Autumn dessert variety

Autumn variety selected at the Rossoshanskaya Regional Fruit Breeding Station. Developed by G. D. Neporozhny and A. M. Ulyanishcheva from crossing Bere Zimnaya Michurina with Lesnaya Krasavitsa. Included in the State Register for Central, Central Chernozem, and North Caucasus regions. Widely cultivated, especially in southern Central Chernozem areas in orchards planted between 1975-1990.

Trees medium- or strongly-growing, broad-pyramidal. Bark of the trunk dark gray, scaffold branches gray-brown. Sparse crown due to weak shoot-forming ability. Position of scaffold branches inclined-vertical. Fruit type ring-like, rings form primarily on 2-year-old branches.

Shoots straight, light-brown, thick, weakly hairy. Buds small, barely noticeable. Buds swollen, triangular, brown. Leaves medium, oval, green, folded upward and bent downward along the midrib with slightly curled tips. Petioles medium or long, weakly colored. Blade smooth, hairless.

Inflorescence — umbel, large number of flowers (8-9), white, cup-shaped, medium double, relatively small (3 cm). Petals entire, wrinkled, closed. Stigmas at the same level as anthers. Stylus of pistil bare, pedicel medium length. Flowering occurs in mid-season.

Fruits above average size (average weight 160 g), short pear-shaped or apple-shaped, uniform, smooth. Main color at consumer ripeness light-yellow, covered with green and gray subcutaneous spots; bloom — as a small diffuse pinkish blush, usually on a smaller portion of the fruit surface. Peduncle medium length and thickness, calyx medium width and depth, receptacle open.

Flesh white or slightly cream-colored, juicy, tender, sweet, without gritty cells, good or excellent dessert flavor. Appearance rating of fruit 4.5, taste rating 4.0 to 5.0. Chemical composition: dry matter — 14.8%, sugars — 10.2%, titratable acids — 0.08%, pectin substances — 0.40%, ascorbic acid — 10.0 mg/100g.

Fruit harvest in southern Voronezh Oblast occurs at the beginning of September, consumption period lasts until November, lasting up to 78 days; by this indicator, it belongs to the autumn group. Transportability and marketability of fruits are high. For economic use, the variety belongs to the universal category.

Fruits are used for desserts and for preparing high-quality compotes (quality rating of compotes 4.5 points).

Self-sterile. Best pollinators — Mramornaya, Osen'ya Yakovleva, Tatyana, and other varieties flowering simultaneously.

Begins fruiting early, at 5-6 years after grafting in nurseries. Average yield per tree (70 kg). Average yield over years in southern Voronezh Oblast — 120-290 centners per hectare, maximum 440 centners per hectare. Regular yield.

Winter hardiness is good in southern regions, average in northern Voronezh Oblast and in Orel. The most severe freezing (3.0 points) occurred once in the zone during the winter of 1976-1977. Spring frosts killed flowers in 1999 when temperature dropped to -6°C on the night of May 7, and in 2000 during a prolonged frost period from May 2 to May 20 down to -2°C. The variety is exceptionally resistant to scab; no disease has been observed throughout its existence. In epiphytotic years, it may be affected by septoria.

Advantages of the variety: high early fruiting, market and consumer qualities of fruits, versatility of use, exceptional resistance to scab, good yield, autumn consumption period.

Interesting as a base form in breeding for high market and consumer qualities.