Apple

Abstract

Apple belongs to the genus Malus within the Rosaceae family, which includes some of the most commercially prominent fruit crops: pears, plums, peaches, nectarines, prunes, cherries, apricots, strawberry, raspberry, and blackberries. The genus Malus consists of at least 20–30 different species, including most of the domestic cultivars derived from interspecific hybridization due to self-incompatibility. This self-incompatibility promotes cross-pollination between compatible cultivars and makes apple fruit set dependent upon insect pollen vectors during flowering. Successful pollination of the pistil within the flower leads to formation of the best quality apples, which typically have 7–10 seeds. The generally accepted scientific name for apple is Malus × domestica Borkh. (Korvan and Skirvin 1984). It is also commonly designated as Malus x domestica or Malus domestica Borkh. (Phipps et al. 1990).