Canopy apple variety: “a better alternative to Granny Smith”
15th December 2022
Canopy is a juicy and crisp apple with a complex flavour profile that not only rivals Granny Smith, but its resistance to scab makes it a better alternative for growers, the variety’s breeder Dalival has claimed.
Canopy was developed in France as part of the IFO breeding programme with the purpose of finding green varieties that carry the scab-tolerant Rvi6 (Vf) gene. It has similar acidity levels to the iconic Granny Smith, but with higher sugar content and overall better flavours that may even make Granny appear too bland.
Valérie Fouillet, manager of breeding and selection at IFO, said: “The variety was found among a few hybrids after four years of observation, and as the selection process progressed, Canopy proved to be a better alternative to Granny, especially for its good agronomic behaviour and eating qualities.”
Canopy trees are also easier to manage in the orchard than Granny Smith, especially in two-dimensional fruit wall establishments. Moreover, the variety has shown good yield potential, with a faster fruit set than Granny and similar blossom and picking dates.
Other than its resistance to scab, Canopy’s susceptibility to pink blush is equivalent or even lower than Granny Smith under the conditions of the French Loire Valley where the variety was bred.
Canopy is also the ideal solution for pollinating apple orchards and can replace Malus as well as Granny Smith, with the exception of some varieties such as Cripps Pink and its mutants, the company said.
Jean-Sébastien Berger sales manager at Dalival, added: “To date, there are few green, disease-resistant varieties on the market. Canopy will therefore be able to meet a real demand from growers and consumers. For this reason, we have decided to make this variety available to as many fruit growers as possible in a very wide area.”
