Bazhena grape variety

Bazhena is one of the rather young hybrid forms of table grapes, the author of which is an amateur breeder Vitaly Zagorulko from Zaporozhye. It came from a well-known variety with a functionally female type of flower Gift to Zaporizhzhiawhich was fertilized with the pollen of the famous Arcadia, selection of the Odessa Institute of Viticulture and Winemaking. V.E. Tairov.

For several decades, Vitaly Vladimirovich has been expanding ampelographic diversity due to new promising hybrids of his own selection. Over the past years, many of them have won well-deserved recognition both among summer residents and among serious farmers, and today they are cultivated on significant areas in Ukraine, Russia, as well as in other post-Soviet republics. In the asset Zagorulko there are even varieties that are officially included in the state registers of varieties and admitted to industrial cultivation. Even researchers from specialized scientific institutions could be proud of such productivity, and for a traditional breeder it is truly amazing.

In addition, the brainchild of Vitaly Vladimirovich are prize-winners of numerous industry competitions and exhibitions of amateur and professional level. Bazhena is one of them, since for a not too long period of existence she has already managed to be noted with a number of awards. It is not unreasonably called the improved Arcadia, since, having a very high morphological similarity with it, Bazhena differs in a positive way in a number of qualities - it ripens earlier, the berries grow larger, the plants show increased resistance to diseases. However, there are also properties by which the child form is worse than the parent. In particular, this concerns the more modest productivity of the variety and the lack of nutmeg in the taste, which reduces to a certain extent the grape tasting ratings.

Despite such controversy, Bazhena enjoys considerable interest from winegrowers, and over the years has become very popular among amateurs. Many have become so fanatical admirers of her that they are ready, without sparing their nerves and efforts, to refute any criticism directed at her. As a result, serious battles are raging on the forums about it, from which one can draw a certain conclusion - this variety, like most others, is not ideal, but it does not leave anyone indifferent to itself.

Agrobiological characteristics

The vines are growing vigorously. The crown of a young shoot of grapes is closed, green with a white tint from abundant tomentose pubescence. The leaves of the variety are rich green, reticulate-wrinkled, large, five-lobed, stretched in width, strongly dissected. The upper lateral notches are deep, predominantly closed, and have an ovoid lumen. Less often - open, lyre-shaped with a pointed bottom. The lower notches are much smaller than the upper ones, usually open, with parallel sides, or V-shaped. The petiole notch is closed, with an oval opening. Petioles are long, green. The denticles along the perimeter of the leaf blade are of medium size, triangular with smooth edges, a wide base and sharp tops. The flowers are bisexual, due to which the plants are perfectly pollinated with their own pollen and tie berries very aligned in bunches. Peas are not typical for Bazhena. Annual growth matures early and sufficiently. Ripe shoots turn yellowish-brown.

The bunches are very large, cylindro-conical or conical, sometimes branched, moderately dense, with an average weight of 600-800 grams, maximum - up to one and a half kilograms. To obtain massive brushes, it is not at all necessary to wait for the growth of perennial wood for many years, the hybrid already in its first fruiting shows "signaling" of impressive size.The combs are of medium length, green and strong. The berries are massive, ovoid or nipple-shaped, greenish, and in good light they are yellow, 37-42 mm long and 23-27 mm in diameter at the widest part. The largest grapes reach 5 cm in length and weigh up to 20 grams. The pulp is tender, juicy and fleshy, the taste is quite simple, but harmonious. The aroma and aftertaste are not the most expressive. Only with a long stay on the bushes, the grapes begin to acquire light fruity tones, however, the pulp can liquefy and the skin overly thickened.

Bazhena modestly accumulates sugar - at the level of the parent variety Arcadia, in connection with which they both can be called dietary. The content of glucose and fructose in berry juice rarely exceeds 15-16 g / 100 ml, and only a low titratable acidity (4.5-5.5 g / l) saves the situation. The skin of the grapes is of medium density, and when the grapes are harvested in the early stages, it is slightly felt when chewed. The seeds are not too large, on average 2-3 per berry. Tasting assessments for this variety are very controversial: some growers complain about the tastelessness of the fruit, while others ardently refute such claims. Some ill-wishers even categorically declare that they got rid of the variety precisely because of its weak gastronomic properties, and invite others to follow their example. However, the presence of a significant army of Bazhena's fans makes one suspect that not everything here is so simple.

The crop is used mainly for fresh consumption. On the market, large, elegant bunches attract the attention of buyers, making the hybrid appreciated among farmers. As a disadvantage, somewhat spoiling the presentation of the berries, one can note the often occurring greenish skin color, which makes the grapes seem unripe. However, this defect is quite capable of correcting an experienced winegrower with the help of simple agricultural techniques. The collected bunches are well tolerated for transportation, including over long distances, the grapes are firmly attached to the ridge and do not crumble during transportation. Their keeping quality is also high, due to which, under optimal conditions, the crop can be stored for up to two months without significant damage to the presentation. As a raw material for canning, Bazhena is used in the preparation of compotes, marinades, preserves and jams. All these products, with strict adherence to the recipe, obtain an excellent appearance and wonderful taste.

Ripening occurs early. From the day of budding, until the onset of removable maturity, 105-110 days pass, and during this time it takes about 2150-2250 ° C of the sum of active temperatures. In the south of Ukraine and in the North Caucasus, the first bunches of grapes can be cut in the first half of August, but the range of distribution of the variety is naturally not limited to these regions. Early ripe Bazhena, before the onset of frost, manages to ripen in many areas of the middle zone of the Russian Federation, and even in Belarus, which makes it popular among local fans of sunny berries. The data on the frost resistance of the hybrid is also not unambiguous, and ranges from -24 ° C, declared by the author, to -21 ° C, according to estimates by other authoritative sources. Such discrepancies are not something out of the ordinary, and they are quite common in relatively new hybrid forms.

