Altai Large

Selected from seedlings of steppe cherry subjected to cross-pollination by common cherry at the Siberian Institute of Horticulture named after M.A. Lisavensky. Approved in 1978. Authors: G.I. Subbotin, I.D. Kalinina.

Medium-sized, tree-like shrub up to 220 cm tall. Flat-round crown, sparse. Bark of branches brown with lead tint, smooth, large yellow lenticels, numerous. Shoots straight, dark-brown, with grayish sheen, thick. Internodes medium. Buds conical, blunt. Leaves large, broadly oval, short-pointed, base rounded-keeled, apex pointed. Leaf blade bright green with lead sheen, convex, with distinct veins, wavy, doubly serrated, medium. Leaf petiole purple, glands yellow, noticeable, stipules short, early falling. Flowers large, 2-5 per cluster, rose-white, 25-30 mm in diameter, petals oval-egg-shaped, 6-8 x 11-13 mm, buds light rose, sepals 5-7 x 8-9 mm, oval.

Fruits large, round, flattened on top, 15 mm high, 17 mm wide, average weight 4.5 g, single-colored red, universal use. Flesh dense, juicy, pink. Juice pink. Pedicel long, 50-60 mm, thick, 25-30 mm. Stone medium, oval, 0.17 g, easily separates from flesh, only from pedicel at full fruit maturity. Fruits contain 14.1% dry matter, 9.5% sugars, 1.7% acids, 0.15% tannins, 18 mg/100g vitamin C.

Fruits ripen in the first decade of August. Transportability low. Shoots stop growing in the second decade of July, leaf fall ends in the second-third decade of October, heat-tolerant, drought-resistant. Average yield per shrub 4.5 kg, maximum 9 kg. Fruit flavor sour-sweet. Pedicel attachment to fruit strong. Medium winter-hardy, in severe winters freezes up to 40% flower buds, self-sterile, not resistant to coccomycosis. Used in selection for yield and large fruit size.

Advantages of the variety: high yield, large fruits.

Disadvantages: weak recovery after freezing, severely affected by coccomycosis, insufficient winter hardiness of flower buds.