Talica (Early Maturing Sverdlovsk Variety)

New highly winter-hardy variety from the Sverdlovsk Selection Station for fruit growing, developed by L. A. Kotov in collaboration with G. N. Tarasova through crossing the varieties Bere Yellow Ch Early Summer in 1975. Hybrid seedlings passed the harsh winter of 1978/79. The most winter-hardy one fruited in 1984, and in 1986 it was selected as elite for its excellent fruit flavor. Registered in the Russian Federation State Register for the Volga-Vyatka region since 2004, widely grown in Sverdlovsk and neighboring regions.

Trees are vigorous and fast-growing. In young age, the crown is pyramidal with vertically growing branches (becomes spreading with age under fruit weight), sparse, branches emerge from the trunk at a sharp angle (despite this, the crown is strong), straight, without branching if not pruned, covered along the entire length with short ring-like marks. Bark on the trunk and main branches is smooth, greenish and grayish. Ring-like marks are mostly sessile, simple and branched.

Shoots of medium thickness, round in cross-section, without hairs. Bark on shoots is olive-yellow (can be equated to greenish-yellow). Buds are large, sparsely arranged, at the surface level. Buds on shoots are strongly deviated, short, dark-brown, conical, smooth. Leaves are horizontally oriented, medium-sized, broadly round, with a narrow, long apex and flat or rounded base. Leaf margin is sharply toothed, nearly serrated, with long teeth. Blade is light green, flat, leathery, medium thickness, with smooth, glossy surface, without hairs on upper and lower surfaces; petiole is long, thin, bare. Stipules are small and quickly fall off.

Flower buds are smooth, large, full, medium-length. Inflorescence is a flat-topped cluster with many flowers. Flowering is relatively early.

Fruits are below average or small, one-dimensional, weighing about 80 g (maximum 110 g), round-apple shaped, regular, smooth, with a smooth surface. Skin is medium thickness, dry, rough, without covering coloration, light-yellow, covered with large corky spots. Few stone cells. Peduncle is short, fairly thick. Calyx is small. Calyx tube is open, wide, very small. Dish is flat, very small. Seeds are medium-sized, dark-brown, egg-shaped.

Flesh is creamy, excellent in harmonious sour-sweet taste (4.5 points), with strong aroma, very juicy, tender.

Fruit attractiveness is medium.

Chemical composition of flesh from trees grafted onto common quince: dry matter — 14.5%, titratable acids — 0.77%, total sugars — 11.6%, ascorbic acid — 2.63 mg/100g, sugar-acid ratio is 15.

This is the earliest maturing pear variety. In Yekaterinburg, fruits ripen mid-August (on day 78 after flowering ends) and are consumed within 6–10 days. Fruit drop of ripe fruits is significant. Transportability is fairly low, marketability is medium. Horticultural purpose — table and technical use, as well as rootstock and budding stock.

Enters fruiting at 5–6 years after grafting in nurseries. Self-sterile, well-pollinated by all varieties, but not by wild Ussuri pear due to mismatched flowering periods.

Yield per tree is good, up to 39 tons per hectare. Fruit production is regular.

Exceptionally high frost resistance, high resistance to spring frosts. Heat and drought resistance are moderate.

Highly resistant to scab; in moderate degree, the variety may be affected by leaf spot, and pests — pear gall mite.