SCS443 ISADORA: late ripening apple cultivar with very high fruit storage ability

Abstract The objective of this study is to describe the agronomic attributes of the SCS443 Isadora apple tree cultivar and to highlight its potential use in Brazil. Obtained by the hybridization made at Epagri in 2001 between ‘Imperatriz’ and ‘Cripps Pink’, after 20 years of agronomic evaluations carried out in Caçador-SC and Fraiburgo-SC, ‘SCS443 Isadora’ was originated. This cultivar has a wide plasticity of adaptation to the southern Brazilian climate due to the medium chilling requirement to overcome dormancy. It has greater resistance to the main apple diseases than cv. Gala and fruit harvest is later than cv. Fuji. Its apples have a red skin and firm flesh (=18 lb), with high sugar content (= 14.5 %) and very crunchy and juicy texture, as well as high storage ability in post-harvesting. ‘SCS443 Isadora’ apples can be stored for 8 months, even in refrigerated air atmosphere chambers (21% O2) with inhibition of the ethylene response by the use of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP). Even stored for long periods of time, the indices of quality loss, physiological disorders and fruit rotting in ‘SCS443 Isadora’ apples are lower than on Gala and Fuji apples.