New Apple Cultivar 'IWATE No.7'

Iwate No.7' was cultivated from a cross between 'Megumi' (father) and 'Tsugaru' (mother) in 1991. It bore fruit for the first time in 2000. It was a mid-season cultivar that could be harvested at the end of September, and it was christened 'Iwate No.7' in 2001 because of its superior traits such as taste and easily alterable color. Because of its outstanding fruit quality and cultivation methods, we applied for cultivar registration in accordance with the Plant Variety Protection and Seed Act on March 14, 2008. 'Iwate No. 7' was registered as a cultivar on September 10, 2009. The tree figure,tree viger, and size of the 'Iwate No.7' tree are of medium quality. The flower bud has good epiphytic properties, and tends to bear fruit early. Its sprouting and flowering processes take place at almost the same time as the "Fuji" cultivar. Smaller than the 'Tsugaru' cultivar, the weight of the 'Iwate No.7' fruit is around 300g, with a round, spherical shape and colors ranging from dark reds to rich burgundies. It is a beautiful fruit, and discolorations and other superficial imperfections are rare. Its sugar content (Brix) is 13-14%, and its malic acid content measures around 0.3-0.4g/100ml, resulting in a mild sourness. The flesh is harder than the 'Tsugaru,' resulting in a pleasing crunch. In addition, the fruit flesh resists browning even after the skin has been peeled or sliced off. At the Iwate Agriculture Research Center (in Narita, Kitakami City), 'Iwate No.7's maturation at the end of September is earlier than the 'Jonagold' cultivar and later than the 'Tsugaru'. Only a small amount of early fruit fall and preharvest drop. 'Iwate No.7's pollen has a high compatibility with principal cultivars, with an over 80% fruit-bearing rate when its pollen parent is 'Fuji', 'Tsugaru', 'Kiou', or 'Sansa'. Vice versa, when using the 'Iwate No. 7' as a pollen parent, the previous four cultivars have a fruit-bearing rate of over 90%, demonstrating a high compatibility with principal cultivars. In 2009 it was presumed that 'Iwate No.7's seed parent was 'Tsugaru', and its pollen parent was 'Priscilla'. The SSR allele was inherited without contradiction from the parents, so we determined that the pollen parent was 'Priscilla'. After gene analysis of black spot resistance, it was found that it did not possess the Vf gene. In addition, like the 'Orin' cultivar, the 'Iwate No.7'was found to be vulnerable to black spots after vaccination trials.