Fruit Quality Traits of Six Ancient Apple (Malus domestica Borkh) Cultivars Grown in the Mediterranean Area

Today, ancient cultivars have been considered obsolete and replaced, leading to a dramatic loss of genetic diversity. In this trial we examined the quality of the six ancient apple cultivars: Bommino, Gelato, Miliadeci, Rotolari, Turco, and Virchiata. Fruit was submitted to the determination of physicochemical traits and a sensory profile was defined by a trained panel using 20 attributes. We also detected biometric data using a specific descriptor list. Obtained data showed interesting physicochemical and sensory traits among the observed cultivars. ‘Rotolari’, ‘Bommino’, and ‘Gelato’ should be used in breeding programs and revaluated for a placement on specific local markets.