Grapes Agat Donskoy: characteristics and description of the variety

Beginning winegrowers can grow Agate Donskoy grapes. The Russian variety is well adapted to any weather conditions. Adult bushes can winter without shelter. Productivity is high.

The vine is resistant to mildew, oidium, gray rot. Seedlings take root well. Agat Donskoy is grown in many regions of the Russian Federation.

Selection history

The Agat Donskoy variety was introduced to the State Register in 1992, before that it was featured under a different name - Vityaz. Parent forms:

• Dolores - frost-resistant, transportable, with good taste;
• Dawn of the north - early ripe (120 days), withstands frosts up to - 32 ° C, is slightly affected by mildew;
• Early Russian - unstable to fungal infection, relatively frost-resistant (-23 ° C), the pulp contains up to 21% of sugars.

Breeding work was carried out at the Potapenko Institute.

Description

Grapes ripen early, the growing season lasts a little more than 115 days. In the middle band begin to harvest in the last days of August or the first days of September. In the south, clusters are sung earlier (mid-August).

The variety shows a steady yield. 50 kg of berries are removed from a bush grown on a private courtyard. For industrial cultivation - 150 kg / ha. The grapes have a branched, root system that goes into the deep layers of the earth.

Variety Agate Donskoy considered vigorous. An important characteristic is the percentage of shoot ripening, has good performance, ripens up to 80% of the total number. The flowers are bisexual, pollinators are not required. The clusters are medium in density, conical in shape. Weigh from 400 to 600 g.

The taste of Agate Donskoy berries is rated at 3.8 points. It is pleasant, but simple without frills and aroma. The fruits are moderately sweet, the average sugar content is not higher than 15%. Characteristics of berries:

• weight from 4 to 6 g;
• color of a strong skin dark blue;
• wax coating;
• crisp, dense flesh;
• round shape;
• seeds from 2 to 4.

The taste is affected by the weather. Berries are sour if the summer is cool. Due to the rains, the marketability of the fruit is reduced: the fruit is cracking, rotting.

Features

Bushes are prone to overload, require rationing of the crop. When overloaded, the ripening dates are postponed, the plant weakens. Stable fruiting is achieved by rationing. Pruning is carried out, leaving 1-2 bunches of fruit on each vine.

According to winegrowers, the taste of berries of Agate Donskoy improves when ripening bunches on the vine. They believe that if the weather forecast is good, then hurry up with cleaning is not worth it. The longer the berries hang on the vine, the more they accumulate sugar.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Agat Donskoy grape variety has the advantages that winegrowers value:

• unpretentious in leaving;
• most of the vine ripens;
• few stepsons, this reduces the time to remove them;
• adult frost bushes up to - 26 ° C tolerate without shelter;
• resistant to fungal infection;
• bunches are stored for 2-3 months;
• the fruits are good in fresh form, can be used as raw materials for the preparation of juices, compotes, freezing.

Not everyone likes the taste of Agate Donskoy grapes. The first 3 years, the yield is low. During this period, an intensive build-up of wood occurs. Starting from the age of 4, the volume of the crop is growing.

Agricultural technology

It should be borne in mind when choosing the Agat Donskoy variety that grapes grow better in the sun, cannot tolerate salt marshes and swampy soil.This variety is propagated by 2-3 year old seedlings, as well as cuttings. They are vaccinated on a stock. Landing is carried out in the autumn and spring. Agat Donskoy is grown on supports. They can be of different types:

• trellis;
• gazebo;
• stake;
• parietal.

Pruning

Forming pruning spend every year. Autumn is the best time for her, but you can do it in the spring, until sap flow begins. The main purpose of trimming is to reduce the load. By it is meant the number of eyes left on the vine.

The calculation of the load is based on the age of the bush. For the norm, take the load recommended for the fruit bearing bush:

• 50% of the norm for a 2 year old grape;
• 80% of the norm for 3 year old bushes.

Agate Donskoy vine growers are often pruned for 5-8 buds with an allowable total load on the bush from 35 to 45 eyes.

Summer care

In the summer, vine bushes are watered. The greater the need for moisture in annual seedlings. After landing on a permanent place, they are watered weekly for the first month, then the frequency is reduced to 2 times a month. In order for the vine to mature 100%, watering in August is completed.

A grown Agatha Donskoy bush (from 2 years and older) is watered 3 times per season: 2 times during active vegetation (before buds open, after flowering), the third (moisture-charging) - before frost.

Each bush consumes from 40 to 60 liters. The volume is reduced 20 days before the berries fully ripen. Stop them no later than 7 days before harvesting. This allows you to protect the berries from cracking. Moisture-charging irrigation increases the frost resistance of grapes. Spend it after all the foliage has fallen.

So that the yield of Agate Donskoy corresponds to the declared (50 kg from the bush), he is fed annually. Fertilizers are applied under the root (root top dressing) or according to the leaf (foliar top dressing).

The first time they are applied to the soil 2-3 years after planting. Most fertilizers are applied in the fall. The scheme of summer top dressing is given in the table.

If the weather is cool (<15 ° C), then root dressing does not make sense. Spraying with boric acid (solution) before the flowers bloom improves immunity. When flowering ends, it is recommended to carry out treatment with a solution of zinc sulfate.

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Winter preparations

Frost resistance is high, in many regions Agat Donskoy is grown as a non-covering crop. Nevertheless, a young vine (2-3 years old) is sheltered for the winter. Before the frosts, they trim, set arcs, pull the covering material. In areas with little snow, a lapnik is spread over it, reed mats are placed, and polycarbonate is installed. In winter, they throw snow.

Diseases and Pests

Disease resistance is high, but prevention is needed. Risk fungal diseases increases in summer if the weather is hot, damp. Donskoy agate for the season twice must be treated with Phytosporin fungicide, adding Zircon to it. These two tools are compatible. Enough 2 sprayings per sheet:

• the first immediately after flowering;
• the second after 14 days.

When symptoms of the disease appear, they resort to drugs for this infection. The processing method, the consumption rate of the product is taken from the instructions.

Reviews

Antonina, Ukraine

I like the variety. We freeze the berries.After defrosting, they retain their taste, hold their shape, the skin does not crack. Set next to the veranda. I control the load, but the clusters are small every year. Only I like the taste, but no one eats it. Yields with all good and frost resistance too.

Anatoly, Western Ukraine

My bush is 10 years old, occupies a trellis with a length of 3.5 m. I counted all the clusters (108 pieces) and weighed (42.2 kg). The average weight of one is 391 g. The largest one pulled 800 g. I like the moderately sweet taste, I eat a half-kilogram bunch at a time. Agat Donskoy has many advantages. I do not use chemistry, the bush does not get sick. I don’t remove stepsons, shoots do not require minting, their length is no more than 2 m.

Elena, Novocherkassk

A week ago there was a shower, after which all the berries of Agate Donskoy burst. I did not carry out preventive spraying, so signs of oidium appeared on the ridges. Selective cleaning begins on August 25, and ends in a month.

Sergey, Zaporizhia region

6 year old bush, I plan to cut down. I consider the variety problematic. The taste is mediocre, the bones are large, the clusters are small. In rains, the berry bursts, it suffers from wasps more than other varieties.