The apple tree (Malus domestica), is a tree of the Rosaceae family, cultivated for its fruit, appreciated as food. Domesticated more than 15,000 years ago, its origin seems to be the Caucasus and the shores of the Caspian Sea. It was introduced to Europe by the Romans and there are currently around 1,000 varieties / cultivars as a result of innumerable hybridizations between wild forms.
Etymology
- Malus: From the Latin malus, -ii, the apple tree, already used by Virgilio in the Geórgicas (2, 70), and a base of compound words to designate other fruit trees such as: Malus cotonnus, “the cotton apple tree”, the peach tree (Prunus persica), or Malus granata “grain apple”, the pomegranate (Punica granatum).
- domestica: Latin epithet derived from domus, -us, “house” and of evident meaning, “domestic”, alluding to the fact that it has been domesticated and cultivated since time immemorial.
Summary
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- 1 Description
- 2 cultivation
- 1 History
- 2 Procedure
- 3 Location
- 3 = Pollination
- 1 Harvest
- 4 Thinning or thinning of fruits
- 5 Pests and diseases
- 6 uses
- 1 Medicinal
- 2 Active ingredients
- 7 Source
Description
It is a medium-sized tree (12 m high), unarmed, deciduous, with an open rounded crown and numerous branches that develop almost horizontally. The trunk has cracked bark that comes off in plates. The leaves, stipulated and shortly petioled, are oval, acuminate or obtuse, with a wedge-shaped or rounded base, generally with serrated but occasionally sub-entire edges, with a strong green color and pubescence on the underside. When squeezed, they give off a pleasant aroma.
The inflorescence is an umbelliform or corymbiform summit with 4-8 hermaphrodite flowers of a lesser ovary, the central one being the first to form in a terminal position, being the most developed and competitive. This is commonly called “queen flower” and generally produces the largest and highest quality fruits. These flowers are hermaphrodite, with a calyx of five sepals, a corolla of 5 white, rounded petals, frequently veined with red or pink, with a millimeter nail and 20 stamens. The apple tree blooms in spring before the annual appearance of its leaves. The fruit, the apple, is a pommel of 30-100 by 35-110 mm, globose, with traces of the calyx at the apex, green, yellow, reddish, etc … with seeds of 7-8 by 4 mm. The apple usually ripens towards the fall.
Culture
History
The origin of apple trees, like that of many other plants grown since ancient times, is unclear. It is currently accepted that cultivated apple trees have involved at least Malus sylvestris, Malus orientalis Uglitzk in the formation. and Malus sieversii (Ledeb.) M.Roem .. Some authors suppose that they originated in the Caucasus and Turkestan, due to the great variation in the shapes and flavors of the apples found there. [1] M.sieversii is a species still present in the mountains of Central Asia, in southern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Xinjiang (province of China). Work is being done with these species and they are used in cultivation programs to develop trees that can grow in climates unfavorable to Malus domestica, mainly to increase tolerance to cold.
Process
Apple orchards are formed by planting 2 or 3 year old trees. They are normally acquired in nurseries, where they are grown by grafting (escutcheon, crown or inlay). The rhizomes, which are produced by seed or cloned using culture or layering tissue, are allowed to grow for 1 year. When the new tree is ready, a stem obtained from the desired cultivar species is cut and grafted, shortening the trunk and removing the upper branches of the rootstock. Over time, the two sections grow together, bearing the fruits of the species that lent its stem.
Apple tree in blossom
Site
Apple trees are relatively indifferent to soil conditions and can grow under different acidity (PH) and fertility levels. However, they need a well-drained soil, so too compact or flat areas should be lightened with sand to avoid waterlogging of the root system. They require some protection from the wind and should not be planted in areas prone to late spring frosts.
The apple tree is a cryophilic species, which presents cold requirements for an adequate rupture of dormancy and the beginning of the new growing season. These cold requirements are highly variable, depending on the cultivar: from 200 to 2,200 hours of cold, with a general average for cultivars of 1,200 hours of cold.
= Pollination
The apple tree, like many other fruit trees, needs the help of insects for pollination. This process is known as entomophilic pollination. This occurs because the pollen of the apple tree is heavy to be carried by the wind as it happens in other plants (anemophilous pollination). Entomophilic pollination occurs because insects perch on flowers to collect or feed on their nectar, at which point they also collect pollen that covers their bodies. By sucking the next flower, the insect can deposit some pollen grains on the pistil, carrying out the pollination.
One of the insects that best performs this function is bees, especially the domestic bee Apis mellifera. That is why it is common for commercial orchards to use hives, which are rented to a beekeeper in the flowering season.
Harvest
Another important aspect, when it comes to orchards for commercial purposes, is that many apple cultivars show self-sterility to some degree, that is, their pollen cannot fertilize the ovule, which prevents the formation of the fruit or makes it present fewer numbers. of seeds, which reduces their final size. This self-sterility can be due to five reasons:
- Gametophytic incompatibility 2. Some diploid cultivars produce some of their unviable pollen, which decreases the probability of effective pollination. 3. Certain triploid cultivars do not produce viable pollen during sporogenesis. 4.In some cultivars, abnormal female gametophytes are produced due to abnormal chromosomal division during meiosis. 5.In some cases there are morphologically different flowers that prevent entomophilic pollination.
For this reason, the use of pollinating varieties is very common in orchards for commercial purposes. These may be another variety of Malus domestica or a variety of flowering apple. When using a pollinating variety, it must be considered that: the pollen is compatible, the floral opening occurs at the same time as the variety that is to be pollinated, and in the case of using apple blossom varieties, the flowers are white. since it has been proven that bees tend to visit flowers of the same color.
Thinning or thinning of fruits
Apple trees are prone to biennial behavior. If it is not cleared when the tree shows excessive harvest, it may flower very little the following year. This practice helps you produce a modest harvest annually.
Pests and diseases
- Pseudococcus viburni
- Edwarsiana crataegui
- Cydia pomonella
- Lepidosaphes ulmi
- Eriosoma lanigerum
Depending on the variety, in the northern hemisphere you can start harvesting some varieties from July to October, and in the southern hemisphere it is just the opposite.
Applications
It is a very widespread tree for its ornamental use and for its fruits. Its hard wood with a slight shine is used in crafts.
Medicinal
The sugars in the apple are easily assimilated, which is a drawback for people with diabetes. In this case, it is recommended to eat the apple with skin, since it contains most of the pectin (soluble dietary fiber), which helps to delay the absorption of these sugars.
The raw apple acts as an excellent toothpaste for two reasons; on the one hand it helps to clean the teeth; on the other, the way of ingesting it allows the release of food remains in the gums. The apple decoction is used as a mild pain reliever in case of slight insomnia.
Cider has a discrete diuretic effect, which is why it is recommended as a complementary treatment for edema (in those cases where alcohol is not contraindicated).
Active principles
The bark contains a bitter glycoside, floridzine, which makes up 5% of the weight of the bark, quercetin.
The fruit contains 80% water, 15% carbohydrates and 5% low in protein. It is rich in pectin, vitamins, malic acid, tartaric acid, and gallic acid, as well as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and iron. Much of the vitamins and minerals are located in the skin or just below it, so to obtain all its nutritional principles they must be consumed without peeling.