The breeding programme at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has come up with an apple variety that could be ideal for the fresh prepared market.
The new, non-browning apple SJCA38R6A74 has been developed by Shahrokh Khanizadeh and his team at the Horticulture Research & Development Centre in St. Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec.
Khanizadeh collaborated with AAFC apple researchers at the Food Research Centre in Guelph, Ontario and the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in Summerland, British Columbia.
“SJCA38R6A74 is unique in several ways,” said Khanizadeh. “It is aromatic, sweet, juicy, firm and crisp.” But its claim to fame may well be its resistance to browning, most likely due to low levels of phenolic compounds such as chlorogenic acid and epicatechin, the key substrates for enzymatic browning in apples.
In laboratory tests the new apple remained crisp with no signs of browning after two to three days at room temperature. It remains fresh in cold storage for up to five months.
It is medium to large in size, averaging about 150g on non-thinned trees. The fruit skin has an average thickness and the apple matures around October 7. It originated from a cross made in 1970 between the varieties Linda and Jonathan.
Rights have been issued and the trees will be available from licensed nurseries in Quebec. Names suggested so far are Arctic Snow, Everwhite and Eden although the chosen name will not be official until it is sanctioned by the plant breeders’ rights office.
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