AC Harrow Gold

Pear

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Harrow Delight', 'Harvest Queen' and 'Bartlett'

Summary: 'AC Harrow Gold' has a more erect growth habit than 'Bartlett'. 'AC Harrow Gold' has larger fruit than 'Harvest Queen'. 'AC Harrow Gold' has no over colour on the skin while 'Harrow Delight' has a medium amount of red over colour. 'AC Harrow Gold' has a thinner fruit stalk than 'Harvest Queen' and a deeper stalk cavity than 'Harrow Delight' and 'Bartlett'. 'AC Harrow Gold' is resistant to Fire Blight while 'Bartlett' is moderately susceptible. 'AC Harrow Gold' matures later than 'Harrow Delight' and earlier than 'Harvest Queen' and 'Bartlett'.

Description:

The one year old trees of 'AC Harrow Gold' produce a low to medium number of side shoots and have a small bulge at the graft. The growth habit of four year old trees is semi-erect. One year old shoots have short to medium internodes and are light brown in colour on the sunny side. The shoots have a small number of lenticels which are medium in size. The vegetative bud is intermediate between squat and elongate in shape and is slightly adpressed to the shoot. The colour of the young shoot is green and pubescence on the tip is weak to medium.

The attitude of the leaf blade in relation to the shoot is horizontal to downwards. The leaf blade is medium in length and the length to breadth ratio is medium. In cross-section, the leaf blade is intermediate between flat and up-cupped. The base and the upper part of the leaf blade are right angled in shape. The tip is pointed acuminate and the margins have shallow indentations which are intermediate between serrate and crenate. The midrib has very little curvature and there are no glands present. The angle of the petiole with the shoot is 30 to 60 degrees and the petiole is medium to long in length. There are small to medium sized stipules present.

'AC Harrow Gold' flowers early to mid-season and has a low tendency for secondary bloom. The pedicel has medium pubescence and is long in length. The sepals are medium to long in length and horizontal to recurved towards the pedicel. The flower petals are touching, are medium to long in length and as long as broad. The base of the petal is u-shaped and the margins have medium undulation. The petal claw is medium in length. The stigma is positioned level with the anthers and anther size is medium. The receptacle is hollowed in shape.

'AC Harrow Gold' has medium sized fruit which is symmetric in longitudinal section. The shape in profile is concave to straight and the length relative to the maximum diameter is medium. The position of maximum diameter is towards the base. At maturity, the ground colour on the shaded side of the skin is yellow. There is no over colour on the skin at maturity and no russet. The stalk is short to medium in length and medium in thickness. The stalk is straight to slightly curved in shape and insertion is along the axis to oblique. The stalk cavity is medium in depth. The eye is medium in size and opening at harvest is intermediate. The eye basin is medium in depth and narrow to medium in width. The margin of the eye basin is slightly ribbed. The sepals are convergent to upright at harvest and are medium to long in length. The fruit core is medium in diameter and the cells are intermediate between rounded and elongate in shape. Core breakdown is very slight. The seeds are ovate in shape. The fruit flesh is white to cream in colour and the texture is very fine. Fruit juiciness is strong and taste is intermediate between acid and sweet. The fruit has very few stone cells which are located throughout the flesh and are very small in size. The skin texture is medium between tender and tough and is thin to medium in thickness. Fruit aroma is medium and storage life is short to medium. 'AC Harrow Gold' is resistant to Fire Blight (Erwinia amylovora).

Origin & Breeding History: 'AC Harrow Gold' originated from the controlled cross between 'Harvest Queen' and 'Harrow Delight', made in 1975 at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Station in Harrow, Ontario. It was selected as a hybrid seedling in 1983 and propagated by budding onto pear seedling rootstocks. In 1985, it was advanced as HW616 and testing began in 1987. Testing in regional trials was conducted from 1986 to 1999.

Tests & Trials: Tests and trials for 'AC Harrow Gold' were conducted at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Station in Harrow, Ontario. The trials consisted of four trees per variety planted in a randomized compete block design. The trees were on Bartlett open pollinated rootstock. Plant Breeders' Rights data were collected from 1994 to 1999.