Sweet cherry Griot Michurin

Developed by T.V. Morozova at the VNIISadovodstva named after I.V. Michurin from seed of the 'Griot Ostgheim' cherry, treated with the chemical mutagen NEM at a concentration of 0.0251 in the germination stage. Introduced into state variety trials in 1994.

Medium-sized tree with a slightly raised, oval-shaped, sparse crown. Fruit-bearing on cluster branches. Bark on the trunk and main branches is brown. Shoots are medium, light-brown, with an average number of lenticels. Leaves are medium-sized, narrowly oval, doubly serrated, smooth surface, dark green, shiny, without pubescence. Leaf petioles are medium in length and thickness, anthocyanic in color. Petiolules are short, weakly incised, and shed early. Flowers are medium, white, horn-shaped. Flowering period is medium. Stigma is positioned higher than the stamens. Petal shape is round.

Fruits are above average (mass 4.5 g), round with a rounded apex, with a medium indentation at the base and a small ventral seam. Pedicel is medium, with weak attachment to the stone and good detachment from the branch. Fruits are dark red, without bloom spots. Stone is small, round, smooth, easily separates from the flesh. Flesh is dark red, with dark red juice, medium density, juicy. Flavor is sour-sweet, with high sweetness and medium acidity. Chemical composition: sugars — 11.93%, acids — 1.38%, ascorbic acid — 32.99 mg/100g. A technical variety with high technological qualities of fruits.

Partially self-fertile. Best pollinators — Tamaris, Turgenevka, Zhukovskaya, Molodezhnaya. Fruit production begins at 4-5 years. Fruits are medium ripening. Harvesting maturity in Michurinsk occurs at the end of the second to the beginning of the third decade of July. Yield is regular, 60-80 centners/ha under Michurinsk conditions. Transportability is good. Tree is highly winter-hardy, drought-tolerant, highly resistant to coccomyces. Propagated by budding on seedlings of cultural varieties and clonal rootstocks of Vladimirskaya. Pruning is similar to the 'Chukovskaya' cherry variety.

Advantages of the variety: high winter hardiness of the tree and flower buds, regular yield, and high resistance to coccomyces.

Disadvantages: high acid content in fruits.