Apple Autumn Joy (Altai)

This autumn variety was obtained at the Scientific Research Institute of Horticulture of Siberia named after M. A. Lisavensky by crossing the selected hybrid 2-37-836 (Purple Early x Shafraan Pepin) with Belfler-Chinese in 1948. Breeders: M. A. Lisavensky, L. Y. Zhebrovskaya, I. P. Kalinina. Widely grown in gardens of Western Siberia. Approved since 1974 for the West Siberian and East Siberian regions.

Trees are low-growing with round crowns. Main branches emerge from the trunk at sharp, straight angles. Fruiting occurs mainly on spurs and short shoots, on one- and two-year-old growths.

Shoots are curved, dark brown, hairy. Leaves are medium-sized, dark green, glossy, wrinkled, with golden hairs on the underside, elliptical, with spirally twisted tips, wavy, toothed margins, curved downward. Petioles are maroon, with small lanceolate stipules.

Fruits are small (38-53 g), flat-round with smooth ridges. Surface is smooth. Main color is yellow, covering color is dark red with bluish bloom on most of the fruit. Peduncle is medium-length, hairy. Calyx is wide and deep with greenish rusting. Calyx is medium-sized, closed. Receptacle is wide, ridged.

Flesh is white with a pink line along the seed cavity, fine-grained, juicy, sweet-sour with good flavor. Chemical composition of the fruit: total sugars — 11.2% (10.1-13.9), titratable acids — 0.89% (0.58-1.33), tannins — 121 mg/100g (42-125), ascorbic acid — 11.7 mg/100g (5.3-24.4), P-active compounds — 243 mg/100g (182-290), pectin substances — 4.15% on dry weight.

Fruit ripens at the end of August, keeps until 90 days.

Fruits are of universal use.

Fruit production begins in the fourth year, yield is high but irregular. Winter hardiness is moderate; in exceptionally severe winters, multi-year wood may freeze. Recovery capacity is good. Highly resistant to scab.

Advantages of the variety: early fruiting, high yield, low-growing trees, high resistance to scab.

Disadvantages of the variety: small fruits, susceptible to freezing in exceptionally severe winters.

The variety is used in breeding. With its participation, the varieties 'Zhark-ptitsa' and 'Zavetnoe' were created at the NIISS.