Apple Cultivars: The newer apple cultivars that we recommend for A Geneva Perspective careful testing by growers in New York include Susan Brown and Kevin Maloney ‘Ambrosia’, ‘Braeburn’, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Cornell University, ‘Corail’, ‘Sansa’, and New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, NY ‘Zestar’. Other apples discussed in this article This work was funded in part by the New York State may also have limited Apple Research and Development Program. opportunities depending on the grower’s market and customer acceptance. unding from the New York Apple Highland site is for assessment of disease Research and Development and pest susceptibility. The 1995 planting Fprogram (ARDP) and the New York includes the following varieties and Apple Association (NYAA) aids our advanced selections: ‘Arlet’, ‘Braeburn’ the fruits are slightly square. It has been evaluation research on the performance (control), ‘Creston’, ‘Cameo’, described as very attractive, of good size, of new cultivars and breeding selections. ‘Enterprise’, ‘Fortune’, ‘Fuji’ (BC#2), crisp, sweet, low acid, very juicy, distinct This article features some of the cultivars ‘Yataka Fuji’ (control), ‘Gala Supreme’, but mild, with a pleasant aroma. It has we have evaluated and offers information ‘Ginger Gold’, ‘Golden Delicious’ been rated well in test trials. Trees are on other cultivars that are either not (control), ‘Golden Supreme’, ‘Goldrush’, productive, upright, spur-type and available for testing or are not ‘Honeycrisp’, NY 75414-1, ‘Orin’, grower friendly. Trees should not be recommended for our region, particularly ‘Pristine’, ‘Sansa’, ‘Shizuka’, ‘Suncrisp’ overcropped early. Two harvests are in regard to having too long a growing and’‘Sunrise’. Information on the recommended. The high sugar content season requirement. Selections from the performance of these cultivars was can cause splitting following autumn Cornell program will be featured in a reviewed in the Fruit Quarterly (Brown rains. Storage life is reported to be four subsequent article. Growers interested in et al., 1999). The 1999 NE183 planting months in 0°C air and six months in C.A. additional information on any of the features: ‘Ambrosia’, ’Autumn Gold’, BC ‘Ambrosia’ was reported to have a slight cultivars listed are encouraged to contact 8S-26-50, ‘Chinook’, ‘Sundancer’ (Coop tendency to sunburn. Fruits have a pink/ the authors or to access the US Patent and 29), Coop 39, CQR 10-T17, CQR 12-T50, red blush on a cream/yellow Trademark Office at http:// ‘Delblush’, ‘Jubilee Fuji’, ‘Hampshire’, background, with exposed fruits coloring patents.cnidr.org/access/search- NJ 90, NJ 109, NY 79507-49, NY 79507- 70 to 80 percent. There are some bool.html/. A search using “apple tree”, 72, ‘Pink Lady’, ‘Pinova’, ‘Runkel’, indications that ‘Ambrosia’ is very site the patent number, or the cultivar name ‘Silken’ and ‘Zestar’. ‘Golden Delicious’ specific. provides access to a summary or a full text (‘Gibson’) was the control cultivar. ‘Ambrosia’ was harvested on 10/15/ version of the patent application. The 01 in Geneva. Fruits have 50 to 80 percent home page is at http://www.uspto.gov/ ‘Ambrosia’ (‘Mennells Ambrosia’): dull orangish pink/red on yellow and are Information on cultivars being tested (USPP#10,789). A chance seedling oblate to conic in shape with slight lobing. as part of the NE183 regional project, discovered in the 1980s in Cawston, “Multidisciplinary evaluation of new British Columbia in an area where both apple cultivars” is available at the virtual ‘Delicious’ and ‘Golden Delicious’ trees orchard website (http://www. were growing. The name ‘Ambrosia’ was virtualorchard.net/NE183/). The 1995 chosen to denote its unique, honey-like and 1999 plantings were established at flavor. ‘Ambrosia’s shape, appearance Geneva, Ithaca and Highland, NY. The and harvest are similar to ‘Delicious’, but ‘Arlet’ ‘Braeburn’ ‘Creston’ NEW YORK FRUIT QUARTERLY • VOLUME 10 NUMBER 2 • 2002 21 Fruits have long stems and an open calyx. They were judged as still crisp and firm after storage to mid-December and after a 7-day shelf life test, but had little flavor or a slightly musty flavor. Fruits were 12.5% Brix and 17-18 pounds firmness just after storage. No storage disorders were noted other than one occurrence of brown core. ‘Ambrosia’s texture, firmness, storage life (except for some greasiness) and high pack-outs are all strengths, but ‘Enterprise’ ‘Fuji’ the mild flavor may be a negative if it is considered to be too bland. Limited test planting is recommended for those who BRAEBURN age. Young trees are susceptible to bitter have a market for mild flavored yet crisp ‘Braeburn’: Although a challenging pit. apples. variety to grow, its excellent quality ‘Chinook’ (8S-27-51):’(USPP# ‘Arlet’ (‘Swiss Gourmet’): following storage and its ability to retain 10,740). A 1998 release from Summerland, (USPP#6,689). ‘Arlet’s good