Apple History—food of the gods, love, and good health Apple Concepts • Self-incompatible & Orchard Design • Cloning • Grafting • Germ plasm • New York State Agricultural Research Station – Apples, grapes, cherries, hops Kazakhstan is the Center of Diversity and Origin for Modern Apples Legend of James Chapman (a.k.a. Johnny Appleseed) • Credited with beginning apple nurseries across the Midwest (1802-1844) • Homestead law to plant 50 apple trees on newly acquired property • Apples were grown to make hard cider, not for eating Legend of John Chapman • Preacher—Swedenborgism – The New Church • Generous • Vegetarian—practiced “humane” treatment to animals • Unmarried, but he tried to cultivate a wife North American Apples Hardly an Aphrodisiac Small, hard, green, & strongly astringent Chapman’s Great Selection Experiment • Cultivars of apples discovered in North America – Red Delicious—Iowa – Golden Delicious—Ohio – Jonathan and Rome Beauty—New York Modern Apples Jonagold = Golden Delicious x Jonathan NY NZ GB Japan NY NY • Cross-pollination of apple varieties • Selection among thousands of seedlings • Clonal propagation of trees onto good rootstocks • Cortland was indeed named after Cortland Co.— developed in Geneva, NY (1898) Natural populations in Kazakhstan hold the genes for improving modern apples Kazakhstan Apples • Center of Genetic Diversity – Important breeding stock – Great variation in disease resistance, flavor, color, production • 2000-6000 B.C. spread of apples along trade routes to Middle East and southern Europe – Dessert Fruit, Aphrodisiac • Cloning techniques develop (i.e., grafting) Grafting—Scion of Desired Cultivar • Connect vascular cambium of scion with cambium of rootstock • Seal with wax & tape University of Massachuesetts Grafting • Root stock – Rate of growth determines size of tree • Dwarf (M9), semi-dwarf (M7, MM106), or standard (MM111) • M, Mailing England • MM, Mailing-Merton • G, Geneva NY – Selection for • Disease resistance (fire blight & aphids) • Drought & flooding • Cold tolerance Healthy Living by Eating Apples • Good sources of Fiber and Vitamin C • Phytonutrients – Flavonoids-anthocynanins-antioxidants – Anti-cancer compounds – Heart healthy compounds – Cholesterol lowering compounds On Trial in Geneva New York New York Agriculture Experimental Research Station in Geneva, NY World’s Largest Germ Plasm Collection of Apples Apples credited to Geneva--Cortland Another invention from Geneva, NY What is it? Orchard Design • Understanding apple incompatibility – Gametophytic system • Blooming time – Early, Mid, or Late Season Flowering • Pollinator Supplementation – Honey Bees—rental hives – Mason Bees, Bumble bees, orchard bees—habitat improvement • Environmental conditions – Wind, temperature extremes, nitrogen fertilizer Gametophytic Self- Incompatibility S S • “S” locus 9 1 – Hyper-variable • Crossing between trees of the same cultivar are incompatible • Diploid Genotypes – S1S9 X S1S9; incompatible • Pollen tubes stopped shortly after entering stigma • Protein-protein interactions – S1S9 X S2S9; partial compatible – S1S9 X S3S28; fully compatible S1S9 Gametophytic Self- Incompatibility S S • “S” locus 3 28 – Hyper-variable • Diploid Genotypes – S1S9 X S3S28; fully compatible – Pollen may possess an allele different from what is represented in the diploid, female parent. S1S9 S-Locus Genotypes for some Apple Cultivars • Empire—S10S28 • Gala—S2S5 • Ginger Gold—S3S28 • Golden Delicious—S2S3 • Granny Smith—S3S23 • Honeycrisp—S2S24 • Jonathan—S7S9 • Northern Spy—S1S3 Which apple cultivar appears to be • Pink Lady—S2S23 the best pollinator of all the rest? S-Locus Genotypes for some Apple Cultivars • Empire—S10S28 • Gala—S2S5 • Ginger Gold—S3S28 • Golden Delicious—S2S3 • Granny Smith—S3S23 • Honeycrisp—S2S24 • Jonathan—S7S9 • Northern Spy—S1S3 • Pink Lady—S2S23 Which apple cultivar appears to be the best pollinator of all the rest? S-Locus Genotypes & Bloom Times • Empire—S10S28 • Early—Mid • Gala—S2S5 • Mid • Ginger Gold—S3S28 • Mid • Golden Delicious— • Mid S2S3 • Mid-Late • Granny Smith—S3S23 • Mid-Late • Honeycrisp—S2S24 • Early • Jonathan—S7S9 • Late • Northern Spy—S1S3 • Mid • Pink Lady—S2S23 S-Locus Genotypes & Bloom Times • Empire—S10S28 • Early—Mid • Gala—S2S5 • Mid • Ginger Gold—S3S28 • Mid • Golden Delicious—S2S3 • Mid • Granny Smith—S3S23 • Mid-Late • Honeycrisp—S2S24 • Mid-Late • Jonathan—S7S9 • Early • Northern Spy—S1S3 • Late • Pink Lady—S2S23 • Mid Apple growers must design orchards maximize compatibility & flowering times. Sample Pollination Chart from Kelly Orchards Why are Gravestein, Jonagold, and King poor pollinators for all apples? These are Triploid apples—pollen sterile, but require pollination for fruit-set. .