Apple Augustovskoe Dalnevostochnoye

This variety was obtained by A. V. Bolonyev at the Far Eastern Research Institute of Agriculture through pollination in 1937 with purple pollen from the 'Tsarsky Ship' variety. As the earliest-ripening variety with attractive, fairly large fruits, it became popular in collective and private gardens of the Khabarovsk and Primorsky regions, as well as in suburban areas of southern parts of Amur and Sakhalin Oblasts.

The tree is vigorous, with a pyramidal or broad-pyramidal crown of medium density; its scaffold branches are light brown-gray and branch off the trunk at a right angle or slightly obliquely.

Shoots are medium thickness, long, slightly curved, greenish-brown. Leaves are large, round-oval, dark green on top and light green underneath, slightly hairy, with short petioles that are also hairy. Fruit buds form on short current-year growths or on two- or three-year-old wood. Fruit buds are large, slightly hairy, and slightly deviated.

Fruits (see illustration) are medium-sized (average weight 75 g, maximum 102 g), flat-round or round. Main color is light greenish-yellow; covering color is diffuse carmine. Fruit stalks are short or medium-length, fairly thick, slightly curved, fitting into a shallow slightly rusted cup; sepals are sparse and green.

Flesh is juicy, loose, slightly tart-sweet with a mild bitterness. Flavor is average. At full maturity on the tree, many fruits turn translucent. Fruits contain: total sugars — 10.4%, acids — 0.9%, tannins — 0.3%, pectins — 0.2%, ascorbic acid — 15.8 mg/100g.

Ripens in the second decade, or early in the third decade of August.

Fruits are suitable for consumption directly from the tree and can be stored no longer than 20 days; in cold storage — up to 40 days.

Self-sterile. Best pollinators: Amur Urozhaynoe, Naliv Amursky, Rannaya Bolonyeva.

Begins fruiting in the third to fourth year of tree life; mass fruiting occurs in the sixth year. Yield is average and non-cyclical. In the mass fruiting period (7-11 years) — 15–70 kg per tree. Productive period lasts 15–17 years. Winter and sunburn resistance of trees are at the level of half-cultivated varieties. The variety is resistant to scab and moniliosis.

Advantages of the variety: relatively large fruits of early ripening among half-cultivated varieties, resistance to moniliosis, annual fruiting.

Disadvantages of the variety: average fruit flavor, short shelf life, insufficient winter hardiness.

The variety is used in breeding to develop new summer varieties with better fruit quality.