Pear Nika

Winter variety developed by VNIIGiSPR named after I.V. Michurin. Breeders: S.P. Yakovlev, A.P. Grigbanovskiy, N.I. Savelyev, I.A. Bandurko, M.Yu. Akimov, V.V. Chiviliev. Obtained by crossing the varieties 'Talgarская красавица' and 'Дочь Зари'. Approved for cultivation in the Central Chernozem region since 2002.

Medium-sized tree, medium-growing, with a sparse, rounded crown. Strong union of main branches. Mixed fruiting type.

Medium-thick shoots, straight, brown, bare, with few catkins, medium-sized, conical, smooth buds. Leaves of medium size, rounded, slightly pointed at the apex, green, smooth, glossy, with delicate venation, base shape obtuse, serration finely toothed, slight curvature, medium-length petiole, bracteoles lanceolate.

Fruits of medium to above-average size, weighing 140–200 g, truncated-conical, regular shape, smooth. Skin medium, smooth, waxy, with a waxy coating. Color at harvest: main greenish, covering layer diffuse red; at consumer maturity: main light-yellow, covering layer brownish-red on most of the fruit. Peduncle medium, curved, oblique. Bore small, narrow, cup open, non-falling, plate very small, broad. Heart small, round, seed chambers closed, seeds medium, conical, brown.

Flesh creamy, tender, medium density, semi-oily, fine-grained, juicy, without bitterness or granules, taste slightly sour-sweet, pleasant aroma. Sensory evaluation 4.5 points.

Fruits contain dry soluble solids — 15.7%, sugars — 10.2%, titratable acids — 0.40%, ascorbic acid — 6.2 mg/100g, P-active substances — 122.0 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 90–100 days.

Highly winter-hardy. After artificial freezing in mid-winter at -38°C, xylem damage did not exceed 0.6 points; bark and cambium showed no freezing damage. Not affected by scab or anthracnose.

Advantages of the variety: long storage period, dessert flavor of fruits, comprehensive disease resistance.

Disadvantages of the variety: without pruning, crown quickly exposes and fruits become smaller.