Evelina, Sweetie and an as yet unnamed new variety could be among the new apples set to replace UK production of traditional apple types, according to an expert.
In a speech entitled, Is there life after Gala?, Florent Geerdens of René Nicolai Nurseries in Belgium said UK growers needed to seriously consider options to replace conventional crops when they become less popular.
He told delegates at a technical day hosted by Agrovista in Ashford, Kent that, with more and more varieties protected and with limited use, there were few options for those growers who did not desire to be in a blub and preferred to stay an “entrepreneur”.
Geerdens recommended Evelina, currently largely grown in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, saying it has “an attractive full red appearance, high density, outstanding shelf life and a harmonious mix of sweet and sour tastes.”
Evelina was also described to have low susceptibility to fungal diseases, had regular yields and was ideal for long-term storage. Evelina is licensed to Empire World Trade in the UK.
But Geerdens warned the commercial sale of red-fleshed apples was still some way off despite the planting of 3,000 second generation seedlings in trials worldwide. He said: “Everyone is looking for something unique and with red flesh there are some opportunities. In the future there will definitely be red flesh apples on the market but at the moment they are too high in acidity - consumers are interested and curious but it would not be a good eating experience at the moment.”
Geerdens also turned the spotlight on the work done by the Prevar partnership - an international joint venture project - on the Royal Gala and Braeburn cross Sweetie as well as the PREMA17 - currently unnamed - currently trialled by Enza and Fresh New Zealand which is likely to be a club apple.
The former is an early apple with a striped red colouring while the latter is said to have “superb storage and shelf life” and has trials already proposed in the UK.
He also recommended the rustic Wellant and the smaller-sizing Junami varieties to the group of growers.
No comments yet