BRS 235 Apodi

'BRS 235 Apodi' is one of four acerola clones released together in 2003 by Embrapa Agroindustria Tropical in Fortaleza, Brazil, after a selection programme that screened plants on morphology, production and fruit physico-chemical quality. Among the four, 'Apodi' is the clone that stood out for total production and for average fruit weight, making it the workhorse selection of the group. In comparative Brazilian trials it is repeatedly recommended, alongside 'Olivier' and 'BRS 238 Frutacor', for the agro-industrial market that supplies juice concentrate and vitamin C extraction. It is also one of the clones with the highest concentration of cyanidin-3-rhamnoside, the dominant anthocyanin that gives ripe acerola its colour and much of its antioxidant activity. Brazil is by far the largest acerola producer in the world, so these Embrapa releases underpin most of the commercial acerola supply chain.