Information AboutApple |
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'' apple in Kazakhstan ]] The apple is the Pomaceous Fruit of the apple tree, Species ''Malus domestica'' in the Rose family Rosaceae . It is one of the most widely Cultivated tree fruits. The tree is small and Deciduous , reaching 5-12 m tall, with a broad, often densely twiggy crown. The Leaves are Alternately Arranged simple ovals 5-12 cm long and 3-6 cm broad on a 2-5 cm Petiole with an acute tip, serrated margin and a slightly downy underside. Flower s are produced in Spring simultaneous with the budding of the leaves. The flowers are white, five Petal ed, 2.5-3.5 Cm in diameter, white with a pink tinge that gradually fades. The fruit matures in Autumn , and is typically 5-9 cm diameter. The centre of the fruit contains five Carpel s arranged in a Five-point Star , each carpel containing one to three Seed s. BOTANICAL INFORMATION The wild Ancestor of ''Malus domestica'' is '' Malus Sieversii ''. It has no common name in English, but is known in Kazakhstan , where it is native, as 'alma'; in fact, the region where it is thought to originate is called Alma-Ata , or 'father of the apples'. This tree is still found wild in the mountains of Central Asia in southern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan , Tajikistan , and Xinjiang , China . For many years, there was a debate about whether ''M. domestica'' evolved from chance hybridisation among various wild species. Recent DNA analysis by Barrie Juniper, Emeritus Fellow in the Department of Plant Sciences at Oxford University and others, has indicated, however, that the hybridisation theory is probably false. Instead, it appears that a single species still growing in the Ili Valley on the northern slopes of the Tien Shan mountains at the border of northwest China and the former Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan is the progenitor of the apples we eat today. Leaves taken from trees in this area were analyzed for DNA composition, which showed them all to belong to the species '' M. Sieversii '', with some genetic sequences common to ''M. domestica''. Some individual ''M. sieversii'', recently planted by the US government at a research facility, resist many Diseases And Pests that affect domestic apples, and are the subject of continuing research to develop new disease-resistant apples. Other Species that were previously thought to have made contributions to the Genome of the domestic apples are '' Malus Baccata '' and '' Malus Sylvestris '', but there is no hard evidence for this in older apple Cultivar s. These and other ''Malus'' species have been used in some recent breeding programmes to develop apples suitable for growing in climates unsuitable for ''M. domestica'', mainly for increased cold tolerance. The apple tree was perhaps the earliest tree to be cultivated, and apples have remained an important food in all cooler climates. To a greater degree than other tree fruit, except possibly Citrus , apples store for months while still retaining much of their nutritive value. Winter apples, picked in late autumn and stored just above freezing, have been an important food in Asia and Europe for millennia, as well as in Argentina and in the United States since the Arrival Of Europeans . APPLE CULTIVARS ]] See List Of Apple Cultivars for a listing. There are more than 7,500 known . Apples do not flower in tropical climates because they have a chilling requirement. Commercially popular apple cultivars are soft but crisp. Other desired qualities in modern commercial apple breeding are a colourful skin, absence of Russet ing, ease of shipping, lengthy storage ability, high yields, disease resistance, typical " Red Delicious " apple shape, long stem (to allow Pesticide s to penetrate the top of the fruit), and popular flavour. Old cultivars are often oddly shaped, russeted, and have a variety of textures and colours. Many of them have excellent flavour (often better than most modern cultivars), but may have other problems which make them commercially unviable, such as low yield, liability to disease, or poor tolerance for storage or transport. A few old cultivars are still produced on a large scale, but many have been kept alive by home gardeners and farmers that sell directly to local markets. Many unusual and locally important cultivars with their own unique taste and appearance are out there to discover; apple conservation campaigns have sprung up around the world to preserve such local cultivars from extinction. In the United Kingdom old cultivars such as Cox's Orange Pippin and Egremont Russett are still commercially important even though by modern standards they are low yielding and disease prone. Although most cultivars are bred for eating fresh (dessert apples), some are cultivated specifically for cooking ( Cooking Apple s) or producing Cider . Cider Apple s are typically too tart and astringent to eat fresh, but they give the beverage a rich flavour that dessert apples cannot. Modern apples are, as a rule, sweeter than older cultivars. Most North America ns and Europe ans favour sweet, subacid apples, but tart apples have a strong minority following. Extremely sweet apples with barely any acid flavour are popular in Asia and especially India. Tastes