In the forests of the Kazakh Tien Shen, however, these apple diseases are nearly absent, despite the fact that none of the trees there have been treated with chemicals. “We have found,” says Cornell University apple expert Herb Aldwinckle, “that the native apples of Kazakhstan have a wealth of disease resistance.” 

Since Aldwinckle’s initial visit, apple experts from a variety of nations have set off for Kazakhstan looking for the original apple genes that developed naturally over centuries, hoping that they can use them to create super hybrids that will correct the problems afflicting modern-day apples—or making apples that are drought resistant, grow in extreme temperatures, or are resistant to mold or rot. 

It takes about 25 years to produce and test a hybrid before it goes to market, so the solution won’t be found soon. But as the inbreeding continues, apples are becoming weaker and weaker: In fact, commercially grown apples are sprayed against pests and disease an average of 10 times a year (or even up to 50 times in South Africa, according to the WSJ), because of how pernicious the diseases have become (and, I add pointedly, because of how intolerant of imperfections consumers have become).  According to National Geographic, commercial apples in the United States require more applications of pesticides than any other crop. 

The USDA’s Plant Genetic Resources Unit has collected about 2,500 apple tree varieties and grows about 200 of the “core” varieties at sites in North Carolina, Illinois, and Minnesota, judging how they each react to different environments. 

Heirloom breeds of apple are also coming into favor, especially because they often have far more flavor than typical commercial varieties. Apple enthusiasts, especially prevalent in the UK, are replanting fruit varieties like the Devonshire quarrenden (which has a hint of strawberry flavor), or Anglesey pigs snouts, big green cooking apples that are nearly sweet enough to eat raw. 

I’ll be in Kazakhstan this summer reporting on the apples I find there, and just bought “Apples,” by Frank Browning, to learn more.