Early Red

Early maturing variety, obtained at the VNIIS named after I. V. Michurin from the hybrid family Melba x Vesna. Breeders: G. A. Lobanov, Z. I. Ivanova, V. K. Zaets. Approved for the Central Chernozem region.

Tree with moderate growth, round crown when young, slightly spreading with age. Moderate crown density, well-leafed, branches emerge from the trunk at nearly straight angles. Bark on branches is brown with a yellowish tint. Fruit type is mixed: on ring buds, shoot buds, and one-year-old growths.

Shoots with brown bark, straight, medium length, hairy, with few small hairs; buds gray, large. Leaves are light green with a yellowish tint, elongated, medium size, flat leaf blades, hairy. Leaf margin finely toothed. Petiole long, medium thickness, colored. Petiole sheaths absent.

Flowers medium, white, petals round, stamen column medium, stigma equal in length to anthers.

Fruits (see illustration) are medium-sized (average weight 90 g; maximum 120 g), single-ribbed, truncated-conical or round, well-shaped, surface smooth. Fruit skin medium-thick, covered with a waxy, dense coating, making the fruit highly attractive. Color at harvest: main color light-yellow; covering color bright red with scattered white elongated spots. External appearance rating 4.5 points. Fruit stem medium length and thickness. Calyx cup deep and narrow. Receptacle broad and small. Calyx half-open. Seed small, onion-shaped. Calyx tube short, bowl-shaped. Seeds medium, brown.

Flesh creamy, slightly reddish near the skin, tender, medium density. Taste sweet-sour, with a mild aroma, dessert-like. Fruit contains: sugars — 10.7%, titratable acids — 0.58%, ascorbic acid — 12.5 mg/100g.

Fruits intended for fresh consumption, ripening 7-8 days earlier than the Paprika variety, can be stored in refrigeration for up to three weeks.

Trees begin fruiting on the 4th–5th year after planting in orchards, with annual yields. High productivity; from 7-year-old trees, fruit load reaches up to 27 kg.

Medium winter hardiness; during the winters of 1967/68 and 1968/69, frost damage was observed at 1–1.5 points. Drought-resistant. In wet years, fruits and leaves are slightly affected by scab (1.5 points), less than the Melba variety.

Advantages of the variety: moderate tree growth, attractive fruit color and shape, dessert-like taste of early-ripening fruits.

Disadvantages of the variety: insufficiently large fruits, under high tree load, fruit mass decreases. Uneven ripening and fruit drop during ripening.