Published in Scientific Papers. Series B, Horticulture, Vol. LXIV, Issue 2
Written by Petko MINKOV, Teodora MIHOVA, Ivan MINEV
A survey was carried out in the region of Troyan and Apriltsi and its adjacent villages and neighborhoods from the Central Balkan Mountain region of Bulgaria. Because of its specific climate and intersected relief, it has favorable conditions for growing of orchards. The development of fruit-growing and the traditions of lovers of fruit trees in the region have led to the creation of a wide variety of local cultivars of fruit crops and especially apple cultivars and forms. A wide range of members of genus Malus have been selected for the investigations. Most of the selected forms belong to the group of autumn and winter varieties according to their ripening period. Some of them are distributed across all parts of the surveyed areas, while others are found in single sites. The most common are: 'Cheshka momina', 'Jonathan', 'Troyanka', 'English Green Renet', 'Renet du Canada', 'Limonka', 'Manastirka', 'Shekerka', 'Perusha', 'Yellow Bellflower', 'Ayvaniya', 'Tsiganka'. The following cultivars are also marked: 'Stefanka', 'Bozhechka', 'Amerikanka', 'Medena abalka', 'Ostreshka reneta CM', 'Marishnitsa 8/10', 'Winter green', 'Yovovka', 'Kojesta reneta' presented as single trees in separate habitats. The fruit of the group of Petrovka apple had the earliest ripening period - they start to ripen from the first half of July and have a weight of 28.8 g to 80.6 g. Fruits of 'Cheshka momina', 'Jonathan', 'Troyanka', 'Ayvaniya', 'Limonka' are long lasting and are preserved and kept in ordinary cellars until the end of March and early April. Valuable forms are selected and marked for reproduction and preservation.
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