Varieties

MAIA-Mitchell: A better coloring Evercrisp®

By |2023-05-10T14:37:58+00:00May 9th, 2023|Apple, Uncategorized, Varieties|

MAIA1 marketed as EverCrisp® is undoubtedly one of the best eating apples recently released. However, for MAIA grower members, one complaint has been the difficulty to produce fruit with good color. Especially on young trees, fruit can tend to look more like older fuji strains. With more mature trees and reflective materials, growers have overcome some of the coloring deficiencies . With MAIA-Mitchell cv, growers can look forward to even better and earlier coloring EverCrisp®.

Availability of MAIA-Mitchell cv will be extremely limited for 2024, and if you would like trees for 2025 we suggest booking now. Budwood for all new releases is in short supply, so please contact our office (800.424.2765) as soon as possible to reserve trees for 2025.

From the press release of the Midwest Apple Improvement Association:

May 7, 2023

MN 33 cv, another open release from University of Minnesota

By |2023-05-09T19:39:16+00:00May 9th, 2023|Apple, Uncategorized, Varieties|

While no officially trademarked name has been announced, MN33 cv is now open to U.S. growers. This Honeycrisp x Zestar cross is advertised as having a crisp texture with a balanced flavor trending more toward sweet and tropical.

Parentage

Honeycrisp x Minnewashta (Zestar®)

Ripening

About a week after Honeycrisp

Fruit Characteristics

Size: Around 3 inches on average

Color: Blushed red

Pressure: 17-19 lbs at harvest

Storage: 5 months common storage

Growth Habit

The tree is medium vigor with spreading branches. Minnesota promotes it as a consistent annual bearer that is cold hardy to Zone 4. Fruit is somewhat tolerant to scab.

 

Smeralda: an early ripening Granny Smith alternative

By |2023-04-28T18:57:19+00:00April 28th, 2023|Apple, Varieties|

Granny Smith is one of the most popular apples in the world, but its late ripening window makes it difficult to grow for those in northern states. Italian apple breeder Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti (CIV) has introduced Smeralda which may prove to be a profitable alternative for those who cannot ripen Granny Smith.

Smeralda has a number of positive qualities. According to CIV, the fruit is “medium large with smooth, uniform, green color, without noticeable lenticels.” Ripening 30 days before Granny Smith, it’s high in sugar and acidity (Brix 13.5 and Acidity 8.2 g/l Malic Acid according to the CIV brochure). Smeralda is also resistant to scab and is an annual bearer.

If Smeralda would be a good fit for your farm, call our office (800.424.2765) and we can discuss availability.

Ripens: Early season, a week after Gala.

Color: Granny Smith Green

Growth Habit: Moderate vigor, compact with short branches.

Disease: Resistant to scab.

Storage: Excellent storage life, […]

New *EARLY* variety from MAIA

By |2020-11-16T21:17:44+00:00November 16th, 2020|Apple, MAIA, Varieties|

As many growers know, many of the new and exciting varieties like Pink Lady® and Evercrisp® have ripened late. Many growers have been hesitant to plant these varieties until they know it will ripen in their area. Well there is good news, the Midwest Apple Improvement Association has introduced Sweet Maia® (MAIA-SM cv.), an early ripening cross between Honeycrisp x Winecrisp.

According to MAIA:

Sweet Maia® originated in a seedling lot distributed in 2001.  First fruiting in 2009. It stands out as an early season apple with fall apple qualities. Ripening 7-12 days before Gala, featuring 80-100% bright attractive red color, it has a long harvest window of 14-21 days.  Non-dropping, crispy, sweet. Good storage life of 90 days in common refrigerated storage.

