New Zealand apple breeders optimistic for heritage Gala commercialization
New Zealand orchardists Bill and Erica Lynch of Nelson-based Fashion Foods Ltd have sought to bring back the strong flavors lost through Royal Gala apple breeding, and will be launching two new cultivars at an open day in late February.
Bill Lynch told www.freshfruitportal.com there were currently 3,000 trees planted of the Berica and Mondaju varieties and he believed they would have international appeal due to their flavor, coloring and storage life.
The varieties were bred from blocks of Heritage Gala, chosen from five cultivars chosen seven years ago as finalists for potential commercialization.
