Ataman grape variety
A hybrid form of high-quality table grapes called Ataman was born in the early 2000s on the farm of the famous Russian national breeder Viktor Krainov.
The variety was obtained as a result of crossing a variety known and popular among amateur researchers Mascot, breeding Novocherkassk NIIViV, with Central Asian seedless grapes Rizamat... A distinctive feature of both parental forms is their excellent presentation, which they fully passed on to their offspring. But in addition to the aesthetic qualities, the Ataman inherited other useful properties from his parents: a pleasant harmonious taste of berries, high productivity and good transportability of the harvested bunches. At the same time, for the sake of objectivity, one cannot but mention the shortcomings for which the growers sometimes criticize him. This is an insufficient resistance of the hybrid to some diseases, a rather late ripening of the crop and a tendency to cracking berries.
Despite such contradictions, the novelty quickly gained popularity, both among amateur winegrowers and in the community of farmers who saw in it the prospects for commercial cultivation. At present, the excitement around the variety has subsided, but the army of its fans has remained stable and very significant for many years.
Agrobiological characteristics
Grape bushes have an innate propensity for vigorous and vigorous growth. The leaves are large, rounded or somewhat elongated, five-lobed, rather strongly dissected. The color of the leaf is deep green, the surface is reticulate-wrinkled, the profile is flat or slightly wavy. The upper lateral incisions are deep, often open lyre-shaped with a rounded bottom, less often closed with an ovoid lumen. The lower incisions are of shallower depth, they are found in a wide variety of shapes - from closed to V-shaped. The petiole notches are open lyre-shaped or vaulted with a flat or slightly pointed bottom. The petioles are long, greenish-red in color due to the presence of anthocyanin pigmentation. The teeth along the edge of the leaf blade are mainly triangular, slightly differing in size. The flowers are bisexual, well pollinated, and only occasionally, in the most unfavorable years for weather conditions, can they show weak peas. After flowering, part of Ataman's ovary begins to crumble, which can cause anxiety in a grower unfamiliar with the variety, but the remaining berries grow so large that there is no trace of past experiences. The shoots of the current year ripen well, for a significant part of their length.
Ripe bunches are the main decoration of the hybrid. In length they reach 25-30 cm, and in width - up to 15 cm. Their density is average, and the shape, as a rule, is cylindro-conical, sometimes winged. The usual weight is about 800 grams, but many brushes weigh significantly more than a kilogram, and record holders weigh up to 2.5 kg. Strong light green herbaceous combedoles can easily withstand such loads. The oblong-oval berries are very attractive in appearance due to their large size (32-35 × 23-25 mm) and bright red-violet color. Their surface is covered with a moderately dense layer of a protective blue-colored spring. The average weight is 12-16 grams. The uniformity of the grapes in the bunch is high, which also improves the presentation of the crop. Due to the not too tight contact, deformation and damage of the berries against each other does not occur. The pulp of the fruit is quite dense, juicy-fleshy with a simple but harmonious taste, without bright shades in the aroma and aftertaste. The sugar content of the juice is quite high, 17-20 g / 100 ml, but the titratable acidity is also not the lowest - 6-8 g / l, which is why the sourness is sometimes still present in the taste. The skin of the grapes is dense, but chewable when eaten.The pulp contains up to three small seeds, while their presence does not reflect too negatively on the grape tasting ratings.
The resulting crop is mainly used for fresh consumption. For its “marketability” the Ataman is highly valued by those winegrowers who cultivate it for sale. The remarkable appearance of the bunches, on the basis of which the majority of consumers make their choice, allows the variety not to linger on the shelves, even though it appears on the market at the very peak of the season, when the competition is very high. An additional plus is the good transportability of the harvested grapes, so that it can be transported over long distances without the risk of deterioration of the presentation. It is not suitable for long-term storage; only cooling to minimum positive temperatures slightly improves keeping quality. In individual farms, where grapes are grown for their own consumption, surplus harvests are used with great success in the manufacture of compotes, juice, preserves or jam. Home preservation using this variety is amazing in taste and beauty.
Ataman belongs to medium-late varieties that ripen in the southern regions of our country in the second half of September. Its growing season, from the beginning of budding to the readiness of the first bunches for harvest, lasts 135-145 days, and during this time the plant accumulates about 2800-2900 ° C of the sum of active temperatures. Such indicators do not allow us to speak of a hybrid as a very plastic variety, capable of growing far beyond the boundaries of traditional viticultural regions. Sufficient heat supply for our hero is the main factor for obtaining a well-ripened crop, and even a slight deviation of this parameter from the norm threatens with the forced harvesting of insufficiently sweet bunches. At the same time, the frost resistance of the vine reaches -24 ° C, due to which in many areas the bushes can not be covered for the winter, and even cultivated in large formations on arches and arbors. At the same time, plants accumulate a large volume of perennial wood, demonstrating all their potential in terms of yield and size of bunches.
And the potential for this hybrid form is really huge. Entering fruiting already in the second or third year, it very quickly increases productivity, and literally in a few seasons it is able to carry a load of up to 40 kilograms of grapes. Such volumes, of course, require maintaining an appropriate high agricultural background on the site, and with mediocre care they threaten to turn into a severe overload of plants. It manifests itself in a sharp decrease in the vigor of shoot growth, lengthening of the growing season, deterioration of the ripening of the vine and yield. When such symptoms appear, the winegrower should think about the adequacy of the load of the variety, depending on the capabilities that the bushes have in the conditions in which they grow.
A ripe crop that continues to hang on the vine, Ataman is at a significant risk of cracking in the event of unfavorable weather conditions. This is especially the case in the case of a sharp change in soil moisture, when heavy rains replace a long dry period. As a result, the presentation of the bunches turns out to be hopelessly spoiled, and hordes of wasps rush to the damaged berries, which until then remained indifferent to grapes protected by a dense skin. This annoying feature does not allow you to leave grapes on the bushes for a long time in order to avoid damage.
Agrotechnical features
The hybrid form cannot be attributed to the complex-resistant and extremely unpretentious varieties, and therefore its cultivation will require a competent approach from the grower and careful implementation of the necessary procedures in the vineyard.
Planting heat-demanding Ataman should be carried out in open sunny areas, of which gentle slopes of warm exposures are considered ideal. In areas with a high SAT index, plains can also be used for vineyards.The main thing is to prevent the placement of thermophilic grapes in lowlands, hollows and gullies, where cold air usually stagnates, on the northern slopes, in damp and wetlands.
Reproduction is carried out mainly by grafted seedlings, since regions of traditional viticulture are usually infected with phylloxera. If this malicious pest is not in the soil, then the planting of the variety can be done with own-rooted cuttings. At least 4.5-5 square meters are allocated for vigorous plants. meters of land.
The scheme of management of grape bushes and the formation associated with it depends on the frost hazard of a particular area. If open cultivation is possible, it is better to form plants on a high stem. However, if the danger of damaging the vines in winter exists, then there is nothing else to do but to use the classic stampless covering forms.
Pruning of fruiting bushes is practiced long - by 8-10 eyes, and the total load is increased (55-60 buds), since the percentage of fruiting shoots in the variety does not exceed 60%. In this regard, the debris becomes important, in the course of which numerous sterile vine shoots are removed. Inflorescences on fertile vines are also thinned out, keeping one per shoot.
In relation to fungal diseases, Ataman is susceptible to powdery mildew and gray rot, and therefore requires multiple chemical treatments per season against these pathogens.