It can be managed as a 1 or 2 pick harvest. Challenges include potential overcropping with attendant quality and size loss.  Some watercore is common. Left […]

Apple Variety Selection, from Growing Produce

By |2020-11-16T20:57:18+00:00November 10th, 2020|Apple, Varieties|

It’s no easy task selecting varieties for the orchard. Click the link below for a recent article from Growing Produce on the challenges that growers face:

Apple Variety Selection Tougher Than Ever for Growers

Don’t hesitate to call our office and let us guide you through the pros and cons of varieties and rootstocks.

RedRidge™ Gala (PPAF)

By |2020-09-23T20:07:21+00:00September 22nd, 2020|Apple, Varieties|

RedRidge™ Gala is a new introduction from International Plant Management that is an almost 100% red blush. It colors early, developing a deep red blush ahead of other gala strains. The real benefit of this gala may be that is ripens 4-5 days ahead of standard gala.

RedRidge™ Gala was discovered in Brookfield Gala planting and has performed consistently every year. This gala strain may be a good option for growers seeking to get harvest underway earlier.

RedRidge™ Gala on the far left in comparison with Brookfield and Gale Gala.

RedRidge™ Gala on the left showing starch test results against Brookfield and Gale Gala.

New Variety Release, MN 1980

By |2020-09-23T19:59:59+00:00September 1st, 2020|Apple, Varieties|

The University of Minnesota apple breading program has released MN 1980 (yet to be formally named). This variety is an open release, available to all U.S. commercial growers.

Photo courtesy of U of M

MN1980 ripens up to a week after Honeycrisp, and according to the U of M published info sheet, it has good fresh eating qualities and a long storage life (up to nine months in common storage). The flavor is promoted as pleasantly tart but balanced. If it ripens a week after Honeycrisp, this variety may fill a nice niche in a fresh market setting.

Trees are available on dwarfing rootstock for 2021. Please contact us if you are interested in booking MN1980.

See the full information from the University of Minnesota below:

MN1980 Apple Cultivar

Parentage: Honeycrisp x Liberty
Harvest: 1-7 days after Honeycrisp
Size: 2.8 – 3.2 inches (around an 88 size)
Skin Color: 75-90% […]

What’s with all the Honeycrisp strains?

By |2020-09-23T20:14:13+00:00July 24th, 2020|Apple, Varieties|

The Honeycrisp apple variety is widely credited with reviving the apple industry. Once consumers caught on to the incredible quality, flavor, and texture of this apple, growers rapidly began expanding Honeycrisp plantings. Developed by the University of Minnesota, the original Honeycrisp strain tends to produce better colored fruit for growers located in northern, cold climates like Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, and New York. Even in these climates, there are years where Honeycrisp does not achieve great color.

To remedy these coloring challenges, new Honeycrisp strains have been introduced. These strains offer redder Honeycrisp that color earlier. Another new Honeycrisp strain described below doesn’t offer better color, but it does ripen three weeks earlier, extending the Honeycrisp season considerably.

Honeycrisp, Minn. 1711. cv.

  • A highly popular variety for fresh market and packing
  • Ripens 15 days before Red Delicious (mid September in Michigan)
  • Variable coloration, colder climates have better coloring
  • […]

Varieties from the Midwest Apple Improvement Association

By |2020-09-24T19:29:51+00:00July 1st, 2020|Apple, Varieties|

The Midwest Apple Improvement Association is an organization founded by growers with the goal of producing quality apple varieties. Unlike other managed varieties which are not open to all growers, MAIA varieties are open to any commercial grower willing to become a MAIA member (currently only $100 per year).

So far Evercrisp® and possibly Ludacrisp® are the two varieties that have s

own potential for large commercial pack out sales. Both varieties are also highly popular in direct marketing settings such as farm stands and markets. Several of the other MAIA varieties may also be ideal for your farm stand or u-pick.

MAIA 1 – Evercrisp®

Evercrisp an excellent eating apple with a big crunch, sweet-tart flavor, and astounding keeping ability. This has been the most successful release from the MAIA. The EverCrisp® apple tree was released in 2012 and is a cross between Fuji and Honeycrisp. According to MAIA, the fruit does not […]

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