Cultivation of apples is flourishing mainly in the Hiraka area and Masuda area, and boasts the highest production in the prefecture. Yokote City has a long history of apple cultivation, and since the introduction of apple saplings in Akita Prefecture in the middle of the Meiji era, many enthusiastic producers and researchers have patiently produced various cultivation techniques and new varieties. Many kinds of apples are cultivated, including the main variety “Fuji Apple”, “Tsugaru Apple”, “Sansa Apple”, “Yataka Apple”, “Senshu Apple”, “Shinano Sweet Apple”, “Orin Apple”, and “Akita Beni Akari Apple”. As everyone knows. “Senshu Apple” and “Akita Beni Akari Apple” are famous varieties cultivated in Akita Prefecture, and “Yataka Apple” is famous as a variety found in Masuda Town, Yokote City. Rokugo spring group (Misato Town): Niteko (registered trademark) cider: In 1902, Akita Prefecture's first cider, which used abundant water sources and high-quality water, was particular about “H2O” and brought out the original taste of “Dihydrogen monoxide”, so it had a soft sweetness and mellowness. Finished in carbonic acid. The refreshing and refreshing sweetness that spreads gently in the mouth attracts fans as the taste of traditional cider that has been preserved since its establishment. What is Niteko: It is said that the Ainu word “Nitaikotsu”, which means “lowland of a puddle” created by combining Nitai (forest) and knack (puddle), is said to have been converted.
【Product name】
Gunma Meigetsu
【Type】
Malus pumila Mill.
【Production area, wholesale area】
Almost the entire area of Yokote City, Akita Prefecture, and a part of the former Sennan Village in Misato Town, Senboku District (JA Akita Furusato, JA Zenno Akita)
【Derived from the name】
August 15th of the old calendar is called “mid autumn（Festival）,” so it is also called “harvest moon.” It is said that the red part was named as an image with a deep yellow color because of the abstract ratio.
【Major features】
JA Akita Furusato is famous as one of the largest JAs in the prefecture, with the entire area of Yokote City and a part of Misato Town in its jurisdiction. As the number one complex production area in the prefecture, with a strong sales strategy such as establishing the Akita Furusato production brand, “increasing income of farmers / expanding agricultural production”, “revitalizing people and regions”, “maintaining and promoting vigorous hometown agriculture” It seems that they are aiming for. In the jurisdiction, the harvest of strong apples that survived heavy snow began in late August. On September 7, 2021, the apple departure ceremony for this year's production was held at the Daigo Fruit Selection Center in Hiraka Town, Yokote City, and a truck carrying 8 tons of Wase “Tsugaru Apple” was shipped to the market in Osaka. I heard that JA Akita Furusato Apple Subcommittee (875 people) is cultivating at 280 ares. It seems that there were less than 50 fallen trees out of more than 600, large and small. There seems to be no tree that has not been damaged by a natural disaster. Yokote City, Akita Prefecture, is located in the center of the Yokote Basin, which extends inland in the prefecture. It is about 35 km east-west, about 20 km north-south, and has a total area of 692.8 km2, accounting for 6% of the prefecture. The weather is a typical inland climate, with an average annual temperature of 10.9 degrees Celsius, precipitation of 1643 mm, sunshine hours of 1418 hours, snowfall period of around 110 days, and deepest snowfall of over 1 m, making it one of the prefecture's most heavy snowfall areas. The city seems to have become Yokote City by the merger of 1 city, 5 towns and 2 villages on October 1, 2005. The agricultural working population (sales farmers) in 2019 is 4,650, which is 21.2% less than 5898 in 2015. Agricultural output in 2019 was 29.56 billion yen, accounting for 15% of Akita Prefecture's output of 191.9 billion yen. In addition, non-rice sectors such as vegetables, flowers, fruit trees, and livestock account for 51% of the total, exceeding the prefecture average of 41%, making it a well-known region where complex management initiatives are underway. As for vegetables, watermelon, summer-autumn cucumber, edamame, spinach, summer-autumn tomato, asparagus, etc. seem to be the leading production areas in the prefecture. In particular, the shipment volume of watermelon is the largest in the prefecture and is a representative crop of the region. Summer-autumn cucumber (designated in 1988) and summer-autumn tomato (designated in 1991) seem to be designated production areas in the country. It is said that chrysanthemums, eustoma, and lilies have been established as production areas for flowers. The cultivated area of apples occupies 53% of the whole prefecture, and