Ulvophyceae

Origin

Nikolai Vavilov had calculated it as of the Années 1930 but the real origin of the domestic apple tree was confirmed only in 2001. After analysis of DNA, one knows today that an Asian species, Malus sieversii is the ancestor of our domestic apple tree ( Malus pumila ), endemic species of the zone active of the Balkans in the north of the mountains of the Altaï. It is also known that this species is a close relative of two other species of the area: Malus baccata and Malus kirghizorum .

Scientific name

The scientific name of the domestic apple tree also lends him to controversy. It was called successively Malus domestica Borkh. (1803), Malus communis - Poir. (1804), etc (See synonymous low) but according to a study of 2001, the scientific name of the domestic apple tree is finally that given dice 1768 by Philip Miller Malus pumila (“dwarf apple tree” according to the literal translation of the Latin ). Our current domestic apple trees are thus cultivars and must be named for example Malus pumila “Granny Smith”.

Apple tree paradise and doucin

Two varieties of apple tree are very widespread in Europe since the XVIe century, the apple tree Paradis and the apple tree Doucin (or douçain). These vernacular names were used a long time. One thought at the origin that it was about species with whole share of apple tree but it is acted in fact of varieties of Malus pumila “standard” but having specific characteristics which return them particularly adapted to the use in Porte-greffe.

If Doucin can be various sizes, the Paradis apple tree is always a tree of small size (the Latin qualifier specific , pumilus =nain, takes its direction here) of which the root breaks like glass. It gives a very poor apple in size and quality, but which matures of very good hour, i.e. at the end of July; it yellowish, punctuated of brown and is striped of red on the side of the sun.

Origin of the name Paradise

“ the Latin poets teach us that the apple in which Eve and Adam bit with such an amount of covetousness, belonged precisely to this variety, from which comes that then one gave him the name of the place then inhabited by them, the terrestrial Paradis. ”

Use

The Paradis apple tree is often used in Porte-greffe because it with the advantage “of putting at fruit” very quickly. Thus, under good conditions, a Semis of apple tree paradise generally produces its first fruits towards 3 or 4 years. A graft posed on an understock “Paradise” will put at fruit according to the variety either the second year of the Clerc's Office, or at the latest the third or fourth year.

The observation proves, moreover, that the varieties grafted on paradise give fruits much larger and better. It thus seems that he is interest of the farmers not to more graft but on this variety even if the trees which result from it live little of time and produce each year much less fruits than those which are grafted on franc or which hardy fruit-trees.

The famous understocks of the Série Malling (M.7, M.9, M.26) are for the majority resulting from Paradise or Doucin.

Its dwarf size also makes of it a species adapted for the formation in Bonsaï.

Description of the current domestic apple tree

The domestic apple tree is a tree Hermaphrodite with null and void sheets. According to the variety S, it measures from 2 to 15 meters and can be subjected to the size or raised in Plein-vent. It flowers in May and gives fruits acid (Pomme S with cider) or sweetened (apples with knife or of table).

It can live more than 100 years but the trees cultivated in Verger on dwarf Porte-greffe S (standard M9) are generally replaced every 15 years because them Fécondité starts to drop. The trees of High-stem can, them, to produce well until the 30 years age.

The apple is partly truth-fruit for the core including/understanding the Pépin S, reproductive organs, and False-fruit for the flesh which derives from the floral Réceptacle.

The sheets of the apple tree are simple, with toothed limb and alternate provision.

Each button with flowers gives a Inflorescence of 5 flowers hermaphrodites to radiate symmetry laying out each of five white petals, a chalice composed of 5 Sépale S, approximately 20 cheesecloth S and a Pistil being divided into 5 styles. The ovary has 4 Carpelle S containing 2 Ovule S, which generally gives 10 pips but some cultivars have some more. “Liberty” and “Northern Spy”, for example, produce between 12 and 18 pips and the understock “Ottawa 3” often gives between 20 and 30 pips.

