Quote:There has been an increase in only two rootstocks since 1990, M.9 and M.26.

The Ontario Apple Industry
Ken Wilson, OMAFRA, Thornbury, Ontario, Canada

Presented at the 42ndAnnual IDFTA Conference, February 20-24, 1999, Hamilton, Ontario,
Canada.

The apple industry in Ontario has a long and colorful history.Like all areas of Canada, apples
were introduced by the early pioneers.Apple trees first started to appear around the avenues of
easy access, such as lakes and rivers, in the early 1800s.Apples later appeared inland as
settlement increased, and there was a time when virtually every homestead had its own orchard.
Fruit from these orchards helped the settlers get through the winter and apple cider also had the
magic of producing alcohol for the amusement of all.

The first apple varieties were brought by settlers from Europe.Some of these varieties can still
be found in Ontario, but for the most part they were later replaced by chance seedlings that had
improved fruit quality for Ontario conditions.Many of the locations where apples were initially
planted proved too harsh for the trees.Some of the early settled area turned out to be ideal for
apple orchards.The acreage of apples in these areas increased as sales and later export to
England in the early 1900s became a possibility.

The regions in Ontario capable of sustained apple production are those areas whose environment
is moderated by the presence of large bodies of water.These areas are basically a narrow band
of land on the north shore of Lake Ontario from Brockville on the extreme east, west to Toronto,
and west further across southwestern Ontario to the shore of Lake Huron.Apples are grown
south of this line, with a few exceptions.An exception is the Southern Georgian Bay area with
about 7,000 acres (2,800 ha) along the south shore of Nottawasaga Bay between the towns of
Meaford and Collingwood.

Apples today have the greatest farm gate value of all the fruits grown in Ontario.Their value
annually is about CAN $80 million, compared to grapes at CAN $40 million, peaches at CAN
$25 million and strawberries at CAN $18 million.With related activities such as packing,
processing and marketing, apple production is indeed a significant agricultural activity in
Ontario.

In recent years the number of commercial growers defined by the Ontario Apple Marketing
Commission (OAMC, a grower organization founded in 1968 dedicated to the promotion and
consumption of apples grown in Ontario) has dropped from a high of 1049 in 1988 to a present
level of 835.The number of commercial acres has dropped continually over the years from a
1989 high of 29,325 acres (11,730 ha) to the present 25,000 acres (10,000 ha).The drop in
grower numbers and acres reflects the downward pressures on profits.

The competition in the marketplace and the resulting lower returns to the producer have forced
growers to become more efficient and increase production from fewer acres.This trend to
greater efficiency is seen easily when similar or greater production is produced on fewer acres
(Table 1).

Table 1.Ontario apple production.

Year
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992

Million bushelsz
11.5 (estimate)
12.9
11.9
14.6
12.1
10.0
10.9

z1 bushel = 42 lbs (19 kg) of fruit.

The Ontario apple crop is primarily produced for the fresh market.The crop traditionally
averagesabout 59% for the fresh market, with about 34% for juice and about 7% for processing.

The majority of the fresh apples sold in this province, perhaps 80%, move from the packer to the
wholesale/retail chain store system.The dollar value through this outlet approaches CAN
$60 million and far exceeds the dollar value of fruit sold directly to processors and juice plants.
The volume of fruit sold directly from farm to retailer or through farm markets, pick-your-own
and roadside stands is small compared to the fruit sold through the packers to the chain store
system.

The cultivar picture at present is very simple.Although many different cultivars are grown,
some are produced only in small quantities.The major cultivars based on the percent of total
crop in 1996 were McIntosh, Northern Spy and Delicious (Table 2).

Table 2.Major apple cultivars in Ontario, 1996.

Cultivars

Percent of total crop

McIntosh
Northern Spy
Delicious
Empire
Idared
Early varieties
Golden Delicious
Other late varieties
Crispin
Spartan
Cortland

32.7
15.1
13.6
9.0
8.7
4.9
4.2
4.1
3.2
2.8
1.7

At present, consumers are requesting apples that, in some cases, cannot be grown consistently in
Ontario.Granny Smith, for example, is the number one apple by sales volume in the province.
Granny Smith will not grow successfully in Ontario due to insufficient frost-free days to mature
a quality apple.The number two apple on the fresh market is Delicious, of which there is a

tremendous volume available from out-of-province sources.The number three apple on the fresh
market is McIntosh.With few exceptions, McIntosh apples sold in Ontario are grown in the
province.McIntosh remains the number one apple by volume produced by Ontario growers.
This apple has been a workhorse for the industry in past years and is still important.However, it
is having trouble impressing the consumer as it is a soft apple that does not stand up to the rigors
of modern chain store handling systems.Competition in the marketplace and demand for
cultivars that cannot be successfully grown here make Ontario a net importer of apples.

Every 5 years a tree survey is conducted to measure industry activity.The number of apple trees
in the province is increasing and this increase translates into more trees per acre, as growers
switch to more efficient systems.As standard rootstocks are phased out along with the larger of
the clonal rootstocks, there has been an increase in only two rootstocks since 1990, M.9 and
M.26 (Figure 1).Many of these new plantings are high density supported systems such as
slender spindle and vertical axis.Growers are becoming more comfortable with these systems as
they look for ways to improve profitability.

In the last 2 years there has been an emphasis on producing larger apples which are sold as
individual fruit or count size apples.These apples are commanding a higher market price and
growers are striving to take advantage of this.Growers are now trying to produce larger sizes
with the addition of astute management and supplementary water.Irrigation is not as widely
used in Ontario as it should or will be in the future.Ontario rainfall levels are often either not
adequate or untimely, and therefore fruit quality is reduced.

Most commercial apple growers prune twice a year.Dormant pruning is used to shape the tree
and to eliminate fruit problems found at harvest.Summer pruning is widely practiced to improve
fruit color.Magnesium and boron are often deficient in Ontario orchards.Foliar calcium sprays
are required to control bitter pit, especially with Northern Spy.

Apples are not stored on the farm but at larger central warehouses.Controlled atmosphere
storage is common, with low oxygen atmospheres being used by some commercial operators.

Ontario has a shortage of labor to harvest the crop at the peak of maturity. All available local and
domestic Canadian labor is used.Only when there is no longer Canadian labor can the Ontario
apple grower turn to off-shore labor sources.

IPM is practiced by most growers to reduce pesticide use and to favor beneficial insects.The
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) maintains an Agriphone
system to supply basic insect and disease control information on a timely basis. Growers in some
areas have organized grower funded IPM services to supply on-farm detailed reports on insect
and disease activity.

In 1991 the Ontario Apple Marketing Commission initiated a brand to identify Ontario-grown
apples.Apples bearing the Orchard Crisp brand must be grown by a registered grower in
Ontario and at time of shipping must meet several quality standards, including minimal pesticide
residue and minimal firmness levels.This brand is being adopted by marketers and has given
quality Ontario-grown fruit a higher profile.