BIFGA 21 Variety Trials Orchards

To celebrate BIFGA's 21st Anniversary, the BIFGA 21 "Variety Trial Orchards" were planted (mainly) in winter 2009/10 on 2 sites in Kent: Brogdale Orchards, near Faversham; and, Hadlow College, near Tonbridge. The trees were provided by the four Associate members of BIFGA who supply fruit trees:

Breach J R

Fruit Advisory Services Team LLP.

Matthews Frank

Seabrook W

In each orchard, there are over 40 different varieties/sports, with 10 trees of each planted. Single trees of most varieties were also supplied to RHS Wisley.

The nurseries concerned have supplied the following information about the varieties/sports which they supplied:

Trees supplied by J R Breach / Pepinieres du Valois

GALMAC		Origin: ACW Research Station, Switzerland Parentage: Jerseymac x Gala Tree: good growth; type III (Golden Delicious) with many branches Flowering: early season Productivity: good yields for early variety; low susceptibility to alternate bearing; easy thinning; quickly into first cropping Fruit: bi-coloured, attractive red; crisp and juicy; sweet and sharper than Gala Picking: early, 1 week after Discovery Storage: 1 to 2 months depending on maturity at picking
JUGALA		Origin: sport of Mondial Gala® Mitchgla Tree: average growth; type III (Golden Delicious) Flowering: mid season Productivity: good yields; low susceptibility to alternate bearing; easier to thin than Mondial Gala; quickly into first cropping Fruit: carmine red with stripes; very good colour level (as Galaxy); crisp and juicy; sweet taste; better fruit size than Mondial Gala; useful for spreading the picking window Picking: 5 to 6 days before Mondial Gala Storage: cold store until December; CA store until March
FUJI SEPTEMBER WONDER® FIERO		Origin: sport of Fuji, USA Tree: strong growth; type III (Golden Delicious) Flowering: late-season (as Fuji) Productivity: Good yields; susceptibility to alternate bearing (as Fuji); rather difficult thinning; quickly into first cropping Fruit: most coloured of early Fuji clones; crisp and juicy; very sweet, if crop load not too heavy Picking: 4 weeks before Fuji Storage: cold store until February; CA store until March
NC1 CHEERFULL GOLD^TM		Origin: raised by John Breach in Kent, England, in 1979 Parentage: Cox x Golden Delicious Tree: strong growth; upright/spreading; dense foliage Flowering: mid-late flowering; similar to Golden Delicious Productivity: medium to heavy cropping; easy to thin Fruit: attractive appearance; red on yellow background; crisp, juicy, firm and dense; outstanding intense flavour; long picking window Picking: 1st week of October in southern England Storage: cold store until December
DAIANE		Origin: Brazilian hybrid from Epagri Parentage: Gala x Princesa Tree: type III Productivity: good yield; does not need much thinning, easy to thin Fruit: very attractive bi-coloured apple, red on yellow; good firmness, with good fruit size, very sweet with good flavour, shape can be inconsistent Picking: mid-September, as Golden Delicious Storage: 3– 4 months in cold store
MAIRAC® LA FLAMBOYANTE		Origin: ACW Research Station, Switzerland Parentage: Gala x Maigold Tree: weak to average growth; type III with weeping habit Flowering: early/mid season Productivity: very good yields; quickly into first cropping Fruit: orange red on a yellow background; yellow, firm, crisp and juicy flesh; very good balance between sugars and acidity; aromatic Picking: between Golden Delicious and Braeburn Storage: cold storage until March; CA storage until June
ROYAL BRAEBURN		Origin: sport of Braeburn, New Zealand Tree: weak to average growth; type III (Golden Delicious), with a rather weeping habit Flowering: 2 days before Golden Delicious; as for Granny Smith Productivity: very good yields; low susceptibility to alternate bearing; relatively easy thinning; quickly into first cropping Fruit: very attractive dark red with many stripes; very firm flesh; sweet and sharp, typical of Braeburn; fruit has very good colour, important stripes resulting in an exceptional appearance Picking: as Braeburn 1 week after last pick of Golden Delicious Storage: cold store until March; CA store until June
CAUFLIGHT		Origin: new red selection of Caudle, found at Flightshott Farm, England Tree: type II—III; Flowering: similar to Golden Delicious Productivity: very good yields; low susceptibility to alternate bearing; relatively easy thinning; quickly into first cropping Fruit: bright carmine red with many stripes; exceptionally crunchy texture; high levels of juice; sweet Picking: before Braeburn Storage: cold store until March; CA store until July
FUJI ZHEN® AZTEC		Origin: sport of Fuji, New Zealand Tree: strong; type III (Golden Delicious) Flowering: the same as Golden Delicious Productivity: good to very good yields; susceptible to alternate bearing after heavy crops; difficult to thin; quickly into first cropping Fruit: very attractive, highly coloured, red blushed with some stripes; crisp and juicy; sweet with hardly any acid; useful for areas where colouring is difficult Picking: 20 days after Golden Delicious Storage: cold store until March; CA store until June
CRIMSON CRISP® Coop 39		Origin: Bred in USA by Purdue Research Foundation Tree: average growth; type III/IV between Golden Delicious and Granny Smith Flowering: average Productivity: slow to cropping; good yields; low susceptibility to alternate bearing; suitable for organic orchards Fruit: shiny dark red colour; firm and fine flesh, with good balance between sugars and acidity; resistant to scab (Vf gene) Picking: 10 days before Golden Delicious (end of Gala) Storage: cold store until December; CA store until March; important to store the fruit in CA storage for post Christmas sales
GOLDRUSH® Coop 38		Origin: Bred in USA by Purdue Research Foundation Tree: weak once tree starts cropping; type III (Golden Delicious) Flowering: medium Productivity: very good yields; low susceptibility to alternate bearing; relatively easy thinning; quickly into first cropping Fruit: yellow with a typical russet - resistant to scab (Vf gene) and tolerant to rosy apple aphid Picking: very late (end of October until 20th November) Storage: cold store until April; CA store until July; this variety must be sold from February when the skin turns to a strong yellow colour