Apples are one of the main agri-business products of temperate-zone fruits in Southern Brazil. More than 90% of apple production is represented by two apple cultivars, Gala and Fuji and their mutations. These apple varieties are insufficiently suited to the regional climate and Gala and its mutations are also susceptible to glomerella leaf spot (GLS), currently the main apple disease in Brazil and its control requires special care by the producer, with the excessive use of fungicides for their control.
The chemical control represents one of the main items of the apple production costs in Southern Brazil, with potential damaging effects on the agro-ecosystem and consumers’ health. Thus, the exploitation of apple genotypes with genetic resistance to the main diseases represents an opportunity to reduce production costs, provides greater food security and expectations of broad consumer acceptance due to the lower potential environmental impact.
Scientists at Epagri (Experimental Station of Caçador) in Brazil have developed SCS425 Luiza cultivar to offer to the production chain an early apple variety better adapted to the environmental conditions of Southern Brazil and resistant to GLS.
‘SCS425 Luiza cultivar was obtained by artificial hybridization with the cultivars Imperatriz and Cripps Pink as parents - The scientists explain - SCS425 Luiza has lower chilling requirement compared to Galaxy, higher flowering precocity and yield potential at least equivalent to Galaxy. It produces fruits with skin finish, flavor and flesh texture adequate for the Brazilian market and storability similar to Galaxy apples when harvested at the same maturity".
As it is a cultivar protected by Epagri with the SNPC / MAPA (National Service of Cultivar Protection / Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply), SCS425 Luiza young trees and their pollinators must be directly purchased from licensed nursery authorized by Epagri.
Source: Denardi Frederico, Kvitschal Marcus Vinícius, Hawerroth Maraisa Crestani, Argenta Luiz Carlos,‘SCS425 Luiza’: new apple cultivar with medium chilling requirement and resistant to glomerella leaf spot (colletotrichum spp.)', 2019, Revista Brasileira de Fruticultura, Vol. 41(1).