Plum (Prunus domestica) CARPATIN

Plum (Prunus domestica) 'Carpatin'

Early Romanian variety with large fruits, high yield, and weaker vigor.

'Carpatin' is a high-quality Romanian plum variety bred at the Piteşti – Mărăcineni institute. It is valued as an early table variety with large, attractive fruits. Due to its weaker vigor, it is suitable for higher density plantings, but it requires a pollinator as it does not produce its own pollen.

Main advantages of the variety:

• Early ripening (mid-July).
• Large fruits (40 – 50 g) with balanced taste.
• Stone separates well from the flesh.
• Weaker vigor (suitable for high-density planting).
• Very high and regular yield.

Origin and Registration

• Country of origin: Romania
• Institution: Fruit Research and Development Institute Piteşti – Mărăcineni
• Parentage: ‘Tuleu gras’ × ‘Early Rivers’
• Registration: 1982 (1983)

Variety Characteristics

Tree

• Vigor: Medium to weak.
• Crown: Pyramidal.
• Production: Early bearing onset, yield is very high and constant.

Fruit

• Size and Weight: Large, weighing 40 – 50 g.
• Shape and Color: Spherical, slightly elongated. The skin is dark blue, covered with a grey bloom.
• Flesh: Yellow-green, medium firm and juicy.
• Taste: Very fine, with a balanced sugar-acid ratio.
• Stone: Small, separates easily from the flesh (Freestone).
• Usage: Primarily for fresh consumption (table variety).

Resistance and Requirements

• Pollination: The variety is male sterile (androsterile), therefore it absolutely needs pollinators.
• Suitable pollinators: ‘Stanley’, ‘Early Rivers’, ‘Count Althann's Gage’, ‘Silvia’, ‘Anna Spath’.

Harvest and Storage

• Harvest time: Early, from July 15 to 25.