quality is no firmness on the shelf are reasons to give British Columbia (Quamme et al., 1999). match for poor appearance due to this cultivar a test. Sports include: It is a hybrid of ‘Splendour’ x ‘Gala’ that russetting. Not recommended for trial. ‘Braestar™’ (‘Brayleet’ ): Limb was selected for its firmness, crispness ‘Autumn Gold’ TM (‘Hein’): mutation of ‘Braeburn’ discovered in and quality. Fruits are 80 to 90 percent (USPP#9,907) A chance seedling Havelock North, New Zealand. Redder bright red on yellow and have excellent discovered in Tieton, Washington in 1985. color and ripens 3 to 5 days earlier than appearance, texture, quality and storage It is a late maturing ‘Golden Delicious’ standard ‘Braeburn’. attributes. It is harvested about 5 days type with an attractive red blush on a ‘Joburn™ Braeburn’ (‘Aurora’): after ‘Delicious’. Over 3,000 trees of yellow/green ground. ‘Autumn Gold’ (USPP#11,992). Sport of standard ‘Chinook’ have been planted in Canada. matures about two weeks later than ‘Braeburn’ discovered in New Zealand. Skin and stem bowl russet, skin shrivel, ‘Golden Delicious’. Fruit size and shape ‘Eve™ Braeburn’: (USPP#11,604). and moldy core have been reported. are reported to be uniform and fruits are Natural mutation of ‘Braeburn’ ‘Chinook’ tends to overset. Fruit size not prone to russetting. It is said to have discovered in New Zealand with 90 to has been very small at Geneva even after better than average storage life when 100% red blush. Reported to have a thinning. Fruits are pale brownish red and compared to other Goldens. The tree is of slightly later maturity than standard 2.5 inches or less in size. Fruits have medium vigor with spreading branches. ‘Braeburn’. prominent lenticels and the fruit russet Fruits were prone to russetting at ‘Kumeu Crimson Braeburn’: A new resembles scarf skin. Some fruit cracking Geneva in 2000. ‘Autumn Gold’ was listing that is not yet in the patent was observed. After storage, ‘Chinook’ harvested on 10/10/01 and found to pick database. was still crisp, firm and sweet. In 2001, hard. Fruits had an attractive appearance, ‘Lochbuie Braeburn’: fruits were free from storage disorders. being 30 percent salmon colored blush on (USPP#11,266). A highly colored blushed Only growers willing to gamble on their green, with slight russet in the stem cavity sport of ‘Braeburn’ discovered in New ability to thin ‘Chinook’ should test plant and some on the lenticels. Fruits have Zealand. Distinct in that it does not have this variety. It appears to be worse than long stems but are difficult to harvest. The the standard stripe and fleck, but instead ‘Gala’ in having a genetic tendency calyx was open on some fruits (and closed is a blush. towards heavy cropping and small fruit on others). Fruits did not store well for ‘Mariri Red’: (USPP#11,604). A limb size. quality, had thick skins and were chalky mutation of standard ‘Braeburn’ ‘Corail’™ (formerly ‘Pinova’) (Pia and mild. No storage disorders were discovered in New Zealand. The dark red 11, 24 ). (USPP#11, 601). A hybrid of noted. coloration is nearly 100 percent and it is a (‘Duchess of Oldenberg’ x Cox’s Orange BC 8S-26-50. A hybrid of ‘Gala’ x solid blush type. Pippin’) x ‘Golden Delicious’ that was ‘Splendour’ developed in Summerland, ‘Rocket Red™ Braeburn’: introduced by the Fruit Research Institute British Columbia. It ripens one week after (USPPAF). A sport of standard ‘Braeburn’ in Dresden, Germany, in 1986. ‘Corail’ has ‘Delicious’. It has been in advanced trials discovered in New Zealand that is distinct a spicy flavor and fruits are small to in Canada since 1990. At Geneva, this in having a very intense blush and narrow medium in size. ‘Corail’ is reported to selection was harvested on 10/25/01. and intense stripes. All other have outstanding flavor, matures with Fruit appearance was very poor, with characteristics are the same as standard. ‘Golden Delicious’, medium size, extensive russet and some cracking. Fruits fluorescent pinkish-red, very productive; were a dull, pale reddish-brown, and ‘Cameo’ (‘Caudle’): (USPP#9,068). crops regularly every year. The medium some were irregular in shape. Following This cultivar offers mild flavor, good to low vigor may necessitate a more storage, BC 8S-26-50 was still crisp and storage and good crispness. Its vigorous rootstock than M.9. Its slightly juicy, but some fruit shrivel appearance is similar to ‘Hawkeye’, the susceptibility to diseases is similar to that occurred. Many rots developed in storage, original ‘Delicious’. ‘Cameo’ sets five of ‘Golden Delicious’. Initial tests in with some fruits having slight brown core. fruits per cluster, so overcropping is a Europe suggest this variety might have BC 8S-26-50 is not recommended for trial concern especially to prevent biennial good market acceptance and some due to russetting, poor fruit appearance bearing. The flavor on young bearing resistance to winter and spring frosts.