Variation and correlation between the parameters of the bulbs of the Oriental hyacinth and the amount of precipitation

Abstract

The area of the Oriental hyacinth is located in the Mediterranean dry subtropical climate zone, with dry summers and rainy winters. The Mediterranean region is characterized by an average monthly temperature of 20-25 °C in summer, 5-12 °C in winter, and an average rainfall of 400-600 mm per year. A long period of drought contributed to the formation of a special life form in the oriental hyacinth – bulbous geophyte. Despite growing in a warm subtropical climate, hyacinth belongs to cold-resistant ephemeroids, which allows it to undergo primary introduction in the temperate continental climate of the Republic of Mari El. The main method of reproduction of hyacinth, within its natural range, is vegetative division, with the formation of daughter bulbs. In natural habitat, the coefficient of vegetative reproduction is influenced by air temperature and precipitation during the active growing season. The purpose of the work was to identify the dependence of the productivity of the Oriental hyacinth on the amount of precipitation in the conditions of the Republic of Mari El. Work on the identification of dependencies was carried out in the period 2012-2015 in the open ground of the botanical garden-Institute of the State Technical University of Yoshkar-Ola. During the work, biometric parameters such as the diameter and height of the bulb, as well as the number of bulbs in one nest, were taken into account. As a result of the work carried out, it was revealed that: the level of individual variability in bulb diameter in most varieties of oriental hyacinth is included in the norm of variation, this indicates the suitability of environmental factors of the region of introduction for this parameter; the number of daughter bulbs in the nest is characterized by a high level of variability and depends on environmental conditions; the reproduction coefficient of hyacinth varieties is strongly influenced such an environmental factor as the amount of precipitation during the growing season (66.7% – 73.7%). The identification of dependencies between the amount of precipitation and the productivity of vegetative reproduction, in the conditions of the Republic of Mari El, will allow us to assess the effectiveness of the primary introduction of Oriental hyacinth. The obtained data can be used in the development of agricultural techniques for growing Oriental hyacinth in conditions of introduction.