‘Artemisz’, ‘Cordelia’, ‘Hesztia’, and ‘Rosmerta’: New Hungarian Multiresistant Apple Cultivars

Abstract

‘Artemisz’, ‘Cordelia’, ‘Hesztia’, and ‘Rosmerta’ are the first four Malus 3domestica (Borkh.) cultivars developed in the apple breeding program of the Corvinus University of Budapest and their registration was accepted by the state in 2011 and 2012. They are mid–early to late-ripening cultivars with the following ripening dates: from the fourth week of August to the first week of September (‘Hesztia’), the second week of September (‘Artemisz’), the third week of September (‘Rosmerta’), and the first 10 d of October (‘Cordelia’) in the growing region between the rivers Danube and Tisza, the central part of Hungary. All four cultivars are resistant to apple scab and also have good resistance to the apple powdery mildew. Their shoots have resistance or moderate resistance to fire blight. The flowers of ‘Hesztia’ exhibited moderate resistance to fire blight. The medium to large fruits (averaging 147 g in weight) of ‘Artemisz’ can be used for both fresh consumption and making into apple chips. ‘Cordelia’ has very large fruit, averaging 269 g, with great flesh firmness (8.3 kg·cm on average) and high pectin concentration (0.87%). This cultivar has good storage ability. It is recommended to be used for fresh consumption; however, it can be used for processing purposes based on its physical and chemical properties, e.g., for processing into concentrates, applesauce, and apple chips. The fruit size of ‘Hesztia’ is large, averaging 246 g. On average, the concentrations of gallic acid polyphenols were 392 mg·L. It has the highest antioxidant capacity [ferric-reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) 1.34] among the new cultivars. It is suitable for both fresh consumption and processing into apple chips and concentrates. ‘Rosmerta’ (155 g/fruit) is ideal for fresh consumption. However, this cultivar can be potentially used for processing purpose. It is a potential alternative cultivar for ‘Jonathan’; the latter is highly susceptible to various diseases.