The search for the perfect apple is on.

Washington apples are over a barrel as competition from China and New Zealand eats into the $1.3 billion state apple industry. Older varieties like Red Delicious and our state's iconic Golden Delicious are being replaced by the better-tasting and better-storing Gala, Braeburn and Honeycrisp, threatening the supremacy of Washington apples.

But a new statewide offensive is under way to pick off the competition before Washington is displaced as top apple supplier -- the state produces 70 percent of the fresh apples (as opposed to apples used for applesauce, cider and vinegar) in this country and over half of the total U.S. apple production. While China is producing more apples than anywhere else, it is not producing high-quality fruit -- at least for now. New Zealand has created new apple varieties that are selling well across the world, and it is now trying to develop a specialty apple with red flesh.

Washington State University and the University of Washington have teamed up to win this Apple Cup, and they're waging the battle in a lab, not on a field. They're working together to unlock the secrets of the Golden Delicious by learning all they can about the fruit's genetic makeup.

STRIKING APPLE GOLD

WSU apple breeder Bruce Barritt has been trying to develop a new and better apple variety for years. Since 1994, when he began the breeding program, he has planted abut 7,000 seedlings a year in hopes that one would become the next great Washington apple. After almost 15 years, he thinks he has finally found a new variety, which he calls "a promising candidate," that will be ready for release in the next year or two.

One new apple variety every 15 years, however, hardly keeps the state competitive in developing new varieties.

"It's a numbers game," says Barritt. "We'd love to improve those odds by using genomics and genetics." Genomics is the study of genes, the proteins they produce and how those proteins interact during natural chemical reactions. In fruit, the reactions are responsible for how a tree grows, how it defends itself against insects and disease, and how the fruit smells, tastes and feels. Knowing this information will help breeders select genes to grow the perfect apple.

The state's Red Delicious and Golden Delicious are not high-quality apples. In recent years, overproduction has allowed prices and popularity to lag, and more flavorful specialty apples have moved in to dominate the market. The Honeycrisp is many growers' favorite right now -- it's sweet, has good crunch and stays solid when stored for a few months. But it's very difficult to grow in the central Washington climate -- and production remains low because the apple was bred for Michigan and Minnesota weather and soil.

Traditional apple breeding requires patience, a strong stomach and a whole lot of spitting. Barritt and two technicians spend eight weeks each fall walking rows of apple trees and tasting more than 1,000 apples each season in search of the perfect apple -- one with just the right sugar content combined with the right amount of acid. Each year he leaves with a little hope and a sour taste in his mouth. But he returns the next year to see if there are any new possibilities on the horizon.

Only a select few apples make the cut each year and get to phase two of the selection process -- cold storage. If they survive the winter without getting soft, moldy or mealy, then a full battery of chemistry tests determines sugar and acid content. One in 50 candidates makes it past this process. Those still in the running have a good shot at becoming a new apple variety. But the process is slow. It takes years to grow the trees to produce the fruit and pass the quality control tests.