Investigating the flavour development of scab-resistant Crimson Crisp apples

Apple scab is the most important apple disease in terms of economic aspects worldwide. Prevention is crucial, however, chemical or biological control are often uneconomic and time-consuming. To save resources, more and more scab-resistant varieties are bred, especially for cultivation in organic orchards. Fruit flavour is one of the most important properties for consumers. However, many scab resistant varieties lack pronounced apple flavour. The variety Crimson Crisp is reportedly on the same level or even higher when it comes to aroma, compared to traditional varieties. Nevertheless, to fully understand the aroma profile of this apple variety, an in-depth aroma profile analysis is needed. We investigated the formation of primary aroma compounds during on-tree maturation and ripening via headspace SPME-GC-MS measurements. In this contribution, we analyse its aroma profile and demonstrate the importance of long on-tree ripening of this promising scab-resistant apple variety. This will support the investigation of the optimal harvest conditions for Crimson Crisp and improve marketability of this highly ecological apple variety