Western Australian apple growers have developed a new variety that they hope will rival Pink Lady's popularity.

The unofficially named 'black apple', has taken 20 years of testing and breeding by the WA Department of Agriculture and Food.

The dark burgundy-skinned fruit is a cross between Royal Gala and Cripps Red varieties and is expected to hit the shelves in 2016.

WA Agriculture Minister Ken Baston said the apple was grower friendly because the tree was productive, the fruit coloured easily and the apples stood out from existing varieties on shop shelves.

"Testing has shown ANABP 01 is suitable to all the major Australian apple production regions," he said.

"Colour development is important for consumers and our new apple colours up well in Western Australian growing conditions - better than apples which prefer colder climates.

"It kind of stands out and almost grabs you if it's on the shelf because it's a really dark deep coloured kind of burgundy I suppose, or a good cabernet sauvignon wine I compare it with, it is very different."

'Black apple' ticks all the boxes

Anne Lister is an apple grower in Manjimup and a director of the Fruit West Cooperative that has the licence to manage the new variety.

Ms Lister said the new apple "ticks all the boxes" in terms of consumer appeal.

"We still think the Pink Lady is a fabulous variety, but this new variety has such appeal to the eye with its really dark colour and it has a lovely sweetness to it, which it gets in part from the Royal Gala," she said.

"Constantly people are breeding new varieties of apples, but when you get something as distinctive as this, and whether we like it or not, consumers do actually buy with their eyes, but it ticks all the boxes and follows up with a great flavour profile."

Ms Lister said the trees will be growing into the ground in the next few weeks, and while some apples will be available to taste after next year's season, the first commercial crop would not be available until 2016.

Mr Baston says he has known about the apple for some time but has had to keep it a secret.

"It had to be registered for its international property," he said.

"Many years ago the Pink Lady of course was released and they didn't take out that IP rights.

"The amount of time this takes, there's some 20 years that's gone into this and so to recoup that research, you need to sign up for those rights."

Mr Baston said the royalties from the new apple variety will help fund research for future products.

"Not only is this a fantastic product of course, it actually means for royalties coming in on that apple means that research and development for future products can start now for the next lot," he said.

In 2010-11, the WA pome fruit industry - apples and pears - was worth $41.7 million in production.