Grape variety Catalonia

Catalonia is one of the newest hybrid forms of table grapes from the national breeder from Ukraine Alexander Burdak. Born literally a few years ago, the variety quickly began to gain popularity among amateur wine growers and farmers, both in their homeland and in our country. The main reason for the increased interest in it is the very early ripening period of the bunches, as well as their attractive appearance, which makes it possible to characterize the hybrid as "marketable". An additional advantage is the dark color of Catalonia berries, which is much less often light among the ultra-early varieties of the "sunny berry".

Our heroine was obtained by crossing the Russian large-fruited variety, popular in amateur breeding Mascot with a hybrid of Viktor Krainov - Burgundy mantle. As a result, the maternal form passed on to its offspring the genes for large-fruited and comparative resistance to unfavorable growing conditions, and the paternal form was responsible for the dark color and early maturity.

In addition to the described advantages, this grape is distinguished by great vitality and the ability of the bushes to reach very significant dimensions, ease of reproduction, high productivity, good ripening of fruits and their resistance to cracking. No obvious and serious shortcomings have been identified in Catalonia, and therefore the form can, for all reasons, be recognized as promising and deserving of very wide distribution.

Agrobiological properties

Plants show high vigor of growth from the first years after planting. The crown of the young shoot is closed, greenish-light tones due to the medium-intensity pubescence on it. Young leaves are yellowish-green, with subtle signs of anthocyanin pigmentation. A full-fledged leaf is large, rounded, consisting, as a rule, of five lobes and characterized by a strong degree of irregularity. The leaf profile is predominantly flat, sometimes slightly wavy, the surface is smooth, rich green, with light veins that stand out against this background. The upper side cutouts are very deep, open, parallel sides or lyre-shaped with a pointed or rounded bottom. Sometimes they are closed, with an ovoid lumen. The lower notches are of medium depth, to a greater extent they are inherent in the appearance of a reentrant angle. Petiole notches are open, broadly vaulted. Petioles are rather long, greenish-red in color. The teeth along the edges of the leaf blade are large, triangular and saw-shaped, their lateral sides are convex, and the apices are rounded. The flowers are bisexual, and therefore there are no problems with pollination even in unfavorable seasons for flowering. The berries are not prone to peas, and the buds and ovaries on the brushes are not prone to shedding. Ripening of the vine begins early enough and until the end of the growing season occurs, as a rule, for the entire length of the shoots. The color of the lashes turns reddish brown.

The size of the bunches of our heroine grows as the bush matures and accumulates perennial wood. However, already from the first fruiting, its large-fruited is visible, tk. even "signal" brushes weigh about 400 - 500 grams. After a few years, this figure is capable of reaching a kilogram. In shape, the bunches are mostly wide-conical, their density is medium, due to which the berries are well ventilated and do not deform from contact with each other. The grapes aligned to the size give the brushes a special elegance and neat appearance. The combs are rather long, strong, although grassy, ​​light green, with patches of pinkish tints. The berries are oval, very large, up to 38 mm long, and up to 24 mm in diameter, with an average weight of 12-15 grams. Outside, they are painted in red-violet color and are covered with a thick bloom of gray protective prune. The pulp is dense, crispy, pleasantly refreshing taste, with hints of cherry in the aftertaste.The sugar content of the juice of berries varies considerably, depending on the timing of the harvest, amounting to about 16 - 19 g / 100 ml. Indicators of titratable acidity are not indicated, however, judging by the harmonious taste of the grapes, there are no problems with excessive acidity. The skin on the fruit is strong, does a good job of protecting it from damage, but at the same time it is relatively easy to chew. Early-harvested grapes can have a slightly tart skin, which somewhat spoils the gastronomic experience of the variety. The seeds are present in the berries, but not particularly felt in the large volume of pulp. The general tasting ratings of Catalonia are above average, however, according to this indicator, it, of course, loses to the most outstanding varieties.

The obtained crop is used mainly fresh. Large volumes of our heroine are sent to the market, where they have great success with customers, without lingering on the shelves due to the magnificent appearance of the bunches. Farmers especially appreciate the early maturity in it, because for this reason, they manage to sell grapes during a period of high prices, thus providing an increased profitability of cultivation compared to later varieties. An important point for them is the excellent transportability of the fruits, which allows them not to worry about the safety of the presentation after moving them over long distances. Amateur winegrowers, cultivating the "sun berry" for their own needs, also do not bypass Catalonia. They are captivated by the unpretentiousness in the cultivation of the form and its high yield. At the same time, surplus grapes can always be used in home preservation, especially since our heroine will produce compotes, preserves, jams and marinades that are very rich in color. In winter, during the period of deficiency of many vitamins and minerals, these preparations will certainly delight not only with their taste, but also with the benefits for the body.

The ripening period of Catalonia bunches is very early. From the day the buds wake up on the plants in spring to the onset of the removable ripeness of the berries, only 90 - 100 days pass, with the sum of active temperatures during this time 2100 - 2200 ° C. In traditional regions of viticulture, harvesting can begin from the end of July, but grapes reach their best gastronomic conditions a little later. In addition, it should be noted that due to the short growing season and modest demands on the provision of heat, our heroine has a road open to move north, up to the regions of central Russia, where she will have time to ripen until the autumn frosts. In particular, the level of SAT necessary for it can be fully ensured at the latitude of such cities as Chelyabinsk, Kazan and Moscow, but here the issue of protecting the above-ground part of the bushes in winter comes to the fore. The cold hardiness of the vine in this variety does not exceed -23 ° C, and therefore its cultivation in frost-prone regions must necessarily be accompanied by a strong shelter of bushes for the winter.

The variety enters fruiting early. Literally in the second year after planting with self-rooted cuttings, or in the third year, provided that grafted seedlings are used, one can expect the appearance of the first "signal" bunches, after which the productivity will actively increase with each season. The yield of mature, well-developed bushes is high enough to satisfy even the most sophisticated winegrower. Those plants that have the ability to accumulate a sufficient amount of old wood, and due to this, form very large fruits, can be especially generous in the harvest. However, in this case, the grower will need to carefully approach the issue of rationing the number of shoots on the bushes and the number of brushes laid on them.So, with spring pruning, the optimal level of load is considered to be an indicator of 35 - 40 eyes. Fruit arrows during this procedure are shortened moderately - up to 5 - 7 buds. After the start of the growth of the shoots, it is imperative to break off those of them that turn out to be sterile or too weak, and then thin out the extra inflorescences on the fertile vines, leaving only one for each shoot. After scrupulous performance of these operations, the yields rationing can be considered complete.

Ripe bunches of these grapes are able to hang on the bushes for a long time due to the good resistance of the berries to cracking. During this period, the fruits continue to accumulate sugar, more fully realizing their gastronomic potential. Wasps and other insects are not particularly interested in Catalonia, so in most cases it is possible to do without protection from them. The bunches are also almost not damaged by gray rot, and our heroine also shows increased resistance to other fungal diseases. In this regard, fungicide treatments against common pathogens can only be of a preventive nature and be limited to 2 - 3 repetitions per season.