Can you think of anything more exciting than a red-fleshed apple?

Can you think of anything more exciting than a red-fleshed apple?

Posted on 02/08/2010 by Snapshot Science

Yes – okay, so can I, but fruit enthusiasts across the world are getting quite hot under the collar at the thought of tasting this new variety of apple – the Redlove.

The story

It took Swiss Grower Markus Kobert 20 years to develop the apple from cross-pollinating between a traditional Iranian variety of red fleshed apple and the more well-known varieties – Braeburn and Gala.

The Iranian apple gets its colour from the high concentration of antioxidants which give many health benefits but have the unfortunate effect of making the apple taste very sour. The Redlove apple retains the antioxidants buts tastes more pleasant.

Teaching Idea and resource

This is a great way to introduce selective breeding.  The resource introduces the students to the Redlove apple and then asks them to work out how it was produced.  The third slide explains how this was carried out by selective breeding and the fourth slide goes into more detail about exactly how plants can be artificially pollinated (this can be printed out and given to the students).  The final slide contains a task where they have to write an article for a magazine which explains how the Redlove apple was created and why it took so long.

For KS4 and KS5 classes you could also look at another method of creating a red-fleshed apple:  genetic engineering – see video below.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpmycbNqgjM

Weblinks

BBC News story about the apple with video
Information about the Iranian apple