8S6923

Apple

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Royal Gala', 'Golden Delicious' and 'Sinta'

Summary: '8S6923' is an apple variety which produces fruit with significantly less crowning at the distal end than the reference varieties. '8S6923' has a short, club-shaped fruit stalk, whereas the reference varieties have longer stalks. '8S6923' has a creamy yellow fruit ground colour with a very low amount of orange-red over colour, while 'Royal Gala' has significantly more red over colour. 'Golden Delicious' and 'Sinta' are similar to '8S6923' in that they have a very low amount of over colour but they differ from the candidate variety in the ground colour of the skin. Both 'Golden Delicious' and 'Sinta' have a green-yellow ground colour. In the Okanagan Valley, '8S6923' matures during the first week of October which is later than any of the reference varieties.

Description:

'8S6923' is an apple variety which produces trees with a spreading growth habit. The major fruit load is borne on the spurs. One year old shoots have dark brown bark, weak to medium pubescence on the upper half and moderately few small to medium sized lenticels. The bud tips are pointed and the buds are adpressed to the shoot with a medium sized bud support. The growing tip is white. In cross section the shoot tip leaves are concave and have very weak pubescence on the upper side. The lower side of the shoot tip leaves is green with purple around the apex and margins and on the petiole and mid-rib. The fully expanded leaves of '8S6923' are large and oriented upwards to outwards. The apex is cuspidate, the margins are serrate and the upper side is medium to dark green and moderately glossy. There is moderately strong anthocyanin colouration on the veins. The lower side of the leaf is moderately pubescent. The stipules are medium sized. '8S6923' flowers mid-season and has reddish purple and white flower buds. The flowers are single with overlapping petal margins. The petals are white and purplish on the upper side and lower side and are broad elliptic in shape.

'8S6923' produces very large fruit that are somewhat symmetrical and globose conical to conical in shape. Ribbing is weak and crowning at the distal end is very weak. The eye is small to medium with a closed to half open aperture. The sepals are medium in length and are free to touching at the base. The eye basin of '8S6923' is deep and narrow to medium in width. The fruit stalk is thick and medium in length. '8S6923' has a broad stalk cavity which is medium in depth. The surface of the fruit is smooth and the skin is very weakly glaucous, and moderately waxy. The ground colour of the fully mature fruit is yellow and there is a low amount of orange red over colour in a blush pattern. The amount of russet on '8S6923' is low. The lenticels are medium in size and slightly prominent. '8S6923' has cream to greenish coloured flesh and in cross-section the core line is absent or very weakly distinct. The locules are open. '8S6923' matures late and has very good fruit setting. At maturity the seeds are grey-brown and conical in shape. Browning of the flesh is moderate one hour after being cut. The fruit flesh is coarse to intermediate in texture, juicy and medium in firmness. Sugar content in the fruit juice is high.

Origin & Breeding History: '8S6923' was derived as a seed from the cross of 'Splendour' x 'Gala' which was made at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Summerland Research Centre in 1984. The seedling was designated as '8S-69-23' in 1992. Four propagations were made on Malling 26 rootstock and planted out in a trial block in 1992 and on Malling 9 rootstock and planted out in 1994. Evaluation of the selection began upon fruiting. The selection criteria were fruit appearance, taste, flesh texture, tree quality, fruit storage life, productivity and precocity.

Tests & Trials: Test and trials for '8S6923' were conducted by the okanagan Plant Improvement Co. Ltd. at the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in Summerland, British Columbia during 2000 and 2001. The trials consisted of four trees of the candidate and each reference variety, planted on M26 rootstock. Measured characteristics were based on a minimum of 20 measurements.

Comparison tables for '8S6923' with reference varieties 'Royal Gala', 'Golden Delicious' and 'Sinta'

Leaf length (mm)

Leaf width (mm)

Petiole length (mm)

Fruit diameter (mm)

Fruit weight (g)

Total sugars in fruit juice (%)