in apples vary from one person to another and change continually over time. As an example, the U.S. State of Washington made its reputation for apple growing on Red Delicious. In recent years, many apple connoisseurs have come to regard the Red Delicious as inferior to cultivars such as Fuji and Gala due to its merely mild flavour and insufficiently firm texture. GROWING APPLES Apple breeding Like most perennial fruits, apples ordinarily propagate asexually by Grafting . Seedling apples are different from their parents, sometimes radically. Most new apple cultivars originate as seedlings, which either arise by chance or are bred by deliberately crossing cultivars with promising characteristics. The words 'seedling', 'pippin', and 'kernel' in the name of an apple cultivar suggest that it originated as a seedling. Apples can also form Bud Sport s (mutations on a single branch). Some bud sports turn out to be improved strains of the parent cultivar. Some differ sufficiently from the parent tree to be considered new cultivars.. Some breeders have crossed ordinary apples with Crabapples or unusually hardy apples in order to produce Hardier cultivars. For example, the Excelsior Experiment Station of the University Of Minnesota has, since the 1930s, introduced a steady progression of important hardy apples that are widely grown, both commercially and by backyard orchardists, throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin . Its most important introductions have included ' Haralson ' (which is the most widely cultivated apple in Minnesota), 'Wealthy', 'Honeygold', and ' Honeycrisp '. Pollination Apples are self-incompatible Cross-pollinate to develop fruit. During the flowering each season, apple growers usually provide Pollinator s to carry the pollen. Honeybee hives are most commonly used. Orchard Mason Bee s are also used as supplemental pollinators in commercial orchards. Bumble Bee Queen s are sometimes present in orchards, but not usually in enough quantity to be significant pollinators. There are four to seven pollination groups in apples depending on climate:
One cultivar can be pollinized by a compatible cultivar from the same group or close (A with A or A with B but not A with C or D). Maturation and harvest Cultivars vary in their yield and the ultimate size of the tree, even when grown on the same rootstock. Some cultivars, if left unpruned, will grow very large, which allows them to bear a great deal more fruit, but makes harvest very difficult. Mature trees typically bear 40-200 kg of apples each year, though productivity can be close to zero in poor years. Apples are harvested using three-point ladders that are designed to fit amongst the branches. Dwarf trees will bear about 10-80 kg of fruit per year. Pests and diseases See Also: List of apple diseases The trees are susceptible to a number of Fungal and Bacteria l diseases and Insect pests. Nearly all commercial orchards pursue an aggressive program of chemical sprays to maintain high fruit quality, tree health, and high yields. A trend in orchard management is the use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which reduces needless spraying when pests are not present, or more likely, are being controlled by natural Predator s. Among the most serious disease problems are Fireblight , a bacterial disease; and '' Gymnosporangium '' rust, Apple Scab , and Black Spot , three fungal diseases. The Plum Curculio is the most serious insect pest. Others include Apple Maggot and Codling Moth . Young apple trees are also prone to mammal pests like mice and deer, which feed on the soft bark of the trees, especially in winter. Apples are difficult to grow organically, though a few orchards have done so with commercial success, using disease-resistant cultivars and the very best cultural controls. The latest tool in the organic repertoire is a spray of a light coating of Kaolin clay, which forms a physical barrier to some pests, and also helps prevent apple sun scald. See Also: List of Lepidoptera which feed on Malus COMMERCE AND USES At least 55 million tonnes of apples were grown worldwide in 2005, with a value of about $10 billion. China produced about two-fifth of this total. United States is the second leading producer, with more than 7.5% of the world production. Turkey , France , Italy and Iran are among the leading apple exporters. In the United States , more than 60% of all the apples sold commercially are grown in Washington state. Imported apples from New Zealand and other more temperate areas are competing with US production and increasing each year. Apples can be canned, juiced, and optionally fermented to produce Apple Juice , Cider , Vinegar , and Pectin . Distilled apple cider produces the Spirits Applejack and Calvados . Apple Wine can also be made. They make a popular lunchbox fruit as well. Apples are an important ingredient in many winter Dessert s, for example Apple Pie , apple Crumble , Apple Crisp and Apple Cake . They are often eaten Baked or Stewed , and they can also be dried and eaten or re-constituted (soaked in water, alcohol or some other liquid) for later use. Puréed apples are generally known as Apple Sauce . Apples are also made into Apple Butter and apple jelly. They are also used cooked in meat dishes.