The bark of the apple tree and the apple pips contain a Hétéroside, the Cyanure, which is toxic with high amount but completely inoffensive for the man in the event of ingestion of some pips.

Varieties of the apple tree

The very great number of varieties of domestic apple tree is explained by the structure Génétique Hétérozygote of the species. Indeed, the Génome of the apple trees is composed of Chromosome S laying out of Allèle S specific of car-incompatibility named S1 alleles. Thus, as soon as S1 crosses another identical S1, the Fécondation is blocked. The apple tree must thus always find partners carrying compatible alleles to be able to reproduce. It is this phenomenon which would have involved the development of such a diversity of Cultivar S. It is as for this reason as when one sows pips even resulting from the same apple, one can obtain apple trees very different from/to each other.

Selection of old varieties

Selected by the Research center Agronomic of Gembloux (in Belgium) for the private individuals, the old varieties of fruits certified “RGF” (for “Fruit-bearing Genetic resources”) post a low sensitivity to the diseases as well as fruit-bearing high-qualities. To plant with the garden is a good way of taking part in the safeguarding of the Biodiversité.

Culture

The culture of the apple tree can vary according to the varieties.

Propagation

It is possible to multiply an apple tree by Semis of apple pip but the variety of origin will not be obtained because the apple tree is Hétérozygote. If one wishes to obtain a precise variety, one must proceed to a Clerc's Office.

Sowing can give francs usable like Porte-greffe. One can sow dice the autumn or at the end of the winter and the lifting is carried out at the beginning of spring. If one prefers to sow in spring, the pips will have to be preserved in a wet environment to 10% for at least two months at a temperature of 2 at 6°C (Stratification).

After one to two years of seedbeds and before the plantation in open ground, the varieties of selected apples are grafted on Porte-greffe S perfectly adapted to the climatic conditions and farming local (frank apple tree, Pommier Doucin or Paradis apple tree).

Some cultivars such as “Cox' S Orange Pippin”, “Red delicious”, “Elstar”, “Official reception”, “Jonagold”, “Rome Beauty”, or “Winesap” tend to generate branches Mutant S (sport) whereas the majority of the cultivars are more stable.

Pollination

The apple tree is often autostérile and will not produce (or very little) of fruit if it is not cultivated in partnership with another species of apple tree able to fertilize its flowers.

Port

The various shapes of port of the apple tree were organized according to four types (Classication Lespinasse) which it is important to know when one creates an orchard in order to choose the varieties adapted to space available.

Standard I : Spur vigorous, the needle stem is not dominant (tendency Basitonique). Varieties Red Delicious, Earligold.
Standard II : Weak Spur (basitonic tendency). Varieties McIntosh, Spartan, Idared, Macoun, Queen of the rennets.
Standard III : Intermediary between basitonic and acrotonic (Jonathan, Golden delicious Delicious, Official reception, Jonagold)
Standard IV : Whining port (tendency Acrotonique). Varieties Granny Smith, Cortland.

Periods of harvest

The various varieties of apple tree are divided into three groups depending on the period of maturity of the fruits.

Phase 1 : Apples wall in July or in August in the Northern hemisphere. Though very coloured, scented, juicy and sweetened, these early apples with fine skin are rather fragile and thus not easily marketable. Among the varieties of phase 1, one finds for example, the red Astrakan or the James Grieve.

Phase 2 : The apples of phase 2 are coloured and scented, with thicker skin but their flesh is firmer and they are preserved better such as for example the Cox' S Orange Pippin or the Ribston pippin.

Phase 3 : At the beginning of the autumn arrive of rustic apples at the more marked taste. They are sweetened and juicy. Their skin is often of coarse aspect and they are preserved very a long time. One finds there for example varieties like the Belle of Boskoop or the Granny smith.

