Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Most commercial cultivars of apple (Malus domestica), especially the 'Delicious' group, are self-incompatible and require cross-pollination to set fruit.
To ensure adequate pollination, growers plant pollinizer cultivars along with the main variety.
Colored pollinizers are preferred because they produce marketable, attractive fruits while serving as pollen donors.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us evaluate the listed apple varieties:
A. Gloster: This is a high-quality red-colored apple variety. It is compatible with Red Delicious and serves as an excellent colored pollinizer.
B. Spartan: This is another red-colored cultivar that produces deep-red fruits. It blooms concurrently with the Delicious group, making it an ideal colored pollinizer.
C. Smoothy: This is a russet-resistant budsport selection of Golden Delicious. It produces yellow-green fruits, not red-colored ones.
D. Summer Queen: This is a red-striped/colored variety that matures early and serves as a compatible colored pollinizer in delicious apple orchards.
Thus, Gloster (A), Spartan (B), and Summer Queen (D) are red-colored pollinizers, while Smoothy (C) is a yellow/green-colored selection.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Since A, B, and D are colored pollinizers, the correct option is (A).