Apple Altai Pepin

This autumn variety was obtained at the Scientific Research Institute of Horticulture of Siberia named after M. A. Lisavensky by crossing 'Purple Early' with 'Saffron Pepin' in 1937. Breeders: M. A. Lisavensky, I. A. Kukharsky, M. A. Sizemova, V. A. Sirotkina. Widely grown in commercial plantations and gardens of the population in Western and Eastern Siberia. Approved since 1959 for the West Siberian region.

Trees are low-growing, with round crowns and medium density. Fruit-bearing is concentrated, primarily on spurs and fruiting shoots, on 1-3-year-old growths.

Shoots are gray-green, hairy, with small light pubescence. Leaves are medium-sized, round, with a small tip, dark green, shiny, slightly puckered, slightly hairy underneath, with doubly serrated edges, long petioles, hairy, with small stipules.

Fruits are very small (30-51 g), round-conical, ribbed. Main color is yellow, covering color is bright red, solid. Peduncle is medium length, calyx is narrow and deep, rusted. Calyx is small, half-open, surrounded by pearls. Receptacle is small, ribbed.

Flesh is yellow, firm, juicy, slightly acidic-sweet, medium taste. Chemical composition of fruits: total sugars — 12.7% (7.2-15.9), titratable acids — 1.75% (0.84-2.38), tannins — 217 mg/100g (73-373), ascorbic acid — 29.9 mg/100g (6.6-61.5), P-active compounds — 514 mg/100g (104-754), pectin substances — 5.84% on dry weight.

Harvest maturity in the second decade of September, storage life up to 30 days. This is a technical variety, widely used in winemaking.

Begins fruiting in the third to fourth year. High, regular yield. High winter hardiness; in particularly severe winters, it suffers slight frost damage. Lost resistance to scab and became sensitive to it.

Advantages of the variety: high winter hardiness and yield.

Disadvantages of the variety: very small fruits of medium taste, sensitive to scab.