Improvement of apple colour

The project focused on red colour development in blushed cultivars, green colour in ‘Granny Smith’ (GS) and consumer preference for apple taste and appearance.  The effect of soil factors, reflective mulching, girdling and crop load on red colour development was investigated while optimum day and night temperatures for red colour development were determined.  Cultivar and seasonal differences in optimum temperatures for colour development were found, but optimum temperatures did not differ between regions.  Evidence was found to support the purported photoprotective function of anthocyanins in apple peel.  Results indicated considerable variation in green colour of GS between farms and orchards.  Vigorous orchards had greener fruit.  The effect of canopy position, pruning and mulching, foliar and soil fertilizer application, fruit maturity and hormone application on GS colour and fruit quality was determined.  A new approach with regards to planting systems for GS was advocated based on results.  Consumer preference for apple taste and appearance (including red-fleshed apples) was investigated.  Main drivers of liking were identified.  Inheritance of these traits was studied in four apple breeding families.  Gender and race influenced consumer preference for apple taste and appearance.

Three MScAgric students graduated on the project, another two MScAgric students worked on part of the project, an MScAgric student will graduate in 2010, an MSc (Food Science) was upgraded to PhD (funded through SU FSI project) and two MScAgric students did not complete their studies.  Two scientific papers and a book chapter were published.  A third scientific paper has been accepted and two further papers are in draft