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'Green' apples win on taste and cost By David Derbyshire, Science Correspondent

ORGANIC apples are sweeter, cheaper to produce and less harmful to the environment than fruit grown with conventional pesticides, says research.

Green campaigners welcomed the results as proof that organic farming was economically viable. The findings of the study, one of the most rigorous of its kind, come from soil scientists at Washington State University, Pullman.

The team compared three farming techniques - organic, conventional and a combination of the two - on three experimental orchards growing golden delicious apples. The organic orchard was fertilised with manure and used natural pest control.

The team, led by Dr John Reganold, ran a rigorous comparison of soil quality, apple yield, tree growth, leaf and fruit mineral quality, cost and the environmental impact of each method. The yields were similar for all three orchards over five years, but soil quality was best in the organic plot.

It was the most energy efficient and made more money. Testers rated the organic apples as sweeter, firmer and less tart, said the study, published in Nature.

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