Sep 28, 2017

A discovery in the mountains could boost apple genetics

The origins of the modern apple lie with the world’s number one-producing nation of apples – China – and a particular strain of apple found on the eastern ridge of the Kazakhstani Tian Shan Mountains, according to recent findings.

A story published by media outlet Ithaca.com  indicated the discovery was made by a team led by a professor from the Boyce Thompson Institute and could not only lead to the origins of the modern apple, but could potentially unlock the keys to its future.

According to the Ithaca.com report,

“The origins of the modern apple lie with the world’s number one-producing nation of apples – China – and a particular strain of apple found on the eastern ridge of the Kazakhstani Tian Shan Mountains, where a team led by a professor from the Boyce Thompson Institute recently made a discovery that not only lead us to the origins of the modern apple, but could potentially unlock the keys to its future.

In August, a team of researchers led by BTI Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology professor Zhangjun Fei – concluded a four year study of the genetic progression of apples in the region with a surprising discovery: the very origin of the domesticated apple, which begun as a small, mushy and tasteless breed that, traveling along the famed Silk Road, eventually laid the groundwork for the cultivation of boundless types of apple breeds the world over.”

For more on the story, visit the Ithaca.com website.