Grape variety Akademik Avidzba (In memory of Dzheneyev)
The table grape Akademik, or as it is officially called, Akademik Avidzba, is a remarkable in many respects the result of the work of Crimean scientists from the Scientific Research Institute of Viticulture and Winemaking "Magarach". It was named in honor of the then director of the Institute - Anatoly Mkanovich Avidzba, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine. Then there was an attempt to rename the variety in honor of another famous researcher, naming it in Memory of Dzheneyev, and even later in Academic K. Such confusion has survived to this day, however, in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation since 2014, the variety has been officially registered under its original name.
Our hero was bred as a result of hybridization of varieties Gift to Zaporizhzhia and Richelieu, followed by selection of the best seedlings. The result was a large-fruited, very early maturing, dark-colored form with excellent gastronomic and aesthetic qualities of the grapes obtained. In terms of the totality of all characteristics, our hero has significantly surpassed both of his parents, having inherited only the best qualities from each of them.
The undoubted advantages of the new generation variety also include its high and stable yield, which further emphasizes its prospects of becoming one of the favorite varieties of farmers and producers. In our country, it is zoned and recommended for cultivation on an industrial scale throughout the North Caucasian region, but by amateurs it is widespread far beyond its borders, which is evidence of its good plasticity and ability to adapt to a wide variety of soil and climatic conditions.
Agrobiological characteristics
The vigor of the grape bushes is average. The crown of a young shoot is glossy, barely noticeably pubescent, greenish-bronze in color. Anthocyanin tones are also clearly visible in the coloration of young leaves. Typical fully developed leaves of Academician are medium to large in size, strongly dissected, elongated in length, usually consisting of five lobes. The surface of the leaf blade is smooth, shiny, deep green; weak bristly pubescence can be seen on the underside; the profile of the leaf is flat or slightly wavy. The upper lateral incisions are deep, mostly closed with an ovoid lumen, sometimes open lyre-shaped with a narrow aperture and a rounded bottom. The lower incisions are much shallower in depth, open, and have a slit-like shape with parallel sides. The petiole notch is open, vaulted with a pointed bottom, less often lyre-shaped. Petioles are long, reddish-green in color. The denticles along the perimeter of the leaf blade are large, in the form of triangles slightly inclined to one side with bases of medium width, convex edges and sharp tops. The flowers of the variety are bisexual, due to which they perfectly pollinate on their own in good weather, forming a remarkably executed bunch, in which there are no underdeveloped berries. Problems with peas of grapes, as well as shedding of buds and ovaries, can only appear on young bushes that have just begun to bear fruit. With age, and as the plants accumulate perennial wood, this kind of flaws cease to appear. The maturation of one-year growth in Memory of Dzheneyev is good. In autumn, the young vine turns brown.
Ripe bunches of grapes grow very large, their average weight reaches 850-950 grams, length - up to 30 cm or more. The most massive of them can exceed one and a half kilogram weight and they look amazingly impressive at the same time. The usual form of Academician bunches is cylindro-conical; in their structure, they are moderately loose or of medium density.The combs are well developed, strong, albeit herbaceous, light green in color, sometimes with reddish patches. The berries of this variety are original in their appearance - elongated-oval or nipple-shaped, large, very aligned with each other. The longitudinal dimensions of standard grapes are 32-34 mm, the transverse ones are 19-21 mm. The average weight is 8-10 grams. Outside, they are painted bluish-black and are covered with a thick layer of blue-gray protective prune. The relatively loose arrangement in the bunch prevents possible deformation of the berries. Their flesh is quite dense, crunchy when chewed, has a pleasant harmonious taste, characteristic of dessert grapes, but does not shine with a bright varietal aroma. Freshly squeezed juice is colorless, the total sugar content in it is 17-18 g / 100 ml, the titratable acidity ranges from 6-7 g / l. The skin is medium in thickness, due to its sufficient strength, it resists damage well, while remaining eaten. The seeds do not grow too large and have a minimal negative effect on the palatability of the fruit. Tasting assessments of fresh berries, shown by our hero during the state variety testing, amounted to 9.2 points. In the most favorable seasons in terms of climatic conditions, this indicator can reach 9.6 points.
The main direction of using the obtained crop of this variety is fresh consumption. This is facilitated by the excellent gastronomic qualities of the Academician and his attractive, very marketable appearance. Farmers, immediately after its appearance, unanimously assessed the novelty as "market", gladly allocating space for it on their plots. And they were not wrong. High-quality bunches harvested in the early stages do not remain stale on the shelves, even though prices for grapes are usually still high at the time of their appearance on the market. This fact significantly increases the economic effect of its cultivation in comparison with later varieties.
The commercial cultivation of our hero on an industrial scale is also favored by the good transportability of the crop, and therefore the possibilities for its implementation are significantly expanding. Its shelf life is average, however, the use of refrigerated chambers and rooms with a controlled microclimate significantly improves this indicator. Amateur winegrowers, widely cultivating the variety for their own consumption, and often receiving surplus production from high-yielding bushes, successfully use this grape in home canning. From dense, well-shaped berries, compotes, preserves, marinades are excellent in taste and appearance, and the rich color additionally emphasizes the magnificence of these products.
The duration of the growing season for Academician does not exceed 115 days from the moment the buds open in the spring until the first bunches are ready for cutting. In the southern, traditionally wine-growing regions, the period of the onset of removable maturity falls on the last days of July - early August, with the sum of active temperatures of 2100-2200 ° C. It should be borne in mind that early coloring and softening of berries is characteristic of Memory of Dzheneyev, however, they reach the best indicators in terms of taste and sugar accumulation a little later. At the same time, even taking into account this feature, the variety is excellent for promoting it to the regions of the middle zone of the country, where it will ripen perfectly and delight its owners with very high-quality grapes. According to the testimony of numerous amateur winegrowers, they manage to achieve excellent results in the regions of the Central Black Earth Zone of the Russian Federation, practically throughout the entire territory of Ukraine and even in the south of Belarus.The growth to the north is also facilitated by the increased frost resistance of the variety to -23 ... -25 ° C, which, although it does not remove the need to shelter the bushes for the winter, often makes it possible to significantly simplify this laborious procedure.
The yield in industrial plantings reaches 200-250 centners / ha, and on household plots, plants with decent care are ready to give up to 15 kilograms of grapes, even despite the average strength of their growth. Such high rates of productivity are explained by a significant percentage of fruitful shoots and a high number of inflorescences laid on them. A negative consequence of this is the Academician's tendency to overload and the need for careful rationing of the bushes with the harvest.