Enemies of the apple tree

The principal enemies of the apple tree are the following:

Diseases

The most widespread diseases at the apple trees are:

the Tavelure ( Venturia inaequalis ); controls itself with Fongicide S of March in June.
the Oïdium ( Podosphaera leucotricha ); controls itself with Soufre (mouillable or flower).
the Canker of the collet ( Phytophtora cactorum ); thanks to the “Bouillie of Bordeaux is treated” applied at the end of the autumn (falls of the sheets) and at the end of the winter.
the bacterial Feu, due to Erwinia will amylovora , fortunately rare; this disease is incurable and requires the complete burn of the trees reached.
the Disease of the cork-like spots;
the mosaic of the apple tree;
the Monilia - or moniliose - (monilia fructigena).
the Proliferation of the apple tree or Phytoplasme of the apple tree

Ravageurs

Against some Insect S, it is possible to use natural insecticides which prove to be effective. The Puceron S can be fought by a fight known as “integrated” containing larvae of ladybird S. The Carpocapse can be controlled with “traps with Phéromone S”.

the ashy Plant louse of the apple tree ( Dysaphis plantaginea );
the lanigerous Plant louse of the apple tree ( Eriosoma lanigerum );
the green Plant louse migrating of the apple tree ( Rhopalosiphum insertum );
the green Plant louse not migrating of the apple tree ( Aphid pomi );

the Carpocapse ( Cydia pomonela and C. janthinana ), commonly called “worm of the fruit”

the Cémiostome of the apple tree ( Leucoptera malifoliella );
the yellow Cochineal of the fruit trees ( Quadraspidiotus piri );
the ostreiform Cochineal ( Quadraspidiotus ostraeiformis );
the Cochineal comma of the apple tree ( Lepidosaphes ulmi );
the Hoplocampe of the apple tree ( Hoplocampa testudinea );
the Hyponomeute of the apple tree ( Yponomeuta malinellus );
the Sésie of the apple tree ( Synanthedon myopaeformis );
the red Tortrix of the buds ( Spilonota ocellana );
the Zeuzère ( Zeuzera pyrina );
the Cossus spoil-wood ( Cossus cossus );
the red Acarina ( Panonychus ulmi );

Well of others Insecte S can, here or there, to cause damage, all the more frightening and important that the density of the orchards of apple trees is large.

Deficiencies

They appear especially in grounds Calcaire S. the apple trees are, according to their understocks, sensitive to the lack of: zinc, Magnesium, Manganese, boron, iron. The principal elements (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) are sometimes also the cause of symptoms of deprive general, discoloration rather characteristic of a zone of the sheet.

History

The apple tree is an indigenous tree in Europe and particularly in France where its existence is attested since highest Antiquité.

It is the “Mayflower”, Bateau transporting the English puritans who founded Plymouth in 1620, which brought the first apple tree in America. There were several legends and beliefs around the apple tree and one of most known is probably the American legend of “Johnny Appleseed” of its true name, John Chapman. This man, born in 1774, had given himself a mission: that to plant, raise and propagate the apple trees. He would have planted more than 35 orchards through the Ohio, the Indiana and the Illinois. He walked while giving his apple seeds in the hope to see multiplying this tree ad infinitum. It is in 1650 that the Canada discovered the first tree with red fruit, green or yellow.

Synonyms

Malus communis Poir.
Malus dasyphylla Borkh.
Malus domestica or Malus ×domestica
Malus niedzwetzkyana Dieck
Malus paradisiaca (L.) Medik.
Malus praecox (Stake.) Borkh.
Malus pumila VAr. niedzwetzkyana (Dieck) C.K. Schneid.
Malus pumila VAr. paradisiaca (L.) C.K. Schneid.
Malus sylvestris VAr. mitis
Malus sylvestris VAr. niedzwetskyana (Dieck) L.H. Bailey
Malus sylvestris VAr. praecox (Stake.) Ponomar.
Pyrus malus VAr. paradisiaca L.
Pyrus niedzwetzkyana (Dieck) Hemsl.
Pyrus praecox Stake.

References

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