Heritage Apples:
Api Etoile and Crittenden
A number of apples have a beautiful star shape.
These might be incorporated into breeding programmes in the future.
The more diverse the genetic base of our commercial apples, the better. At the moment, 90% of them are derived from half a dozen varieties. This cannot be good.
Here are "Api Etoile" (star apple) and an ornamental crab, Crittenden. The photo is by Reinhard Schomberg-Klee of Gottingen and is reproduced by permission.
If you are concerned that 90% of our commercial apples are derived from just six 'ancestor' varieties you may be interested in H-J Bannier's article "Inbreeding in Modern Apple Cultivation" , translated by Reinhard Schomberg-Klee and 'Diversity'.
compiled by Nigel Deacon / Diversity website
