Apple Altai Souvenir

This autumn variety was obtained at the Siberian Institute of Horticulture named after M. A. Lisavensky in 1954 by crossing the 'Gorno-Altaisky' variety with 'Pepin Shafranny' and 'Belfler-Chinese' (pollen mixture). Breeders: M. A. Lisavensky, I. P. Kalinina, N. V. Yermakova. Widely grown in gardens across the Altai Krai, Altai Republic, and southern Krasnoyarsk Krai. Approved for the Altai Krai since 1985 and for the West Siberian region since 1999.

Medium-sized trees with rounded, moderately dense crowns and branches extending from the trunk at angles close to straight.

Shoots are straight, brown, and densely hairy. Leaves are medium-sized, egg-shaped or elliptical, bluntly pointed, green, wrinkled, shiny, curved downward, and hairy on the underside. Leaf margin is wavy, serrated-toothed. Petiole is short, hairy, with small lanceolate and sickle-shaped stipules.

Fruits are medium to slightly smaller in size (80.9–129.0 g), round to round-conical, with prominent ridges. Fruit surface is smooth. Main color is light-yellow, with a dark-pink covering, diffused and streaked over most of the fruit, covered with a strong waxy bloom. Peduncle is medium-length, thin, and hairy. Calyx is deep, slightly rusty. Receptacle is small and closed. Sub-receptacle tube is small, usually funnel-shaped. Seed chambers are closed, with narrow central cavity.

Flesh is creamy, finely textured, juicy, sweet-tart, and of good flavor. Chemical composition of fruit: total sugars — 11.3% (9.9–12.1), titratable acids — 1.0% (0.37–1.64), tannins — 88 mg/100g (62–131), ascorbic acid — 12.0 mg/100g (5.54–24.24), P-active compounds — 100 mg/100g (62–130), pectin substances — 5.55% dry weight.

Fruits ripen in the first decade of September and can be stored up to 120 days. This is a universal variety, highly valued by residents for its very attractive, relatively large for Siberia, easily stored fruits of good flavor.

Fruit production begins in the fifth year. Yield is medium and regular. Winter hardiness of trees is moderate. Highly resistant to scab; leaves are only slightly affected during epidemic years. Moderately resistant to moniliosis.

Advantages of the variety: very attractive fruits, regular fruiting, high resistance to scab, high commercial and consumer qualities, long storage life of fruits.

Disadvantages of the variety: insufficient resistance to moniliosis.