fruit trees are highly evaluated in the market inside and outside the prefecture as “Hiraka apples”, and it seems that grapes form the largest production area in the prefecture. In addition, it seems that the production of shiitake mushrooms has reached a sales value of about 2.5 billion yen. Cucumber efforts in the region started as a crop crop after the reorganization of paddy fields around 1978, and it seems that the cultivated area has been increasing in recent years. Currently, there are 91 producers working on cucumbers, and the cultivation area is 14.01 hectares. The breakdown is 79% for open field cultivation and 21% for institutional cultivation, which is a typical open field cultivation type, but in recent years the number of insect repellent net cultivation types has increased. It seems that it has expanded to 13%. The cultivation area per household is as small as 15.4 ares, but in recent years it seems that large-scale management bodies of 1 hectare or more have entered the market by utilizing the prefecture's gardening mega housing complex development project（A prefecture-only project that was implemented with the aim of consolidating items as much as possible and aiming for a sales amount of 100 million yen by forming a housing complex. If JA becomes the project implementation entity, the project cost burden will be 50% prefecture, 25% municipality, and 25% JA, and it seems that producers will be able to work with as little initial investment as possible）. Akita Furusato Agricultural Cooperative, which has Yokote City in its jurisdiction, became the main business in 2015, and a large-scale cucumber housing complex was utilized by utilizing the gardening mega housing complex development project, while the decrease in producers due to the aging population and the shortage of successors became a problem. It seems that he worked on the training of. Through this project, producers are renting facilities, materials, machinery, etc. from JA for a 10-year lease, so they are enjoying the advantage of being able to work on large-scale operations with less burden. Since open-field cultivation is the core of the jurisdiction, it seems that the product rate fluctuated greatly from year to year due to factors such as weather disasters and wind-induced threading, which was a problem. As a countermeasure, around 2017, we promoted the introduction of insect repellent net cultivation that was practiced in Fukushima Prefecture, but at that time the scale of introduction was small, and it seems that the spread did not proceed because the benefits such as cost effectiveness could not be clarified. In recent years, a large-scale housing complex has been planned, labor allocation and stable production measures have been required, and as a result of conducting on-site demonstrations again, the unit yield is 120% and the income rate is 120% compared to the open-field cultivation before the start of the project. It seems that the effect of 6% was demonstrated. In response to this result, the introduction to the gardening mega housing complex and club members has progressed, and it seems that the area of insect repellent net cultivation has dramatically expanded from 0.67 hectares in FY2016 to 1.82 hectares in FY2020. In order to standardize the cultivation techniques of JA Akita Furusato club members, we have appointed producers with particularly high cultivation skills as “technical advisors” and responded to the consultations of the club members (until 2018). In addition, we hold seminars for three major seedling companies (Tokiwa Research Institute: Tako, Yoshimi Town, Hiki District, Saitama Prefecture, Takii Seedlings: Minamiebisu Town, Shimokyo Ward, Kyoto City, Saitama Prefecture, Saitama original species breeding society: Kuki City, Saitama Prefecture. It seems that the employees of Shobucho Niibori) are learning the latest information and management methods according to the characteristics of each company's variety. In addition, the shipping preparation work has been simplified in order to respond to the aging of club members and labor shortages. It is said that the size standards such as M, L, 2L and the quality standards such as A and B have been abolished, and there are only two types, one standard and non-standard. Actual consumers are highly interested in corrugated cardboard processing and recycling, and in order to meet that demand, part of the shipment will be changed from conventional corrugated cardboard (5 kg) to containers (10 kg), and the shipping ratio in containers will be increased. It seems to have increased. The ratio of container shipments is about one-fifth of the total shipment volume, and the number of corrugated cardboard is reduced by about 40,000 a year. In order to sell safe and secure cucumbers