Scientistsdevelopapplethatwon'trotEversincesomebodysuggestedthateatingoneadaykeptthedoctoraway,thehealthbenefitsoftheapplehavebeentrumpetedbygrandmothersandgovernmentministersalike.Thefruit'sonlydrawbackisitstende

　　Scientistsdevelopapplethatwon'trot

　　Eversincesomebodysuggestedthateatingoneadaykeptthedoctoraway,thehealthbenefitsoftheapplehavebeentrumpetedbygrandmothersandgovernmentministersalike.Thefruit'sonlydrawbackisitstendencytoloseitsglossysheenandcrunchytexturewithinafewdays–aproblemthatateamofscientistsinAustralianowclaimstohavesolved.

　　Forthepast20years,researchersatQueenslandPrimaryIndustriesandFisheries(QPIF),adepartmentoftheQueenslandgovernment,havebeendevelopinganewvarietyofapplewhichtheyclaimcanstayfreshformonths.

　　Itsname,RS103-130,mightnothavequitethesameringaspopularvarietiessuchasGoldenDelicious,PinkLadyorBraeburn,butthescientistshavedescribeditas"theworld'sbestapple"thankstoitssweettaste,longevityandabilitytoresistdisease.

　　Theapple,whichisadeepredincolour,stays"crispy"forupto14daysifkeptinafruitbowl,andifstoredinafridgeitcanremainedibleforfourmonths.TheQueenslandgovernmentisseekingacommercialsupplypartnertodistributethefruitandhopestobeginsellingitnextyear.

　　TimMulherin,Queenland'sprimaryindustriesminister,said:"Thisnewvarietyissweet.Ittickstheotherboxestoobecauseitisdiseaseresistant,sorequiresfewornofungicides.Initialtastetestshavebeenoutstanding.Outofthefiveappletypestasted,thenewvarietyscoredthehighest."

　　TheRS103-130varietyhasanaturallystrongresistancetoapplescab,alsoknownasblackspot,adiseasecausedbythefungusventuriainaequaliswhichaffectsboththefoliageandfruit.TheappleisnotgeneticallymodifiedbutisproducedconventionallyusingagenefromtheAsiaticapplevarietyMalusfloribundawhichhasaprovenresistancetoblackspot.

　　InBritain,appleproducersneedtosprayeachcrop14timestoprotectagainstthedisease,aprocesswhichcoststhe£200m-a-yearindustryupto10percentofitsturnover.Avarietywhichdidnotrequiresprayingcouldmeanhugesavingsfortheproducers.

　　"Ifyou'reanapplegrowerandthis[newapple]livesuptoitspromise,thenitreallyisquiteabreakthrough,"saidDezBarbara,aseniorresearchscientistattheUniversityofWarwick'sHorticu