May Day

Winter variety obtained at the State Research Institute of Fruit and Vegetable Crops and the I.V. Michurin Institute of Plant Breeding, by S.P. Yakovlev, A.P. Grigbanov, N.I. Savelyev, V.V. Chivilev, through crossing the varieties 'Daughter of Dawn' and 'Late MOSVIR'. Approved for the Central Chernozem region since 2002.

Medium-sized tree with a compact, narrowly pyramidal crown of medium density. Mixed fruiting type.

Medium-thick shoots, straight, brown-red, bare, with few buds; medium-sized, curved, conical, smooth buds. Leaves medium-sized, round, broadly pointed, green, smooth, leaf blade curved upward, base acute, finely serrated margin, medium-length petiole, spatulate stipules.

Fruits medium to above medium size, weighing 140-220 g, pear-shaped, regular shape, smooth. Skin medium, oily, with waxy coating. Color at harvest: main green, covering pink on the lower part of the fruit; at consumer maturity, main green-yellow, covering brownish-red on the lower part of the fruit. Peduncle medium, curved, oblique. Bore small, rust medium, calyx half-open, non-detached, shallow wide plate. Heart small, bulbous, seed chambers closed, seeds medium, conical, dark brown.

Flesh creamy, medium density, semi-oily, juicy with slight astringency and small granulation, taste slightly sour-sweet, strong aroma. Sensory rating 4.2 points.

Fruits contain sugars — 9.2%, titratable acids — 0.05%, ascorbic acid — 13.2 mg/100g, P-active substances — 126.0 mg/100g.

Begins fruiting at age 5-6. High yield. Harvest maturity occurs in the second decade of September; consumer storage period in refrigerated storage is 220-250 days.

Characterized by relatively high winter hardiness. After artificial freezing in mid-winter at -38°C, bark showed no freezing damage; tissue damage to cambium and xylem did not exceed 1.2 points. Not affected by fungal diseases.

Advantages of the variety: compact crown, prolonged fruit consumption period, comprehensive disease resistance.

Disadvantages of the variety: slight astringency and small granulation in fruits.