Apple Varieties

 

 

The University of Saskatchewan has been breeding apples since the 1920s. In the last 25 years, we have grown 35,000 seedlings and selected the best for further use in our breeding program. In most recent years, enhanced cold hardiness, fruit quality, and storage life have been used as criteria for selecting the next generation of prairie apples.

U of S Apple Introductions

Listed below are the apple cultivars selected from U of S seedlings in the last 20 years. Only those listed as 'U of S' Introductions' are recommended by the U of S Fruit Program.

Lineage: 17c-23-33 x Goodland
Released by: Rick Sawatzky,
University of Saskatchwan Fruit Program,
Saskatoon, SK
Date:1999

Notes:
Prairie Sun apple was released by the U of Sk in 1999. The fruit is oblate in shape and the color is yellowish cream with a pink blush. The flesh is fine textured, crisp, juicy, moderately sweet and resistant to oxidative browning. The fruit is good for fresh eating and makes excellent processed products. The fruit will size up to 3 inches under good conditions. The tree is semi-spur, semi-dwarf, very hardy and easily grown.-Rick Sawatzky

This cultivar originated at the University of Saskatchewan, bred by Rick Sawatsky, selected and tested as U of S 70-20-01, and was introduced in 1999. The tree is semidwarf, spur-type, moderately vigorous, round topped, with excellent wide-angled branching habit, and requires annual thinning. It is precocious, hardy at least to zone 2a, bears high yields annually, but is moderately susceptible to fireblight. The fruit is 5-7.5cm (2-3") in diameter, regular, slightly oblate, and matures in early-mid season from late August-early September. It has a medium stem cavity with a very short pedicel, deep basin, and a very small, nearly closed core. The skin is soft, thin, light green turning to light yellowish cream with a pink blush. The flesh is pure white or tinged pink, fine textured, medium crisp yet tender, juicy, mildly acid, medium sweet, and highly resistant to oxidation (browning). It is good for fresh eating, excellent for cooking, for pies, as well as for drying and as a fruit leather base. It stores well for about 6 weeks. This apple has commercial potential for processing for the prairie region.

Accession Number: 18-10-32
Lineage: M359 x Brookland
Released by: Rick Sawatzky,
University of Saskatchewan
Titratable Acidity: 0.56-0.75% Malic Acid
Sugar: 12.7-13.7 Brix
pH: 3.3-3.5

Notes: Prairie Sensation was released by the U of Sk in 2008. Prairie Sensation fruit is large, between 7.3 and 8.6 cms in diameter (average of 10 fruit is 7.63 cms or 3 inches) and roundish to slightly oblate in shape. The cross section is round and the longitudinal section is unequal. The base colour of the skin is two shades of light green (colour chips 150C and 154D; Royal Horticultural Society 1966) (62/2 and 63/3, Wilson Colour Ltd. 1941), which is 50% covered by two shades (colour chips 44C and 44D; Royal
Horticultural Society 1966) of red in wash and stripes. There is scant bloom and the lenticels are numerous and inconspicuous. The skin is smooth and medium thick. The flesh colour is white and the texture is fine, firm, tender (breaking), crisp and juicy. The core size is medium to small and closed and has a median position in the fruit. The core lines are slightly clasping around slightly emarginate carpals. The seeds are the usual shape and colour being medium brown and acute. The flavour is a mild subacid
with an intense aromatic component. The blossom end basin is wide. The calyx is persistent, convergent, re-curved and well developed over a closed cavity having a conical calyx tube and basal stamens. The stem is short and medium thick in an acute cavity. The fruit set as singles or pairs and requires little thinning. The tree is slightly leggy with an open crown but sets up a moderate number of short spurs. It is not a tip-barer. It is hardy and continued to yield crops after the hard winters between 1996 and 1998. 

Test #4-10-43
Introduced in 2008
Lineage: Haralson x Parkland
pH: 3.2-3.45
Titratable Acidity: 0.53-0.57% Malic acid
Sugar: 11-14.5 brix

The fruit size is small to medium, 6 to 7 cms in diameter and the shape is slightly conical. The fruit stem is long. The fruit skin develops a waxy coating in storage. The colour is 80% washed with dark wine red over light greenish yellow. The flavour is sweet and good and the fruit is excellent for fresh eating and cut into salads. The cut fruit has good browning resistance and the core is of medium size and open. The texture is slightly spongy and exceptionally crisp and juicy. The flesh colour is creamy white often with red vascular tissue. The cooked flesh has medium firmness and the colour is yellow with pinkish flesh near the skin. The apple is very late, ripening around September 26th and the fruit hangs well on the tree. The fruit has excellent storability. The tree has excellent winter hardiness and is semi-dwarf in vigour. The tree is mildew resistant but is susceptible to fire blight.

