Apple Cultivars - Newer Scab Resistant Selections

Observations of Four of the Newer Selections

Crimson® Topaz

Crimson® Topaz was developed at the Institute of Experimental Botany in the Czech Republic from a cross of Vanda x Rubin and introduced in the early 1990s. As grown in central Pennsylvania it is a red blushed apple with yellow flesh. The trees are resistant to apple scab (Vf gene) and moderately resistant to powdery mildew. It is susceptible to fire blight. It is popular in Europe for organic production. Trees are of moderate vigor and very precocious. The crisp flesh is cream-colored and more on the tart/sweet side of flavor.

Luna

Luna (UEB 3375/2) is another release from the Czech Republic that is scab resistant and harvested in mid to late October. It is part of the Golden Sunshine series, that includes Opal and Sirus, to provide yellow-colored fruit similar in appearance to Golden Delicious. The fruit skin is very smooth with little russet and may develop an orange red blush. The cream-colored flesh has a coarse texture with a sweet/tart balance. Trees are moderately vigorous. Fruit seems to hang well on the tree and has a long harvest window.

WineCrisp™

2016 was the first year we had fruit on WineCrisp™ (Co-op 31), a selection from the PRI cooperative breeding program. At harvest, the fruit are a deep dark red with some unusual mottling. The tree has a vigorous growth habit. Flavor was somewhat watery and bland. (However, a lot of our apples this year seemed bland.) Hopefully, as the tree ages the fruit quality will improve.

Sirius

Sirius (UEB 3264/2) is the product of a Golden Delicious x Topaz cross with the Vf gene for resistance to apple scab. Trees are moderately vigorous and well-branched. The fruit are crisp, firm, juicy and aromatic with a nicely balanced flavor. The variety is a triploid so fruit are large and additional provisions need to be made for pollination.