Apple Varieties - of Commercial Interest 11 ABTI.E FACTS BRAEBURN SPORTS: Susan K. Brown \ ., While several sports are being tested only Hillwell is available in the US. This sport has not yet fruited at Geneva. Synonyms: None known Origin: Chance seedling discovered in 1952 near Nelson, New Zealand. COMMENTS (The following comments Parentage: Probable parents are Lady Hamilton x Granny Smith. represent a compilation of information Patent Status: The original Braeburn is not patentable in the USA. from the references cited): Red strains from New Zealand are under test. Pruning and training: At planting time FRUIT DESCRIPTION: Braeburn trees that are feathered should have branches headed to prevent blind wood and encourage new growth in the Size range: Medium to large. first year. Braeburn-will do well as a Stem length: Medium. central leader type tree and will fit into a Fruit shape: Oval with crown. high density system with this tree struc- Skin color: Poor grade of red stripe on green. Red strains can be all ture. Management of the top of the treeis red if there is good exposure to sunlight. the key to well structured Braeburn trees Flavor: 1 Excellent. Sweetltart and aromatic. and the production of large quantities of Flesh color: Buff to yellow if mature, pale green if immature. fruit. Texture: Firm, crisp and very juicy. Storage life: Long-six months in common and likely a year in CA. A grower in Oregon has evaluated Maturity date: Late. Probably overlaps with Rome Beauty, Fuji and Braeburn for several years (Waliser, 1989, Granny Smith. Depends on nitrogen level and vigor of 1990). Compared to Gala and Fuji he the tree. More grower testing needed to determine the found Braeburn to be a much weaker maturity indices. growing tree, especially in the top where it tends to produce many limbs, often TREE CHARACTERISTICS: with no dominant central leader. This weak top and tendency to fruit early can Vigor: Low to moderate. May runt out if over cropped. cause Braeburn to runt out and not grow Growth type: Spur type. to its desired volume, reducing ultimate Precocity: Very good, but has shown biennial tendency. bearing surface potential. In the first 3 to Bloom season: Mid season. Has extended bloom. 4 years it is important to allow the trees to Pollination requirements: Any diploid in the same bloom season. Winter Banana grow and fill desired volume beforepro- ducing heavy crops. Proper crop and tree and Red Delicious are being used by some growers as management are more crucial with pollenizers. Braeburn than with many varieties. Cold hardiness status: Appears adequate. Disease status: Susceptible to scab, mildew, Brooks spot, and fire blight. Braeburn characteristically has a weep- Physiological disorders: Braeburn is very susceptibl~'t~~eciallyon ing habit. However, buds will break and young trees with a light crop.. ~iii~din~'otivigor and grow into upright shoots which can be crop load, three to five sprays of ca1ci^u~chlorid6~a~be used to renew fruiting wood and form needed to control this problem. ~iendalbearing. new limbs. Fruits are produced on one Availability sources: Commercially available from many nurserid%. year old wood and on fruit spurs, with Commercial status: Braeburn is well established as an enpo~vafieJdor~ew spurs producing the highest quality fruit. Zealand. While there is increased int~mnthe US, A range of fruit shapes occur, from round . .'-++ Braeburn may not be a success in cool, late season areas. to long to typey. Nitropen: Braeburn is not nitrogen eties Showcase (Marini, 1992). In Vir- friendly (Waliser, 1989). Moderate to ginia, Braeburn matures with or slightly References: high nitrogen with excessivetree vigor after Golden Delicious. The fruit is unat- will contribute to bitter pit, lenticel tractive, develops bitterpit, andpreharvest Ballard, J. 1992 (Feb.). Braeburn breakdown problems and poor stor- drop may be aproblem. The fruit quality profile sheet. Pacific Northwest age life. High nitrogen levels will also may improve as trees get older and settle Fruit Tester's Variety Characteris- result in poor color and quality. into a good fruiting habit. Shoots are tic Profile. susceptible to quince rust. The tree has a Ballard, J. 1993 (March). Don't There is a degree of brittle graft union on M.26 or Mark root- Rootstocks: give up on Braeburn. Good Fruit incompatibilitybetween the stock and stock. In Virginia, the potential is un- Grower:43-44. scion, forming a weak union. This is known andonly limited testplantings are especially true on EMLA 26. recommended. Kupferman, E. M. 1992. Maturity Braeburn trees must be supported dur- and storage of apple varieties new ing the first year toprevent breaking at Fire blight susceptibilitv: In Southwest to Washington State. Washington the bud union. Michigan, 2 and 3-year old trees on M.7a State University Tree Fruit or M.7EMLA were evaluated following Postharvest Journal 3(1): 9-15. a severe fire blight epidemic in 1991. Harvest andstorage: Harvest time in Lehnert, R.L. 1993 (Jan.). Fire Oregon is about a week before Granny Braeburn was highly susceptible. It had blight demands even better man- 26 to 50 % of the tree blighted in July, Smith and about 7 to 10 days before agement. The Great Lakes Fruit with 50 to 75% of the tree blighted by Fuji. Braeburn develops most of its Grower News. p.16. red color during the week before har- September (Lehnert, 1993). vest. Soluble solids should be at least Marini, R. 1992 (Feb). FruitNotes. 