Accession Number: 4-11-48
Lineage: Brookland x Pioneer #10 or Minn 1728
Released by: Rick Sawatzky,
University of Saskatchewan
pH:3.3-3.45
Titratable Acidity: 0.62-0.63% Malic acid
Sugar: 13.5-16.0 brix

Notes: The fruit is medium in size (6.5 to 8 cms in diameter) and has a long fruit stem. The shape is slightly conical and very smooth. The colour is usually a 90% red wash over light green but will vary from season to season depending on the weather in fall. The flavour is sweet and good and the fruit is very good eaten fresh. The texture is firm, crisp and juicy and the flesh colour is white. It ripens around September 4th and falls easily after that date. The fruit has good storability. The tree is vigorous, winter hardy and it tends to be the open, leggy, tip-bearing type giving it a graceful appearance. We have not seen fire blight and mildew on it. Fruit thinning can be done quickly with very little effort.

Accession Number: 18-7-10
Parentage: Brookland x MacIntosh
Released by: Rick Sawatzky,
University of Saskatchewan
pH: 0.22-0.28
Titratable Acidity: 0.72-0.83% Malic acid
Sugar: 12.7-14.2 brix

Notes: Ripe September 24 but starts falling too early if not fruit thinned. Very fine crisp juicy texture. Flavor is rich and sweet with a very good acid balance. Shape is round and asymmetrical. Colour 90% splashed and striped red (little solid red) over light greenish yellow ground. Storage is good and remains very juicy after beginning to soften due to the very fine texture. Needs professional care to produce quality fruit and recommended to commercial growers only.

Apple Introductions by the former Prairie Apple Producers Inc. (PAPI).

Papi apples are a specific group of apple cultivars developed and named by PAPI, an organization of apple growers in the Prairie region. The University of Saskatchewan's Fruit Program utilizes these seedlings for research and testing, but they are not currently recommended for widespread planting or propagation, according to a document on their website. 
This indicates that while PAPI plays a role in apple cultivar development and naming, the specific Papi apple seedlings may not be the most reliable or recommended option for commercial apple production or home gardening, at least from the perspective of the University of Saskatchewan Fruit breeding program 

Accession Number: 4-6-48
Lineage: Westland x Haralson
Titratable Acidity: 0.7-0.9% Malic Acid
Sugar: 12.8-13.1 Brix
pH: 3.2-3.3

Notes: Ripe 13 Sept. Very attractive 90 to 100% stripe and wash red over light greenish
yellow, very smooth round conic shape, very rich sub acid flavor high in astringency,
texture med firm very crisp and juicy with very good storage life.

Accession Number: 5-2-52
Lineage:Westland x Haralson
pH: 3.2 - 3.4
Titratable Acidity: 0.6 - 0.8 %Malic Acid
Soluble Solids: 12 - 14 brix

Notes: Ripe 30 Sept. Like Granny Smith but with 80% red over colour.

Accession Number: 5-4-14
Lineage: M359 x Breakey

Notes: Ripe 8 Sept. Much like MacIntosh

Accession Number: 18-17-11
Parentage: Lobo x Brookland
pH:3.1 - 3.2
Titratable Acidity: 0.7 - 1.0%Malic acid
Soluble Solids: 13 - 14 brix

Notes: Ripe 16 Sept but will hang on the tree in good condition until Sept 30, a good
keeper. A very smooth attractive solid red apple with firm flesh. Round slightly oblate.
Sour with tasty aromatics. *Note: Some find it too sour

Accession Number: 18-22-23
Lineage: Pioneer #60 x Westland

Notes: Ripe 8 Sept but hangs on the tree in good condition for at least two weeks. Sour
with good aromatic flavor, good texture. Mostly light greenish yellow with 10% pink
blush and splash, prominent lenticels.

Lineage: Westland x Lobo
Notes:
Ripe 30 Aug. A good quality large red apple.

Lineage: Brookland x MacIntosh
Notes:
Ripe 9 Sept. Texture, colour and shape much like MacIntosh only smaller. Subacid
flavor with a very nice aromatic component.

Lineage: Brookland x Honeygold
pH: 3.3 - 3.5
Titratable Acidity: 0.5-0.75 %Malic Acid
Soluble Solids: 13-14 brix
Notes:
Ripe 17 Sept. A small yellow apple much like Golden Delicious