ВRIEF POMOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THREATENED FROM EXTINCTION LOCAL SWEET CHERRY CULTIVARS AND SOME FORMS OF UNIDENTIFIED ORIGIN

A brief pomological description of the sweet cherry cultivars ‘Pobeda’, ‘Kyustendilska Chrustyalka’, ‘Cherna Konyavska’ and ‘Mizia’, created in the early periods of the selection activity at the Institute of Agriculture in Kyustendil (50s - 70s of the last century) was made. Due to their low spread in the past already these cultivars are threatened with loss. All of them are characterized by large to very large, extremely tasty and firm fruits and have very good transportability. Some local forms of cherries of unknown origin, found as a result of scientific expeditions in the mountainous regions of Kyustendil district are also described. The fruit of ‘Pobeda’ and ‘Cherna Konyavska’ are easily detached from the stalks, without tearing and juice leakage, which makes them suitable for mechanized harvesting. The fruit of ‘Mizia’ have a very high resistance to mechanical pressure and are suitable for transportation. Most of the forms of unknown origin have medium to large fruits, whose diameter varies from 18.1 to 24.6 mm. One of the forms is soft but the others have firm fruits. The shape of the fruit varies from round to broadly heart-shaped. Most of them have dark red to black skin color. The taste of all is sweet and sour and only one form has a slight tartness. Single, very old trees of these varieties and forms were found in abandoned yards and fields in the villages at the western foot of the Konyavska Mountain and in the southeastern part of the Osogovo Mountain.