Apricot Hekobarsh

Native variety of folk selection from Dagestan. Originator: Dagestan Fruit Cultivar Experimental Station (DSOSPK). Approved for cultivation in Dagestan in 1947, in the mountain-valley subzone.

Tree of medium height, with a rounded, compact, densely foliated, slightly raised crown.

Fruits of medium size, weighing 30-40 g, round or slightly oval, not fully symmetrical in shape, main color creamy, covering color yellow. Skin slightly hairy. Flesh medium-dense, golden-yellow, yellow-orange at full ripeness, juicy, aromatic, with harmonious sugar-acid balance and very pleasant taste. Contains 17.8% dry matter, 12.15% sugars, 1.51% acids, 17.16 mg/100g ascorbic acid. Pit of medium size constitutes 5.97% of fruit mass, easily separates from flesh. Kernel sweet.

Ripening period: June 20 in mountains, July 5-10 in foothills. Suitable for fresh consumption (5 points) and for making high-quality compote (4.9 points). Fruits store for 6-8 days, transportable.

Early fruiting variety, begins bearing fruit from 3-4 years. Yield in highland Dagestan is annual and high, up to 100 centners/ha, while in foothills (Buyansk) during 1984-2000 it averaged 49.5 centners/ha.

Winter hardiness is good in highland Dagestan, but weak in other regions. Disease resistance in mountain valleys is strong (0.5-1 point), while in foothills it is weak (3.5 points) and susceptible.

Advantages of the variety: one of the high-yield varieties in highland Dagestan.

Disadvantages of the variety: low-yielding in other regions; under rainy weather during ripening, fruit develops tip rot.