Curation of the UK Apple Collection

Emma-Jane Lamont

Imperial College

• Germplasm conserved in a field genebank

• Two trees per variety

• Grafted onto dwarfing M9 rootstock

• Repropagated every 25-30 years approx

Early History

• First aim: standardisation of nomenclature

• Catalogue published 1826

• Contained 1201 apple scions and 4 rootstocks

• Located at the Horticultural Society Gardens, London

Development, 19th Century

• Synonymous varieties were discarded

• “Inferior varieties” were discarded

• Collection was replanted in 1858

• Reduced to 600 varieties at that time

Blenheim Orange

Development, 20th Century• New varieties added, particularly through

association with trials & PVR

• Current contents:– 2017 culinary/dessert– 101 cider– 78 ornamentals – 15 rootstock

Fiesta/Red Pippin

Data Management• Aim to verify 95% of

collection

• Link accessions to available data– publications– archives– grey literature

• Collate information in database

Database Structure

Summary of results

Total number of apple accessions 2143Donation date known 2108 98%Donor identity known 2014 94%Varieties with valid publications 1677 78%Variety country of origin known 1603 75%At least one parent known 821 38%

pre 17th century

17th century

18th century

19th century

20th century

Age of varieties in the collection

Origin of varieties in the collection

UKFrance

USA

Germany

Netherlands

Canada

Other

Parentage summary

• 452 varieties have both parents known– 129 have Cox’s Orange Pippin as a parent

– 70 have Golden Delicious as a parent

– 72 have Jonathan as a parent

– 54 have McIntosh as a parent

• 194 asexually derived varieties– most commonly of Cox, Golden Delicious, Jonagold

Serbian apples in the Collection

• Budimka

• Cacanska Posna

• Grvena Lepogvetka

• Kolacara

• Pohorka

Pohorka

Other accessions received

• Alexis

• Bedford Red

• Diana

• Dr Ramburg

• Fairy

Diana

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