In recent years the hybrid thornless (or almost) gooseberry species have been the most tradable in industrial and domestic horticulture. Due to the high demand for planting stock of these species there is a need for development of ways for faster receipt of such planting stock.

Research goal – estimation of efficiency of the physiologically active substance use during the preparation of parent plants for reproduction depending on the conditions of parent plant cultivation (in hothouses or open ground).

The research was carried out with the following gooseberry species of current Russian selection: Grushenka, Sadko (511-19-2), Pushkynskyi, Nizhnyi, no.15-15- (Zelenyi doshch).

The following plant growth regulators were used:

2-СHEPA - 2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid (ethephon, ethrel), which belongs to ethylene producers.

Pix - mepiquat chloride. Belongs to quaternary ammonium compounds.

Indole butyric acid (IBA, hormodine) – ß –( indole 3)- butyric acid. Belongs to synthetic auxin analogue.

Two weeks before plant cutting the experimental parent plants in hothouses and in the open ground had been sprinkled with plant growth regulators solutions - 2-СHEPA in concentration 0,035%, pix -0,004%, pix – 0,008%. During the same period the controlled plants were sprinkled with water and the cuttings of the controlled plants before planting were treated with indole butyric acid solution in concentration of 30 mg/l during 18 hours. Green plant cutting was carried out according to the conventional technology. The cuttings, which underwent plant growth regulators treatment were planted for rooting without auxin treatment.

All cuttings were planted according to 4x7 scheme.

The rooting substance is black peat and sand 1:1 with lower lying muck layer (10-15 cm). Cuttings were enrooted in a hothouse with a swing -fog machine. Periodicity - thrice repeated with 50 cuttings in a variant.

In autumn, at the beginning of September, the cuttings, which took root (%) and growth (mass) of rootlets’ assemblage have been calculated and examined.

As research has shown the influence of physiologically active substance on green cuttings’ rooting was characteristic for each separate species.

For Grushenka species the growth regulators treatment of parent plants was effective only for plants, which grew in hothouses and underwent 2-СHEPA with concentration 0,035% treatment. The rooting percentage increased by 1,4 as compared to previous checking.

The Nizhnyi species plants proved to be more receptive of growth regulators treatment. Almost all ways of treatment made positive influence on rooting percentage: owing to keeping the parent plants in hothouses and 2-СHEPA (0,035%), pix (0,004%) substances treatment the rooting percentage reached 69,9% and 73,7% accordingly, which is almost 3,5 times better than that of the control variant. In all research variants the cuttings of the plants cultivated in hothouses took roots better than those grown in the open ground.

As for Pushkynsky the most effective was pix in both concentrations: rooting increased by 1,3-1,5 times. In variant with 0,004% the cuttings of the plants from open ground, beyond expectation, took roots better (20%) than cutting of plants grown in the hothouses.

Sadko species plants had also specific reaction. The 2-СHEPA chemical treatment was effective only for the plants cultivated in hothouses; its use resulted in twofold rooting increase. 0,004% pix treatment gave almost 100% rooting. Higher chemical concentration overtook the difference of cuttings’ rooting from differently cultivated plants. The difference is inessential. Compared to the control one, this way of treatment allowed double increase in the rooting percentage.

Preparation of parent plants had influence not only on the percentage of cuttings, which struck roots, but also on the quality of newly grown root system.

Positive influence of parent plants preparation by means of 2-СHEPA treatment was noted of Nizhnyi and Sadko species’ cuttings of parent plants cultivated in the hothouses. 0,004% pix was even more effective for these species. Under its usage the roots mass increased by 2 times for Nizhnyi and by 2,5 for Sadko as compared to the best control variant.

For Grushenka species only 0,008% pix was effective - the roots mass increased by 1,5 times for hothouses plants’ cuttings . In other variants no substantial progress occurred.

Pix of the same concentration (0,008%) substantially improved the quality of Sadko species cuttings. Root mass increased by 2-2,5 times as compared to control.

Therefore, physiologically active substance use for new advanced species of gooseberry parent plants essentially improves green cuttings’ rooting, especially for the species, which have naturally lower ability for vegetative reproduction (Nizhnyi species). Plant growth regulators efficiency increases under condition that parent plants are grown in hothouses (unheated cellophane film hothouse).

Key words: gooseberry, softwood cutting, productivity, retardant, pellicle hothouse, artificial fog.