Apple variety Veteran

Veteran is a winter apple variety obtained at the All-Russian Research Institute for Breeding Fruit Crops in 1961 through sowing seeds of the American King variety from free pollination. Since 1969, the seedling began to bear fruit, and in 1972 it was selected to the elite. The authorship belongs to domestic breeders: E.N. Sedov, N.G. Krasova and M.V. Mikheeva. In 1980, the variety entered the State Test, and since 1989 it has been zoned in a number of regions of the Central Black Earth Region of Russia and in 6 regions of Belarus.

The trees are characterized by an average vigor of growth, the crown is compact, medium thickened, spherical in shape. Bark on the trunk and main branches of brown color. Mixed fruiting.

Shoots are rather thin, slightly fleecy, dark brown colored. Lentils are small in size, rarely found on the shoot. Buds of medium size, pressed against the shoot. Leaves with a wrinkled surface, dull, grayish, elongated-ovoid, short-pointed, the edges of the leaves with fine-toothed serration and strongly curled upward. Stipules are short, subulate, or not developed at all. Petioles are of medium size, pigmented.

The flowers are medium in size, light pink in color, the petals are unclosed, oblong, with raised edges (in the form of a boat). The buds are colored pink. The stigma of the pistils is located just below the level of the anthers.

The fruit of the Veteran apple tree grows to medium size (apple weight often ranges from 100 to 140 grams) and has a regular, rounded, slightly flattened shape; the upper part of the apple is often slightly conical in shape. The peel on the fruit is quite strong, smooth, with a glossy sheen, covered with a whitish waxy coating. When removed, the fruits are colored yellowish-green, during the period of consumer maturity, the main color of the fruits changes to golden-yellow or golden-orange. The cover color is expressed on more than half of the fruit in the form of blurred spots, stripes and specks of orange-pink color. Subcutaneous points are rare, they are quite clearly expressed and painted gray. The peduncles are of medium length and thickened at the ends, sometimes they are curved and are located at an angle. The funnel is rather deep, sharply conical, slightly rusted or completely free of rust. The saucer is small. Closed cup. Seed nests are located near the calyx. Seeds are large, ovoid in shape, light brown. The heart is bulbous. The sub-cup tube is funnel-shaped.

The pulp is brownish-yellow in color (closer to cream), medium density, tender, juicy, slightly aromatic, excellent sweet and sour taste. On a 5-point tasting scale, the taste of the Veteran variety is estimated at 4.3 - 4.5 points. By chemical composition, the fruits contain: the sum of sugars (9.5%), titratable acids (0.64%), ascorbic acid (17.5 mg / 100 g), pectin substances (1.9%), P-active substances (307 mg / 100 g). The purpose of the fruit is universal.

In the conditions of Orel, the period of removable maturity falls in the second half of September. The potability of the variety is high: in a refrigerator, apples are stored without loss of taste and freshness until mid-March.

The veteran belongs to high-speed and high-yielding varieties. Trees begin to bear fruit at the age of 4 - 5 years. The yield of 8 - 9-year-old apple trees averages 40 - 60 kg of fruits / tree, and at the age of 13 - 15 years, apple trees yield about 80 kg of fruit / tree. Over the years of testing, the average yield was 220 c / ha. With regard to winter hardiness: in the conditions of the Oryol region, this indicator is only at an average level.Resistance to fungal diseases is average; in epiphytotic years, fruits and leaves are affected by scab.

The main advantages of the Veteran apple tree include: high commercial and consumer qualities of fruits, a high level of early maturity and productivity, suitability for intensive gardening.

Significant disadvantages are: not too high level of winter hardiness for Central Russia, the susceptibility of fruits and leaves to scab in wet years.

It has also been noted that in dry years, foliage falls off the trees too early.