This book provides a comprehensive reference work, summarising our knowledge of apples and their production worldwide. It includes 24 chapters written by international authorities from the USA, Canada, Europe and New Zealand. The main subjects addressed include taxonomy and production statistics, plant materials, apple physiology, orchard and tree management, crop protection (including organic production), harvesting and handling and utilization. The book will be of significant interest to those working in horticulture and botany.

Table of Contents:
Part I: Introduction 1: Taxonomic classification and brief history, J L Luby, University of Minnesota, SA 2: World production, trade, consumption and economic outlook for apples, D O'Rourke, Belrose Inc, Pullman, WA, USA Part II: Plant Materials 3: Genetic improvement of apple: Breeding, markers, mapping, and biotechnology, S K Brown and K E Maloney, Cornell University, USA 4: Characteristics of important commercial apple cultivars, C R Hampson, Pacific Agri-Food Research Center, Canada and H Kemp, Applied Plant Research, The Netherlands 5: Apple rootstocks, A D Webster, Horticultural Research International, Kent, UK and S J Wertheim, Fruit Research Station, The Netherlands 6: Propagation and nursery tree quality, S J Wertheim, Fruit Research Station, The Netherlands and A D Webster, Horticultural Research International, Kent, UK Part III: Apple Physiology and Environmental Influences 7: Flowering, pollination and fruit set and development, F Dennis, Jr. Michigan State University, USA 8: Water relations of apples, A N Lakso, Cornell University, USA 9: Light relations, L Corelli Grappadelli, University of Bologna, Italy 10: Temperature, J W Palmer, Nelson Research Centre, New Zealand, J-P Prive, Agriculture and Agri-Food, Canada and D S Tustin, Nelson Research Centre, New Zealand Part IV: Orchard and Tree Management 11: Selecting the orchard site, site preparation, orchard planning and establishment, J A Barden, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, USA 12: Nutritional requirements of apple, G H Neilsen and D Neilsen, Pacific Agri-Food Research, Canada 13: Orchard floor management systems, I A Merwin, Cornell University, USA 14: Pruning and training physiology, D C Ferree and J R Schupp, New York State Agricultural Experimental Station, USA 15: Apple orchard planting systems, T L Robinson, Cornell University, USA 16: Flower and fruit thinning and vegetative: fruiting balance, R E Byers, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA 17: Endogenous hormone and bioregulator use on apples, D W Greene, Pennsylvania State University, USA Part V: Crop Protection 18: Diseases of apple, K C Eastwell, G G Grove, Washington State University, USA, A L Jones, Michigan State University, USA and T B Sutton, North Carolina State University, USA 19: Ecology and management of apple arthropod pests, E H Beers, Washington State University, USA, D M Suckling, Horticulture Food and Research Institute, New Zealand, R J Prokopy, University of Massachusetts, USA and J Avilla, University of Lleida, Spain 20: Apple orchard freeze protection, S D Seeley and J L Anderson, Utah State University, USA 21: Integrated fruit production for apples - Principles and guidelines, J Avilla, University of Lleida, Spain and H Riedl, Oregon State University, USA 22: Organic apple production - With emphasis on European experiences, F Weibel and A Häseli, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Switzerland Part VI: Harvesting, Handling and Utilization 23: Principles and practices of postharvest handling and stress, C B Watkins, Cornell University, USA 24: Production and handling techniques for processing apples, R M Crassweller and G M Greene, Pennsylvania State University, USA