A pivotal study has revealed the genetic drivers of red pigmentation in apple flesh, highlighting the critical role of anthocyanins and flavan-3-ols. By mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) across diverse apple families, researchers identified key genetic regions linked to this vibrant coloration, setting the stage for developing apples with deeper hues and enhanced health benefits.
Tag: Apples
Unlocking the genetic blueprint of apples: shape and size traits unveiled
New genomic insights from researchers unveil critical genes influencing apple fruit size and shape. Through a comprehensive genome-wide association study, the study identifies several genetic markers linked to these traits, offering potential for enhanced breeding strategies.
Honeycrisp genome will help scientists breed better apples
A team of researchers has sequenced the Honeycrisp apple genome, a boon for scientists and breeders working with this popular and economically important cultivar.
Getting to the core of a more nutritious apple
A new platform housing data from over 100 apple varieties could shave years off of the breeding process and enable data-driven assessments of how to boost the health benefits of America’s favorite fruit.
Keep watch: Invasive, destructive spotted lanternfly spreads in NY
The spotted lanternfly – an invasive, destructive pest with a wide range of hosts including grapes, apples, hops, maple and walnut – has spread to a growing number of counties in New York state.
How ‘bout them cider apples: NY producers innovate for flavor
The New York Cider Association recently announced their annual Cider Week festivals, the first of which will begin this Saturday, May 15 and run through May 31. In the U.S. alone, the hard cider market has increased more than tenfold in the…
Scientists aim to root out rapid apple decline culprit
Since 2013, a mysterious phenomenon has been killing apple trees across North America, leaving growers panicked and scientists bewildered. The phenomenon has been named rapid apple decline for its sudden onset, which causes apple trees to quickly deteriorate and die. Now, two Cornell University scientists are on a mission to track down its cause.
Heritage Orchard reclaiming Georgia’s forgotten apples
With the help of a dedicated group of University of Georgia researchers, Extension agents and volunteer enthusiasts, Georgia’s lost apple varieties are making a comeback.
Cornell donates 23 tons of fruit to Hudson Valley food pantries
This fall, Cornell AgriTech’s Hudson Valley Research Laboratory donated 47,000 pounds of apples and pears to help the more than 40,000 people in need of food assistance in the Hudson Valley region.
Future of digital ag could use robots to optimize apple yields, boost profits
A Cornell University-led, multi-institution, interdisciplinary team seeks to use computer vision, automation and robotics to optimize per-tree apple production, which is currently a highly manual and imprecise process.
Fabled Silk Road could be the route to more flavorful apples
The fabled Silk Road is responsible for one of our favorite and most valuable fruits: the domesticated apple. Cornell University researchers have now assembled complete reference genomes and pan-genomes for the apple and its two main wild progenitors.
Grant to help researchers prevent apple fire blight in U.S.
A $779,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food Agriculture will help Cornell University researchers prevent fire blight disease in apples and pears before it starts.
Rutgers Experts Can Discuss Invasive Spotted Lanternfly Spread in N.J.
New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 1, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor George C. Hamilton and Associate Professor Anne L. Nielsen can discuss the spread of and threat posed by the invasive spotted lanternfly, a destructive pest, in New Jersey. “Their…
Decline of Bees, Other Pollinators Threatens U.S. Crop Yields
Crop yields for apples, cherries and blueberries across the United States are being reduced by a lack of pollinators, according to Rutgers-led research, the most comprehensive study of its kind to date. Most of the world’s crops depend on honeybees and wild bees for pollination, so declines in both managed and wild bee populations raise concerns about food security, notes the study in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
Geoengineering’s Benefits Limited for Apple Crops in India
Geoengineering – spraying sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere to combat global warming – would only temporarily and partially benefit apple production in northern India, according to a Rutgers co-authored study. But abruptly ending geoengineering might lead to total crop failure faster than if geoengineering were not done, according to the study – believed to be the first of its kind – in the journal Climatic Change.
Newly discovered pathogen in NY apples causes bitter rot disease
In a study of New York state apple orchards, Cornell University plant pathologists have identified a new fungal pathogen that causes bitter rot disease in apples.