Raspberry variety Elegant

Elegant - this is a remarkable in many respects variety of raspberries of domestic selection, one of the main distinguishing properties of which is remontability, i.e. the ability to bear fruit on the shoots of the current year, and not on two-year-old stems, as is the case with traditional varieties of culture. It was bred in the Bryansk region, at the Kokinsky strong point of the All-Russian Selection and Technological Institute of Horticulture and Nursery (VSTISP), which for many years was led by one of the outstanding Russian scientists, whose name was known to many experts on this culture from around the world, professor, academician of the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation I.V. Kazakov.

Despite the fact that remontant varieties of raspberries have been known for more than 200 years, the first experiments in our country to adapt them to domestic climatic conditions were initiated by Kazakov in the 70s of the last century. The main problem was that the foreign forms available at that time were distinguished by the excessive duration of the growing season, as a result of which, in central Russia, their yield potential did not have time to be realized even by half before the autumn frosts. To overcome this flaw, Ivan Vasilyevich spent decades of painstaking work on breeding work, and gradually, step by step, achieved his dream, giving gardeners a lot of magnificent varieties that can form a conditioned crop in a relatively short period of time, not inferior in quality to the best world varieties ... One of them is Elegant, which was born in the late nineties - early zero years, and already in 2005, after strict state variety testing, included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation. In collaboration with Ivan Kazakov, V.L. Kulagina and S.N. Evdokimenko worked on the novelty. It was admitted to industrial cultivation in the Central Non-Black Earth Region, which includes the Bryansk, Kaluga, Tula, Ryazan, Moscow, Smolensk, Ivanovo and Vladimir regions, however, by amateur gardeners it turned out to be widespread far beyond their borders, and even showed itself well in neighboring countries. - Ukraine and Belarus.

What are the advantages of the remontant raspberry that made the famous scientist devote virtually his entire life to it? First of all, this is an almost limitless increase in the winter hardiness of plants, in which the entire aboveground part is removed in autumn after fruiting, and the snow cover successfully protects the bases of the bushes from the most severe frosts. In addition, the phytosanitary condition of this type of raspberry improves, because all vegetative mass and plant residues, on which causative agents of fungal diseases and pests usually hibernate, are destroyed at the end of the season. In addition, due to the extended fruiting of the variety, which continues until the first frost, the terms of consumption of fresh berries are significantly extended.

All these wonderful qualities fully apply to Elegant, which, among other things, is distinguished by a relative large-fruited, high and stable yield, good gastronomic qualities of berries, as well as their visual appeal, for which it, in fact, earned its name.

Agrobiological characteristics

Raspberry bushes are distinguished by quite powerful growth and spreading appearance. Their height is 1.6-1.8 meters. Despite the strength of the stems, they still try to tie them up to supports or trellises to prevent damage from strong winds or lodging under the weight of the crop. Shoot-forming ability is expressed moderately and usually each bush forms 5-7 replacement stems. At a young age, they are colored green with a noticeable anthocyanin tint, covered with a waxy bloom and slight pubescence.Ripening, the shoots change color to light brown, which they retain in the next season, if they are not removed in the fall. The thorniness of the stems of the variety is average, and in most of its mass the spurs are concentrated at the base of the bush, while closer to the apex their number decreases sharply. This feature allows gardeners to carry out the necessary agrotechnical measures and harvesting on the raspberry field without any particular difficulties. Leaves are formed complex, consisting, as a rule, of three simple leaflets connected by a petiole of moderate length. The leaf blade is medium, oval-pointed, dark green in color with light veins that stand out against this background. Its profile is weakly twisted, the texture is noticeably wrinkled, the denticles along the edges are small, mostly saw-like. In general, the foliage of the bushes is average. The fruit branches of the Elegant are mostly formed in the upper third of annual stems. They are relatively compact, but very branching, and therefore the tops of the shoots are literally covered with ovaries and ripening berries at the end of summer. Root offspring are formed in small quantities, and therefore there is no need to be afraid of active spreading of the raspberry tree in breadth. At the same time, for this reason, planting material for accelerated reproduction of raspberries in its area will be in short supply.

