Bashkir Pepin

Late autumn dessert apple variety developed at the Bashkir Research Institute of Agriculture from crossing Bashkir Red Beauty and Pepin Safran. Authors: R.I. Bolotina, G.A. Mansurov.

Widely grown in Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, Samara region.

Medium-sized, fast-growing tree. Medium-density, round crown; branches emerge at nearly straight angles, arranged compactly, with tips pointing upward. Bark on trunk and main branches smooth, brownish-brown. Bears fruit on short and long fruiting spurs, rarely at ends of growth shoots.

Medium, straight, round, brownish-brown shoots, heavily hairy, internodes short, small and sunken stipules. Buds pressed, oval, heavily hairy. Leaves medium, elongated, elliptical, long-pointed, dark green with bluish tinge, wrinkled, weakly shiny, with coarse veins. Leaf blade flat, curved downward, heavily hairy. Leaf margin finely toothed, petiole medium length and thickness, hairy. Bracteoles small, lanceolate.

Flowers medium, pinkish, aromatic. Style medium length, lightly hairy, stigmas positioned above anthers.

Fruits medium size (106-140 g), single-ridged, rounded-conical. Surface smooth. Skin smooth, waxy, with bloom. Color at harvest greenish, skin color mostly diffuse pinkish blush; at consumer ripeness — greenish-yellow, skin color strongly dark-red throughout. Numerous large, gray, clearly visible lenticels. Fruit stalk short, medium, straight. Calyx medium, acute-conical, wide, without rust, calyx plate medium, wide, smooth. Calyx tube open. Subcalyx tube medium, wide, bowl-shaped. Absent core cavity. Heart medium, heart-shaped. Seed chambers closed, medium. Seeds medium number, broad, egg-shaped, brown.

Flesh creamy, dense, tender, finely grained, juicy, slightly acidic-sweet with spice and strong aroma, dessert taste. Taste rating 4.5 points, appearance rating — 5 points. Chemical composition: dry matter — 15%, sugars — 10.6%, titratable acids — 0.39%, pectin — 0.91%, ascorbic acid — 9.8 mg/100g.

Fruits ripen late August — early September, store for 120 days, high transportability and marketability.

Fruits for universal use.

Enters fruiting at 6 years. Annual fruiting, good fruit attachment. Average yield 69 centners/ha, maximum — 190 centners/ha.

Cold hardiness below average, moderately resistant to heat and drought. Quickly recovers after frost damage and regains yield. Highly resistant to scab, codling moth and aphids. Tree longevity medium.

Advantages of the variety: valued for early fruiting, resistance to scab, high flavor quality and fruit marketability.