Pear Bronze

Early autumn variety of East Asian origin. Selected from seedlings of freely pollinated Korean varieties. Breeders: E.N. Sedov (VNIISPK), G.V. Yeremin (Crimean Experimental Selection Station of VIR).

Accepted for State Variety Testing in 1994. Recommended for regionalization and distribution in the North Caucasus region of Russia.

Medium-sized tree. Broad, moderately dense crown. Basal branching. Bark on trunk and main branches smooth, grayish-brown. Fruit set concentrated on ring buds and spurs.

Shoots of medium thickness, straight, brown. Buds beige; large, sparse. Leaves large, dark green, oval, leaf margin serrated. Leaf blade slightly convex, dense, glossy. Young leaves pubescent on both upper and lower surfaces, mature leaves only along the midrib. Petiole medium size, green, slightly pubescent. Stipules lanceolate, large.

Flowers large, dish-shaped, white, single-layered. Stigmas pubescent at base, stigmas positioned at the level of anthers. Number of flowers in inflorescence — 7-10.

Fruits flat-round, weighing 140 g, one-seeded. Skin matte, yellowish-brown, without covering coloration, with large brown subcutaneous spots. Pit small, concave. Dish medium size, calyx half-open, subcalyx tube barely noticeable, narrow. Heart medium size, seed chambers medium, axial cavity absent, seeds medium size, light-brown, egg-shaped, 5-10 per fruit.

Flesh juicy, crisp, with distinctive aroma, excellent flavor. Fresh fruit taste and appearance rating 4.4, compote rating 4.3.

Fruits contain 23.3% dry matter, 4.2% sugars, 0.35% titratable acids, 6 mg/100g ascorbic acid, 1.92% pectin substances.

Harvest maturity in Krasnodar Krai occurs in early September, consumer period lasts 3-6 weeks. Fruit attachment strong. Transportability good. Main use — dessert.

Self-sterile variety. Best pollinators: Morning Freshness, Eastern Golden, Kieffer, and other East Asian pear varieties.

Very early fruiting variety, enters fruiting stage at 2-3 years, yield gradually increases, by age 12 years yields 70-90 kg per tree, fruiting regular.

Sufficiently winter-hardy in southern fruit-growing zones. Drought tolerance medium, responsive to irrigation. Shows comprehensive resistance to fungal diseases (scab, septoria, brown rot) and bacterial blight.

Advantages of the variety: medium tree height, early fruiting, resistance to fungal and bacterial diseases, suitability for cultivation under intensive and super-intensive technologies.

Disadvantages of the variety: weak winter hardiness in central fruit-growing zones.