Chilean producers will soon have the opportunity of expanding their Gala apple offer because, starting next year, the Galaval and Jugala varieties, two variations of the Gala apple, will be available for the Chilean producers to plant.
Chile's Andes New Varieties Administration (ANA) introduced two new varieties of French origin during Fruittade 2013, and then focused on their marketing, which would begin in 2014.
According to a statement by Lorena Pinto, ANA Chile's product manager, the "Galaval is a variety of the Gala apple that originated from a mutation of a full Galaxy tree. Its fruit has a smooth deep purple red colour, a sweet balanced flavour and a medium size."
Pinto said that one of the fruit's most important benefits was "the high level of colour stability and consistency over time, as the fruit has a lower incidence of whitish bloom. Additionally, an high percentage of the fruit is for the Premium categories."
Regarding the fruit's cultivation, Pinto reported that the Galaval variety was well adapted to the growing area of Galas and that it "was ideal for those areas where the fruits aren't as efficient when producing colour. It is a highly interesting plantation in Europe, where more than 300,000 trees have been planted."
Meanwhile, the Jugala variety corresponds to a mutation of a Mitchgala tree (Mondial Gala®) and its size ranges between medium and large. The fruit is bright red with smooth grooves and it has a balanced sweetness.
According to the statement by Pinto, " this variety matures five to seven days before the Gala apple, a feature that makes it interesting for producers, as they can extend their harvest window." She also indicated that this variety was ideal for very cold areas and recommended it to be grown in areas where the fruits' size was a problem.
The two new varieties of the Gala Group are ready to be marketed and exported. Expectations are they'll be received well thanks to their enhanced features that will please both producers and consumers.
"The goal is to expand the range of the Gala variety in Chile, as it is one of the most produced groups and, currently, the Brookfield ® Gala variety leads the demand in the premium segment. The market requires new genotypes that respond to the producers' changing needs in the Gala category," she concluded.
Source: portalfruticola.com