0:00:07.079,0:00:09.118
Have you ever walked into a grocery store[br]

0:00:09.118,0:00:12.559
and wondered where all those variety[br]of apples came from?

0:00:12.559,0:00:14.119
You might find SnapDragon,

0:00:14.119,0:00:15.379
Pixie Crunch,

0:00:15.379,0:00:16.599
Cosmic Crisp,

0:00:16.599,0:00:17.531
Jazz,

0:00:17.531,0:00:18.329
or Ambrosia

0:00:18.329,0:00:22.489
next to the more familiar[br]Red Delicious and Granny Smith.

0:00:22.489,0:00:24.248
These delightfully descriptive names

0:00:24.248,0:00:30.540
belong to just a handful of the over[br]7,500 apple varieties in the world.

0:00:30.540,0:00:36.949
This huge diversity exists largely because[br]of humanities efforts to bear new fruit.

0:00:36.949,0:00:41.248
Fruit breeding is a way to fulfill[br]the expectations of farmers and consumers

0:00:41.248,0:00:44.000
who seek specific qualities in an apple.

0:00:44.000,0:00:49.290
On the one hand, farmers may want them[br]to be disease resistant and to store well.

0:00:49.290,0:00:54.179
On the other, consumers are swayed[br]by appearance, taste, and novelty.

0:00:54.179,0:00:56.573
So, breeders have to consider everything

0:00:56.573,0:00:59.076
from how well apples grow[br]in certain climates

0:00:59.076,0:01:02.616
to their color, taste, and size.

0:01:02.616,0:01:07.813
And, sometimes finding the perfect[br]fit means breeding something new.

0:01:07.813,0:01:11.333
To create apples [br]with desirable characteristics,

0:01:11.333,0:01:15.792
breeders first need to find parent[br]apples that carry those characteristics.

0:01:15.792,0:01:17.544
Once the parents have been selected,

0:01:17.544,0:01:20.857
they have to wait until the trees[br]bloom in the spring.

0:01:20.857,0:01:23.991
The breeder takes the pollen[br]from one bloom, called the father,

0:01:23.991,0:01:28.641
and transfers it by hand to the other[br]parent bloom, called the mother,

0:01:28.641,0:01:31.622
through a process [br]called cross-pollination.

0:01:31.622,0:01:33.892
Once the mother bloom [br]turns into an apple,

0:01:33.892,0:01:36.812
the seeds are collected and then planted.

0:01:36.812,0:01:40.884
It takes about five years for these seeds[br]to grow into trees that produce apples,

0:01:40.884,0:01:43.022
but because of the way [br]traits are inherited,

0:01:43.022,0:01:46.022
all of the seedlings produced will have[br]different sets of genes

0:01:46.022,0:01:48.142
and characteristics.

0:01:48.142,0:01:50.312
This means that to achieve [br]a desired quality,

0:01:50.312,0:01:52.122
it takes a lot of offspring,

0:01:52.122,0:01:55.772
not to mention patience [br]on the breeder's part.

0:01:55.772,0:01:58.662
When a seedling does bear fruit[br]with the desired qualities,

0:01:58.662,0:02:01.252
it's selected for further evaluation.

0:02:01.252,0:02:04.071
Of the original crossed seedlings,

0:02:04.071,0:02:08.401
about one in every 5,000 makes it[br]to this prestigious stage.

0:02:08.401,0:02:10.956
They're then sent to new farms

0:02:10.956,0:02:14.022
where breeders can assess how various[br]climates and soil types

0:02:14.022,0:02:16.542
affect the plant's growth.

0:02:16.542,0:02:18.773
The fruit of the seedling [br]and its many clones

0:02:18.773,0:02:22.531
must then be collected and sampled[br]to ensure consistency.

0:02:22.531,0:02:25.532
Breeders study about 45 traits[br]in an apple,

0:02:25.532,0:02:27.853
like the texture [br]and firmness of the flesh,

0:02:27.853,0:02:28.822
when it ripens,

0:02:28.822,0:02:30.773
how sugary its juice is,

0:02:30.773,0:02:32.693
and how long it stays fresh.

0:02:32.693,0:02:36.444
Over several years, they weed out[br]all the bad apples,

0:02:36.444,0:02:40.253
selecting only those [br]whose fruits are the best.

0:02:40.253,0:02:43.522
These exclusive plants [br]officially form the cultivar,

0:02:43.522,0:02:46.074
or new apple variety.

0:02:46.074,0:02:48.775
To ensure an exact copy of this cultivar,

0:02:48.775,0:02:52.874
all apple trees must be grafted [br]from the original seedling.

0:02:52.874,0:02:55.185
Branches, called scion wood,

0:02:55.185,0:02:59.551
are cut from the original tree [br]and grown to generate more scion wood.

0:02:59.551,0:03:02.775
Segments of these trees are then grafted[br]onto root stalk -

0:03:02.775,0:03:04.743
that's the lower section of another tree

0:03:04.743,0:03:06.863
that's been chosen [br]from a different cultivar

0:03:06.863,0:03:10.254
for its superior roots [br]and growing ability.

0:03:10.254,0:03:12.967
Finally, this fusion creates [br]a new apple tree

0:03:12.967,0:03:15.323
with the desired qualities.

0:03:15.323,0:03:17.684
Each new plant takes up to four years

0:03:17.684,0:03:20.794
before it starts producing [br]the fruit we eat.

0:03:20.794,0:03:24.695
Apple breeding may be a difficult art,[br]but it's accessible to all -

0:03:24.695,0:03:26.327
universities,

0:03:26.327,0:03:27.245
companies,

0:03:27.245,0:03:30.044
and even individuals can create[br]new cultivars.

0:03:30.044,0:03:34.355
But to fully own an apple, the breeder[br]faces a final challenge -

0:03:34.355,0:03:36.905
naming the fruit.

0:03:36.905,0:03:38.705
After a cultivar is patented,

0:03:38.705,0:03:41.584
a breeder chooses a name[br]for its trademark.

0:03:41.584,0:03:46.336
That final step grants them long-lasting[br]rights over the apple and its clones.

0:03:46.336,0:03:48.468
That name must be completely original,

0:03:48.468,0:03:51.456
and the catchier, the better, of course.

0:03:51.456,0:03:55.325
With over 7,500 varieties and counting,

0:03:55.325,0:03:57.705
that's why we have apples called[br]Pink Lady,

0:03:57.705,0:03:59.186
Sweet Tango,

0:03:59.186,0:04:00.244
Kiku,

0:04:00.244,0:04:01.996
and EverCrisp.

0:04:01.996,0:04:05.057
The more we work with nature's bounty[br]to breed new cultivars,

0:04:05.057,0:04:09.746
the more creative and delectable[br]these names will become.