Apple Tree Variety With Darker Red Fruit and Later Ripening

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing apple tree varieties like 'Honeycrisp' lack desirable traits such as darker and more complete red coloration, delayed ripening, and improved flavor profile, which are essential for enhancing fruit quality and market appeal.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of the 'MAIA-RZ' apple tree variety, which is a cross between 'Honeycrisp' and an unknown pollen parent, exhibits stronger red coloration, conical fruit shape, and ripens 7-10 days later, offering improved flavor and color intensity compared to 'Honeycrisp'.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If the apple tree variety is 'Honeycrisp', then the fruit has good market appeal, but the red coloration is insufficient and ripening occurs too early

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvered coloration intensityVSAvoidripening time

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by breeding a new variety 'MAIA-RZ' that modifies the ripening time parameter (delaying by 7-10 days) and coloration parameters (achieving 80-90% darker red coverage) of the parent 'Honeycrisp' variety, thereby simultaneously improving both color intensity and extending the marketable period

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Quantity of substance

If the apple tree variety is 'Honeycrisp', then the fruit has acceptable flavor, but the flavor profile intensity is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflavor compound concentrationVSAvoidbreeding program complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs self-service through open-pollination breeding where the plant variety itself performs the breeding function naturally, allowing selection of superior flavor traits to emerge and be fixed in the 'MAIA-RZ' variety without requiring complex external intervention or sophisticated breeding technologies

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Shape

If the fruit shape is oblate/roundly oblate like 'Honeycrisp', then the fruit is easy to harvest, but the market appeal is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefruit shapeVSAvoidharvesting ease

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by introducing a conical shape modification to specific regions of the fruit (the overall form) while maintaining the oblate cross-sectional characteristics, creating a distinctive conical-oblate hybrid shape that enhances market appeal without completely sacrificing the structural integrity needed for harvesting

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUSPP37328P2Apple tree named ‘MAIA-RZ’

Publication Date: 2026.03.17 MIDWEST APPLE IMPROVEMENT ASSOC

AI summary

A new apple tree particularly distinguished by fruit having a dark red color with a predominantly conical shape that fruit ripens 7 to 10 days later than the commercial variety ‘Honeycrisp’, is disclosed.