Table of Contents
Suggested Readings
Introduction of Apple Varieties
- There are more than 10,000 apple varieties grown worldwide in both the northern and southern hemispheres, but four apple groups dominate the global apple scenario: Fuji, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, and Gala.
- Over 700 apple varieties accessions have been introduced from the USA, Russia, UK, Canada, Germany, Israel, Netherlands, Australia, Switzerland, Italy, and Denmark and tested in India over the last 50 years.
- The Delicious group of cultivars predominates the apple market, covering 83% of the area under apple in Himachal Pradesh, 45% in Jammu and Kashmir, and 30% in the Uttar Pradesh hills.
- In recent times, improved spur types and standard color mutants with 20-50% higher yield potential are favored.
Main Groups of Apple Varieties
Spur Types
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- Red spur, Starkrimson, Golden spur, Red Chief, Oregon spur.
Color Mutants
- Vance Delicious, Top Red, Skyline Supreme.
Low Chilling Cultivars
- Michal, Schlomit.
Early Cultivars
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- Benoni, Irish Peach, Early Shanburry, Fanny.
Juice Making Cultivars
- Lord Lambourne, Granny Smith, Allington Pippin.
Scab Resistant Cultivars
- Florina, Liberty, Freedom, Prima, Priscilla, Firdous, Shireen.
New Hybrids
- Lal Ambri, Sunehari, Akbar, Shireen, Firdous, Shalimar Apple-1, Amred, Chaubatia Anupam, Chaubatia Princess, Chaubatia Anurag, Chaubattia Agrim, Chaubattia Swarnima, Chaubattia Alankar.
Mid Maturing Apple Varieties
Vista Bella
- Early maturing, with a harvest period of 90-95 days after full bloom.
- High-yielding variety, known for its robust production levels.
- The flesh of the fruit is solid and firm, offering a satisfying texture.
- The skin features weakly defined stripes, giving it a distinct appearance.
- The fruit shape is obloid, contributing to its visual appeal.
- Tendency for high fruit drop, which can affect overall yield.
- Susceptible to powdery mildew and apple scab, requiring careful disease management.
- Poor shelf life, making it less ideal for long-term storage or shipping.
Mollies Delicious
- Noted for its precocity and consistent annual bearing.
- Early maturing, with a harvest period of 100-110 days after full bloom.
- Produces large fruits, with a cylindrical waisted shape.
- Strong crowning at the calyx end, adding to its visual appeal.
- Reliable early-season apple, with good market potential due to its size and appearance.
- Sweet, pleasant flavor, making it popular for fresh consumption.
June Eating
- Medium-sized apples, suitable for early markets.
- Early maturing, with an obloid fruit shape.
- Strong crowning at the calyx end, enhancing its aesthetic quality.
- Attractive to consumers looking for early-season apples.
- Good eating quality, with a balance of sweetness and tartness.
Prima
- Crisp texture and tart flavor, appealing to those who prefer a tangy apple.
- Resistant to apple scab, reducing the need for chemical treatments.
- Total soluble solids content of 10-12 ob, indicating good sugar levels.
- Ideal for growers seeking disease-resistant varieties.
- Popular for fresh consumption due to its crispness and flavor.
Benoni
- Fine dessert apple, with an attractive appearance.
- Excellent quality, with small to medium-sized fruits.
- Roundish, inclined to a conic shape, making it visually appealing.
- Highly regarded for its eating quality.
- Popular in markets where premium dessert apples are in demand.
Fani
- Fruit weight ranges from 146 to 160 grams, offering a good size for consumers.
- Sweet flavor, with total soluble solids content of 12-13 ob.
- Early-season apple with a pleasant sweetness, making it popular for fresh eating.
- Good market potential due to its size and flavor profile.
Mid Maturing Apple Varieties
Red Chief
- A bud sport of the Delicious variety, known for its mid-season maturity.
- Features broad width of stripes on the skin.
- Cylindrical waisted shape, giving it a distinctive appearance.
- Consistent and reliable mid-season apple.
- Attractive appearance, making it popular in markets.
Starking Delicious
- Also known as Royal Delicious, it is a regular bearer.
- Mid-season maturity, producing large fruits.
- Conical shape, with strong protuberances near the calyx.
- Popular for its size and reliable production.
- Well-regarded for its eating quality and visual appeal.
Starkrimson
- A bud sport of Red Delicious, noted for its compact tree size.
- Mid-maturing variety, precocious, and a regular and heavy bearer.
- Compact size makes it suitable for smaller orchards.
