The 1995 planting of the North East Cooperative Regional Project (NE-183) apple cultivar
evaluation was established at the Rutgers Snyder Research and Extension Farm in Pittstown, NJ.
This planting consists of a 26 apple cultivar scion/rootstock combinations established as a uniform
test orchard. What makes this trail unique is its replication across the United States and Canada.
The trail is designed to evaluate new and upcoming apple cultivars from around the world for their
adaption to the north east. Intensive plantings throughout the country expose these cultivars to a
wide range of climatic and soil conditions in a short period of time, as well as varying degrees of
insect and disease pressures. Several of these test plantings were established just to measure insect
and disease susceptiblity. The Snyder Farm planting is primarily a horticultural characteristic trial
designed to evaluate these apple cultivars for their horticultural potential in the apple market place in
New Jersey.

Minimum inputs are utilized in the maintenance of this trial. The tree is allowed to form its natural
structure. The cultivars were established on M9 and Mark rootstocks so that early production was
achieved. Growth characteristics and extensive data collection on fruit quality are measured
annually. This was the second year that cultivars from the block fruited at the Snyder Farm site,
and the crop load proved to be variable. With the early spring and a moderate to light bloom, no
chemical thinning was warranted. Even so, only a limited number of cultivars carried a full crop.

The light crop produced excessively large fruit on some of the varieties this year. Gingergold,
Honeycrisp and Fortune (NY 429), all produced fruit that was 4" or larger in diameter and
weighed in excess of one pound. With this excessively large fruit calcium disorders such as flesh
corking were evident. No foliar calcium was applied this season in order to determine the
susceptiblity of these cultivars to calcium disorders.

Suncrisp (NJ 55) has extremely high eating quality but was lightly cropped this year. Suncrisp
produces a very manageable tree but fruit load management may need to be observed carefully in
assessing this variety. Other cultivars that produce a nice tree with good quality fruit are; Breaburn
and Arlet. Arlet is a Golden Delicious x Idared cross that comes in about a week after most strains
of Gala.

Topping the fruit quality assessment again this year were Cameo and Sunrise. Sunrise is an early
season apple that is harvested around the middle of August. It produces a large round shaped fruit
with a brilliant red over color. Sunrise is a weak but precocious tree on M9 and rootstocks. Cameo
(formerly Carousel) is a tree with a more vigorous, but spreading, growth habit. The fruit is large
with a light red appearance that is round to slightly conic in shape. Many people compare Cameo to
the original strains of Red Delicious for eating quality. When picked at the optimum time, Cameo
will produce a firm fruit that will hold in conventional cold storage for three months. Even with a
reduced spray program, and minimal corrections for nutrient deficiencies, both Cameo and Sunrise
were of superior quality again this year.

Fruit harvest began in this block on July 20th with Pristine, and will wrap up in another three
weeks with the harvest of the other disease resistant cultivar in this block, Goldrush. The
evaluation of both tree and fruit is revealing interesting differences about some of these cultivars
and their growth habits in our region as compared to other areas of North America. This variability
can be assessed with the cultivar Creston. Creston is a high quality variety that was developed in
British Columbia, Canada. Creston grows well in the north west but we are finding that the soil
and climatic conditions of our region may limit its potential in our area.