Fruit Varieties Journal 40(2):51-55

Apple Bred in Canada: Selections from Controlled Crosses for Commercial Production Bernadine C. Strik and John T.A. Proctor1' 2

Abstract Breeding of was to occupy an important place in the activities of breeding in Canada by controlled crosses for increased tree cold hardiness, fruit the C.E.F. and of branch farms as the similar to 'Mclntosh' and '' and, growing of apples almost everywhere more recently, for scab resistance, has produced in Canada was a goal. However, it few commercial cultivars. 'Spartan' has been soon became apparent that the com the most important introduction. Mutation breeding in Canada has produced Wijcik, a mercial production of apples offered compact or columnar mutant of 'Mclntosh,' and ?possibilities mainly in Nova Scotia it, or similar types may prove important in N.S.), New Brunswick (N.B.), Prince intensive orchards. Edward Island, Quebec, Ontario and Apple breeding utilizing controlled British Columbia (B.C.). Thus, the crosses began in Canada in 1894 at the experimental farms that first became Central Experimental Farm (C.E.F.) involved in apple breeding were at in Ottawa. The primary objective Dentville, N.S., Fredericton, N.B., St- was increased tree cold hardiness. Jean, Quebec, Ottawa (C.E.F.), Vine- Secondary objectives of the program land, and Smithfield, Ontario, and were to product apples of 'Northern Summerland, B.C. (7). Spy' and 'Mclntosh' types, but matur Prior to 1939 the C.E.F. named ing earlier or later (7). Dr. W. selections at the time they were dis Saunders, the first director of the tributed for testing (1). In 1923, Davis C.E.F., initially made crosses between (4) commented that "we have too the Siberian Crab (Mains baccata) many varieties, and no new variety and commercial cultivars including should be introduced unless it is going 'Mclntosh,' ',' 'Fameuse' and to replace some defective sort or is 'Tetofsky.' The resulting crosses yield- needed in some district to extend the ed'hardy crabs with much larger fruit season where hardiness has been a than the Siberian Crab mother. In limiting factor." Hence, in the late 1904 Saunders selected the most prom 1930's stations adopted a more con ising of the first crosses and crossed servative policy subjecting their selec them with pollen from commercial tions to more rigorous pre-introduction cultivars. 'Mclntoshra chance seedling testing (1). discovered around 1811 in Dundela Table 1 lists apple cultivars bred (60 km south of Ottawa), Ontario, (by controlled crosses) in Canada for was alreadya commercially important commercial production; open polli at that time and was used nated cultivars, crabs, ornamentals, extensively as a parent in the breeding rootstocks and the many cultivars program (Table 1). bred at research stations in the Prairie

1 Graduate student and Professor, respectively. Department of Horticultural Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada NIG 2W1. 2 The authors are indebted to three Canadian apple breeders, C. J. Bishop, A. D. Crowe, and K. O. Lapins for their comments during preparation of this manuscript.This brief review is dedicated to all Canadian apple breeders for their contribution to horticulture.

51 Table1.Apple cultivars bredin Canada meansby of controlled crosses,listed by year of introduction.

YEAR CULTTVAR INTRODUCED LOCATION PARENTAGE SEASON

Mclntoshx Yellow Newtown 2 weeksafter Mclntosh2

Mclntosh* Milwaukee Mclntoshseason

Mclntoshx Forest Mclntoshseason

Pioneerx Tetofsky LateAugust

Lawverx Fameuse 2 weeksafter Mclntosh

Newtown Mclntoshx Yellow 2-3weeks after Mclntosh ^

Mclntoshx 3 weeksafter Mclntosh 3

Mclntoshx 3 weeksafter Mclntosh

Melbax CrimsonBeauty 5 weeksbefore Mclntosh

o GoldenRusset x Cox's Orange 1 weekbefore Mclntosh

CrimsonBeauty x Red weeksbefore Mclntosh 5-6 >

CrimsonBeauty x Melba 5-6weeks before Mclntosh

Mclntoshx Golden Delicious 3rd week of October in Summerland

GoldenDelicious * Grimes Golden 3 weeks before Golden Delicious

RicharedDelicious * Linda 1 weekafter Delicious

Spartanx Prog. 565 Ripenswith

Mclntoshx Fameuse 10days prior to Mclntosh Table1 (Cont.). Apple cultivars bredin Canada by means of controlled crosses, listedby year of introduction.

