Fuji (apple)

Malus domestica 'Fuji'
"Fuji" on a tree
Genus	Malus
Species	M. pumila
Hybrid parentage	Red Delicious × 'Ralls Genet'
Cultivar	'Fuji'
Origin	Fujisaki, Aomori, 1930s

The Fuji apple is an apple hybrid developed by growers at the Tohoku Research Station (農林省園芸試験場東北支場) in Fujisaki, Aomori, Japan, in the late 1930s,^[1] and brought to market in 1962. It originated as a cross between two American apple varieties—the Red Delicious and old Virginia Ralls Genet (sometimes cited as "Rawls Jennet") apples. According to the US Apple Association website it is one of the fifteen most popular apple cultivars in the United States.^[2]

It is named for the town of Fujisaki (the location of Tohoku Research Station).

Overview

Fuji apples

Fuji Kiku on a tree

Fuji apples on a display in a supermarket

Fuji apples are typically round and range from large to very large, averaging 75 mm in diameter. They contain between 9–11% sugars by weight and have a dense flesh that is sweeter and crisper than many other apple cultivars, making them popular with consumers around the world. Fuji apples also have a very long shelf life compared to other apples, even without refrigeration. With refrigeration, Fuji apples can remain fresh for up to a year.^[3]

In Japan, Fuji apples continue to be an unrivaled best-seller. Japanese consumers prefer the crispy texture and sweetness of Fuji apples (which is somewhat reminiscent of the coveted Nashi pear) almost to the exclusion of other varieties and Japan's apple imports remain low. Aomori Prefecture, home to the Fuji apple, is the best known apple growing region of Japan. Of the roughly 900,000 tons of Japanese apples produced annually, 500,000 tons come from Aomori.

Outside Japan the popularity of Fuji apples continues to grow. Fuji apples now account for 80% of China's 20 million tons grown annually. Since their introduction into the U.S. market in the 1980s, Fuji apples have gained popularity with American consumers—as of 2003, Fuji apples ranked number 4 on the US Apple Association's list of most popular apples, only trailing Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Gala. Fuji apples are grown in traditional apple-growing states such as Washington, Michigan, New York, and California. Washington State, where more than half of America's apple crop is grown, produces about 135,000 tons of Fuji apples each year, third in volume behind Red Delicious and Golden Delicious varieties.

Mutant cultivars

Many sports (mutant cultivars) of the Fuji apple have been recognized and propagated. In addition to those that have remained unpatented, twenty had received US plant patents by August, 2008:

Date	"Inventor"	Marketed as	Mutated From	Assignee	Habit	Pattern	Earlier	Color	Plant Patent Number
Aug 29, 1989	Hiraragi	Yataka	Fuji	Makoto Okada	standard	stripe	1 Month	–	US plant patent 7001
Oct 6, 1992	Yahagi	Heisei Fuji, Beni Shogun^9645	Yataka^7001	Nakajima Tenkoen	standard	solid	no	dark red	US plant patent 7997
Nov 17, 1992	Cooper	T.A.C.#114	Redsport Type 2	T.A.C.	spur	stripe	10–14 days	more brilliant red, 80—90%	US plant patent 8032
Sep 26, 1995	Fukuda	Tensei	Fuji	Fukushima Tenkoen	standard, larger	stripe	no	same	US plant patent 9298
Apr 16, 1996	Lynd	Fuji-Spike	Fuji	Lynd	spur	stripe	0–5 days	same	US plant patent 9508
Sep 24, 1996	Van Leuven	Myra	unknown red strain	C & O	standard	blush w/ subtle stripe	1 week	bright pink	US plant patent 9645
Dec 9, 1997	Auvil	Fuji 216	T.A.C.#114^8032	Auvil	standard	blush	5–21 days	brighter red, 90—100%	US plant patent 10141
Mar 24, 1998	Coopr & Perkins	Fuji Compact T.A.C. #114	T.A.C.#114^8032	T.A.C.	spur	same	same	same	US plant patent 10291
Jan 25, 2000	Van Leuven	Fiero	Yataka^7001	C & O	standard	indistinct stripe	7–10 days	more intense blush	US plant patent 11193
Sep 18, 2001	Snyder	Snyder	BC 2	Snyder	semi-spur	heavy stripe	same	same	US plant patent 12098
Nov 27, 2001	Torres	Triple E	BC 2	–	standard	85—100% blush	10–14 days	solid red	US plant patent 12219
Apr 16, 2002	Rankin	Rankin Red	Yakata^7001	Twin Springs Fruit Farm	standard	70—90% blush	5 days	more intense	US plant patent 12551
Nov. 11, 2003	Teague	Irene	BC 2	–	standard	solid	60 days	yellow	US plant patent 14299
Oct 26, 2004	Braun	Brak	Fuji	Kiku	standard	striped	earlier	ruby red	US plant patent 15261
Feb 21, 2006	Clevenger	Fugachee	Fuji	–	standard	70—90% blush	14 days before Fiero	–	US plant patent 16270
Jun 6, 2006	Banning	Banning Red	Desert Rose Fuji	Banning	standard	stripe	–	redder	US plant patent 16624
Aug 14, 2007	Lee, Edwards, Delugar	CABp	Nagafu 6	CABp 4	standard	stripe	–	"superior"	US plant patent 17914
Sep 11, 2007	Eppich	Eppich 2	T.A.C. #114^8032	–	standard	blush with light stripe	unclear	yellow and red	US plant patent 18004
Apr 29, 2008	Braun	Fuji Fubrax	Fuji	Kiku SRL	standard	dark ruby red stripes and blush	late	green-yellow	US plant patent 18761
Jul 29, 2008	Leis, Mazzola	Fujiko	Nagafu 12	Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti	standard	diffused	–	more intense red	US plant patent 19054

Unpatented Fuji mutants include:

• BC 2
• Desert Rose Fuji
• Nagafu 2
• Nagafu 6
• Nagafu 12
• Redsport Type 1
• Redsport Type 2

See also

• Grapple (fruit)—a Concord grape-flavor-infused Fuji apple

References

1. The Research Station moved to Morioka later; now National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, National Institute of Fruit Tree Science 果樹試験場リンゴ研究部 http://www.naro.affrc.go.jp/fruit/kin/apple/017785.html
2. Apple varieties by US Apple Association
3. Yepsen, Roger (1994). Apples. New York: W. W. Norton & Co. ISBN 0-393-03690-1.

External links

• http://www.fas.usda.gov/htp2/circular/2000/00-11/applesit.htm
• http://www.idfta.org/cft/1998/vol31no1/barritt/Barritt_Fuji.pdf
• http://www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/kitchen/handbooks/apples/northamerica.html
• Patents covering Fuji Apples
• The International Federation for Produce Coding (IFPC)
• Popular apple variety harbors unusual cell growth EurekAlert March 25, 2008