THE Irish Seed Savers Association has received an "incredible" response to its appeal to the public to help it rescue the last of the old Irish apple varieties.
It has received 150 letters and numerous telephone calls from people with information on old trees and where they can be found. Some of those replies may add to the list of 65 already known species.
Following the appeal, a man from Co Cork wrote to Ms Anita Hayes, director of ISSA, indicating that he had at least four old varieties which might not be known.
"He used local names for the apples so we will have to wait until next year when we look at the fruit to see if it is what we are looking for" she said
Ms Hayes, who is based in Scariff, Co Clare, said the association's primary interest was to preserve and increase the biodiversity of species.
There is also a scientific and commercial side to the search.
"Many of the old Irish species have a built in resistance to pests and diseases, and it is possible that their diverse genetic characters may be harnessed to give a new generation of healthier apples using genetic engineering techniques," she said.
Such pest and disease resistant genes would be priceless in the world marketplace.
This work is being carried out at the Department of Crop Science, Horticulture and Forestry at University College Dublin.
The 65 known varieties are being held at the Lamb Clarke Irish Historical Apple Collection at the university department.
"The apple has a unique, almost sacred, place in Irish history, and we want to rescue as many of these wonderful old varieties as we can " she said.
"We have been amazed at the response and over the next year we will find out if we have rescued more varieties," she said.
Other groups involved in the search for the old varieties include the Armagh Orchards Trust and the National Fruit Collection, Brogdale, Kent.