Agat Donskoy grapes: characteristics and description of the variety

Beginner winegrowers can grow the Agat Donskoy grape. This Russian variety adapts well to any weather conditions. Mature vines can overwinter without cover. The variety produces high yields.

The vine is resistant to mildew, powdery mildew, and gray mold. Seedlings take root well. Agat Donskoy is grown in many regions of Russia.

History of selection

The Agat Donskoy variety was added to the State Register in 1992; prior to that, it was known under a different name, Vityaz. Parent varieties:

• Dolores is frost-resistant, transportable, with good taste;
• Zarya Severa – early maturing (120 days), withstands frosts down to – 32 °C, is slightly affected by mildew;
• Russian early – not resistant to fungal infection, relatively frost-resistant (- 23 °C), pulp contains up to 21% sugars.

Selection work was carried out at the Potapenko Institute.

Description

The grapes ripen early, the growing season lasts just over 115 days. In the conditions of the middle zone Harvesting begins in the last days of August or the first days of September. In the south, the bunches ripen earlier (mid-August).

The variety exhibits consistent yields. A bush grown in a private garden yields 50 kg of berries. When grown commercially, the yield is 150 c/ha. The grape has a branched root system that extends deep into the soil.

The Agat Donskoy variety is considered vigorous. An important characteristic is the shoot maturity rate, which is good, with up to 80% of the shoots maturing. The flowers are bisexual and require no pollinators. The clusters are medium-density and cone-shaped, weighing between 400 and 600 g.

The flavor of Agat Donskoy berries is rated 3.8 stars. It's pleasant, yet simple, without any frills or aroma. The fruits are moderately sweet, with a medium sugar content of no more than 15%. Berry characteristics:

• weight from 4 to 6 g;
• the color of the strong skin is dark blue;
• waxy coating;
• the flesh is crispy and dense;
• round shape;
• bones from 2 to 4.

Weather affects the taste. Berries are more sour in cool summers. Rain reduces the marketability of the fruit: they crack and rot.

Peculiarities

The bushes are prone to overload and require crop rationing. Overloading delays ripening and weakens the plant. Consistent fruiting is achieved through rationing. Pruning is performed, leaving 1-2 fruit clusters on each vine.

According to winegrowers, the flavor of Agat Donskoy grapes improves as the bunches ripen on the vine. They believe that if the weather forecast is good, there's no need to rush the harvest. The longer the berries hang on the vine, the more sugar they accumulate.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Agat Donskoy grape variety has qualities that are appreciated by winegrowers:

• easy to care for;
• most of the vines are ripening;
• few stepsons, this reduces the time for their removal;
• adult bushes can withstand frosts down to – 26 °C without cover;
• resistant to fungal infection;
• bunches are stored for 2-3 months;
• The fruits are good fresh and can be used as raw material for making juices, compotes, and freezing.

Not everyone likes the taste of Agat Donskoy grapes. The yield is low during the first three years. During this period, intensive wood growth occurs. From the fourth year onward, the yield increases.

Agricultural technology

When choosing the Agat Donskoy variety, keep in mind that grapes grow best in full sun and do not tolerate salt marshes or waterlogged soil. This variety is propagated from 2-3-year-old seedlings and cuttings. These are grafted onto rootstock. Planting is done in the fall and spring. Agat Donskoy is grown on supports. These can be of different types:

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

Trimming

Formative pruning Pruning is performed annually. Autumn is the best time, but it can be done in the spring before the sap begins to flow. The main goal of pruning is to reduce stress. This refers to the number of buds left on the vine.

The load calculation is based on the age of the bush. The recommended load for a fruiting bush is used as the standard:

• 50% of the norm for 2-year-old grapes;
• 80% of the norm for 3-year-old bushes.

Agat Donskoy is pruned by winegrowers most often to 5-8 buds, with an acceptable total load on the bush of 35 to 45 buds.

Summer care

During the summer, grapevines are watered. One-year-old seedlings require more moisture. After planting them in their permanent location, they are watered weekly for the first month, then the frequency is reduced to twice a month. To ensure 100% ripening of the vines, watering is stopped in August.

A grown-up Agata Donskogo bush (2 years and older) is watered 3 times per season: 2 times during active vegetation (before buds open, after flowering), the third (moisture-recharging) - before frost.

Each bush requires 40 to 60 liters of water. The volume is reduced 20 days before the berries are fully ripe. Watering is stopped no later than 7 days before harvest. This prevents cracking. Moisture-replenishing irrigation increases the grapes' frost resistance. This is done after all the leaves have fallen.

To ensure the Agat Donskoy yield meets its stated target (50 kg per bush), it is fertilized annually. Fertilizer is applied to the roots (root feeding) or foliar feeding.

The first time they are applied to the soil is 2-3 years after planting. Most fertilizers are applied in the fall. The summer fertilizing schedule is provided in the table.

If the weather is cool (<15°C), there's no point in root feeding. Spraying with boric acid (solution) before flowers bloom improves immunity. After flowering ends, treatment with a zinc sulfate solution is recommended.

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Preparing for winter

Due to its high frost resistance, Agat Donskoy is grown in many regions as a non-covered plant. However, young vines (2-3 years old) are often covered for the winter. Just before frost, they are pruned, arborized, and covered with covering material. In areas with little snow, they are covered with spruce branches, reed mats, and polycarbonate. In winter, snow is piled on top.

Diseases and pests

Disease resistance is high, but prevention is necessary. Risk fungal diseases Increases in summer during hot, damp weather. Agat Donskoy should be treated twice per season with the fungicide Fitosporin, adding Zircon. These two products are compatible. Two foliar sprays are sufficient:

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

When symptoms of the disease appear, medications for this infection are used. Treatment methods and dosages are specified in the instructions.

Reviews

Antonina, Ukraine

I like this variety. We freeze the berries. After defrosting, they retain their flavor, hold their shape, and the skins don't crack. I planted them next to the veranda. I keep an eye on the load, but the clusters are small every year. I'm the only one who likes the flavor; no one else eats them. The yield is good, and so is their frost resistance.

Anatoly, Western Ukraine

My bush is 10 years old and occupies a 3.5-meter trellis. I counted all the clusters (108) and weighed them (42.2 kg). The average weight of one is 391 g. The largest weighed 800 g. I like the moderately sweet taste; I eat a half-kilogram cluster in one sitting. Agat Donskoy has many advantages. I don't use chemicals, and the bush is disease-free. I don't remove side shoots; the shoots don't require pruning; they are no longer than 2 m.

Elena, Novocherkassk

A week ago, there was a heavy rain, which caused all the Agat Donskoy berries to burst. I didn't do any preventative spraying, so signs of powdery mildew appeared on the ridges. I'll begin selective harvesting on August 25th and finish a month later.

Sergey, Zaporizhzhia region

The bush is six years old, and I plan to cut it down. I consider this variety problematic. The flavor is mediocre, the seeds are large, and the clusters are small. The berries burst in the rain, and they suffer from wasps more than other varieties.