HW624

Pear

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Bosc', 'Harrow Sweet', 'AC Harrow Crisp' and 'Bartlett'

Summary: The profile of the sides of the fruit of 'HW624' is straight whereas they are concave on the reference varieties. The ground colour of the skin of 'HW624' is yellow whereas it is yellow green on 'Bosc', 'Harrow Sweet' and 'Bartlett'. 'HW624' has a medium to large area of over colour of the skin whereas there is none on 'Bosc', small to medium area on 'Harrow Sweet' and very small on 'Bartlett'. The overcolour of 'HW624' is dark red whereas it is orange red on 'Harrow Sweet', 'AC Harrow Crisp' and 'Bartlett'. 'HW624' has no russetting around the eye basin, on the cheeks or around the stalk attachment of the fruit whereas 'Bosc' has a large to very large area. The fruit stalk of 'HW624' is thin whereas it is medium thickness on 'Harrow Sweet' and 'AC Harrow Crisp' and thick on 'Bartlett'. 'HW624' has weak curvature of the fruit stalk whereas the curvature is medium to strong on 'Bosc', medium on 'AC Harrow Crisp' and absent on 'Bartlett'. The attitude of the sepals on the fruit of 'HW624' is spreading whereas it is erect on 'Bosc' and 'Harrow Sweet' and converging on 'AC Harrow Crisp' and 'Bartlett'. 'HW624' is resistant to moderately resistant to fireblight (Erwinia amylovora) whereas 'Bosc' is moderately susceptible and 'Bartlett' is susceptible. 'HW624' is resistant to moderately resistant to pear psylla (Cacopsylla pyricola) whereas the reference varieties are susceptible.

Description:

TREE: medium to strong vigour, strong branching, spreading to drooping habit, starts flowering early, late maturity for consumption

ONE YEAR OLD SHOOTS: wavy growth, predominantly brown purple colour on sunny side, many lenticels
VEGETATIVE BUD: acute apex, slightly held out in relation to the shoot, medium size bud support
YOUNG SHOOTS: very strong intensity of anthocyanin colouration of growing tip, weak to medium density of pubescence on upper third

LEAF: outwards attitude in relation to shoot, small to medium size length/width ratio, right angled shape of base, obtuse apex, short pointed tip, bluntly serrate margin, shallow incisions, very weak curvature of longitudinal axis
STIPULES: present, medium to long distance from basal attachment

FLOWER: mainly on spurs, stigma positioned at same level as stamens
SEPALS: recurved in relation to corolla
PETALS: mainly touching with some not touching, small to medium size, mainly circular shape with some broad ovate, mainly cuneate base with some rounded, short claw

FRUIT: small to medium length/diameter ratio, position of maximum diameter slightly towards calyx, large size, slightly asymmetric in longitudinal section, straight profile of sides
SKIN: yellow ground colour, medium to large sized area of dark red over colour, absent or very small area of russetting around eye basin, on cheeks and around stalk attachment
STALK: thin, weak curvature, oblique attitude in relation to axis of the fruit, medium to deep stalk cavity
EYE BASIN, AT HARVEST: spreading sepals, medium to deep, medium width, slightly ribbed relief around eye
FLESH: very fine texture, medium to firm, medium to strong juiciness
SEED: ovate

DISEASE REACTIONS: resistant to moderately resistant to fire blight (Erwinia amylovora)
PEST REACTIONS: resistant to moderately resistant to pear psylla (Cacopsylla pyricola)

Origin & Breeding History: 'HW624' arose from the controlled cross of 'Harrow Sweet' and 'NY10353' made in 1988 by Dr. D. M. Hunter at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Station in Harrow, Ontario. It was selected as a hybrid seedling in 1995 and propagated by budding on pear seedling rootstocks. Trees were planted in an evaluation orchard at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Farm at Jordan Station, Ontario in 1999. This selection was advanced by Dr. D. M. Hunter and made available for testing, as 'HW624', in regional trials in cooperation with the Ontario Fruit Testing Association beginning in 2000.

Tests & Trials: The tests and trials for 'HW624' were conducted during the 2009-2010 growing seasons at the Jordan Farm of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Centre in Jordan Station, Ontario. The trials consisted of a minimum of 4 trees per variety spaced 3 metres apart in the row and 4.5 metres apart between rows. The trees were grafted on standard 'Bartlett' rootstock and were originally established during the 1999 growing season.

Comparison tables for 'HW624' with reference varieties 'Bosc', 'Harrow Sweet', 'AC Harrow Crisp' and 'Bartlett'

Fruit length (cm)

Fruit maximum diameter (cm)

Length of fruit stalk (cm)

Click on image for larger view

Pear: 'HW624' (left) with reference varieties 'Bosc' (top centre), 'AC Harrow Crisp' (top right), 'Harrow Sweet' (bottom centre) and 'Bartlett' (bottom right)