Apple growers in Washington state, who dominate American apple production, are starting to plant a new kind of apple. It’s the fastest launch of a new variety in history.
These farmers have been looking for a new variety to grow. Older types of apples, like Red Delicious, have fallen out of favor among American consumers. So growers are ripping out old fruit trees — in this case, apricot trees — to make way for an apple variety called Cosmic Crisp. It’s the most successful result so far of an apple breeding effort that Bruce Barritt began at Washington State University more than 20 years ago.
Article by Dan Charles, Northwest Public Radio
