1. ABOUT THE DATASET ------------ Title: Characterization and Evaluation data from the National Fruit Collection 2025_Plum Creator(s): Matthew Ordidge[1] (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0115-5218), Penny Hale [2], Georgette Sadler [2]. Organisation(s): 1. University of Reading. 2. Fruit Advisory Services Team Llp Rights-holder(s): Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Publication Year: 2025 Description: Data are characterization and evaluation scores and measures collected during the curation of the National Fruit Collection (plum collection). Data were largely collected in line with the published ECPGR Passport and Priority Descriptors for Plum Genetic Resources with additional locally agreed descriptors. The dataset contains scores across 15 traits from 345 accessions. Cite as: Ordidge, Matthew; Hale, Penny; Sadler, Georgette (2025) Characterization and Evaluation data from the National Fruit Collection 2025_Plum. University of Reading. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.17864/1947.001456 Related publication: Data are also publically available (limited to 'current accessions') through the EURISCO database: https://eurisco.ipk-gatersleben.de/apex/eurisco_ws_dev/r/eurisco/home Acknowledgements: We would like to acknowledge previous curational work and data collection by staff at Wye College/Imperial College Wye. 2. TERMS OF USE ------------ Copyright Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs 2024. This dataset is licensed by the rights-holder(s) under the Open Government License 3.0 https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ 3. PROJECT AND FUNDING INFORMATION ------------ Title: The Long Term Housing, Maintenance and Scientific Curation of the National Fruit Collections Dates: April 2014- Funding organisation: Defra Grant no.: GC0147 4. CONTENTS ------------ File listing NFC_C_E_data_Plum_04_09_25.csv Data are presented in the form of a .csv file and represent characterization and evaluation descriptor scores for accessions in the National Fruit Collection (past and present). Columns 1-7 contain Accession names, Accession numbers, Row, Tree and presumed species data as well as notes on whether accessions are current and/or whether data are available in the EURISCO database. Columns 8-9 and 43-45 contain details on the dates of sample harvest, recording and details of the recorder in relation to the scores in subsequent columns. Descriptors are generally presented in both written descriptive and numerical rated format. 5. METHODS ----------- Data were generally scored following protocols published by ECPGR (https://www.ecpgr.org/fileadmin/templates/ecpgr.org/upload/WORKING_GROUPS/Prunus/Prundoc-EPDBdescriptors_v2020__003_.pdf accessed 04/09/25). Additional 'local' descriptors were added to categorise 'Stalk length', 'Flesh sweetness' and 'Flesh acidity' (based on equivalent scales to the ECPGR descriptors). A UPOV standard was used to estimate size based on average fruit weight. Harvest time and susceptibility to cracking were based on one year of observation only. Data were collected over a period of time (approx 1998-2025) with sampling as indicated in the file. The location of the collection is 51.29979, 0.87834. Where the scorer's judgement was that more than one category was represented, data have been standardised to the main or median state. Data collectors (P.Hale, G. Sadler, F.Childs and E.J. Lamont) are detailed in the file, data have been collated by M Ordidge (as above).