Acey Mac and Pioneer Mac, 

 Are They Going to Save the 

 Mcintosh Industry in New England? 



Wesley R. Autio and Duane W. Greene 



Department of Plant & Soil Sciences, University of Massachusetts 



In New England we grow a large number of 

 Mcintosh apples, primarily because the environ- 

 mental conditions allow us to produce a better Mcin- 

 tosh than anywhere else in the country. However, 

 the "Alar Crisis" has forced many growers to look se- 

 riously at reducing their Mcintosh acreage. 



To assess the degree of change which was being 

 contemplated in New England, we conducted a sur- 

 vey of the apple industry. In 1989, Mcintosh ac- 

 counted for 59% of the planted apple acreage, and is 

 expected to decline to about 53% by 1994. This 

 reduction in Mcintosh acreage is confirmed by plant- 

 ing trends. Over the last 10 years, Mcintosh has 

 accounted for 50% of the planting. This will be 

 reduced to 38% over the next 5 years; however, it is 

 important to note that the next most prominent 

 cultivar will account for only 13% of the planting. 

 Although the Mcintosh picture is changing, it will 

 remain the dominant cultivar for a number of years 

 to come. 



Where a heavy concentration of Mcintosh is 

 maintained, growers must consider means of alter- 

 ing their management practices to cope with the loss 

 of Alar. Summer pruning, detailed fertility manage- 

 ment, the use of NAA and ethrel, and increased labor 

 can all assist in expanding or altering the harvest 

 season so as to reduce losses from preharvest drop. 

 Likewise, detailed fertility management, accurate 

 maturity assessment, and careful fruit handling will 

 help maintain fruit quality. These changes, how- 

 ever, are short-term alternatives which will reduce 

 only some of the losses associated with not using 

 Alar. Growers must undertake appropriate long- 

 term solutions to overcome the need for Alar. Re- 

 placing Mcintosh with other cultivars is one way of 

 eliminating the need for Alar. Using dwarfing 

 rootstocks to decrease tree size, enhance fruit color- 

 ing, expand the ripening season, and increase the 

 rate of harvest can reduce the need for Alar. The 

 harvest season can be expanded by planting strains 

 of Mcintosh that differ in time of ripening. As new 



Mcintosh acreage is planted or present acreage is 

 rejuvenated, growers must plan carefully and estab- 

 lish a strain mix which will give some advancement 

 as well as delay in the harvest season. 



Early-season strains of Mcintosh include 

 Marshall Mcintosh and Redmax. Marshall ripens 

 approximately 1 week earlier than standard strains 

 and colors about 10 days earlier. Marshall allows 

 both an earlier beginning to the harvest season and 

 a harvest of a larger portion of the crop in the early 

 part of the season. Redmax ripens similarly to 

 standard strains, but Redmax fruit color at least 2 

 weeks earlier. Therefore, Redmax does not allow an 

 earlier beginning to the season but will allow a larger 

 portion of the crop to be harvested in the early part 

 of the season. Those growers considering the use of 

 Redmax must be aware that its red color is a stripe, 

 so only locations with good coloring conditions 

 (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and northern 

 Massachusetts) should plant it. 



Two new Mclntosh-like cultivars have been re- 

 leased recently which potentially will allow a late- 

 season expansion of the harvest season. These are 

 Acey Mac and Pioneer Mac. Reports have suggested 

 that these are similar enough to Mcintosh to be sold 

 as Mcintosh, that they ripen 5 to 14 days after 

 Mcintosh, and that they do not drop as severely as 

 Mcintosh. The remainder of this article will discuss 

 the history of these two cultivars and early results 

 with them at the University of Massachusetts. 



Acey Mac 



Acey Mac originated from a seedling tree discov- 

 ered by Art Burrill in the Champlain Valley of New 

 York and is available from Columbia Basin Nursery 

 (Quincy , WA). Reports have suggested that fruit are 

 very similar to Mcintosh, ripen about 5 days later, 

 and drop to a lesser degree than standard Mcintosh. 



Acey Mac trees were planted at the Horticul- 

 tural Research Center in Belchertown, MA in 1989. 



Fruit Notes, Spring, 1991 