Bazhena's productivity, although somewhat inferior to Arcadia, still remains very high. The variety, as well as the parental one, is prone to significant overloads, and requires mandatory rationing of the crop, because if this is not done, the bushes will quickly weaken and die in the winter. Fruit arrows are highly productive from the very first buds. On most of them, up to three inflorescences are laid, and large-fruited and the habit of "pulling" all the bunches to the last - complete the picture of the potential overload of the plant. In this regard, the regulation of the load should be carried out in such a way that no more than 20 kilograms of grapes grow on an adult, well-developed bush per season.For young, not very large plants, the amount of permissible yield is proportionally reduced.

Long-term presence of bunches on the vine after ripening, although possible, is impractical due to the likelihood of a decrease in the already not very outstanding taste of the berries. At the same time, at the stage of ripening, there is no need to be afraid of the grapes cracking or damage by wasps. The variety is resistant to both of these potential problems and does not require special protective measures in this regard.

Agrotechnical features

From an economic point of view, Bazhena shows itself very worthily, not requiring exceptional care to obtain high yields. At the same time, some specificity of the cultivation of these grapes still exists, and its observance guarantees good growth and development of young bushes, as well as the durability and excellent productivity of fruiting plants.

When planting a hybrid, a sufficiently fertile, loose and moisture-rich soil is required. high yield implies significant removal of nutrients from the soil. Most often, natural fertility is not enough, and therefore the planting pits are generously filled with organic and mineral fertilizers, and in subsequent years, vegetative plants are regularly fed. Warm flat areas and slopes of southern, southwestern and southeastern exposures are best suited for placement. Only in the richest regions with warmth are the western and eastern slopes suitable, and in the least secured cultivation of the variety, on the contrary, will be productive only in a wall culture, when planting grapes on the south side of capital buildings, protected from cold northern winds. The lack of data on the resistance of the new hybrid form to phylloxera determines the need for its reproduction in the zones of pest infestation only with the help of phylloxera-resistant rootstocks. Own-rooted plantations are possible only in areas free from harmful root aphids. Fusion with rootstocks in Bazhena is good, however, one must bear in mind that the ripening time of the crop in grafted bushes is shifted by about a week compared to self-rooted ones. The approximate dates of entry into fruiting also change, here the difference is already a whole season.

This grape is cultivated mainly in a covering culture, using special formations for this - a multi-arm fan-shaped or inclined cordon. In the south, the shelter is made with land, and in regions with more severe winters, improvised organic insulation is used - straw, peat, sawdust, spruce branches, etc. A waterproofing layer is made on top of the insulating layer, so that the vine remains dry, and the percentage of overwintered eyes increases significantly.

At the same time, the frost resistance of the variety declared by the author at -24 ° C is quite sufficient for growing bushes without shelter for the winter in a number of traditional wine-growing regions with their not too strong cold weather. However, the growers doubt that Bazhena is sufficiently tested, which is why they are afraid to form plants on the trunk, and are in no hurry to abandon the laborious procedure of annual removal of the vine from the trellis and its insulation. Here you can advise the use of semi-covering grape formation, which will significantly reduce labor costs for covering the entire bush, but at the same time protect it from death in the event of critical frosts. The essence of the approach lies in the formation of a non-covering standard bush, which will have a lightweight lower tier, insulated for the winter and acting as a reserve in case of the death of the main part of the plant. Thus, it will be possible to conduct your own variety testing of the hybrid for winter hardiness, without the risk of destroying the plant during this process.

The load on fruiting bushes must be precisely adjusted, for which in the spring 30-40 eyes are left on Bazhena bushes with short or medium pruning - for 3-5 or 6-9 eyes, respectively. In the variety, all the buds are productive, starting with the lower ones, and the length of the fruit arrows depends only on the chosen formation: on cordon variants, with a large number of fruit links, they often make short pruning, and on fan ones - long. After the start of growth, grape shoots break off those that show poor development or are sterile. After this procedure, the plant should have no more than 22-24 productive vines, on which, before flowering, the inflorescences are thinned, leaving one, the strongest, for the shoot. After that, the load can be considered adjusted, but if absolutely necessary, it can still be adjusted by pinching off the lower quarters or thirds from the growing bunches. It is possible to exceed the indicated parameters in terms of the number of eyes and shoots in the case of cultivating a vineyard in a high agricultural background - using regular watering and dressing with moderate doses of mineral fertilizers.

To combat fungal diseases, only a few mandatory preventive treatments of Bazhena with fungicides are required. The variety shows good resistance to the main diseases of grapes at the level of 3-3.5 points, due to which, after preventive spraying, it will be enough to observe the bushes and respond to possible isolated cases of pathogen development. Do not forget to strictly follow the instructions for plant protection products, and stop processing 3-4 weeks before harvest in accordance with the waiting period.

For additional prevention of diseases in ripening bunches, it is better to use agrotechnical methods, and first of all, the clarification of the fruit zone. This technique, by the way, will not only improve air exchange in the area of ​​\ u200b \ u200bthe location of the brushes, which will complicate the development of pathogens, but will also enable the crop to get a pleasant yellow color due to better sunlight during this period. Do not forget to remove the grapes from the bush on time, in order to prevent a decrease in its gastronomic performance, and get sincere satisfaction from the results of your work.