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October 2015 marks the 160th anniversary of the birth of Ivan V. Michurin. As a scientist and plant breeder, he made a significant improvement of many fruit and berry plants, and flowers. He developed methods of plant breeding, especially regarding long-distance hybridisation of fruit plants, and promoted gardening to the north and east of Russia. He introduced some new berry species, such as Actinidia and black chokeberry, and was the first in Russia to use dwarf and semi dwarf stocks of apples. Michurin initiated the mass movement of gardeners and horticulture experimenters in USSR who changed and significantly extended the assortment and areas of fruit and berries cultivation in the country. He not only brought together a representative collection of species and varieties of fruit, berry and flower plants from around the world, but also used them in breeding by hybridization, including interspecific. He created some new artificial interspecific hybrids such as Cerapadus (cherry and bird cherry tree hybrid), and others. Michurin created 132 cultivars. Eleven of them are not only cultivated, but are also included in “The State Register of Protected Plant Breeding of the Russian Federation”.

Molecular genetic analysis revealed a polymorphism for the Md Exp7 gene that controls the bio synthesis of expansin in wild species of the genus Malus. Eight allelic forms of the gene were identified, four of which were unique. The regularities in the allele distribution in 37 genotypes were found to be in accor dance with their systematic positions. The trait was found to be broadly diverse both among the sections of the genus and within a particular section. Variants of the gene were identified in representatives of one species.

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