Azhinskaya

Spontaneous hybrid between common and steppe cherry. Originator — South Ural Research Institute of Fruit and Vegetable Growing and Potato Cultivation (YUUNIPOK). Authors: A.E. Pankratova, K.K. Mullaev, V.I. Putyatyn, I.G. Zamaytina. Introduced into the State Register in 2002 for the Ural region.

Medium-sized tree, height 2.5-3.0 m, trunk 25-40 cm, fast-growing. Crown shape is compressed-conical, medium density, prone to crowding, good foliage. Shoot has a silvery appearance, round, ash-brown, without hairs, length 30-40 cm, few small, medium-sized buds. Bud is medium, elongated, smooth, curved. Leaf is elongated, medium, length 7.5 cm, width 3.5 cm, dark green blade, narrowly-oval, short-tipped, smooth, glossy, curved upward, base acute, leaf margin doubly serrated, no hairs, small round yellow glands, anthocyanin present at base of leaf blade. Petiole short, medium, 1.7 cm, stipules absent. Flowers small, aromatic, inflorescence large — 5 flowers, short pedicel. Petals broadly oval, arranged freely, apex divided, not frilled. Corolla shape is saucer-shaped, calyx bell-shaped with slight serration. Stigma is below stamens, number of stamens 26, ovary without hairs. Flowering and fruiting type is mixed, predominantly on one-year growth — 70%, partially — 30% on flower buds of two- to three-year-old wood.

Fruit medium, mass 4.5 g, shape round-oval, apex rounded, ventral side sloped toward apex, with groove along fruit, ventral suture poorly expressed, narrow pit. Fruit flesh dark red, medium density, juice red. Skin dark burgundy, thin, glossy. Pedicel long — 3.5 cm, thin, straight, oblique. Fruit appearance — 4.7 points, flesh very juicy, flavor tart-sweet, pleasant, taste rating 4.4 points. Detachment from pedicel dry, easy, fruits resistant to cracking. Variety is universal-purpose, but primarily dessert. Used for making jams, compotes, juice. Dry matter content 16.3%, sugars 11.7%, free acids 1.8%, ascorbic acid 10.3 mg%.

Stone round, length 0.6 cm, width 0.5 cm, thickness 0.4 cm, creamy, dorsal suture medium-smooth, ventral suture medium, ribs smoothed. Stone mass 0.17-0.20 g, constitutes 8.1-10.0% of fruit mass, good separability.

Flowering period medium — May 23-30, prolonged. Ripening period late-season, July 20 — August 3, on average simultaneously. Enters fruiting on 4th year, tree longevity high — up to 30 years. Partially self-fertile.

Moderate cold resistance. Winter hardiness of generative buds medium, spring frost resistance of flowers above average. Drought resistance high. High resistance to coccomycosis. No other diseases or pests noted.

Production evaluation of the variety is high — beautiful, slender tree, especially when tree crowns are not interlocking, high annual yield — 8-10 kg per tree, equivalent to 10-12 t/ha, among the best in taste quality. Grown in collective and industrial orchards.

Advantages of the variety: high resistance to coccomycosis, other diseases and pests. High recovery ability after freezing in harsh winters. High fruit taste quality, easily propagated by all methods.

Disadvantage of the variety: insufficient winter hardiness of the tree in harsh winters when temperature drops below -48°C, freezing to 3 points.