Prima

Early autumn variety of American selection. The origin of the variety involved: M. floribunda 821 and varieties — Welles, Melba, Rom Beauty, Golden Delight and their derivatives. Regionally approved, widely grown in gardens of southern Russia as a rust-resistant variety.

The tree is relatively vigorous, tall, or inverted pyramidal, round, with a fairly dense crown. Main branches with brown bark on young trees, branch off from the trunk at a sharp angle or close to it, reaching upward. Under the weight of fruit, they droop to a right angle. Upper crown branches, initially angled upward, gradually spread sideways, covered with branched knobs, twigs, starting from two-year-old wood.

Shoots of medium thickness, light brown or reddish-brown, straight or slightly curved, with small lenticels and long internodes. Leaves medium and small, smooth, slightly wavy, oval and elongated-oval, small leaves with pointed bases and tips, larger leaves with rounded bases; upper leaf surface weakly glossy, lower — weakly to moderately hairy; edges nearly straight, slightly wavy with very fine toothed or serrated margins and a medium to long, narrow, pointed tip bent downward and sideways. Petioles short, medium, branching off the stem at a sharp angle. Stipules very small, narrow, lanceolate.

Flowers medium-sized, bowl-shaped, light pink, with medium-length, hairy stigma, the stigma positioned at the same level or slightly below the anthers. Buds red.

Fruits (see photo) medium-sized, moderately flattened, round, often asymmetrical, smooth. Skin slightly glossy, covered with a waxy bloom during storage, with slight rusting in narrow and deep depression. Color upon harvest pale yellow or greenish-yellow, with red, blurred-striped, often merging into a solid dark blush covering the upper half of the fruit. Pedicels on central fruits short, on others protrude beyond the depression. When spring frosts damage central flowers, remaining fruits have long pedicels. Fruit calyx medium, covered, located in a medium-width and depth bowl with distinct ridges and five-ribbed walls, with a noticeable and characteristic 'plateau' at the base of the sepals. Subcalyx tube short, inverted conical. Seed sockets relatively narrow, elongated, open into the central cavity, medium width.

Flesh light cream-colored, tender, juicy, with pleasant slightly acidic-sweet taste.

Fruits ripen in the second to third decade of August. Chemical composition of fruits: dry matter — 13%, sugars — 9.9%, titratable acids — 0.8%, ascorbic acid — 7-9 mg/100g, P-active substances — 80-150 mg/100g fresh weight.

Fruits may drop off due to wind during soil and air moisture deficit at full maturity. Storage duration one to two months, depending on the total active temperature sum. Transportability of fruits high. Commercial quality of fruits good — 88-90%.

Fruits are suitable for fresh consumption and processing: juices, purees, compotes, dried fruits.

Best pollinators: Welles, Kuban Spur, Alenushkino.

Trees begin fruiting at 3-4 years old, fruiting is not sharply periodic. Yield of the variety under normal conditions — 250 centners/ha and more. Winter hardiness of the variety is average. During the winter of 1993-1994 in the North Caucasus region, trees were severely frosted. The variety carries the gene for immunity to scab Vf. Susceptible to powdery mildew.

Advantages of the variety: immune to scab, fruits of high consumer quality.

Disadvantages of the variety: susceptibility to powdery mildew.

The variety is widely used in breeding as a donor of scab immunity. Many new varieties have been created using this variety: Memory of Esaulov, Kuban Kazyanka, Memory of Sergeev.