The best winter apple varieties of Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding for production

The history of systematic purposeful apple breeding at the Orel Fruit and Berry Experimental Station (now the Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding) is briefl y described. At the fi rst stage of the work North-American and folk breeding varieties were widely used in hybridization. At present, the main objectives in apple breeding are: 1) the creation of triploid varieties; 2) the development of scab immune varieties (V_f ); 3) the creation of columnar varieties. Over 50 apple varieties have already been created and included in the State register of breeding achievements admitted for use, including 11 summer varieties, 5 autumn varieties and 30 winter varieties. Brief economical and biological characteristics of 30 zoned winter varieties and 10 winter varieties passing the state testing are given. Apple winter varieties with fruits that can be keeping in storage until the end of February and even until the end of May are of particular value. Such varieties were described previously: Aleksandr Boiko, Blagodat, Vavilovskoye and Ministr Kisilev. In this article the varieties Veniaminovskoye, Veteran, Den Pobedy, Ivanovskoye, Kulikovskoye, Svezhest, Sinap Orlovsky and Stroevskoye are described in more details. Scab immune variety Veniaminovskoye bears beautiful fruit with high taste qualities and these fruit are capable to be stored till the end of February. Fruit of the Veteran variety have got high taste estimation and are capable to to be stored till middle March without losing their commodity qualities. Triploidy variety Den Pobedy is characterized by high commodity and consumer qualities of fruit that are capable to be stored till March. Scab immune variety Svezhest is characterized by the longest keeping quality of fruit. The fruit of this variety are stored till late May and longer. The fruit of well-known variety Sinap Orlovsky are capable to be stored till May having high taste qualities. The introduction of apple varieties with a long-term keeping quality of fruit will contribute to providing the population with fresh fruit almost all year round.

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