Titovka Seedling

Winter variety. Discovered at the Kushnarenkov Experimental Orchard (Republic of Bashkortostan) in 1928 by V. P. Strelyayev (Bashkir Research Institute of Fruit Growing).

Widely cultivated and officially recommended in the Republics of Tatarstan, Mari El, Mordovia, and Samara Oblast. In Bashkortostan, it occupies 30% of the area allocated to winter apple varieties.

Medium-sized, fast-growing tree with a sparse, broad-pyramidal crown. Branches are straight, sparsely arranged, emerging from the trunk at a sharp angle, with tips pointing upward. Bark on the trunk and main branches is smooth, light-brown. Bears fruit on simple and complex buds.

Shoots are medium-length, straight, brownish-gray, with long internodes, few small, sunken lenticels; buds are pressed against the shoots, medium-sized, round, hairy. Leaves are large, elongated-oval, long-pointed with spirally twisted tips, light-green, smooth, matte, with delicate venation. Leaf blade is curved downward and slightly turned along the midrib, with weak pubescence. Leaf margin is finely serrated. Petiole is medium-length, light-green, slightly tinged at the base, pressed against the shoot and slightly twisted relative to its axis. Stipules are small, lanceolate.

Flowers are large, white, fragrant, deep-cup-shaped. Style is long, weakly hairy, stigma positioned above the anthers.

Fruits are medium-sized (96–148 g), cylindrical, slightly ribbed, well-formed, smooth. Skin is medium-thick, smooth, waxy, with a bloom. Under-skin dots are not noticeable. Color at harvest is greenish, with a mostly striped, brownish-red covering; at consumer ripeness — greenish-yellow with a brownish-red blush. Peduncle is short, medium-length, upright. Calyx is deep, conical, medium-sized, without rusting. Disk is very small, ribbed. Calyx tube is non-deciduous, closed, cylindrical, narrow, deep. Central cavity is small. Core is medium. Seed chambers are open, large. Seeds are medium-sized, brown.

Flesh is yellowish-white, medium-density, fine-grained, juicy, slightly acidic-sweet with moderate aroma. Appearance rating — 4 points, taste rating — 4.5 points. Fruits contain 14.2% dry matter, 8.7% sugars, 0.68% acids, 0.99% pectin, 6.1 mg/100g ascorbic acid.

Fruits store for 160 days. High transportability. Variety is of universal use.

Self-sterile. Best pollinators — Bashkir Red Beauty, Buzovyezovskoe.

Trees begin fruiting at age 7. Yield up to 280 centners per hectare, with regular fruiting and no fruit drop. Medium longevity. Moderately resistant to extreme conditions and scab (maximum leaf infection rating 1.8, fruit rating 1.3).