12/2/2019 Improving apple colour

   

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Improving apple colour

Written by   Russell Fox

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Colour management of apples is a topical issue for many growers.

Producing apples with a high percentage of red colour and high colour intensity is vital if growers are
to achieve the highest payments for their fruit.

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Red colour development in apples is due to the formation of anthocyanin pigments in the apple skin.
Anthocyanin production, and hence apple colour, is in uenced by a range of environmental and
management factors in the orchard.

E ects of temperature
Temperature during the pre-harvest period in uences red colour development, with the critical
colouring period being two to three weeks before harvest.

Optimum temperatures for red colour formation vary among cultivars, but are generally between 20C
and 25C.
Cool night temperatures (less than 18C) a few weeks before harvest enhance colour development of
the fruit, especially on poorly exposed areas.

However, if cool night temperatures are followed by excessive (more than 30C) daytime temperatures,
the positive e ects on anthocyanin synthesis will be lost.

Light levels
Light levels are also an important factor in anthocyanin synthesis, but can be controlled to some
extent through orchard management practices.

In uencing fruit colour

A summary of practices that in uence red colour development in apple, and review steps that can be
taken to increase colour development in the orchard are:

Cultivar and site selection

Cultivar selection is one of the rst steps towards maximizing apple colour on an orchard.

Growers have a range of cultivars to choose from including many red sports of commonly grown
cultivars.
Extreme daytime heat and high night-time temperatures in some production areas have meant
growers are unable to produce profound red coloured fruit. This is despite growers changing their
pruning techniques and growing systems.

When choosing cultivars to grow, it is important to consider the climate of the area and whether this
matches the conditions required by the cultivar to produce high quality fruit.

Canopy Management
Good canopy management is probably the most important factor in improving apple colour. The
correct style and severity of pruning is needed to open up the tree canopy to allow su cient light
through for fruit coloration.

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A compromise must be made so that enough wood is removed to achieve high light levels without
reducing yield too much.

Apples require a minimum of 50 per cent full sunlight on fruits and leaves in order to achieve
adequate red colour, with superior colouring occurring at levels around 70 per cent full sun.

A textured canopy with ltered light is best for achieving good coloration, with growers running a risk
of sunburnt apples if fruit are exposed to direct sunlight for long periods.

Winter and summer pruning

Good canopy management should be achieved through winter pruning alone, although summer
pruning may be required on some cultivars and growing systems.

High vigour varieties may need summer pruning if winter pruning was not adequate, while trellised
growing systems almost always require summer pruning.

Timing is critical in achieving good results, with early shoot removal necessary to avoid sunburn and to
allow time for fruit to colour. Surplus water shoots and suckers should be torn out before they harden
as, unlike cutting, tearing removes the adventitious buds at the base, making regrowth less likely.

Crop load
Crop load is a signi cant factor for maximizing both fruit colour and fruit size.

Excessive crop load (fruit clusters of two to three fruits) reduces fruit coloration through direct shading
of neighbouring fruit, or through competition for assimilates needed for colouration.

A high fruit to leaf ratio may mean that the leaves cannot produce enough carbohydrates to colour or
size all of the fruit to their full potential.

Fruit thinning
Fruit thinning is therefore needed to ensure the fruit to leaf ratio is within the desired range (at least
10 to 15 leaves per fruit) to reach an adequate size, and that apples are not in contact with each other
so as to cause mutual shading.

This may mean that fruit are reduced to ones or twos, but the overall result will be an increase in
packout rates due to increased colour.

Soil nutrients
Management of the soil nutrient status is important to ensure that excessive concentrations of
nitrogen do not build up in the foliage and fruit.

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High nitrogen can increase shoot production, leading to shading and therefore colouration problems.
Studies (and experience) have also shown nitrogen has a direct negative e ect on anthocyanin
expression.

Midsummer leaf nitrogen levels below two per cent are usually best for full red colour development—
although such levels may reduce overall fruit size and adversely a ect owering and fruit set.

Consider postharvest fertilizer applications, as early summer nitrogen applications can be detrimental
to colour development.

SunUp re ective mulch

SunUp re ective mulch placed on the ground between tree rows or under the tree, increases red
colour in apples.
Continued next month

Contact Russell phone 0428 570 394  foxyden@bigpond.net.au (mailto:foxyden@bigpond.net.au?

subject=I%20saw%20your%20editorial%20in%20the%20Tree%20Fruit%20website)

See this article in Tree Fruit February 2014 (http://treefruit.com.au/index.php/tree-fruit/2014/item/358-

tree-fruit-feb-2014)

More in this category: « Bee sensors take ight (/orchard/crop-growth-management/item/351-bee-

sensors-take- ight) Improving apple colour (part 2) » (/orchard/crop-growth-management/item/367-
improving-apple-colour-part-2)

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