New apple variety threatens to dethrone Granny Smith

Valérie Fouillet, manager of breeding and selection at IFO, said: “The variety was found among a few hybrids after four years of observation, and as the selection process progressed, Canopy proved to be a better alternative to Granny, especially for its good agronomic behaviour and eating qualities.

“Its potential was then con rmed through the numerous trials planted in Europe,” she added.

Canopy trees are also easier to manage in the orchard than Granny Smith, especially in two-dimensional fruit wall establishments. Moreover, the variety has shown good yield potential, with a faster fruit set than Granny and similar blossom and picking dates.

Other than its resistance to scab, Canopy’s susceptibility to pink blush is equivalent or even lower than Granny Smith under the conditions of the French Loire Valley where the variety was bred.

Canopy is also the ideal solution for pollinating apple orchards and can replace Malus as well as Granny Smith, with the exception of some varieties such as Cripps Pink and its mutants, the company said.

Canopy is a juicy and crisp apple variety with a complex avour pro le that not only rivals Granny Smith, but its resistance to scab makes it a better alternative for growers, the variety’s breeder Dalival has claimed

Canopy was developed in France as part of the IFO breeding programme, with the purpose of nding green varieties that carry the scab-tolerant Rvi6 (Vf) gene. It has similar acidity levels to the iconic Granny Smith, but with higher sugar content and overall better avours that may even make Granny appear too bland.