PREDGORNOE

The PREDGORNOE apple variety is an early-winter variety bred by the Crimea Experimental Station of Horticulture through crossbreeding the Pepin London and Red Delicious varieties. The tree is characterized by vigorous growth and a compact, dense crown with thick, long branches that depart from the trunk at an acute angle. Blooming occurs in medium terms, and fruiting mainly occurs at the tips of vegetative shoots, on ring flowers, and on fruit spurlets. The variety is early-yielding, beginning to bear fruit as early as the third year after planting. PREDGORNOE apple fruits are large, weighing 200–210 grams, conical in shape with a wide base and weak ribbing. The flesh is creamy-white, of medium density and juiciness, possessing a harmonious tart-sweet taste, confirmed by a tasting score of 4.5 points. Harvesting ripeness occurs at the end of September, and the fruits are well stored in a refrigerator for 180–190 days, making the variety convenient for long-term storage and marketing. The PREDGORNOE variety is characterized by high winter hardiness and drought resistance, as well as resistance to fungal diseases, which increases its reliability under various climatic conditions. These characteristics, combined with good taste qualities and a long storage period, make this variety attractive to horticulturists and commercial cultivation.