- Reliable production and attractive appearance.
Starking Delicious
- Early maturing within the mid-season category, with a cylindrical waisted shape.
- Red-purple color, making it visually striking.
- Attractive to consumers for its early harvest and vibrant color.
- Consistent annual bearing.
Oregon Spur
- Bud sport of the Delicious variety, known for its large number of spur-bearing branches.
- Conic fruit shape, adding to its distinctive look.
- High yield due to the large number of spurs.
- Popular for its size and shape.
Pink Lady
- Features a pink blush over a greenish-yellow base skin.
- Crisp apple with dense, firm flesh and excellent flavor.
- Highly sought after for its unique appearance and eating quality.
- Good storage qualities, making it ideal for long-term storage and shipping.
Cooper-IV
- Mid-maturing variety, known for its regular bearing.
- Cylindrical waisted shape with a purple-red color.
- Attractive to consumers for its consistent production and appealing color.
- Reliable mid-season apple.
Vance Delicious
- Bud mutant of Delicious, known for regular bearing and mid-season maturity.
- Conical shape with strong crowning at the calyx end.
- Consistent annual production.
- Popular for its size and visual appeal.
Mc Spur
- Regular bearer with mid-season maturity.
- Conic shape with moderate ribbing and red-purple color.
- Reliable production and attractive appearance.
- Good eating quality, with a balance of sweetness and tartness.
Gala Mast
- Precocious and regular bearer, known for high yield.
- Conic shape, adding to its visual appeal.
- Popular for its size and early production.
- Good market potential due to its reliable yield.
Red Spur
- Bud sport of Red Delicious, known for its attractive dark red color.
- Highly appealing to consumers for its color.
- Reliable production and good eating quality.
Super Chief
- Stripe filling to solid red, with a compact tree size.
- Consistent annual bearer.
- Suitable for smaller orchards due to compact size.
- Reliable production and attractive color.
Scarlet Spur
- Dark mahogany color with crisp white flesh.
- Excellent fruit production.
- Highly sought after for its unique appearance and eating quality.
Red Velox
- Mutant of Red Delicious, known for early and homogeneous color development.
- Attractive to consumers for its consistent color.
- Reliable mid-season apple.
Akbar
- Developed from Ambri x Cox’s Orange Pippin, producing large red-colored fruits.
- Unique hybrid with good market potential.
- Attractive size and color.
Jonica
- Bright red on a bright yellow-green background, with firm, crackling, juicy flesh.
- Slightly tart flavor, making it unique among mid-season apples.
- Visually appealing and distinctive flavor.
- Good for fresh consumption and baking.
Braeburn Gala
- Medium to large size, with crisp, juicy, slightly tart flesh.
- Popular for its size and eating quality.
- Good storage qualities, making it suitable for shipping.
Green Sleeves
- Semi-dwarf trees, producing green-yellow fruits.
- Crisp, juicy, and slightly acidic flavor.
- Suitable for smaller orchards due to semi-dwarf size.
- Good eating quality and unique flavor profile.
Shireen
- Cross between Lord Lambourne x R-12740-7A, producing small to medium-sized fruits.
- Sweet, juicy, and good flavor, with scab resistance.
- Ideal for growers seeking disease-resistant varieties.
- Popular for fresh consumption due to its sweet flavor.
Late Maturing Apple Varieties
Coe Red Fuji
- Precocious and regular bearer, known for late maturing.
- High-yielding, with a globose fruit shape.
- Reliable late-season apple.
- Good storage qualities, making it suitable for shipping.
Silver Spur
- Spur type, precocious and regular bearer.
- Late maturing, with high yield.
- Suitable for growers looking for high-yielding, late-season varieties.
- Reliable production and good storage qualities.
Granny Smith
- Light green apple, known for late ripening (November).
- Superior keeper with a sprightly flavor.
- Highly sought after for its unique color and flavor.
- Excellent storage qualities, making it ideal for shipping.
Red Delicious
- Self-unfruitful, with moderate alternate bearing.
- Late maturing, with a conical shape and strong protuberances near the calyx.
- Popular for its size and eating quality.
- Good storage qualities, making it suitable for long-term storage and shipping.
Top Red
- Bud sport of Delicious, known for late maturing.
- Conic shape with a red-purple color.
- Attractive to consumers for its color and size.
- Reliable late-season apple.
Skyline Supreme
- Bud mutant of Starking Delicious, known for cylindrical waisted shape and red-purple color.
- Visually appealing and good eating quality.
- Reliable late-season production.
