Preserving Apple Varieties and the Rise and Fall of Red Delicious

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This chapter explores the ancient practice of grafting to create genetic clones of apple trees, emphasizing the need for human intervention to preserve apple varieties. It also discusses the domination of Red Delicious in the US market, the rise of popular cultivars like Gala and Honeycrisp, and the threat of extinction faced by lesser-known regional apple varieties.

Researchers have been resurrecting apple trees to revive forgotten varieties of the fruit. They hope that sequencing these apples' genomes could uncover mutations that influence flavour, colour, crispness and other characteristics. This knowledge could help unlock the next blockbuster fruit, and develop trees that are more resistant to disease, climate change and other environmental pressures.

This is an audio version of our Feature Apple revival: how science is bringing historic varieties back to life

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