THE NEW VERY EARLY PEACH CULTIVAR 'FLAVIA'

One of the major aims at all the stages of implementing the breeding program for improving peaches in Bulgaria has been the establishment of new cultivars with a very early fruit ripening period in combination with better quality characteristics. ‘Flavia’ was established by crossing hybrid 127, its fruits being of a canning type, with the early bearing fruits cultivar ‘Earlycrest’ for fresh consumption. The aim of the breeding activity was to combine in the hybrid progeny early fruit ripening with high fruit weight and firm flesh consistency. The latter characteristics are lacking in the early ripening cultivars for fresh consumption. Fruits of ‘Flavia’ ripen very early – about 20 June, 4 days after those of ‘Earlycrest’ and 5 days before the fruits of ‘Maycrest’. They are large, with a size of 62,67 х 66,30 х 63,10 mm and mean weight of 142,63 g. The fruit shape is almost spherical, and with a good symmetry. The surface is 70-80% light red colored with specific contrasting darker red spots and stripes. The fruit skin is thin and finely fuzzy. The fruit flesh is bright yellow and half-crispy (with semi-firm consistency). It is juicy with a very good aroma and pleasant sweet-sour taste. The stone is medium large in size, 34,75 х 19,70 х 24,85 mm, its relative share being 5,21%. The screening of the sensory profile of fruit showed good fruit flesh consistency, a distinct specific aroma and fruit weight uniformity, and fruits weighted 50 g more than those of ‘Earlycrest’. The aim of the present study was to carry out pomological evaluation of the new early cultivar ‘Flavia’.