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The role of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) and Rutgers Cooperative
Extension (RCE) is to continue to discover, evaluate and educate the farming community of New
Jersey on agricultural practices that address issues of profitability in concert with environmental issues
and social acceptability. The agricultural community of New Jersey, as with other nonagricultural
business, complies with a multitude of environmental regulations to minimize the impact of agriculture.
Developing and maximizing efficiency of sustainable tree fruit production systems has been the focus
of research in the North Jersey region. Emphasis has been placed on the evaluation of new apple and
peach cultivars and rootstocks adapted for Northern New Jersey growing conditions and marketing
niche.
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DEVELOPMENT OF A SUSTAINABLE APPLE PRODUCTION SYSTEM
Established in 1990. Development of apple production systems for New Jersey and the northeast
focuses on the evaluation of seven advanced scab resistant apple selections from the NJAES and other
apple breeding programs for commercial adaptability and marketability. Established with funding from
the USDA and NJ SARE grant programs.
Two cultivars look promising for commercial implementation: Liberty, a McIntosh type cultivar, which
is field immune to apple scab and extremely precocious and Enterprise, a late October apple, also field
immune to apple scab and fireblight. Enterprise is a large fruited variety of high quality. May have
potential as a processing apple. Ongoing studies on a calcium disorder called 'Mystery Spot' have been
established at the Snyder Farm. Cumulative yield data is maintained.
W. COWGILL, J. COMPTON, D. POLK, W. TIETJEN, M. MALETTA, J. GOFFREDA
NE-183 CSRS - MULTIDISCIPLINARY EVALUATION OF NEW APPLE
CULTIVARS
For the New Jersey apple industry to remain competitive, we must identify apple cultivars that will
allow growers to plant intensive orchard systems adapted for retail, pick your own and wholesale
marketing. Evaluation of new apple cultivars requires evaluation and testing under local conditions.
The first trial was established in 1995, with a second one being added in 1999. The North East
regional project (NE-183) is being used to evaluate important fruit tree cultivars for New Jersey that
may require less production inputs but will have superior horticultural characteristics. Plantings of the
1995 trial contain the same cultivar / rootstock combinations, and were established in 16 locations
throughout the United States. The 1999 planting contains 25 cultivars in 29 replicated sites. These
projects quickly expose cultivars to a wide range of soils, climatic conditions, nutrient and disease
pressures for identifying them suitable as potential profitable cultivars. High quality direct marketed
fruit is very important to the NJ apple industry. This trial is beginning to differentiate the best new
apple cultivars adapted to New Jersey growing conditions. NJ fruit growers are actively looking for
new high quality apple selections for their retail marketing efforts, particularly those with reduced
chemical pest control needs. At the Snyder Farm site, Golden Supreme, Breaburn and Sunrise had
outstanding fruit quality this season and required minimal inputs. Nationally, a better understanding of
regional adaptability and growth characteristics have been established for these new cultivars, such as
Honeycrisp, Goldrush and Suncrisp (NJ 55). Established with Snyder Farm local needs grants and
support from CSRS. Maintained with funding from the NJ State Horticulture Society.
W. COWGILL, J. COMPTON, J. GOFFREDA, W. TIETJEN, D. POLK, M. MALETTA,
R. BELDING
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