Mascot

Apricot

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Vulcan', 'Gabriel', 'Benmore', 'Perfection' and 'Harrowblush'

Summary: 'Mascot' has an upright growth habit while 'Vulcan', 'Benmore' and 'Perfection' have spreading growth habits, 'Gabriel' has a drooping growth habit and 'Harrowblush' has a fastigate growth habit. 'Mascot' has weaker anthocyanin colouration on the young shoot tip than the reference varieties. 'Mascot' has a shorter leaf blade length than 'Vulcan' and 'Perfection' and a longer leaf blade than 'Benmore' and 'Harrowblush'. 'Mascot' has a wider leaf blade than 'Gabriel', 'Benmore' and 'Harrowblush' and a narrower leaf blade than 'Perfection'. 'Mascot' has a longer claw on the petal than 'Vulcan', 'Benmore', 'Perfection' and 'Harrowblush'. 'Mascot' matures earlier than 'Vulcan', 'Benmore' and 'Perfection'. 'Mascot' has shorter and narrower fruit than 'Vulcan', 'Gabriel', 'Benmore' and 'Perfection' and taller, wider fruit than 'Harrowblush'. 'Mascot' has no mucron on the fruit apex while 'Gabriel' and 'Harrowblush' have a mucron. 'Mascot' has medium orange skin colour while the reference varieties have lighter orange skin colour. 'Mascot' has a lower average fruit weight than 'Vulcan', 'Gabriel', 'Benmore' and 'Perfection' and a higher fruit weight than 'Harrowblush'. 'Mascot' has a lower fresh stone weight than 'Vulcan', 'Gabriel' and 'Harrowblush' and a higher stone weight than 'Benmore'.

Description:

TREE: moderate vigour, upright growth habit
YOUNG SHOOT: weak anthocyanin on tip
ONE YEAR OLD SHOOT: red brown colour on sunny side, medium sized bud support, abundant feathering

LEAF: dark green on upper side, obtuse base, apex with moderately obtuse angle, medium length tip, crenate margins, weak undulation of margins, moderately concave profile in cross-section
PETIOLE: medium thickness, strong anthocyanin on upper side, more than three small nectaries present

FLOWER: flowers mid-season, flower buds on spurs and one-year old shoots, stigma at same level as anthers, petal broad elliptic

FRUIT: matures early to mid-season, small to medium size, circular in lateral view, elliptic in ventral view, symmetric along suture, medium suture depth, medium to deep stalk cavity, rounded apex, no mucron
FRUIT SKIN: smooth, pubescent, medium orange ground colour, medium to high amount of overcolour, overcolour orange red and medium in intensity
FRUIT FLESH: medium orange, medium texture and firmness
STONE: medium size compared to fruit, oblong, weak adherence of flesh to stone, medium bitterness when kernel is dried

Origin & Breeding History: 'Mascot' originated from a controlled cross between 'Valley Gold' and 'Earliril', made in New Zealand in 1988. 'Mascot' was selected in 1992 from a seedling population planted at the Marlborough Research Centre Experimental Orchard in Blenheim, New Zealand. Selection criteria included fruit size, fruit shape, skin colour and flavour. 'Mascot' was budded on to 'Golden Queen' peach rootstock for the first time in 1992.

Tests & Trials: Tests and trials for 'Mascot' were conducted by the okanagan Plant Improvement Co. Ltd., in test blocks at the Certified Budwood Orchard, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, Summerland, British Columbia during 2002 to 2006. The trials consisted of 10 trees of 'Mascot', 9 trees of 'Vulcan' and 'Gabriel', 6 trees of 'Benmore', 4 trees of 'Perfection' and 2 trees of 'Harrowblush'. All trees were grown on Bailey rootstock and planted 6 feet apart in rows in the orchard. Measured characteristics were based on a minimum of 10 measurements.

Comparison tables for 'Mascot' with reference varieties 'Vulcan', 'Gabriel', 'Benmore', 'Perfection' and 'Harrowblush'

Leaf length (cm)

Leaf width (cm)

Length of claw on petal (mm)

Fruit height (cm)

Fruit lateral width (cm)

Fruit weight (grams)

Stone weight (grams)

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Apricot: 'Mascot'

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Apricot: Reference varieties 'Vulcan' (top left), 'Gabriel' (top centre), 'Benmore' (top right), 'Harrowblush' (bottom left) and 'Perfection' (bottom right)