Amur Harvest

Autumn variety developed at the Far Eastern Research Institute of Agriculture by A. V. Boloniev from crossing Purple Ranecki with the large-fruited variety Tsarsky Ship. The variety was selected for elite status in 1947, and from 1950, it began systematic propagation by fruit and berry nurseries of the Far East. It has been regionally approved for the Far Eastern region. The variety is widely grown in Primorsky and Khabarovsk Krai, partially in southern areas of Amur, Sakhalin, and Jewish Autonomous Oblasts. In collective and backyard gardens in northern areas, it is grown as a cordon with light winter cover.

The tree is weakly vigorous, with a broadly oval, almost round crown. Main branches are numerous and emerge from the trunk at a large angle. Bark on old wood is light gray; on young (two- to three-year-old) wood, it is brown.

Shoots of medium thickness, usually long and slightly curved, brown in color, slightly hairy at the tips. Growth buds are flat-conical and pressed against the stem; fruit buds are rounded and pointed. Leaves on one-year-old shoots are large and elongated-oval. Leaf blades are leathery. Upper surface is dark green; lower surface is light green, slightly hairy on veins. Petioles are of medium length and thickness, slightly hairy. Petiolules are large.

Flowers are of medium size, saucer-shaped, petals oval and white, saucer shallow, stigmas positioned lower than anthers.

Fruits (see photo) are small, average weight 32 g, maximum 45 g, flat-round, convex-rounded at the apex. Main fruit color is light yellow; covering color is solid dark red, occupying most of the fruit. Calyx is of proper shape, narrow or medium width, shallow, dark-colored, slightly or strongly rusted. Pedicel is thin, medium length (1.9 cm), brown. Upper base of the fruit is saucer-shaped, very small, flat, slightly ridged, calyx medium size, closed. Core is of proper shape, broad-conical, at full ripening sharply delimited from the rest of the flesh by a reddish vein. Seed chambers are small, elliptical, closed. Seeds are medium or small, brown.

Flesh is yellowish-cream, fine-grained, pleasant in taste. It is a fully satisfactory table apple by flavor. Chemical composition of fruits: sugars — from 9.8% to 15.3%, acids — from 0.72% to 1.33%, pectin substances — from 0.21% to 0.4%, tannins — from 0.3% to 0.5%, ascorbic acid — up to 17 mg/100g.

Fruits ripen from September 10–15. They store until mid-November. Consumer period is 60–70 days.

Fruits are suitable for fresh consumption and for technical processing into jams, juices, marmalades, and for making table wine.

Best pollinators — Efremovskoe, Naliv Amursky, Avangard.

Enters fruiting on the third to fourth year after grafting. Commercial yield begins at age five (52.5 centners/ha), mass fruiting from ages 8 to 12–15 years. Yield during this period reaches 30–40 kg per tree (150–200 centners/ha). Fruit production is regular without periodicity. However, by age 15, due to severe sunburn damage, the tree dies partially or completely.

Winter hardiness and sunburn resistance of trees on high elevations are satisfactory. In valley conditions, trees frequently suffer from frost damage.

Advantages of the variety: sufficient winter hardiness, wide distribution area, early fruiting and high yield without periodicity, suitability for fresh consumption and technical processing.

Disadvantages of the variety: small fruit size and mediocre flavor, fruit drop during monsoon rains, short lifespan due to sunburn damage.