Quince Muskat

Origin unknown. Cultivated in the Krasnodar region, grows in Ukraine, Moldova, and the North Caucasus.

Tree vigorous, with a broad-pyramidal crown, medium leafiness. Skeletal branch angles around 45°, branches straight, dark gray. Stem of medium thickness, dark gray, rough surface, weak spiral. Fruit set primarily on vigorous shoots — last year's growth (50%) and fruiting branches and spurs. Therefore, annual pruning is necessary to ensure growths on which next year's crop is formed.

Shoots of medium thickness, straight, dark tobacco color, shiny, with slight pubescence at tips; tendrils small, reddish. Buds poorly expressed, unpubescent. Leaf equilateral, medium size, elliptical, dark green, with metallic sheen. Leaf blade slightly wrinkled, slightly convex, thin, leathery. Pubescence on underside of leaf weak, woolly. Leaf apex pointed, tip short, base rounded, leaf margin smooth; petiole medium length and thickness, weak woolly pubescence, anthocyanic coloration; stipules small, lanceolate.

Flowers solitary, medium size, light pink; pedicels strongly pubescent. Petals 5, medium size, ovate-elongated, stamens 18-20, staminal filaments purplish-pink, anthers yellow, pistils 5, pink, positioned above anthers. Flowering in mid-season (first decade of May). Self-fertile, in some years up to 20% of fruits set from self-pollination.

Fruits medium size, 225 g, one-dimensional, round-cylindrical, surface slightly ribbed or nearly smooth, strong pubescence, gray, woolly, remains on fruit for long. Main color yellow-green, turning lemon-yellow upon ripening; calyx closed, large, sepals tightly closed, long. Receptacle medium width and depth, medium-furrowed, funnel deep, wide, smooth, with raised edges. Heart medium size, layered, asymmetric, seed chambers closed, ovate, walls furrowed. Seeds medium size, thick, light-brown, with dark margin.

Flesh creamy, juicy, finely textured, firm, tart-sweet taste. Sensory rating 4.0-4.4 points. Fruit contains 15.2% dry soluble solids, 8.8% sugars, 1.17% titratable acids, 12.5 mg/100g ascorbic acid, 168.8 mg/100g raw material of P-active substances.

Harvest maturity occurs in the third decade of September to the first decade of October, consumption period — November-December, fruits store until January. High transportability, resistant to skin spotting.

Fruits suitable for technological processing (compotes, jams).

Trees begin fruiting from the 4th year after planting as one-year saplings. Yield from 25 to 30 kg at 10 years old, up to 60-80 kg at 15 years, average over 5 years — 55 kg/tree. Winter-hardy and drought-resistant, high resistance to fungal diseases.

Advantages of the variety: can be grown on compact soils, fruit resistance to skin spotting, high-quality processed products.

Disadvantages of the variety: small fruit size, insufficient flesh juiciness.