Scientistsdevelopapplethatwon'trotEversincesomebodysuggestedthateatingoneadaykeptthedoctoraway,thehealthbenefitsoftheapplehavebeentrumpetedbygrandmothersandgovernmentministersalike.Thefruit'sonlydrawbackisitstende
Scientistsdevelopapplethatwon'trot
Eversincesomebodysuggestedthateatingoneadaykeptthedoctoraway,thehealthbenefitsoftheapplehavebeentrumpetedbygrandmothersandgovernmentministersalike.Thefruit'sonlydrawbackisitstendencytoloseitsglossysheenandcrunchytexturewithinafewdays–aproblemthatateamofscientistsinAustralianowclaimstohavesolved.
Forthepast20years,researchersatQueenslandPrimaryIndustriesandFisheries(QPIF),adepartmentoftheQueenslandgovernment,havebeendevelopinganewvarietyofapplewhichtheyclaimcanstayfreshformonths.
Itsname,RS103-130,mightnothavequitethesameringaspopularvarietiessuchasGoldenDelicious,PinkLadyorBraeburn,butthescientistshavedescribeditas"theworld'sbestapple"thankstoitssweettaste,longevityandabilitytoresistdisease.
Theapple,whichisadeepredincolour,stays"crispy"forupto14daysifkeptinafruitbowl,andifstoredinafridgeitcanremainedibleforfourmonths.TheQueenslandgovernmentisseekingacommercialsupplypartnertodistributethefruitandhopestobeginsellingitnextyear.
TimMulherin,Queenland'sprimaryindustriesminister,said:"Thisnewvarietyissweet.Ittickstheotherboxestoobecauseitisdiseaseresistant,sorequiresfewornofungicides.Initialtastetestshavebeenoutstanding.Outofthefiveappletypestasted,thenewvarietyscoredthehighest."
TheRS103-130varietyhasanaturallystrongresistancetoapplescab,alsoknownasblackspot,adiseasecausedbythefungusventuriainaequaliswhichaffectsboththefoliageandfruit.TheappleisnotgeneticallymodifiedbutisproducedconventionallyusingagenefromtheAsiaticapplevarietyMalusfloribundawhichhasaprovenresistancetoblackspot.
InBritain,appleproducersneedtosprayeachcrop14timestoprotectagainstthedisease,aprocesswhichcoststhe£200m-a-yearindustryupto10percentofitsturnover.Avarietywhichdidnotrequiresprayingcouldmeanhugesavingsfortheproducers.
"Ifyou'reanapplegrowerandthis[newapple]livesuptoitspromise,thenitreallyisquiteabreakthrough,"saidDezBarbara,aseniorresearchscientistattheUniversityofWarwick'sHorticu