Currently, the Apple Research Institute of Gyeongnam Provincial Agriculture Technology Service (hereinafter referred to as Gyeongnam Agriculture Technology Service) is concentrating its research capabilities on developing summer apple varieties that ripen red even in high temperatures to turn consumers' long-held desire to taste plump red apples even in midsummer into reality.

The domestic apple market during summer is dominated by green-skinned varieties such as 'Summer King', 'Summer Prince', and 'Tsugaru', which are harvested starting in July. However, demand for red-skinned apples remains consistently high in the market. The red color of apples mainly appears when a pigment called 'anthocyanin' is produced, but when high temperatures persist in summer, this pigment formation becomes difficult, leading to poor coloring and reduced marketability. This has long been pointed out as a technological limitation.

To overcome this challenge, Gyeongnam Agriculture Technology Service is working diligently to develop summer apple varieties with stable skin color expression even during high-temperature periods. In particular, it is focusing on verifying cultivation stability in actual farm settings, centering on variety lines that have confirmed stable coloring capability even during high-temperature periods. This research is a process of seeking fundamental solutions to produce apples with the color and quality consumers desire even in extreme heat.

[Photo=Yonhapnews]

Kim Hyun-soo, a researcher at the Apple Research Institute of Gyeongnam Agriculture Technology Service, emphasized the importance of this research. Researcher Kim stated, "Farmers are expected to reduce production burdens due to poor coloring during high-temperature periods, and consumers will also have wider choices," noting that successful development of new varieties will have positive ripple effects for both farmers and consumers. If the coloring problem caused by high temperatures is solved, farmers will be able to stably produce high-quality apples, and consumers will be able to choose various varieties of red apples even in summer.

Gyeongnam Agriculture Technology Service's challenge to develop new summer apple varieties once again demonstrates the importance of agricultural technology in proactively responding to climate change. This is expected to provide an important opportunity that goes beyond simply introducing new varieties, ensuring production stability for farmers in future agricultural environments where high-temperature phenomena are intensifying, and offering consumers new culinary experiences.