Apples turn brown with exposure to air due to the conversion of Tyrosinase into Melanin upon exposure to Oxygen . Sliced apples are treated with Acidulated Water to prevent this effect. HEALTH BENEFITS An old as well as a host of other Antioxidant compounds, which may reduce the risk of cancer by preventing DNA damage. The fibre content, while less than in most other fruits, helps regulate bowel movements and may thus reduce the risk of colon cancer. They may also help with Heart Disease , Weight Loss and controlling Cholesterol , as they do not have any cholesterol, have fibre (which reduces cholesterol by preventing reabsorption), and are bulky for their caloric content like most fruits and vegetables. A group of chemicals in apples could protect the brain from the type of damage that triggers such Neurodegenerative Disease s as Alzheimer's and Parkinsonism . Chang Y. 'Cy' Lee of the Cornell University found that the apple Phenolic s, which are naturally occurring Antioxidants found in fresh apples, can protect Nerve Cell s from neurotoxicity induced by Oxidative Stress . The researchers used red delicious apples from New York State to provide the extracts to study the effects of Phytochemicals . Lee said that all apples are high in the critical Phytonutrient s and that the amount of phenolic compounds in the apple flesh and in the skin vary from year to year, season to season and from growing region to growing region (November/December 2004 issue of the Journal of Food Science). The predominant phenolic phytochemicals in apples are Quercetin , Epicatechin , and Procyanidin B2 (PMID 14558772). The Seed s are mildly poisonous, containing a small amount of Amygdalin , a Cyanogenic Glycoside , but a large amount would need to be chewed to have any toxic effect.1 Pesticide contamination is linked to an increasing number of diseases, and they are mostly found on the outside of fruits and vegetables. Washing or peeling before eating may reduce pesticide intake2 but peeling will also reduce the intake of the beneficial nutrients. Apple consumption can help remove trapped food and clean between the teeth, but the Malic Acid contained within the fruit is also capable of eroding Tooth Enamel over time, and through excess consumption. CULTURAL ASPECTS ''For apple symbolism in . Apples as symbols Apples appear in many Religious Traditions , often as a mystical and Forbidden Fruit . One of the problems identifying apples in religion, mythology and folktales is that the word "apple" was used as a generic term for all fruit, other than berries but including nuts, as late as the 17th C. CE. Legends, folklore, and traditions
Apple facts
:"''At the end of the 1800s, 7,000 named apple varieties were grown in the United States. Now, 6,800 of those are as extinct as the dinosaurs.''"5 APPLES AS FOOD Different cultivars of apples have a distinct different taste, and this can be separated into two separate factors of flavour and texture. STORAGE Most varieties of apple can be stored for approximately two weeks, when kept at the coolest part of the refrigerator. Some types of apple, including the Granny Smith and Fuji , have an even longer shelf life. 6 SEE ALSO REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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