mildew, grey rot, and berry cracking.
  • Muromets (VIVC ID: 14448): A popular ultra-early table grape variety. According to the official VIVC pedigree records, its true parentage is strictly documented as Severny × Pobeda. It features large, dark purple berries with crisp pulp and high winter hardiness of the vine, allowing it to be grown in unburied or semi-buried culture.
  • Nagrada and Yubileyny: Promising table hybrids bred by A. Y. Kuzmin by crossing the Russky Concord variety with early European lines of Vitis vinifera.

Currently, the FSC named after I. V. Michurin preserves and develops a unique grape gene pool, continuing research in molecular marking and the selection of valuable genotypes.

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