Bere Ardantpon (Ferdinand)

Winter variety, obtained around 1759 in Belgium by pomologist N. Ardantpon from sowing seeds of an unknown variety. It has been regionally approved in the North Caucasus. Currently, it is widely grown in Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, and the republics of Transcaucasia.

A strongly-growing tree with a rather dense pyramidal crown. The trunk is straight, bark gray with a brown tint, often peeling, densely covered with yellow lenticels. Main scaffold branches are long, thick, knotted, curved, and droop with age. The bark of main branches is brown with a greenish tint.

Shoots are fairly thin, grayish-brown, hairless, slightly knotted, with small, faint lenticels. Leaf buds are pointed, located on small cushions. Leaf blade is elongated-oval, nearly flat, slightly twisted around the main vein, glossy, dense. Leaf blade margins are wavy (corrugated), coarsely toothed, sharp. Petioles are long and narrow. Leaf petiole is thin, slightly rose-red at the base. Leaves are medium-sized, oval, dark green, slightly corrugated, leathery, with serrated margins, directed sideways.

Flowers are small, white, petals oval, widely spread. Stigmas are at the level of stamens, slightly hairy, anthers pink. Inflorescences consist of 6-10 flowers. Flowers are not frost-resistant.

Fruits are above average or large (weighing 170-220 g), bell-shaped, with a bumpy surface. Skin is thin, smooth, matte, green during harvesting, light yellow during consumption, clean, with small brown spots, sometimes with a pink blush resembling light sunburn. Fruit stem is medium length and thickness, obliquely set in a deep bumpy depression. Calyx is open, folded.

Flesh is white, tender, melting, very juicy, tart-sweet, aromatic, excellent dessert taste.

Fruits contain 17.3% soluble solids, 10.4% sugars, 0.5% titratable acids, 7.4 mg/100g ascorbic acid, 50.6 mg/100g raw mass of P-active catechins.

Harvesting maturity occurs at the end of September in the North Caucasus and southern Ukraine, in Transnistria and Zakarpattia — in the first decade of September, in more northern regions — in the first and even second decade of October. Consumer maturity occurs in early November. Storage life lasts until mid-January.

Fruits ripen unevenly; before harvesting maturity, fruits hold firmly on the tree, after which they tend to drop. Fruit quality is high.

Best pollinators are: Williams, Lesnaya Krasavitsa, Dekanka Zimnya.

The variety has fairly high soil requirements. It performs best on fertile, warm loamy or sandy soils. It grows poorly and fruits poorly on wet, cold, heavy soils, producing low-quality fruits.

Trees begin fruiting on strong-growing rootstocks at 8-9 years. It is well compatible with quince rootstocks, entering fruiting at the 5th year. Average yield in the central part of Kuban at 15 years old — 120-140 c/ha, in the foothill zone at 20-25 years — 160-180 c/ha.

Cold hardiness is average. Flowers are not frost-resistant. The variety is severely affected by diseases: leaf scab (maximum score) — 4, fruit scab — 4, entomosporiosis — 3.

Advantages of the variety: excellent fruit flavor, relatively good yield, long storage life.

Disadvantages of the variety: high demand for warmth and soil conditions, susceptibility of fruits and leaves to scab.

Suitable for cultivation in zones with warm, dry climates on quince rootstocks. Widely used in breeding, but to a significant extent transmits susceptibility to scab to offspring.

Around ten new varieties have been created using Bere Ardantpon, some of which have been included in the State Register (regionally approved): Krasavitsa Chernenko (Daughter of Blankova Ch Bere Ardantpon) developed by VNIIGiSPR and Nalchikskaya Kostyka (Bere Ardantpon Ch Lyubimitsa Klappa) developed by SKZNIIGiPS.