VALUABLE LOCAL FORMS OF GENUS PIRUS L. SUITABLE FOR ORGANIC PRODUCTION

Abstract

In 2015 and 2016, an expeditionary study was conducted in the region of the town of Gabrovo in Bulgaria. The aim was to find valuable local forms and cultivars of Pirus domestica L. Two vigorous trees were found at different places over 80 years old. Their fruit is valuable and ripen in summer. The trees grow without chemical plant protection, without pruning and without soil treatment. Local people have used that fruit for pear juice and vinegar. The following indicators were studied: size and average fresh fruit weight; dry matter was determined refractometrically; yield/kg/tree. Fruit of Form № 1 ripen during the period of 25-30 July, and those of Form № 2 ripen in the period of 1-10 August. The average fruit weight for the two-year period in Form № 1 was 38.1 g, where as in Form № 2 it was 85,8 g. The dry matter in Form № 1 was 14,65% and in Form № 2 – 15,45%. The fruit of Form № 1 is not very large, which makes it suitable for processing in different products (for drying, for juice and vinegar, according to local people) and the fruit of Form № 2 is suitable for fresh fruit consumption and also for processing in compote and juice. These forms deserve to be thoroughly studied and propagated as cultivars for organic production of pears and their products.