'Rubisco'® - a new French series of apricot.

Few years ago, apricot fruits characterized by a deep red-purple supra-colour covering nearly the whole surface of the apricot fruit were found in the apricot germplasm. Being introduced in breeding programmes, preliminary selections were obtained and evaluated on their horticultural potential. Their interest for the consumers and their post-harvest main characteristics were investigated. While for the consumers the distinctiveness between these fruits and the conventional apricots was clear, part of the interviewees was attracted by the innovation, while another part was not concerned. However, special attention has to be paid to the harvest because the intense red-colour masks the green ground colour of the skin. In addition, some of the accessions issued from this germplasm are characterized by a rather fast post-harvest evolution. Thus, in order to protect the consumers and to sell the best fruits as possible, it has been proposed to develop all the apricot series under the same trade mark `Rubisco'® and under a technical agreement proposed to all the growers. So far, three cultivars have been named: 'Ravicifle', 'Ravilong' and 'Ravival' with different dates of ripening.