Cosmic crisp – a new apple to get your teeth into

After 30 years ’ experimentation, farmers in Washington state are ready for the biggest ever planting of a new variety of appleNearly 30 years ago, Dr Bruce Barritt was jeered when he branded the apple industry in Washington state a dinosaur for growing obsolete varieties such as red and golden delicious. Now, farmers in the state, where 70% of US apples are grown, are ripping up millions of trees and replacing them with a new variety, the cosmic crisp, which Barritt, a horticulturalist, has created in the decades since.With 12m trees to be planted by 2020, and the first harvest of apples due in the shops in 2019, it is the biggest ever launch of a new apple. Around 10m 40lb boxes are expected to be produced in the next four years, compared with the usual 3-5m for a new variety. It ’s a gamble for growers: replanting costs up to $50,000 per acre, so the cosmic crisp needs to fetch top dollar to make their investment worthwhile.Continue reading...

Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - June 18, 2017 Category: Science Authors: Lucy Rock Tags: Agriculture Fruit Farming Science Source Type: news