European plum Peresvet

This variety was developed at the NIISS named after M.A. Lisavenko in the forest-steppe zone of the Altai Krai (city of Barnaul) by selection among seedlings from open pollination of the 'Altai Jubilee' variety. Authors: V.S. Putov, I.A. Puchkin, I.P. Kalinina. It is widely grown in gardens of the Altai Krai and southern regions of the Krasnoyarsk Krai. Included in the State Register in 1994 for the East Siberian region.

Trees are medium-sized with an uplifted, inverted pyramidal, compact, moderately dense crown. The predominant type of fruiting structures is bunches of branches. Branches are gray-brown, diverging from the trunk at a sharp angle. The trunk is low. Shoots are straight or slightly curved, thick, brownish-red, covered with numerous small lenticels, with characteristic large, protruding axillary bases. Fruit buds are round with a conical apex; vegetative buds are conical. Leaves are large: 12 cm long, 7.5 cm wide, broadly oval or egg-shaped, with slightly curled, short-pointed tips. Leaf blade is slightly curled downward, concave, with a rounded base, slightly hairy on the underside, wrinkled, weakly glossy, dark green, with irregular serrated edges. Petiole is dark anthocyanic, curved downward along the shoot in lower leaves and elevated in upper leaves. Central vein of the leaf is reddish on the underside. Buds contain two flowers, which bloom before the leaves. Flowers are medium-sized, bell-shaped, white. Petals are white, elliptical or oval, with slightly curled edges, free, 7 mm long and 6 mm wide. There are 19-21 stamens in the flower, and the stigma is positioned below the anthers.

Fruits are round, slightly angular, weighing 13-24 g. Main color is orange, with a red covering, marbled. Skin has barely noticeable light subcutaneous spots and a medium-expressed waxy coating. The ventral suture is a groove, well-defined. The calyx is of medium size, divided by a groove. Skin is not rough. A ridge is distinctly expressed on the side opposite the suture. Flesh is yellow-orange, tender, juicy, slightly sweet-tart, with good flavor. Pit is oval, smooth, well-formed, easily separates from the flesh.

Fruits ripen in the second decade of August. Their transportability is insufficient. Fruits contain 14.7% dry matter, 9.41% sugars, 1.45% titratable acids, 11.6 mg/100g ascorbic acid, and 480 mg/100g P-active substances. The variety is of universal use.

Enters fruiting on the 3rd-4th year after planting in a garden using one-year-old seedlings. Yield is high but irregular. Winter hardiness of the tree is high; fruit buds have satisfactory hardiness. The variety is self-sterile. Affected to a low degree by clasterosporiosis and plum fruit worm; severely affected by Maslov’s fruit fly; susceptible to fruit rot.

Advantages of the variety: high winter hardiness and yield, good fruit flavor.

Disadvantages: susceptibility to fruit rot and damage by Maslov’s fruit fly.