without variation in quality, it is important to thoroughly check and recognize them within the organization. Therefore, the members of the department take turns to carry out quality inspections every day and voluntarily. I hear that we are confident that we are providing it through a conventional pesticide residue inspection. It seems that subcommittee officers and others carry out face-to-face sales twice a year at mass retailers. It seems that they are trying to accurately grasp consumer needs through interaction with consumers and retailers, and are giving feedback to production. As for shipments other than containers, it is said that they are shipped in bags in units of four. It seems that consumers are saying that it is effective as a countermeasure against corona because it can be purchased without being touched by other people. Since the cucumbers in the area are mainly cultivated in the open field, they are fully exposed to the sun in the summer and are nutritious. In addition, the spread of insect repellent net cultivation has reduced the number of times pesticides are used, and it is said that they are also working on cultivation with consideration for safety and security. As a traditional vegetable, it is also valuable as an effective item for lowering body temperature in the summer. “Gunma Meigetsu”（Application Number 3539 Date of Application 1989/09/08 Registration Number 2816. “Akagi Apple” × “Fuji Apple” hybrid seedlings selected and cultivated, with yellow pericarp, conical fruit shape, fruit weight of about 280 g, matured in late October in the breeding ground (Numata City, Gunma Prefecture) It is a slightly late-maturing species. The shape of the tree is medium, and the size and vigor of the tree are medium. The thickness of the shoots, the internode length and the epiphyte of the flower buds are medium. The shape of the leaf blade is medium, the leaf edge sawtooth is sharp, and the leaf size, petiole length and thickness are medium. The appearance of the fruit is conical, the opening and closing of the calyx is closed, the depth and width of the calyx is medium, the depth of the stem is deep, and the size is medium. The size of the fruit is a little large (about 280 g), the ground color of the pericarp is yellowish green, the color covering the pericarp is yellow, the color intensity is medium, the color type is unknown stripes, and the amount of color is medium. The position of the rust is indentation, the amount is nothing to slight, the gloss of the pericarp is medium, and the degree of rough slip on the fruit surface is smooth. The length of the fruit stalk is short, the thickness is medium, and there is no stalk. The color of the flesh is yellow, the hardness and texture are medium. The amount of honey is high, the sweetness is medium (sugar content is about 15 degrees), the acidity is weak, the juice is slightly high, and the number of seeds is high. The maturity period is a little late, in late October in the growing area, self-fruiting is high, fruit storability is normal, and refrigeration is a little long. Compared to “Golden Delicious Apple” and “Orin Apple”, the appearance of the fruit is conical, the depth of the stalk is deep, the amount of rust is small, the size of the fruit point is small, and the rough slip It is said that distinction is recognized because the degree of rust is smooth and the number of seeds is large. Registration date 1991/09/07 Duration of breeder's rights 18 years Extinction date of breeder's rights 2009/09/08 * The period has expired. Compared to “Registered varieties, Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture, Breeders of registered varieties, Mr. Nakajo, Mr. Horikome.)”, The depth of the calyx is deep, the ground color of the pericarp is yellow, and the length of the fruit stem. It is said that “distinction is recognized due to the long length, etc. Registration date, 1992/07/24, duration of breeder's right, 18 years, extinction date of breeder's right, 2001/07/25. Variety Registrant, Akita City, Akita Prefecture, Registered Variety Breeder, Mr. Tanno, Mr. Tamba, Mr. Sato, Mr. Kagaya, Mr. Wadaguchi, Mr. Niitsuma.)” The opening and closing of the varieties is open, the fruit heart is small, etc. Mellow（Application Number 3231 Date of Application 1989/03/09 Registration Number 2461.）