Like any other remontant variety, our heroine is able to bring two crops at once per season. The first is formed on two-year shoots and ripens in the first half of summer, while the second bear young stems that appeared in the spring, but the fruiting period on them is stretched from mid-August to the first autumn frosts. At the same time, the late summer harvest is still considered the main one, and in order to increase it, it is often recommended to completely abandon the production of berries on two-year stems. Experts say that it takes away from the plant the forces necessary for the powerful development of one-year growth and its speedy entry into fruiting. As a result, the percentage of realization of potential productivity, which reaches 80-90% in a one-year cultivation cycle, can significantly decrease. This is especially important for the regions of the middle zone of our country, where the sum of active temperatures and the duration of the frost-free period are the main limiting factors for remontant raspberries. In the southern regions, the problem of late ripening is not so urgent, in connection with which shoots are often left here for fruiting in the second year. In general, the productivity of the bushes is more than worthy, and is capable of reaching 3-4 kg with good agricultural technology. On a production scale, up to 16 tons of this raspberry are obtained from one hectare. The Elegant is separated from the fruit crop relatively easily, which makes harvesting not too difficult. However, at the same time, a very useful feature is the ability of ripe berries not only not to crumble, but also not to rot and not dry out on the bushes for up to two weeks, due to which the frequency of collection can be significantly reduced in comparison with other varieties of raspberries.

The fruits of the variety grow quite large, beautiful cone-shaped, bright red in color, with an average weight of 3.8-4.5 grams. On the surface there is an intense, pleasing to the eye shine and slightly noticeable pubescence. An important point is the excellent evenness of the berries, which gives the harvested raspberries a special elegance and visual appeal. The drupes are also homogeneous and firmly connected to each other, as a result of which the berries do not disintegrate into fragments even with moderate mechanical action. The flesh of our heroine is very juicy, rather delicate in consistency, with a taste in which sweetness noticeably prevails over acidity, but without a pronounced aroma.The dry matter content in fruits is about 13-14%, the sum of sugars is 5-6%, the titratable acidity is 1.1-1.3%. In the total volume of acids, ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C, is present in an amount of 15-20 mg%. The gastronomic characteristics of the Elegant could be rated very highly, but the lack of aroma spoils the overall picture a little. In addition, plants require an abundance of sunlight to accumulate sufficient sugars, and therefore, those bushes that are cultivated in the shade or in regions with frequent cloudy weather may have a less expressive fruit taste than their well-lit counterparts.

The use of the crop obtained from this variety can rightfully be called universal. Firstly, the berries are perfect for fresh consumption, and, due to the extended fruiting period, they can be enjoyed for one - one and a half months. They also have good prospects if they are sold on the market. Commercial farmers confirm that, thanks to the excellent aesthetic properties of a truly elegant raspberry, it does not stay long on the shelves, enjoying increased interest from buyers. Its portability is also not satisfactory, and therefore the transportation of berries does not lead to the loss of their presentation. Harvested fruits can be stored in refrigerators for more than a week. They are also suitable for freezing, in which a maximum of useful substances are preserved, and during defrosting a minimum of juice is lost and the berries retain their shape. Compotes, preserves, jams and confitures made from our heroine are also distinguished by the richness of the vitamin and mineral composition, and the richness of taste and color makes these preparations welcome guests on every table.

And, finally, one cannot ignore the remarkable economic characteristics of the Elegant. Due to its remontability and genetically determined resistance to adverse environmental factors, this raspberry is distinguished by its amazing unpretentiousness in cultivation, the ability to adapt to a variety of soil and climatic conditions and grow with minimal chemical treatments against pests and diseases. In addition, the variety is self-fertile, and therefore does not require the presence of pollinator varieties nearby to obtain a harvest.