Nizhnevolskoe (Aromatic)

Summer variety, developed at the Volgograd Experimental Station of the All-Union Institute of Plant Breeding named after N. I. Vavilov. Breeders: V. V. Malychenko and L. I. Balandina. Originated from the sowing of seeds of free-pollinated flowers of Lithuanian Pippin. Underwent state variety trials in the Volgograd and Astrakhan regions.

Trees on strong-growing rootstocks are large, with wide crowns and slightly drooping lower branches. Crown density is high.

Shoots are curved, brown, hairy, with few, round-sectioned, small stipules. Leaves are smaller than average, narrow with a broad-acute base and apex, smoothly transitioning into a small tip. Leaf blade is significantly curved, slightly folded, slightly concave in the upper half, weakly twisted. Its edge is wavy, usually double-toothed. Bracteoles are small, lanceolate.

Fruits are medium-sized, one-dimensional, moderately flattened, round, without clearly distinguishable ribs. Main color at harvest is yellow-green, with uneven, soft blush covering more than half of the fruit surface, with pink and red streaks (interrupted stripes). Few lenticels, but large, light-colored, easily noticeable. Skin is thin, smooth with slight waxy coating. Blemish is of medium depth, narrow, smooth or with slight roughness of skin. Pedicel is medium length and thickness, protruding from the blemish. Calyx is medium-sized, half-open. Receptacle is small, narrow, wrinkled. Subcalyx tube is conical or cylindrical, medium width and depth. Seed chambers are closed. Central cavity is narrow, not communicating with seed chambers.

Flesh is snowy-white, fine-grained, tender, juicy, with excellent sour-sweet taste and strong aroma. Exceptionally attractive aroma, due to which the variety is highly popular among the population. Chemical composition of fruits: dry matter — 17.1% (max 17.7%), sugar sum — 10.8% (11.9%), titratable acids — 0.65% (1.0%) on fresh weight, sugar-to-acid ratio — 18.6 (25.3), ascorbic acid — 8.2 (8.7) mg/100g, P-active substances (catechins) — 46 mg/100g, flavonols — 37 mg/100g, total phenolic compounds — 730 mg/100g, pectic substances — 0.79% on fresh weight.

Summer ripening variety. Harvest ripeness occurs at the beginning of August.

Fruits are stored for one month.

Trees enter fruiting early — at 3-5 years. Yield is very high, annual. Winter hardiness is at the level of Red Anise and higher than Lithuanian Pippin.

Trees require protection against scab, resistance to powdery mildew is average.

Advantages of the variety: fruits have high commercial and consumer qualities, best fruits for producing highly aromatic juice.

Disadvantages of the variety: tall trees, relatively weak resistance to scab in wet years, which occur rarely in the lower reaches of the Volga.