“Golden Delicious Apple × Yodo Apple” × “Indo Apple” hybrid seedling, weighs about 300 g, has yellow skin, high sweetness and aroma, and matures late in October in the breeding ground (Kuroishi City, Aomori Prefecture). It is a seed. The shape of the tree is open, the size of the tree, the vigor and internode length are medium, the serrations on the leaf edge are sharp serrations, the length of the leaf blades is medium, and the color of the buds is dark peach. The appearance of the fruit is oval, the crown is weak, the opening and closing of the calyx is open, the depth of the calyx is deep, the width is medium, the depth of the calyx is deep, the size is medium, and the size of the fruit. Medium (about 300 g), the ground color of the pericarp and the color covering the pericarp are yellow, the strength is light, the type is unknown stripes, and the amount is small. The amount of rust is medium, the size of the fruit point is large, the density is medium, the gloss of the pericarp is weak, the waxiness is low, the degree of rough slip is smooth, the length of the fruit stem is long, the thickness is thick, and the meat. There is no presence or absence of stalk. The color of the flesh is yellowish white, the hardness is medium, the texture is dense, the amount of honey is from nothing to a little, the sweetness is high, the acidity is weak, the astringency is not, and the juice is a little. The maturity period is late, and in late October, early and late fruit drop is from nothing to slight, and the fruit storability is normal and refrigerated for a long time. Compared to “Golden Delicious Apple”, the size of the fruit is smaller, the flesh is thicker, etc., and compared to “Orin Apple”, the appearance of the fruit is oval, calyx and calyx. Due to the fact that it is deep and wide, the degree of rough slip is smooth, etc., the size of the fruit is smaller, the amount of rust is large, the acidity is weak, etc. In comparison, the appearance of the fruit is oval, the amount of rust is small, and the texture of the flesh is dense, so that the distinction is recognized. Registration date, 1990/11/20, Duration of breeder's rights, 18 years, Extinction date of breeder's rights, 1998/11/21. Variety registrant, Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture, Registered variety breeder, Mr. Suzuki , Mr. Ishiyama, Mr. Kitayama, Mr. Sato, Mr. Nakamura, Mr. Ishizawa, Mr. Yamada.) Compared to “Golden Delicious Apple”, it is said that the distinction is recognized because the crown is stronger, the opening and closing of the varieties is open, the amount of rust is small, and it is hard to get scratched. Registration date, 1999/08/11, Duration of breeder's rights, 25 years. Variety registrant, Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture, Registered variety breeder, Mr. Usuda, Mr. Komatsu, Mr. Hanyuda, Mr. Yamashita, Mr. Miyazawa, Mr. Koike, Mr. Kobayashi, Mr. Iijima, Mr. Baba. It is officially decided on March 24, 2016（Actually from 2013）that it will be cultivated on a large scale in Italy. A license agreement is signed between the production organization and the prefecture (VOG: Tyrolean Fruit Producers Cooperative (SK Zudo Tyrol), VI ・ P: Valvenosta Cooperative. Trial cultivation was carried out in southern Tyrol, the northernmost part of Italy, and the market value was increasing（2007）. The contract period is until the end of December 2030. Product name, “yello”. The two organizations sell exclusively in EU (European Union) countries, Switzerland and Russia. The products of Shinshu Nagano are flying around the world. A good balance of sweetness and sourness from a lot of juice. Gunma Meigetsu is a late-maturing species that generally circulates from late October to late November. In addition, the harvest start time differs depending on the region, and it seems that it is often from the end of October in Gunma and Nagano prefectures and the beginning of November in Aomori prefecture. Since it has a storability of about one month at room temperature, it attracts fans as an apple that can be eaten only from autumn to winter.
Yellow apples have the characteristic of containing honey, which is rare. Normally, molasses is concentrated in the center, but “Gunma Meigetsu” tends to be scattered not only in the center but also as a whole. Molasses is contained up to the epidermis of apple skin, and it is of great value as a rare variety that can be seen through the skin. Plenty of fruit juice, low acidity, strong sweetness, rich aroma. It seems that the part exposed to sunlight may be slightly orange-red.
The heavy snowfall in 2011 seems to have severely damaged apple farmers over the next few years. It seems that 11 people who were active in the “Masuda District Life Research Group” thought of “apple dyeing” to reuse broken branches, saying that apple farmers could not eat as it is. They visited Kyoto and Asakusa in Taito Ward, Tokyo to learn the technique of dyeing with vegetable dyes, and spent two years learning the technique. In September 2013, he formed “Pretty Apple” and started producing apple dyeing. I heard that it was commercialized as a souvenir from Yokote. In addition, it is said that hands-on workshops are held at the Kameda District Exchange Center two to three times a year.
