TESTING OF NEWLY INTRODUCED PERSIMMON CULTIVARS IN BULGARIA

The persimmon is still not commonly grown in Bulgaria. An increasing interest among growers to this culture due to its suitability for organic agriculture has been observed recently. Seven newly introduced persimmon cultivars were planted in spring 2008 near by Plovdiv, South Bulgaria. Trees of ‘Chocolate’, ‘Kaki Tipo’, ‘Moro’, ‘Mandarino’, ‘Lampadina’, ‘Shogatsu’ (all belonging to PVNA group) and ‘O-Gosho’ (PCNA group) were grafted on seedlings of date plum (Diospyros lotus) rootstock. ‘Shogatsu’ and ‘O-Gosho’ were the most vigorous and ‘Moro’ was the weakest among the cultivars tested. The highest cumulative yield during the first two years of fruit-bearing was recorded in ‘Kaki Tipo’, ‘Mandarino’ and ‘Chocolate’ cultivars. Less productive were ‘Shogatsu’ and ‘Lampadina’. The largest fruits were obtained on ‘Kaki Tipo’ cultivar and the smallest were the fruits of ‘Lampadina’, ‘Mandarino’ and ‘Chocolate’ cultivars, which are suitable to be used as pollinators to the other cultivars or as ornamental trees. Ripening time of ‘Shogatsu’ and ‘O-Gosho’ was observed as too late for our climate.