Development of a New Apple Cultivar 'Aizuakane'

‘Aizuakane’ is a new apple cultivar, which was resulted from a cross between ‘Fuji’ and ‘Kogyoku’ in Fukushima Fruit Tree Experiment Station (the present Fruit Tree Research Centre of Fukushima Agricultural Technology Centre) in 1986. It blossums at the same time with ‘Fuji’ and shows good cross compatibility with ‘Fuji’ , ‘Tsugaru’ and ‘Yohko’. ‘Aizuakane’ matures from the beginning to middle of Octorber. Skin color is deep red. Fruit weight is approximately 260g in a seedling tree and 330g in the tree on JM7 rootstock. Soluble solids concentration (Brix) is approximately 15°with a malic acidity of 0.2 to 0.3g per 100mL fruit juice. The sweet flavor is the characteristics of ‘Aizuakane’. ‘Aizuakane’ is expected to solve the problem of the less advantage of coloring in fruit skin in Fukushima apple orchard and the lack of cultivars available for the pollinizer to ‘Fuji’.