Russkiy Konkord

Main Characteristics

Russkiy Konkord is a table grape variety derived by I. V. Michurin from the pollination of the American variety Concord with the pollen of Vitis amurensis. The Russkiy Konkord grape variety is cultivated in home gardens across many regions of northern viticulture of the USSR (including the Moscow, Voronezh, Kuibyshev, and Saratov regions, the Bashkir ASSR, the Byelorussian SSR, and Ukraine). The growing season lasts 139–146 days. In the southern part of Primorye, the crop matures in the first decade of October, though ripening does not occur annually. In the central districts of the Primorsky Territory (Spassky, Chernigovsky, Khorolsky, and Kirovsky districts), thermal resources are sufficient for the annual ripening of the harvest in the third decade of September. The Russkiy Konkord variety is characterized by strong vine vigor and good shoot maturity.

The productivity of the variety is medium and ranges from 30 to 50 c/ha. The cluster is of medium size and cylindrical shape, although branched and lumpy clusters also occur. The cluster density is loose. The average weight of a cluster is 60–75 g, with individual clusters reaching a mass of 160–200 g. The berries are large, measuring 22×23 mm, with a round shape. The coloration of the berries is dark red with a violet tint. The skin is of medium thickness, easily torn, and separates well from the pulp. The pulp is juicy and mucilaginous (fleshy-gelatinous). The taste is sweet and sour, pleasant, with a barely perceptible strawberry flavor. The sugar content of the juice in the south of Primorye is 13–15% with an acidity of 13–14 g/L, while in the central districts of the region, it reaches 16–18% with an acidity of 10–12 g/L. The transportability of the berries is high, and the variety is suitable for long-term storage.

Morphological Description of the Russkiy Konkord Grape Variety

• Leaf: large, round, weakly three-lobed, less frequently almost entire. The upper side of the leaf blade is smooth, slightly wavy, dark green, and matte. The lower side of the leaf is light green with dense, ash-colored tomentose pubescence.
• Flower: functionally female. To obtain fully developed clusters, the Russkiy Konkord grape variety requires mixed plantings with hermaphroditic varieties, artificial pollination, and shoot pinching before the beginning of flowering. The best pollinators are the varieties Lidia, Extra, and Agavam.

Agricultural Techniques

The Russkiy Konkord grape variety possesses sufficiently high winter hardiness of the above-ground part of the vine when grown as a grafted culture. During the period of 1955–1966, the Russkiy Konkord variety was cultivated in many specialized state farms (sovkhozes) of the Primorsky Territory on its own roots. In grafted culture, the variety has not been sufficiently studied; according to data by L. T. Slesarenko, the average yield on the Alpha variety rootstock is 35 c/ha. In other regions of northern viticulture, the average yield per vine in self-rooted culture is 5–7 kg, with a maximum of 18 kg. The percentage of fruitful shoots is low, ranging from 40 to 60%. It has been observed that the variety bears fruit better in large training systems with a sufficient amount of perennial wood.

The resistance of the variety to downy mildew (mildew) is evaluated as satisfactory, while its resistance to other fungal diseases is high. The Russkiy Konkord grape variety is recommended for cultivation on winter-hardy rootstocks in the regions of the Far East with a sum of active temperatures exceeding 2400–2500°C. The intended use of the product is as an attractive table variety for long-term storage, as well as for the preparation of juices and compotes. A valuable biological asset of the variety is the ability of the berries to post-ripen in a dry, cool place at a temperature of 1–2°C above zero.

VINEYARD Note: please note that at the time of creating this entry on November 2, 2026, the international grape catalogue VIVC contains an error regarding the variety described here. Russkiy Konkord is mistakenly declared a synonym for the American variety Salem, which has a completely different origin.