Predicted record crop harvest on apples is not necessarily positive

The current apple campaign is in full swing throughout Germany. Above all, older varieties such as the Gravensteiner and Jakob Fischer are due earlier to the temperatures having been much higher than usual. And the weather forecast for the coming weeks are also largely positive for the apple industry. Although a bumper crop, like in 2003, is imminent, today's situation also has a big disadvantage.

The lush 2018 apple harvest could have a negative impact on future yields, according to some apple experts. This is because the flowers for the coming year have already formed in August. As the trees are full of fruit this August, they have little energy left to be flowering. The conclusion then has to be that fully laden trees and heat stress has led to little budding now, in August.

Variety depletion
In addition to this, more and more experts are devoting themselves to today's selection of varieties and the restriction thereof. The so-called 'old' apple varieties -of which there are already hundreds in Bavaria- have slowly fallen into disregard over the years. On today's supermarket shelves, there are currently only about 10, mostly sweet, standard varieties which are offered in large quantities nationwide.

Source: Süddeutsche Zeitung

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