Plum (Prunus domestica) CARPATIN

Plum (Prunus domestica) 'Carpatin'

Early Romanian variety with large fruits, high yield, and weaker vigor.

'Carpatin' is a high-quality Romanian plum variety bred at the Piteşti – Mărăcineni institute. It is valued as an early table variety with large, attractive fruits. Due to its weaker vigor, it is suitable for higher density plantings, but it requires a pollinator as it does not produce its own pollen.

Main advantages of the variety:

• Early ripening (mid-July).
• Large fruits (40 – 50 g) with balanced taste.
• Stone separates well from the flesh.
• Weaker vigor (suitable for high-density planting).
• Very high and regular yield.

Origin and Registration

• Country of origin: Romania
• Institution: Fruit Research and Development Institute Piteşti – Mărăcineni
• Parentage: ‘Tuleu gras’ × ‘Early Rivers’
• Registration: 1982 (1983)

Variety Characteristics

Tree

• Vigor: Medium to weak.
• Crown: Pyramidal.
• Production: Early bearing onset, yield is very high and constant.
• Rootstock Myrobalan C5: Tree growth on this rootstock is similar to the St. Julien rootstock. The advantage of the Myrobalan C5 rootstock is that it tolerates drought, water stress, and poorer soil conditions better.

Fruit

• Size and Weight: Large, weighing 40 – 50 g.
• Shape and Color: Spherical, slightly elongated. The skin is dark blue, covered with a grey bloom.
• Flesh: Yellow-green, medium firm and juicy.
• Taste: Very fine, with a balanced sugar-acid ratio.
• Stone: Small, separates easily from the flesh (Freestone).
• Usage: Primarily for fresh consumption (table variety).

Resistance and Requirements

• Pollination: The variety is male sterile (androsterile), therefore it absolutely needs pollinators.
• Suitable pollinators: ‘Stanley’, ‘Early Rivers’, ‘Count Althann's Gage’, ‘Silvia’, ‘Anna Spath’.

Harvest and Storage

• Harvest time: Early, from July 15 to 25.