important to watch in growing Ambrosia. Marketing trips and events to promote the variety have been organized and research conducted into such quality factors as thinning, rosy apple aphid, and into techniques for extending and improving storage qualities.


A horticultural coordinator specifically for Ambrosia, Charlotte Leaming, has been hired on contract through the Okanagan Tree Fruit Co-op. Currie notes it’s vital that Ambrosia continue to be promoted in the marketplace, particularly as there are more than 30 new club varieties being grown all over the world—all of which will be trying to enter Western Canadian markets.


Ambrosia’s success is dependent on it being seen as distinctively different, with consistent quality, he believes, and that can only happen if the council’s work continues.


Currently, the variety brings growers a premium price, because of the work of the NVDC.


However, there’s still lots of work to be done in the Western Canadian market to increase Ambrosia’s popularity, he points out. The council has lots of work ahead of it to continue promotional work and research.


The extended mandate of the council has been endorsed by the board of the Okanagan Tree Fruit Company. While the NVDC has also worked with both Aurora Golden Gala and Nicola, two varieties developed at the Pacific Agri- food Research Centre at Summerland, Currie said neither appears to have the potential of Ambrosia.


In fact, he said Aurora was de-listed this year by the packinghouse because it’s such a “nuisance variety.” Problems with stem bowl russeting, bruising, and the need to thin heavily to achieve size all go against it being a viable commercial variety, Currie said. Instead, he feels it would be better for growers to pack it in the orchard and sell it as orchard-run. It simply doesn’t stand up well to standard machine packing equipment. “It’s not considered commercial any more,”said Currie.


Nicola is still an unknown, with many fruit and trees damaged in last year’s sudden Thanksgiving freeze, so little crop was produced in 2009.


It is known that this variety needs to be stored for some months before achieving optimum flavour. It’s also prone to russet, but because it’s a red apple, that’s not quite so serious as with Aurora. So, if a new mandate is approved for


British Columbia FRUIT GROWER • Winter 2010-11 9


the NVDC, it’s likely it will change its name to the Ambrosia Council, since it’s now a mature variety rather than a new one, explained Currie.


Replacing the work of the NVDC with new varieties is a management committee that includes a number of growers of different numbered varieties. That committee also includes PARC apple breeder Cheryl Hampson; the CEO of the Okanagan Plant Improvement Company, John Kingsmill; the CEO of the OTFC, Gary Schieck; BCTF sales manager Rick Austin; along with the


president of the BCFGA and the chairman of the Ambrosia Council. That way, everyone involved talks with one another about the progress, problems and promotion of new varieties and share what’s been learned, on a regular basis, explained Currie. Field trials for new varieties developed at PARC would also be coordinated by that group. If you don’t receive your ballot for voting on extending the mandate of the Ambrosia council, e-mail: ambrosiacouncil@gmail.com


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