zMcIntoshisharvested inOntario about September 20. yScabresistant cultivars 54 Fruit Varieties Journal

Provinces (13) are not included. Prior for scab control. The first scab-re to 1965, the C.E.F. introduced about sistant cultivar, 'Prima,' was introduced 300 open pollinated cultivars such as in 1970 (5). Canada followed auickly 'Melba' and 'Lobo' which are grown with 'Nova Easygro' released by the commercially. In the Prairies climatic Kentville Station in 1971. Smithfield conditions make fruit growing diffi has introduced five scab-resistant cul cult. The use of cultivars such as tivars as well (Table 1). A 'Melba', and 'Tetofsky' as the pollen scab-resistance program for Canada, parent has led to the development of centered at the Research Station, St- many cultivars hardy for the area Jean, Quebec (7), is at the seedling (15). However, commercial produc evaluation stage and further hybrid tion in the Prairies is essentially non ization has been terminated. existent and these cultivars are grown Currently the ideotypic apple cul mainly in home gardens. tivar for Canada would be winter In the early breeding work, hardi hardy, scab-resistant, and a consistent ness was the main selection criterion. producer of high quality fruit, as de Macoun (11) was being very optimistic termined by dessert, culinary, nutritive in 1928, when stating that "the time and shipping quality, and either early should not be far distant when there or late ripening. The fruit would have will be varieties of apples originated to be distinctive enough to be readily in Canada suitable for all parts of recognized, or be a 'Mclntosh' or Canada where there is settlement, in 'Delicious' type. 'Mclntosh' types in season throughout the year, and com clude 'Scotia, 'Kestrel' and 'Spartan.' paring favourably with those of any 'Sinta' (Table 1) is a 'Golden Delicious' country." In the late 1930's and early type fruit (3). 1940's, the scope of the breeding pro There are numerous problems that gram broadened as the main criteria face the introduction of a new cultivar. became the selection of hardy, late- The major problem is that apple keeping, preferably red, winter cul breeding is a complex and lengthy tivars (6). process requiring a minimum of 8 Disease resistance later became im years for the first evaluation of seed portant and breeding apples for re lings and another 8 years for secondary sistance to began at'Ottawa testing. Then the seedling must be in 1949 (14). This program primarily mass propagated and introduced. By used Mains floribunda as a source of the time the cultivar is introduced the scab resistance and formed part of need for producing such an apple the Apple Breeders Co-operative pro may have passed. gram which also included Rutgers, Choosing a proper name for a new Illinois, Purdue and Cornell Univer cultivar is difficult. Often various sities (7). Since establishment of the combinations of the popular parent's program at C.E.F. approximately name are chosen, but these are often 40,000 seedlings have been evaluated harsh sounding and thus a poor choice. at Smithfield. From this material The name should not have any un about 50 seedlings were selected for desirable alternate meanings. For ex further testing. Only six were con ample, the name 'Sandel' may be sidered of sufficient promise to war associated with poor texture. Trade rant evaluation by growers (8). 'Mcln- channels are often resistant to the tosh,' the most important commercial introduction of a new cultivar; a good cultivar in Canada, is highly suscepti publicity campaign is required. Rapid ble to scab and, though some are less commercialization of every cultivar susceptible than others, all large-fruited with potential is not occurring because commercial cultivars require spraying cultural requirements for fruit grow- Apple Cultivars Bred in Canada 55 ing such as pruning, thinning, nu Literature Cited trition, etc., are becoming specialized for each cultivar (4). Although an apple breeding pro 1. Alderman, W. H. 1948. Fruit breeding- gram has existed in Canada since past, present and future. Proc. Amer. Soc. 1894, the number of introductions Hort. 51:670-684. 