10 to 12%, with firmness~of 16-20 Comments specific to NY - A major con- Apple varieties. Vol 12 #2. Vir- pounds at harvest. Two to three pick- cern is whether we can mature Braeburn ginia Cooperative Extension Ser- ings areneeded to harvest Braeburn at inNew York. TheBraeburn that we have vice. in our collection matured within our har- proper color and maturity. Optimum Waliser, T. 1989. My experience vest season in 199 1, but in previous years maturity may bejust before theground growing Braeburn. Proc. Washing- there had been notes of harvest not being color changes from green to yellow. ton State Hort. ~ssoc.p. 99. Braeburn stores comparable to or bet- acceptable. The quality was good in ter than Red Delicious. While 199 1, but the external appearance was Waliser, T. 1990. New Varieties - Braeburn can developa lenticel break- poor. Apples tested out of storage in A look at Braeburn. Proc. 86th down in the skin during storage, this February had penetrometer values of 17 Annual Meeting- Washington State may be associated with fruit from pounds and a nice mix of sugar and acid. Hort. Assoc. p. 183. young trees (Kupferman, 1992). The fruit quality of Braeburn at harvest may be too acid for some tastes. Extreme Regional Testing: Braeburn was dis- susceptibility to fire blight is also a con- cussed at the Mid-Atlantic Fruit Vari- cern. Susan K. Brown is an Associate Professor of Pomology, Cornell University, New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, New York. Apple Facts is a publication of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Cornell University, Geneva, New York Cornell Unversity is an Equal Opportunity Employer Apple Varieties of Commercial Interest FUJI Availability sources: Susan K. Brown Many nurseries carry Fuji and its sports. Commercial status: Fuji is a major variety in Japan where Synonyms and strains: Tohoku #7 it commands 44% of the market. Origin: Bred by the Tohoku Research Station, Morioka, Japan. Washington and Californianow have Selected in 1939, introduced in 1958 as Tohoku #7, and large plantings of Fuji. named Fuji in 1962. Parentage: Red Delicious x Ralls Janet. SPORTS: FRUIT DESCRIPTION: The following are some of the strains being tested in the US and their patent Size range: Medium. status (Ballard, 1990): Stem length: Medium to long. Fruit shape: Round to conical. BC Type 1 entered Canada as Moriho- Skin color: Similar to standard Delicious, red strains have pin stripes over medium red. Background is green to light buff. Red fu#l. It is an irradiated selection strains have more color if exposed to good light and cold with ared blush color pattern. Most frosty nights prior to harvest. nurseries no longer carry this strain Flavor: Sweet - excellent. Good aromatics. Too sweet for some where BC Type 2 is available. tastes but texture may compensate. BC Type 2 entered Canada as Moriho-fu Flesh color: Yellowish-white. #2. It is an irradiated selection with Texture: Firm and fine. Excellent firmness that is maintained in a striped color pattern. It is re- storage. ported to display stronger red color Storage life: Very good. Can keep up to a full year in CA. In addition than the standard. the shelf life in retail markets is excellent even at room Naga-fu selections are from the Nagano temperature. External breakdown will occur rather than Fruit Tree Experiment Station in internal so retailers and consumers are ensured good Japan. quality fruit. Naga-fu # 2,6, and 12 are consid- Maturity date: Late. May ripen ahead of or with Granny Smith. Maturity ered their best but are not showing can depend upon nitrogen levels. much color as grown in Eastern Washington. TRECO's catalog TREE CHARACTERZSTZCS: states that#6 demonstrates the most consistent and stable striping pat- Vigor: Medium to high vigor. Dwarfing rootstock and French tern, without taking away the qual- Axe training preferred on the West Coast ity. #12 is said to have the same Growth type: Standard with very good spur development. Can produce attributes as #6, but may carry a blind wood. higher degree of color. BC Nagano Precocity: Very good. #1 is not to be confused with Naga- Bloom season: Mid to late. Pollination requirements: Any diploid variety in the same bloom season.