Cornell University in the US state of New York has revealed plans to develop two new apple varieties which will be grown exclusively in the state itself.
To that end, the institution has forged a licensing agreement with a new apple industry group – New York State Apple Growers (NYAG) – to grow and market two new, patented premium apple varieties developed by professor of horticultural sciences Susan Brown.
'It is important to Cornell and the breeding programme to partner with our New York industry,' said Prof Brown, who directs Cornell's apple breeding centre, in an interview with the Cornell Chronicle.
The two new varieties, which have been under development for 14 years, are currently referred to simply as New York 1 and New York 2, but will be trademarked 'to ensure proper branding'.
Both are said to be juicy, crisp and grower-friendly. 'The juicy snap of New York 1 recalls its Honeycrisp parent,' said Prof Brown, 'but the trees produce more reliably and the fruit stores well.'
She added: 'Sweet and tart New York 2 is suited for baking and fresh use, and boasts the added benefit of higher levels of vitamin C.'
The new agreement is a first for Cornell's apple-breeding program, which in the past publicly released all new varieties to nurseries and growers and only recovered limited tree royalties.
According to Prof Brown, a new distribution model known as a 'managed release' is becoming the norm for university breeding programmes looking to advance the interests of the communities they serve.
'Commercialisation of new varieties can be challenging in a marketplace dominated by large grocery chains populated by brand-savvy consumers,' said Prof Brown. 'It can take 20 years to successfully commercialise a new type of apple.
'By coordinating supply and marketing, the managed release agreement will reduce that time by half. And, by receiving some of the return on investment, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) will be better able to support its world-class breeding programme.'
Tom Burr, associate dean of CALS and director of Cornell's New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY, commented: 'The New York apple industry has been a strong and supportive partner that has provided significant funding to apple research at Cornell for many years. To now develop a business partnership that strategically benefits the New York industry and the Cornell apple breeding program is truly a historic accomplishment.'
'We want varieties that will excite our consumers,' said Roger Lamont, apple grower and chairman of NYAG. 'And we need varieties that thrive in New York state – a very different growing environment than Washington state or New Zealand.'
All of the nearly 600 apple growers in New York state will be invited to join NYAG this year, with the broad participation of growers regarded as key to commercial success.
Although large wholesale growers ultimately supply supermarkets, the farm stands of smaller producers play a significant role in introducing new varieties to consumers, said Prof Brown.
According the Cornell Chronicle, growers will pay royalties on trees purchased, acreage planted and fruit produced. NYAG will pay licensing royalties to Cornell, determine the total statewide acreage for the new varieties, ensure quality standards at harvest and use a portion of the income generated from members to market the apples as well as some to directly fund the Cornell apple breeding programme.
Cornell's apple breeding program is one of the largest in the world; the new varieties are the 65th and 66th releases since the program's inception in the late 1890s.
Some of Cornell's best-known apple varieties are Cortland (1915), Macoun (1923), Empire (1966) and Jonagold (1968).
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