Quince Gift

Introduced at the North Caucasus Regional Institute of Horticulture and Viticulture (Krasnodar) from open pollination of hybrid No. 17. Breeders: S. F. Rusak, N. V. Mozhar. Approved for the North Caucasus region.

Medium-sized tree, round crown, moderate leafing. Angle of skeletal branch departure approximately 45°, branches straight, dark gray. Medium-thick trunk, dark gray, rough surface. Fruit set occurs along the entire previous year's growth. Therefore, annual pruning is mandatory to ensure growths on which the next year's crop will be formed.

Shoots thin, straight, brown coloration, slight pubescence at tips; buds medium-sized, light brown, convex. Buds poorly developed, unpubescent. Leaf equilateral, medium-sized, elliptical shape, dark green, slightly concave along central vein, pointed tip. Leaf blade thin, rigid, dense; venation poorly expressed. Pubescence on lower leaf surface slight, woolly. Petiole short and thin, strong anthocyanic coloring. Stipules small, lanceolate.

Flowers solitary, large, deep cup-shaped, light pink; pedicel pubescent. Petals 5, medium size, oval, stamens 18-20, stamen filaments purple-pink, anthers yellow, pistils 5, pink, positioned at the level of anthers. Flowering occurs in mid-season (first decade of May).

Fruits above average size (280 g), uniform, oval shape, surface slightly ribbed or nearly smooth, weak pubescence. Main color light yellow, turning bright yellow upon ripening. Calyx closed, sepals large. Receptacle narrow, deep, with 2-3 folds. Funnel narrow, small, sometimes rusted. Heart medium size, onion-like, seed chambers closed, walls wrinkled. Seeds medium size, light brown.

Flesh creamy, juicy, fine-grained, dense, tart-sweet flavor. Fruits contain 15.2% dry soluble solids, 12.9% sugars, 1.24% titratable acids, 32.3 mg/100g ascorbic acid, 196.8 mg/100g raw mass of P-active catechins.

Harvesting ripeness occurs in the third decade of September to the first decade of October, consumption period — November-December, fruits stored until January. High transportability of fruits.

Fruits suitable for technological processing (compotes, jams).

Trees begin fruiting from the 4th year after planting as one-year saplings. Yield at 15 years old — 250 centners per hectare. Cold-hardy and drought-resistant, high resistance to fungal diseases.

Fruits resistant to corky spot.

Advantages of the variety: early fruiting, cold-hardiness, high quality of processed products.