Plum (Prunus domestica) ROMAN

Plum (Prunus domestica) 'Roman'

Romanian August variety with large, reddish-blue fruits.

'Roman' is a high-quality Romanian plum variety from the Piteşti – Mărăcineni institute. It shares the same parentage as the ‘Carpatin’ and ‘Centenar’ varieties but ripens in August. It is characterized by large fruits (approx. 60 g) with a specific reddish tint to the skin and crunchy flesh.

Main advantages of the variety:

• Large fruits (approx. 60 g).
• Attractive reddish-blue color.
• Crunchy and harmonious flesh.
• Tolerance to diseases (red leaf spot, plum pocket).
• High production potential.

Origin and Registration

• Country of origin: Romania
• Institution: Fruit Research and Development Institute Piteşti – Mărăcineni
• Parentage: ‘Tuleu Gras’ × ‘Early Rivers’
• Registration: 1978

Variety Characteristics

Tree

• Vigor: Medium.
• Crown: Sparse, with well-defined scaffold branches.
• Yield: High production potential with proper care.
• Rootstock Myrobalan C5: Tree growth on this rootstock is similar to the St. Julien rootstock. The advantage of the Myrobalan C5 rootstock is that it tolerates drought, water stress, and poorer soil conditions better.

Fruit

• Size and Weight: Large, weighing approximately 60 g.
• Shape and Color: Ovoid. The skin is reddish-blue, covered with a grey bloom.
• Flesh: Yellow-orange, crunchy, balanced juiciness.
• Taste: Harmonious, sweet-sour.
• Stone: Partially separates from the flesh (semi-freestone).
• Usage: Attractive table variety for fresh consumption, also suitable for processing.

Resistance and Requirements

• Disease resistance: Tolerant to Red leaf spot (Polystigma rubrum) and Plum pocket (Taphrina pruni). Moderately resistant to Monilinia in rainy years.

Cultivation Recommendations

• Flowering: Mid-season.
• Pollination: The variety is male sterile (androsterile), therefore it absolutely needs pollinators.
• Suitable pollinators: ‘Anna Spath’, ‘d’Agen’, ‘Stanley’, ‘Count Althann's Gage’, ‘Silvia’.

Harvest and Storage

• Harvest time: First decade of August (August 1st – 10th).