3. Climate of Estonia
Estonia lies in the transition zone between
maritime and continental climate.
The average annual temperature in Estonia is 5.2 °C. The
average temperature in February is −5.7 °C and in July is 16.4
°C.
Low temperatures. Over the last five years the lowest recorded
temperature was ‒35.5 °C.
Snow cover usually lasts from mid-December to late March.
The duration of apple tree vegetation period is 170‒175 days
in South Estonia.
Precipitation during the vegetative growth cycles is 350‒400
mm.
4. Main problems in apple production
are short vegetation period and frequent
temperature fluctuations during the winter
period.
lack of winter hardy apple cultivars with high
fruit quality.
5. Objective
to evaluate newly bred apple cultivars from
neighbouring countries and find out cultivars which
are winter hardy, scab resistant and with high
fruit quality.
6. Material and methods
An orchard trial was established in spring 2008 at
the Polli Horticultural Research Centre.
with 37 apple cultivars.
Trees were grafted on B396 rootstock.
Planting distance 4×2 m.
One replication, and it consisted of ten trees.
In the trial following characters was measured:
yield, fruit weight, trunk diameter.
7. Apple cultivars
Cultivar Origin
Kallika, Kanni, Kastar, Katiliina, Kikitriinu, Liivika, Tiina Estonia
Dace*, Edite*, Gita*, Roberts*, Latvia
Rubinola* Czech Republic
Konsta, Talvikki Finland
Egeria, Lodel, Odra*, Ligolina, Medea, Wars* Poland
Priam* France
Liberty* USA
Yubilyar*, Kandil Orlovsky, Orlovskoye Polesye*,
Solnyshko*, Stroyevskoe*, Venyaminovskoye*
Russia
Alesya, Antey, Belorusskoye Sladkoye*, Imant*, Darunak*,
Pamyat Kovalenko*, Pospehh*, Nadzeiny*
Belarus
Streifling Herbst Old European
landrace
* Scab resistant apple cultivar
10. Yield, kg per tree (2009-2012)
0 5 10 15 20 25
Talvikki
Kanni
Edite
Konsta
Liberty
Medea
Darunak
Priam
Egeria
Kallika
Stroyevskoye
Katiliina
Wars
Lodel
Gita
Imant
Roberts
Ligolina
Venyaminovskoye
Streifling Herbst
Orlovskoye Polesye
Odra
Yelena
Rubinola
Nadzeiny
Kikitriinu
Pospehh
Jubilyar
Tiina
Dace
Liivika
Solnyshko
Kandil Orlvsky
Pamyat Kovalenko
Alesya
Kastar
Antey
2009
2010
2011
2012
11. Average fruit size, g (2009-2012)
Fruit size Cultivar
Very large
(>200 g)
Talvikki, Robets, Antey
Large
(151‐200 g)
Streifling Herbst, Yubilyar, Orlovski Polesye, Solnyshko, Kikitriinu,
Kastar, Pospehh, Kallika, Tiina, Gita
Average
(111‐150 g)
Nadzeiny, Pamyat Kovalenko, Imant, Alesya, Darunak,
Stroyevskoye, Konsta, Edite, Liivika, Kanni, Kandil Orlovski,
Egeria, Katiliina, Venyaminovskoye, Liberty, Priam, Wars,
Rubinola
Small
(<110 g)
Odra, Medea, Ligolina, Lodel, Yelena
12. Conclusions
Regarding winter hardiness, yield efficiency and
fruit quality ‘Antey’, ‘Alesya’, ‘Dace’ and ‘Liivika’
trees were similar than those on ‘Tiina’ and
‘Streifling Herbst’.
‘Yelena’, ‘Pamyat Kovalenko’, ‘Kastar’, ‘Solnyshko’,
‘Kandil Orlovski’ and ‘Talvikki’ are winter hardy.
‘Nadzeiny’ and ‘Yelena’ are precocious cultivars.
