MacExcel

Apple

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'McIntosh' and 'Wijcik'

Summary: 'MacExcel' has a columnar growth habit while 'MacIntosh' has a spreading growth habit. The shoot tip leaves of 'MacExcel' have absent or very weak pubescence while the shoot tip leaves of 'Wijcik' have weak to medium pubescence. 'MacExcel' has smaller leaves than 'Wijcik' and larger stipules than the reference varieties. The fruit of 'MacExcel' has a deeper eye basin with a more open aperture of the eye than the reference varieties. 'MacExcel' has yellow ground colour on the skin while the reference varieties have green ground colour.

Description:

'MacExcel' is an ornamental variety which produces trees with intermediate vigour and a columnar growth habit. There is a low to medium number of branches which are strong. The angle of the bearing branches with the trunk is less than 90 degrees. The fruit is borne on spurs.

The shoot tip leaves are concave in cross section and have absent to very weak pubescence on the upper side. The lower side of the shoot tip leaves are green in colour. The leaves have no lobing and are large in size with a medium length to width ratio. The mature leaves are held upwards from the branch. The apex is cuspidate in shape and the margins are serrate. The upper side of the leaves of 'MacExcel' are weak to moderately glossy, with moderate pubescence on the lower side and no anthocyanin colouration in the veins. The colour of the upper side of the blade is medium to dark green and there is no anthocyanin colouration. 'MacExcel' has large stipules. Before leaf fall the leaves are orange to brown in colour and leaf fall is early to mid-season.

Bud burst for 'MacExcel' is mid-season and occurs around April 18'th in Frelighsburg, Quebec. The time of beginning of flowering occurs around May 19'th. The unopened flower is medium pink in full balloon stage and the flowers are single. 'MacExcel' has ovate shaped petals which are slightly overlapping. The pedicels are green in colour.

The fruit of 'MacExcel' is medium in diameter, symmetric and flat globose in shape. There is very weak fruit ribbing. Crowning at the distal end is weak. The eye is medium in size with an open aperture. The calyx persists in mature fruit and has medium length sepals which are not touching. The eye basin is very deep and medium in width. 'MacExcel' fruit have a short to medium length stalk which is medium in thickness. The stalk cavity is shallow to medium in depth and medium in width. The surface of the fruit is smooth, with strong bloom and waxiness present. The skin is not translucent and is medium in thickness with a yellow ground colour when the fruit is fully mature. There is a high amount of dark reddish-purple over colour which consists of a flushed pattern. There is no russet on the fruit. The lenticels are small in size and slightly prominent. 'MacExcel' has white flesh. The core line is very strongly distinct and the aperture of the locules is open.

The fruit of 'MacExcel' matures mid-season has very short persistence and poor to intermediate fruit setting. At maturity the seed is brown and normal in shape. 'MacExcel' has medium browning of the flesh.

Origin & Breeding History: 'MacExcel' originated from a series of crosses that began in 1962 at the Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada Research Station, in Frelighsburg, Quebec. The crosses were 0-522 (Red Melba) x R6T68 (Jonathan) x 26830-2 (Rome Beauty x M. Floribunda) x McIntosh Wijciks.

Tests & Trials: Tests and trials for 'MacExcel' were conducted from 1993 to 2000 in Frelighsburg, Quebec. 'MacExcel' and 'MacIntosh' were on M106 rootstock and 'Wijcik' was on M26 rootstock. Measured characteristics were based on a minimum of ten measurements.

Comparison tables for 'MacExcel' with reference varieties 'McIntosh' and 'Wijcik'

Leaf length (cm)

Leaf width (mm)

Colour of fruit skin (RHS)