Apricot (Prunus armeniaca) OLIMP

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca) 'Olimp'

Late Romanian variety with large fruits and resistance to Sharka (PPV).

'Olimp' is a valuable Romanian apricot variety originating from the SCDP Mărculești and Băneasa institutes. It attracts growers with its combination of late ripening, large attractive fruits, and significant resistance to major diseases, including Plum Pox Virus.

Main advantages of the variety:

• Resistance to Plum Pox Virus (PPV) and Monilinia.
• Late ripening (mid-August).
• Large and attractive fruits (65 – 75 g).
• High and regular yield.

Origin and Registration

• Country of origin: Romania
• Institution: SCDP Mărculești / Băneasa
• Parentage: Mărculești 17-52 × Mărculești 43-2
• Registration: 1984

Variety Characteristics

Tree

• Vigor: Weak to medium strong.
• Crown: Round to inverted cone shape.
• Fruiting: Bears fruit predominantly on spur wood (bouquet branches).
• 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 65 – 75 g.
• Shape and Color: Round-ovoid, slightly flattened. The color is orange-pink to yellow-orange, adorned with carmine-red dots on the sunny side.
• Flesh: Light orange, firm, juicy.
• Taste: Balanced, sweet-sour, with an intense aroma.
• Stone: Freestone (separates from flesh).
• Usage: Universal (fresh consumption, industrial processing).

Resistance and Requirements

• Frost resistance: Hardy.
• Disease resistance: Resistant to Monilinia and Plum Pox Virus (PPV).

Cultivation Recommendations

• Pollination: Partially self-fertile. For better yields, planting pollinators is recommended (e.g., ‘Favorit’).
• Bearing: Onset in the 3rd year after planting.

Harvest and Storage

• Harvest time: Late, August 10 – 12.
• Yield: High and regular (30 – 35 kg from a 4-year-old tree).