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n IT’S COSMIC, TRULY!
Setting the stage for a big splash, and only the first variety out of the WSU apple-breeding program to be widely planted, the Cosmic Crisp, first named WA-38, is a cross between the Enterprise and Honeycrisp varieties. With a firm, crisp texture and a sweet–tart taste, the Cosmic Crisp is creating a lot of excitement for Washington growers.
According to Rebecca Lyons, international marketing director for the Washington Apple Commission, Wenatchee, WA, the first commercial plantings went in the ground during spring, 2017, and will be commercially available starting in the fall of 2019. “The Cosmic Crisp naturally grows large, with a bright red color,” explains Lyons. “It is predicted to be a standout in the produce department apple display. Although commercial availability will be limited during the first couple of seasons, we expect it to increase rapidly in the following years, so consumers every- where will be able to enjoy the new apple out of Washington State.”
As part of the Cosmic Crisp proprietary program, 11 nurseries were involved in breeding, and 629,000 trees were delivered in 2017, with an additional five million trees scheduled for delivery in 2019. Washington State University’s Dr. Kate Evans is excited about the upcoming release and its impact on the Washington
“The Cosmic Crisp naturally grows large, with a bright red color. It is pre- dicted to be a standout in the produce department apple display, although commercial availability will be limited during the first couple of seasons.”
— Rebecca Lyons, Washington Apple Commission
apple market. “Because Cosmic Crisp isn’t managed like a club variety, it’s available to all Washington growers for 10 years.” Because breeding, testing and selection of new varieties can take up to 20 to 30 years to bring to market, WSU has invested, per Evans, “an unprecedented amount of testing on the Cosmic Crisp, more than any other apple variety.” WSU test plantings have been done in as many diverse areas of Washington as possible, and the university backs up its program with growing and horticultural recommendations for growers. pb
38 / AUGUST 2018 / PRODUCE BUSINESS