Apricot (Prunus armeniaca) LITORAL

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca) 'Litoral'

Late Romanian variety with large fruits, sweet kernel, and high resistance.

'Litoral' is a Romanian apricot variety bred at the SCDP Mărculești station. It is valued for its late ripening (extending the apricot season) and fruits with high dry matter content, which have a sweet, edible kernel. The variety is highly resistant to both frost and drought.

Main advantages of the variety:

• Late ripening (mid-August).
• Large fruits with a sweet kernel.
• Ideal for processing due to high dry matter content (18%).
• High resistance to winter and late spring frosts.
• Resistant to drought and diseases.

Origin and Registration

• Country of origin: Romania
• Institution: SCDP Mărculești
• Parentage: Mărculești 23-52-50 × Mărculești 37/1
• Registration: 1982

Variety Characteristics

Tree

• Vigor: Weak to medium strong.
• Crown: Broadly spherical.

Fruit

• Size and Weight: Large, with an average weight of 60 g.
• Shape and Color: Oblong-ovoid, slightly flattened. The color is lemon-yellow to yellow-orange, with red dots and stripes on the sunny side.
• Flesh: Yellow, fine, moderately juicy.
• Taste: Pleasant, sweet, aromatic.
• Stone: Freestone (separates from flesh), with a sweet kernel.
• Usage: Universal – fresh consumption, but due to 18% dry matter, it is ideal for processing (jams, drying).

Resistance and Requirements

• Frost resistance: Resistant to winter frosts and late spring frosts.
• Disease resistance: Very good.
• Drought resistance: Resistant.

Cultivation Recommendations

• Pollination: Self-fertile (yield increases in the presence of pollinators like ‘Rares’).
• Bearing: Early onset (2nd – 3rd year after planting).

Harvest and Storage

• Harvest time: Late, second decade of August.
• Yield: High and regular.