Pear Bere Precoce Morettini

Pear Bere Precoce Morettini (Pyrus communis Precoce Morettini) – a summer cultivar of the common pear. Obtained in Italy in 1956 from the cross "Coscia x William". Breeder - A. Morettini. The cultivar is zoned for the Steppe region, and at the amateur level it grows well in the Forest-Steppe zone and even under the conditions of southern Polesie.

It is a medium-vigour tree forming a pyramidal, not dense, weakly branched crown. Main branches depart from the trunk at an angle of 30-40°, therefore to form a strong framework it is necessary to bend them to the required angle and deform the branches. Shoot-forming ability is medium. Shoots are short-internoded, straight, sometimes slightly curved, the bark on them is greenish-brown. Lenticels are faint, sparse, light brown, medium-sized. Buds on one-year shoots are densely arranged, dark brown, small, protruding, glabrous. Bark on the trunk is gray, on the main branches gray with a greenish tint. Leaves are medium-sized, ovate, with a pointed tip. The leaf blade is slightly curved upward along the midrib. Margin finely serrated. Foliage density above average. Flowers early.

Fruits are large, weighing 150-180g, on young trees up to 220 г, pear-shaped, gradually widening from the stalk to the place of largest diameter, then gently rounding toward the calyx. The skin is thin but strong, smooth, glossy, slightly oily to the touch; at harvest maturity the fruits are greenish-yellow, at eating maturity light yellow with a weak pink diffuse blush on the sunny side, covering approximately 1/3 of the fruit. Subcutaneous dots are small, greenish or light brown. The pedicel is of medium length and thickness, slightly twisted and set at an angle in a small funnel. The calyx semi-closed, the cavity wide, shallow. Flesh white, very juicy, buttery, tender, melting, sweet-acidic, aromatic, of high taste quality. Taste score – 4.6-4.8 points. Harvest and eating maturity occurs in late July – early August. Fruits do not store long (7-10 days). Fruits are consumed mainly fresh.

Fruits contain: dry matter – 18.5%, sugars – 11.1%, titratable acids – 0.64%, ascorbic acid – 8.8 mg/100g, R-active catechins – 48.7 mg/100g of fresh matter.

Begins fruiting on seedlings in the 6-7th year, on quince in the 4-5th year after planting in the orchard. Mainly fruits on spurs and 2-3-year-old wood. On quince during the productive period (11-13 years) yield is 130-150 centners/ha.

Best pollinators: Konferentsiya, Malevchanka, Krupnoplodnaya, Goverla.

Winter hardiness zone: 5 (-20°C).

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

Planting: plant seedlings preferably in spring, but can also be done in autumn. Pear seedlings generally have a poorly developed root system, so the pear grows almost not at all during the first 2 years. Soil from the hole should be mixed with organic and mineral-potassium fertilizers. The mixture is filled to the top of the hole. The root collar should be left 3 cm above ground level.

Care: drought resistance is low; requires irrigation.

Diseases: moderately susceptible to scab and bacterial blight. Requires treatment with antibacterial agents.

Pests: pear gall mite.

Usage: fruits are used fresh. The cultivar is valued for its attractive and tasty fruits, and also in breeding as high-quality fruit. Found in commercial and household plantings, as well as in farming and amateur gardening.