7 Things You Should Know About About Apple Tree.
About Appletree
An apple tree is any of several species of deciduous trees of the genus Malus, in the Rosaceae or Rosid family, native to temperate and subtropical regions around the world. Most notable are the cultivated varieties of apple, whose fruit is a juicy berry called a pomme in France, or pome in the United States, or more colloquially the "apple". Apple trees are popular in gardens and arbors and have been cultivated since prehistoric times.
Apple trees are grown mainly for fruit production, although some types have ornamental uses, while others are grown for shade and as windbreaks. The fruit is used fresh and dried for culinary and other uses. Apple trees are frequently pollinated by insects in spring, notably apple blossom moths (Epiphyllum spp.), honey bees, bumblebees, and other Hymenopterans, especially the native western North American red mason bee and the European apple bees (Osmia spp.). Honeydew—or "grape juice" as it is sometimes called—is one of the by-products of fruit feeding by aphids.
Etymology and nomenclature
The scientific name for the apple tree, Malus Domestica, comes from Latin domestic, meaning "household" or "used by the farmer", and malus, "apple". The original Latin species name, the Pippali, also meant "apple", but the name Pippali has been replaced by Malus. The name Pippali is preserved in the names of the pippali (Pipulaceae), a small family of mostly tropical South Asian trees and shrubs with white flowers.7 Things You Should Know About About Apple Tree
The first known attested name of the apple tree is the Roman name, Malum or Malusa. The word comes from the Greek Malone, "apple", itself from Malon "apple" (and cognates in other Indo-European languages: e.g., Welsh mæl, "apple"; Irish mobile, "apple"; Danish mal "apple"; Frisian malen, "apple", a related name for Malus sylvestris; etc.).
Cultivars
Over 200 cultivars have been bred for the production of Apple products, and hundreds more have been developed for ornamental purposes. The major apple-producing countries are the United States, China, the United Kingdom, France, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, and Russia. In the 21st century, apple orchards are widely established in China.
Cultivars from China include Red Fuji, Delicious, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Primavera, Ralls, Rome Beauty, and Sweet. Cultivars from the United Kingdom include Braeburn, Cripps Pink, Glamour, Lady Williams, and Pink Lady. Cultivars from France include Cox's Orange Pippin, Idared, Jersey Supreme, Jonagold, Pink Lady, Rouge Flavor, Delicious, Gala, Empire, Spartan, Cox Orange Pippin, Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Fuji, Galette du Roi, Granny Smith, and Red Delicious. Cultivars from the United States include Cameo, Cortland, Delicious, Liberty, Macoun, Northern Spy, Rhode Island Greening, Washington Beauty, Wealthy, and York. Cultivars from New Zealand include Cox Orange Pippin, Kiko Gold, Latham, and Pink Lady. Cultivars from Russia include Alexander, Anjou, Cortland, Delmar, Fuji, Gala, Gravenstein, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Jonagold Washington, Jonathan, Red Delicious, Northern Spy, Rome Beauty, Ralls, Spitz, Sweet 100, and Wealthy. Cultivars from Italy include Cortland, Cox Orange Pippin, Empire, Freedom, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Piave, Red Delicious, Red Spitz, Spitz, Tartine, and Wealthy. Cultivars from Austria include Braeburn, Golden Delicious, Macoun, Newtown Peach, Northern Spy, Pippin, Rome Beauty, Spartan, Stark Delicious, and Wealthy. Cultivars from Australia include Braeburn, Cox's Orange Pippin, Ralls, Red Delicious, Newtown Peach, Red Delicious, Rome Beauty, Stark Delicious, and Wealthy.
Culture
The first apple varieties to reach the U.S. were apples from Europe, beginning with the "Newe Fines" and "Roses" that were brought by English colonists in the early 17th century. New English colonies in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island planted more varieties, including the "Esopus" and "Wolcott" as early as the 18th century, and then the "Concord" and "Baldwins" as early as the 19th century. In the early 19th century, American cider apples such as the "Northern Spy" were introduced, which quickly made the "Northern Spy" the dominant apple in America.
The "Merrill", "Stark Red", "Wagener", and "Starkrimson" were introduced from Europe around 1860. In the 1870s, the "Golden Delicious" was grown in the U.S. and became the dominant apple of the 20th century. In the late 19th century, a "Red Delicious" was developed that was very close in appearance to the "Merrill" and "Starkrimson". The "Macintosh" was developed from the "Merrill" and "Red Delicious". Other varieties like the "Eureka", "Braeburn", "Spartan", and "Romell" followed in the 20th century.7 Things You Should Know About About Apple Tree
Apples are propagated by grafting onto a "rootstock" tree (a tree from which a grafted plant grows) and are grown commercially by planting "mother trees" (trees with grafted apples) in orchards. In the early 20th century, some farmers in the U.S. and Canada began to use cuttings of apple varieties as propagating material. "Mother trees" can be used to propagate trees of the same variety; "mother trees" can also be used to propagate other varieties. There are many different types of rootstocks. Some are more cold-tolerant than others, and some are less susceptible to pests and diseases. Apple rootstocks can grow to be tall and wide.
