Phase 3 Evaluations of Apple Breeding Program Selections
Author: Manoella Mendoza
Published: 2023
Summary: Currently, there are five selections in the WABP Phase 3 (P3). Selection Q, R, and S were top worked in Quincy and Sagemoor in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Both locations were defruited in the first year, and trees from Quincy were harvested for the first time in 2022. Storage evaluation is ongoing. Selection P is a bicolored apple, crispy, juicy, and with a unique tart-sweet flavor. It has a low incidence of field and storage disorders. Selection L is a bicolored apple that colors well when exposed to sunlight. It is slow to brown, easy to pick, and pre-harvest drop have not been observed. Its unique trait is high firmness retention during storage, which, combined with the low incidence of disorders and diseases in the field and during storage, grants this selection a long shelf-life potential. Two formal consumer tastings were held in public events in 2022, with a total of 360 participants. Selection L was compared with Cripps Pink and Honeycrisp apples. Overall, selection L is preferred for texture and flavor when compared with Honeycrisp or Cripps Pink. The texture was significantly preferred on all comparison sets.
