‘Diva’ Apple.

‘Diva’ is the first scab-resistant apple released, specifically for northern climates, for cider and ice cider production and fresh market. It is very winter-hardy (lowest temperature -20 to -35 °C, Zones 4 to 5), has an excellent shelf life compared with ‘Macspur McIntosh’, and produces high-quality cider. ‘Macspur McIntosh’ was used for comparison, in this study, as a result of its use for processing similar to the ‘McIntosh’ in Québec. ‘Diva’, tested as SJC7123-1, originated from a cross made in 1971 between ‘McIntosh’ and 9AR5T17 (test code PRI 674) (Fig. 1) at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). The seedling (14179) has been tested since 1974 at AAFC and examined for its hardiness, disease resistance, fruit quality, chemical composition, and shelf life after storage at 2 °C. After extensive testing, it was planted in replicated trials under the name SJC7123-1 at four locations, including Cidrerie du Minot, a commercial cider producer in Hemmingford (lat. 45.05° N, long. 73.60° N), Québec.