Some rootstocks grow very tall, and therefore apple trees are very common in some countries, such as Japan and China, where some people like to grow "space" trees. The tall trees can be used for both fruit and shade, and the fruit is usually harvested in summer.
The apple is a model organism for studies on plant genetics because its fruit has distinct characteristics that are dependent on their genes and can be genetically modified.
Pests
Apples are frequently damaged by fungal and bacterial diseases or attacked by various insects such as ants and birds, beetles, caterpillars, and parasitic wasps. Some pests cause economic losses to farmers; some are used as biological control agents against damaging pests.
The apple louse Cicadulina macleayi, which is common in Australasia, was one of the first insects to be genetically engineered for agriculture. The insect's eggs develop on apple leaves in the autumn and the adults feed on the flowers in spring. Males of the new variety are "grafted" onto an apple variety, and the females of the insect are then released onto the wild apple trees of Australia. This is similar to the release of corn rootworms into the United States to control it. A pest may evolve to kill the grafted insects, but the risk is outweighed by the benefits of biological control.
The red apple aphid, an insect, and the green peach aphid, a plant pathogen, are also pests. Both are controlled with insecticides. The pink flower bug (Dysmicoccus neobrevostictus) is a serious pest of apples in Japan.
Pests that cause economic damage to apples include the Colorado potato beetle, the codling moth, and the Asian longhorned beetle.
Diseases
Diseases in apples can be caused by a wide variety of agents including fungi, bacteria, viruses, and insects. Some of the most serious diseases in apples are scab and fire blight. Other important diseases include fire blight, black spot, bitter rot, corky root rot, crown gall, and scab.
Apple scab
In the United Kingdom, apple scab is caused by two fungi, Aureobasidium pullulans, and Leptosphaeria maculans. It is responsible for up to 40% of all crop losses in commercial orchards in the United Kingdom. Control of apple scabs relies on the use of fungicides, biological control, and sometimes resistant apple varieties. This has led to the over-use of pesticides and resistant populations of the scab fungi developing.7 Things You Should Know About About Apple Tree
In the spring the scab spore lands on the apple leaves and produces a protective layer that prevents air from reaching the apple tissue and causes the leaves to yellow and turns brown. As the fruit grows the scab fungus produces more spores and the infection spreads. The new leaves fall, but the fruit is not rejected by the tree. Eventually, the leaves fall and the fruit may be lost. The scab fungus can overwinter in the fallen leaves, ready to infect the new growth next spring.
The fungus has also spread to other tree fruits and causes severe losses, including in pears. The fungus causes significant losses in the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, Poland, and The Netherlands.
Fire blight
Fire blight is affected by the bacteria Erwinia amylovora. The bacteria are also responsible for blight in pear, cherry, plum, and peach. Fire blight is mainly a problem in areas with wet summer conditions, such as in the United States, Canada, and the British Isles.
The disease is usually found on fruit during the growing to overwinter. The severity of the disease is dependent on the environmental conditions during the growing season, which is affected by the temperature and humidity.
Infection in susceptible varieties results in black, softening areas on the leaves, and the affected area will usually expand and turn brown. As the severity of the disease increases, pines and other plants, including trees and shrubs may die, and the canker is visible. Fruit is often discolored and may drop, particularly at the stem end. The affected fruit may also rot before harvest.
The bacteria multiply well at temperatures below.
The symptoms of fire blight are usually visible in the spring, and the plants may then die.
Prevention and control
In the UK it is illegal to apply any pesticide to crops or trees that may be in season for up to seven days. Instead, a 'no spray' policy is in force. Pesticides are only used as a last resort, and the advice is to minimize the use of chemical pesticides and concentrate on biological control, for example using biological control products or encouraging natural predators. Pests may be controlled by reducing water content by spraying trees to stop them from raging natural predators, and by applying natural products, for example, garlic, which may have natural insecticidal properties.
If infected plants or trees are found, prune away the infected tissues immediately. If the canker starts to spread, prune the infected tissue.
Aphids are a common pest of this disease. Treating infected trees with insecticide, particularly neem oil, is a common method of control, but does not guarantee success.
The fungus is difficult to control with fungicides. If infected plants are found, the fungus will likely have already killed the plant.
References
Category: Bacterial plant pathogens and diseases
Category: Xanthomonadales
Category: Potter's disease
Category: Fruit tree diseases
Category: Fungal citrus diseases