Aurora Golden Gala – Attributes and Weaknesses

There are several things I really like about this cultivar, which is a recent introduction from PICO and out of the breeding work done in B.C. Some growers in Ontario have planted quite a few trees this year to have a closer look at this cultivar. My first introduction to it took place a few years back when I had a chance to taste it from a sample lot delivered to the OFVC by the folks out in B.C. There is no question as to its flesh quality and presumably its storability. Most apples that get this far along in the trial process have to meet all sorts of standards and excel at many. In some regards they have to be better than existing varieties. They have to have the potential to fill a niche.

This cultivar is an early Golden Delicious type apple, maturing in the same season as red Delicious. What is outstanding about it is its excellent and tight growth habit, making it highly suitable for high density plantings. It does fit into the super spindle type system very well, as fruit set up easily along a central axis and distribute uniformly through a very compact canopy. It does not appear to have outstanding disease problems when grown under our conditions here in Ontario.

One of its main drawbacks is its appearance under Ontario growing conditions. Much like the problems we have had in the past with cultivars like the standard Golden Delicious regarding shape and skin finish. From the few fruit I have seen matured in Ontario in some locations it can be squatty and lack a quality finish. It may not be suitable for all geographic and climatic areas of Ontario.

In a small experiment at the Birnam orchard cultivar trial site in Lambton County, we are trying to modify the looks and finish of this cultivar by using Promalin during the fruit set and early cell division stage, followed by the use of particle film up to early August. This experiment is designed to see if this treatment regime can give us the same results as observed in trials with “Golden Delicious”, which we’ve now had for a few years.

We have found that the use of both Promalin and Surround Crop Protectant particle film or Surround alone on various strains of “Golden Delicious” significantly improves yield, finish and crop value compared to untreated checks.

As of late July this year, the treated “Auroras” (Promalin/Surround) on average are larger and more typey than fruit from untreated trees. We have not yet been able to determine if there is any influence on finish. See attached photos taken in late July at the Birnam cultivar trial site in Lambton County (Figures 2 and 3).

Figure 2 – Average fruit size for treated (Promalin/ Surround) Aurora is significantly larger than untreated fruit. Treated fruit are more “typey” than untreated. 

Figure 3 – Untreated Aurora late July. Both Figures 2 and 3 were photographed at the same time.