Heterosis breeding of onion

One of the main directions of onion crops breeding in the world is heterosis breeding. Heterosis hybrids occupy the main place in the commodity production of onions in the Netherlands, USA, Japan and other countries. In State Register for Selection Achievements Admitted for Usage (National List) of the Russian Federation, admitted to use in 2018, made 378 cultivar of onions, including 188 (49.7%) -F1 hybrids, of which 140 - foreign breeding. A common way to create heterosis hybrids F1 onions is the use of lines with cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) as one of the parent forms. The article presents the results of multi-year research of the laboratory of breeding and seed production of onion cultures (VNIISSOK, now FSBSI FSVC) to assess and highlight the lines of CMS onions with high combinational ability, the creation of heterosis hybrids on their basis. In 2002-2005, 229 cultivar of onion were studied to identify plants with pollen sterility and maintainer...