2024-03-30 10:39:52
EDUCATION. The succession seems assured at Verger Le Gros Pierre, in Compton. Nohémie Gilbert, daughter of the owners of the family business, has succeeded in creating a new species of apple.
His dream was born when he was 9 years old. A long process then began, and the result was just made public during the regional Science Fair, which was held at the University of Sherbrooke last weekend.
Nohémie forms a duo with her friend Juliette Rolfe, from Cookshire-Eaton. Both studied natural sciences at the Séminaire de Sherbrooke (college). They refined their project there in order to share their passion with a wider audience. Their seriousness paid off, as they are among the 13 winners selected to participate in the provincial final, which will take place in Montreal from April 19 to 21. The duo has the chance to travel to Ottawa to reach the Canada-Wide Science Fair, which will take place from May 25 to June 1.
Nohémie hybridized two varieties of apples (Honeycrisp and Summerhead) that she loved to create a new one to her liking. The process being very slow, two red fruits took shape ten years later in a tree that grew in the family orchard.
According to the two future scientists, the new fruit was very crunchy and not very juicy, but offered a very fruity followingtaste. Under a very red skin, the cream-colored flesh contained a small dose of acidity.
“This bodes well for commercialization, but it will take another ten years before we plant enough trees and harvest enough apples to sell,” they hope.
A slow process and the harvest of only two apples hardly shake the optimism of Nohémie and Juliette. “Dining into our own apples was a great experience, especially since we cannot control nature or genetics. Our work might have resulted in nothing,” they add enthusiastically.
In front of their kiosk set up at the Cultural Center of the University of Sherbrooke, Juliette and Nohémie popularized a work that was particularly unknown to the general public. By listening to their explanations delivered with passion, visitors will bite their next apples in a different way. They will remember that the creative process is much longer than simply ripening this popular fruit on a tree.
A PASSION FOR GENETICS
Both partners love this fruit, but they are also passionate regarding genetics and the creation of apple species and flavors. They talk regarding the family tree of an apple as if it were that of their ancestors. The transmission of blue eyes from one generation to another is compared to the colors and flavors of apples, from one species to another. Fertilization, growth, hybridization and genome now appear in their vocabulary.
“One of our dreams is to create a variety of apples distributed in grocery stores, but which are as tasty and durable as those purchased in orchards,” they say. We also want to encourage consumers to break their habits and vary their purchases. »
Other apples of this species created in 2015 should be harvested next fall. A sign that the two college students are seeing beyond the end of their noses, the process of a second new variety of apple was recently started.
Nohémie already dreams of selling her new products to the family business and to other orchards in the region. She is also considering starting university studies in health, biology or entrepreneurship. For her part, Juliette is aiming for a Bachelor’s degree in law and science to eventually defend the rights of agricultural producers.
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. (Photo Le Progrès de Coaticook – Dany Jacques)
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#art #creating #apple #flavors
