Nicolae Krier Pear

Synonyms: Dekanka Nikolai Krier, Nikolai Krier, Beltskaya, Zalukyanovka

The Nicolae Krier pear (Pyrus communis Nicolae Krier) – a standard cultivar of the common pear from the genus Pyrus. The cultivar was obtained in 1921 in Romania by amateur gardener N. Krier.

It is a medium- to vigorous-growing tree with a broad pyramidal crown. Main branches depart from the trunk at an angle often exceeding 45°, they are long, sparsely branched, often spirally curved, and fuse firmly with the trunk. Young shoots are sparsely branched, become covered with fruiting spurs and droop under the weight of the crop. Bark on the trunk and main branches is gray. One-year shoots are long, rather thick, often spirally curved, with olive-green bark.

Leaves are broad-lanceolate, long, with a gradual transition to the tip, above-average in size, dark green, glossy, with wavy edges raised upward, spirally twisted along the midrib, with fine broad-serrated teeth. Petiole long, of medium thickness. Stipules awl-shaped. Buds small, broadly conical, relatively dense, glabrous, often with corky swellings of the bark beneath them. More suitable for forming a rounded crown. Because the one-year shoots grow long, are sparsely branched, become covered with fruiting spurs and droop under the weight of the crop, they should be shortened when forming the crown. Grows and fruits well on wild pear rootstock and on quince propagated by layering or from seed. It can be used as an interstock for cultivars incompatible with quince. Begins fruiting early — in the 4th—5th year on quince rootstock and in the 6th—7th year on wild pear.

Flowering is mid-early. Flowers large, white, with dark-pink anthers. Fruit-bearing habit mixed; fruits mainly on spurs (ring spurs) located on 3—4-year-old wood. In the 10th year after planting on wild pear rootstock yield was 55,4 кг per tree, or 115 centners/ha, and on quince 46,9 кг, or 234.5 centners/ha. The average yield of 9—13-year-old trees over five years on wild pear rootstock (spacing 8x6 m) was 74.7 centners/ha, on seedling quince (5x4 m) — 258.5 centners/ha. The yield of 13—18-year-old trees on wild pear rootstock averaged 169 centners/ha over 6 years, with a maximum of 233 centners/ha. In old orchards on wild pear rootstock yields of 300—350 kg per tree have been recorded.

Best pollinizers: Liubimitsa Klappa, Reale Turinska, Roksolana.

One-year plants are tall, rather thick, with corky swellings of the bark under the buds, sometimes sinuous, unbranched, with olive-green bark. In bark color they resemble the Williams cultivar, but they differ greatly in leaf color and shape. In Williams the leaf is green, folded like a boat, with straight, non-wavy edges, on a short petiole. In Nicolae Krier the leaf is elongated, broad-lanceolate, gradually tapering to the tip, rather large, dark green, glossy, with wavy edges raised upward, spirally twisted along the midrib, on a long petiole; the leaf margin has fine broad-serrated teeth. In two-year-old Williams trees the crown is inverse-pyramidal with straight lateral branches; in Nicolae Krier it is broad-pyramidal, often with twisted branches.

Fruits large, weighing 230-330 г, on young trees and on quince rootstock up to 400-500 г (sometimes more), truncate-broad-pyriform, cuboid or bergamot-like in shape, tuberculate, slightly asymmetric, broadly ribbed with well-defined folding toward the calyx. Despite the large size, fruits often set in groups of 2—4 and hold on the tree quite firmly.

Peduncle short, thick, straight, positioned vertically or at a small angle in a well-defined, fairly deep funnel with tuberculate edges. The depression by the calyx large, with folded edges. Calyx small, open or semi-open.

Near the funnel and calyx almost without russeting. Skin thin to medium-thick, firm, smooth, glossy, slightly oily; at harvest greenish, at ripening straw-yellow, on the sunny side most fruits have an orange-red blurred or striped blush. Many small, almost imperceptible subcutaneous dots are scattered over the entire fruit. Ripe fruits are very attractive (appearance score 4.8—4.9 points).

Seed cavity small, almost round, located closer to the calyx. Seed chambers semi-open. Seeds small, well developed, elongate-conical, brown. Flesh white or slightly creamy, very juicy, tender, buttery, sweet, with pleasant acidity and delicate aroma, of very high taste quality (taste score 4.8—4.9 points).

The cultivar is autumn. Harvest maturity of fruits occurs in the second decade of September; consumer maturity at the end of September — early October. Fruits require timely and careful picking; under ordinary conditions they keep until mid-November, in cold storage until December.

Hardiness zone: 5

Site: demanding of environmental conditions. Less winter-hardy and more warmth-loving than apple. Poorly tolerates early autumn frosts, alternating thaws and frosts, and spring frosts (buds perish at -4 degrees Celsius). Prefers loose, moist soil with a small clay content. Prefers sunny but not hot, wind-protected locations.

Planting: plant seedlings preferably in spring, but autumn planting is also possible. Pear seedlings generally have a poorly developed root system, so for the first 2 years the pear practically does not grow. The soil removed from the hole should be mixed with organic and mineral-potassium fertilizers. Fill the mixture to the rim of the hole. Leave the root collar 3 см above ground level.

Diseases and pests: Relatively resistant to scab; is weakly affected by bacterial leaf scorch.

Uses: fruits are used fresh, for canning and for drying.