European plum Chermal Large

This variety was developed at the M.A. Lisavensky Institute of Fruit Growing in the mountainous Altai region (Chemal village) through selection among seedlings from open pollination of the 'Red Ball' variety. Author: M.N. Matyushin. Accepted for state variety trials in 1998.

Trees are medium-sized with a sparse, bushy crown. The main type of fruiting branches is cluster-type. Bark of branches is dark gray and smooth. Shoots are slightly curved, thick, bare, with numerous small lenticels, light brown. Vegetative buds are conical, fruiting buds are round. Leaves are 12 cm long and 5.5 cm wide, inversely egg-shaped, dark green, with a wedge-shaped base and tip, sometimes with a sharp apex. Leaf blade is glossy, wrinkled, slightly concave in the middle, with wavy toothed edge, curled downward. Petiole is medium length, anthocyanic-colored. In the bud, there are 2-3 flowers, which bloom before the leaves. Flowers are medium-sized, cup-shaped, white.

Fruits are broadly oval, nearly round, large, 44 mm high and 42 mm in diameter, average weight 34.6 g. The depression and ventral suture are moderately expressed. Main fruit color is yellow, with a covering burgundy-red. Subcutaneous dots are light and barely noticeable. Skin is not rough and free of bitterness. Flesh is whitish-yellow, medium juicy, fibrous, slightly acidic-sweet, pleasant taste. Stone is medium-sized, oval, well-formed, easily separates from the flesh. Peduncle is short, easily separates from the fruit.

Fruits ripen in mid-August. They contain 15.6% dry soluble substances, 10.3% sugars, 1.2% titratable acids, 8.9 mg/100g ascorbic acid, 412 mg/100g P-active substances. Fruit transportability is low. Variety is of universal use.

Begins fruiting on the 3rd-4th year after planting in orchards with one-year-old seedlings. Yield is high, but fruiting is irregular. Winter hardiness of trees and fruit buds is satisfactory. Shows increased requirements for water supply. Moderately resistant to moniliosis. Self-sterile, susceptible to rot.

The largest-fruited variety in the Uralo-Siberian and Far Eastern variety range. Promising for selection of high-quality diploid plum varieties, as well as for creating hybrid apricot varieties.