2. Bishop, C. J. 1959. Radiation—induced that have been of commercial value is fruit color mutations in apples. Can. J. Gen. small. Canada's major apple cultivar Cyt. 1:118-123. is still 'Mclntosh,' a chance seedling 3. Crowe, A. D. 1976. Apple scion varieties discovered around 1811, although and strains. Agdex 211-30, Publication No. * A. Hort. C-5, Altantic Horticulture Com there is often a problem with produc mittee, Kentville, Nova Scotia. ing high quality fruit. 'Spartan (Table 4. Davis, M. B. 1923. Some results of breed 1), a Mclntosh-type fruit, is becoming ing. Farmers Advocate 58(2):1822. increasingly important in Canada, par 5. Dayton, D. F., J. B. Mowry, L. F. Hough, ticularly in B.C. (12). 'Delicious,' a Catherine Bailey, E. G. Williams, Jules Janick, and F. H. Emerson. 1970. Prima— seedling discovered in the United an early fall apple with resistance to scab. States (U.S.), is the second most im Fruit Var. Hort. Digest 24:20-22. portant cultivar in Canada. ,' 6. Dickson, G. H. 1950. Apple breeding, p. '' and 'Cortland' are all increas 48-56. In: Ontario Department of Agri culture Annual Report, Toronto, Ontario. ing in importance (12); these were 7. Fisher, D. V. 1976. Research by the Canada bred in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, p. 246-255. In: The cost and relative lack of success W. H. Upshall (ed.). History of Fruit Grow in apple breeding has led to the cur ing ana Handling in United States of America and Canada 1860-1972. Regatta tailment of many breeding programs City Press Ltd., Kelowna, B.C., Canada. and the discontinuation of further 8. Heeney,H.B. 1975. Promising scab resistant crossing in the program at St-Jean, apple seedlings, p. 27-28. In: Smithfield Quebec. Perhaps the expectations of tperimental Farm Research Report, Smith- field, Ontario. the breeding programs have been too 9. Lapins, K. O. 1965. Compact mutants of high. apple induced by ionizing radiation. Can. J. Since the 1950's mutation breeding Plant Sci. 45:117-124. in Canada by means of irradiation has 10. Lapins, K. 0.1969. Segregation of compact growth types in certain apple seedling given strains of 'Cortland' with in progenies. Can. J. Plant Sci. 49:765-768. creased color (2), and compact mu 11. Macoun, W. T. 1928. Progress in apple tants (9). Intensive production systems breeding in Canada. Proc. Amer. Soc. Hort. for apple demand compact, preco Sci. 25:117-122. 12. Proctor, J. T. A. 1979. Apple cultivars cious cultivars. A mutant 'Mclntosh,' grown in Canada. Fruit Var. J. 33:12-15. Wijcik, seems to be heterozygous for 13. Ronald, W. G. and H. J. Temmerman. a dominant gene for compact or 1982. Tree fruits for the Prairie Provinces. columnar habit (10) and forms the Publication 1672E, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa. basis of the columnar apple breeding 14. Spangelo, L. P. S., J. B. Tulien, W. M. program at the East Mailing Research Rutherford, and L. L. Modderman. 1962. Station in England (16). This example Breeding for resistance to apple scab. p. 14- stresses that the success of apple 15. In: Canadian Horticultural Council Re> port, Ottawa, Ontario. breeding programs should not be 15. Strane, J. G. and C. Strushnoff. 1975. A judged solely on fruit characteristics. classification of hardy North American Growth habit, such as with the colum apple cultivars based on hardiness zones. nar types may prove extremely impor Fruit Var. J. 29:78-108. 16. Tobutt, K. R. 1984. Breeding columnar tant in very intensive orchards in the apple varieties at East Malting. Scientific near future. Horticulture 35:72-77