Ural Emerald

Early maturing variety, developed at the Southern Ural Research Institute of Fruit and Vegetable Crops and Potato Cultivation by crossing the varieties Samorodok and Pervenets Minusskogo. Author: V.S. Ilyin. Since 2000, it has been included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements approved for use in the West Siberian region.

Medium-height, loosely branched, dense bush. Growing shoots are straight, thick, green, shiny, with anthocyanic coloring at the tips. Shoots are covered with thorns along their entire length; thorniness is moderate. Thorns at nodes are of medium length (7–9 cm), straight, matte, light-brown, arranged perpendicular to the shoot, occasionally downward or upward along the shoot, single-, double-, and triple-lobed. Upper nodes (1–3) often lack thorns. Internodes are smooth, without thorns. Buds are small, oval-shaped, with a pointed apex, light-brown, unpubescent, deviated from the shoot. Leaf stalk base is round.

Leaves are uneven (from small to large), dark green, shiny, wrinkled, with a concave midrib. Leaves are five-lobed, with central notches between lobes. Lobes are blunt, the central lobe exceeds the lateral ones. The angle between the midribs of lateral lobes is acute; lateral lobes are of medium length and width, slightly directed sideways. Basal lobes are poorly developed. Leaf base is straight or convex. Teeth are sharp, short or medium-length, slightly curled. Petiole is long, thin, green.

Flowers are large, arranged in single-flowered clusters. Sepals are not fused, matte-pink, reflexed.

Berries are medium to large (3.5–7.5 g), one-dimensional, round-oval, green, with thin skin. Seed count is moderate. Flavor is excellent, sweet and sour-sweet, rated 5 points. Calyx is medium-sized, half-open. Peduncle is medium in length and thickness, green. Chemical composition: total sugars — 9.3%, titratable acidity — 2.2%, ascorbic acid — 20.5 mg/100 g. Berries are of universal use.

The variety is winter-hardy, high-yielding, with average multi-year yield of 7.0 t/ha, maximum yield — 18.6 t/ha (2.1–5.6 kg/plant), self-fertile (38.9%), weakly affected by powdery mildew, anthracnose, fire blight, and fruit borers.

Advantages of the variety: high yield, large fruit size, excellent flavor, disease resistance.

Disadvantages of the variety: thorniness of shoots.