Zil

Introduced by E.P. Finaev and P.P. Ivanov at the Kuibyshev Experimental Station for Horticulture through crossing of Kuibyshevskaya Ternosilva with Renclod Bavay. Registered in the State Register in 1987 for the Middle Volga region.

Tree is vigorous and fast-growing. Crown is oval-rounded, medium density. Variety fruits predominantly on bouquet branches. Bark on trunk and main branches is smooth, gray-green. Shoots are thick, straight, reddish-brown, bare. Many flowers, medium-sized, white. Leaves are large, broad, round, slightly pointed, dark green, wrinkled, matte. Leaf blade is concave (like a boat) downward, apex is sharply pointed; base is rounded, hairless. Leaf margin is doubly serrated. Petioles are medium-sized, thick, pigmented. Inflorescence — flowers double, triple, rose-like, large, white.

Fruits are large, roughly one-dimensional, average weight 31.1 g. Fruit shape is round. Apex is rounded, indented on sides. Base has a depression, pit is medium, wide. Fruit suture is fine, barely noticeable. Pedicel is medium in length and thickness; ease of detachment from branch is good; attachment to pit is not strong. Fruit color: main green, covering blue, uniform. Few lenticels, white, well visible. Skin is medium, bare, with medium waxy coating, hard to remove. Flesh is yellow-green, tender, juicy, single-colored cavity with flesh. Juice is colorless. Taste is sour-sweet. Pit detaches from flesh well, medium-sized, egg-shaped, pointed at top and bottom, in pits. Fresh fruit taste rating — 4.0 points. Appearance — 4.0 points. Dry matter content — 15.5%, sugars — 8.49%, acids — 2.46%, ascorbic acid — 4.12 mg/100g. Universal use. Suitable for making jams and compotes.

Flowering: May 10-19. Fruit ripening is late. Harvesting period: August 27 — September 3. Fruits have good appearance and transportability. Harvested 5-6 days before ripeness, can be stored for two weeks. Trees begin fruiting at age 5-6. High yield. At age 6-8, trees yield 15-20 kg per tree; at age 9-12, yield is 25-40 kg, and healthy trees yield up to 70 kg. Annual fruiting. Fruits attach firmly to tree. Shedding occurs only upon overripening.

Highly self-fertile. Best pollinators: Red Early, Kuibyshevskaya Ternosilva, Mirnaya.

Trees are winter-hardy. In winter 1968/69, frost damage was 1.2 points; in 1978/79 — 3.3 points. Younger trees had damage around 2 points. Drought-resistant. Moniliosis affects at 0.1-0.2%. Slight susceptibility to gummosis. Infested by plum fruit moth at 0.3-0.5%. Plum aphid affects moderately in some years.

Variety requires elevated, well-lit locations, soils of light to medium texture. Responds well to watering, organic and mineral fertilizers, producing high yields of quality fruits. Young trees require formative pruning; during full fruiting — rejuvenating pruning.

Advantages: high winter hardiness of wood and flower buds; annual yield; large fruits of excellent quality.

Disadvantages: partial fruit shedding and cracking.