Cacanska rodna

Čačanska Rodna is our famous domestic plum variety, developed at the Fruit Research Institute in Čačak by Dr. Staniša A. Paunović, Dr. Milojko Ranković, and Dr. Dobrivoje Ogašanović, and released into production in 1975. It was created through planned crossing of Stanley and Požegača. Due to its exceptionally high sugar content, dry matter content, and premium technological qualities, it is considered one of the economically most important and best varieties for the production of premium prunes, jams, and high-quality plum brandy.

It is a fully self-fertile variety. It is characterized by outstanding and extremely high self-pollination potential, so it reliably, regularly, and abundantly produces maximum yields in pure single-variety orchards without any need for other varieties in the orchard. Due to its abundant flowering and high pollen quality, it is an excellent universal pollinator for all other plum varieties that flower at the same time. It flowers from medium-early to medium-late.

The tree is naturally low to moderate, or medium, in vigor, with a pyramidal, moderately dense, and well-branched canopy. A characteristic feature of this variety is that its elastic branches bend in arches toward the ground under the weight of the crop, giving the tree a weeping form. It enters full bearing extremely early, often producing its first fruit as early as the second year after planting. It bears regularly, abundantly, and extremely stably. Due to its tendency toward overcropping, it requires mandatory, strong, and regular winter and summer pruning in order to thin the fruiting wood, prevent branch breakage, and avoid fruit size reduction.

It belongs to the group of late summer to early autumn plum varieties. In our region and under continental climatic conditions, it ripens at the end of August and at the very beginning of September, usually 3 to 5 days after its parent variety, Stanley.

Harvesting takes place at the end of August and during the first half of September. Fruit intended for drying and processing into plum brandy is left on the tree as long as possible in order to accumulate the maximum sugar and dry matter content.

In fresh condition, it can be successfully kept in cold storage for 1–2 weeks. Due to its unique technological characteristics, high dry matter level, and optimal sugar-acid balance, it is a premium variety for drying, producing premium-quality prunes, and for making high-quality homemade jams, thick plum preserves, and marmalades. It is also one of the most sought-after and best varieties for the production of premium, highly aromatic plum brandy.

The fruit is medium-sized, with an average weight of 26–30 g, and with excellent pruning and care it can reach over 35 g. It is uniform and regular, with an ovoid-oval shape. The skin is thin, firm, and elastic, intense dark blue at full maturity, and covered with a dense, recognizable light blue bloom. The flesh is yellowish to orange, very firm, compact, juicy, and melting. The taste is outstanding, rich, full, exceptionally sweet, and pleasantly aromatic. The stone is relatively small, and the variety belongs to the group of true freestone plums: at full maturity, the stone separates from the flesh completely easily, smoothly, and cleanly.

It is a highly susceptible, even hypersensitive, variety to Plum pox virus, which is its greatest cultivation drawback in the field. Unlike the tolerant Stanley, infected fruit of Čačanska Rodna develop scab-like marks in large numbers, lose quality, become acidic, and drop prematurely before harvest. For this reason, orchards should be established exclusively in non-infected regions, with mandatory use of completely healthy, certified planting material. In addition, due to dense fruit set in touching clusters, it is highly susceptible to Monilinia and fruit rot, Monilinia laxa, which requires regular and intensive preventive chemical protection during flowering and immediately before harvest. It shows excellent resistance of the wood and flower buds to low winter frosts.

Our plum fruit trees are produced on the highly compatible, standard rootstock Myrobalan plum, Prunus cerasifera, with which this variety achieves a perfect graft union, exceptional tree longevity, and excellent adaptability to different soil types.