Lira

Early winter variety developed by the All-Russian Research Institute for Fruit Crop Selection. Breeders: E. N. Sedov, A. V. Parshin, M. V. Mikhayeva, N. G. Krasova, N. M. Glazova. The variety was obtained by crossing Bere Winter Michurin with Lesnaya Krasavitsa.

The variety has passed State Testing and is recommended for the Central Chernozem region.

Trees are large with a medium-density, broad-pyramidal crown. Predominant fruiting forms are ring-shaped and spear-shaped.

Shoots of medium thickness, curved, arc-shaped, brownish-brown, hairless. Buds are recurved, conical. Leaves are medium-sized, ovate-lanceolate, long-acuminate, with spirally twisted tips, dark green, smooth, glossy, with delicate venation. Leaf blade is curved downward, without hairs. Leaf margin is entire, wavy. Petiole is long, thin, hairless.

Flower buds are smooth, elongated-conical, medium-sized.

Fruits are large (mass 205 g), attractive, one-sided, broad pear-shaped or elongated-pear-shaped, tapered. Fruit surface is smooth, broad-ribbed. Fruit skin is smooth, dry, dull. Color at harvest: main greenish, with a slight reddish-brown blush on a smaller portion of the fruit. Under-skin dots are numerous, medium-sized, greenish-gray, clearly visible. Peduncle is medium-length, thick, curved, oblique. Calyx is half-open. Receptacle is medium-depth, broad, ribbed. Seed chambers are closed, small. Heart is small, bulbous. Subcalyx tube is short, broad, sac-like.

Flesh is white, creamy, firm, fine-grained, very juicy, sweet taste with slight acidity, weak aroma, good flavor. Fruits contain 7.9% sugars, 0.1% acids, 14.0 mg/100g ascorbic acid.

Harvest ripeness occurs in the Orlov region from September 15-20. Consumer period lasts from early October to late December.

High and regular yield. Moderate winter hardiness. In December 1996, when air temperature dropped to -37.5°C, trees of the Lira variety had slight frost damage (1.7 points). The variety is resistant to scab.

Advantages of the variety: early bearing, high yield, long storage period for dessert-type fruits, high fruit marketability.

Disadvantages of the variety: not sufficiently high winter hardiness.