Project Description
New Varieties
Featured stories about apples, cherries and new varieties appear in this issue.
Click here to view a PDF version of this issue.
Substitute for SweeTango
Fred Wescott wanted to grow and market the apple that was later named SweeTango. He had anticipated that it would be an open release variety,
Pillars of agriculture
American farmers can call up images from two very different historical threads when describing themselves. Farmers are rugged individualists, pioneers who tackled the unfriendly frontier,
Land-grant pride in Vermont
Many land-grant university campuses have a landmark building called Morrill Hall. There are Morrill Halls in New York, Tennessee, Nebraska, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire,
Land-grant pioneer
At Michigan State University, “the pioneer land-grant university,” the pioneering spirit lives on, but it sometimes scares people, especially its most ardent supporters. Some fear
World awaits B.C. cherries
High quality, self-fertile cherry varieties developed in British Columbia, Canada, have become standards in the international cherry industry. British Columbia’s own cherry industry is comparatively
Succession of cherries
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s fruit breeding program at Summerland, British Columbia, is expected to release a new cherry variety later this year. SPC136 is a
In the Box
Now available online at goodfruit.com/Good-Fruit-Grower/April-15th-2012/ Get-the-most-out-of-glyphosate/ Why so BIG? Dear Good Fruit Grower: I own and operate a small orchard business. I love reading the
A redder HONEYCRISP
PHOTO BY RICHARD LEHNERT New sports of popular apples—especially if they’re redder—always attract plenty of attention from growers. So, you can imagine the kind of
New New York apples go in the ground this spring
This is NY 1, the Honeycrisp-like grower-friendly apple. Commercial plantings began this spring. Photo courtesy of Cornell University Two new New York apples, still without
The rush to redness
David Bedford Dr. David Bedford, the apple breeder at University of Minnesota where the original Honeycrisp was bred in 1961 and released as a commercial
Land-grant mission still relevant
Dan Bernardo Washington State apple, pear, and grape growers have agreed to tax themselves assessments to raise nearly $35 million to support future research and
Breeding focus turns to blush
Nnadozie Oraguzie With most sweet cherries being medium to dark red, the chances of a breeder discovering a new blushed yellow cultivar might
B.C. releases blush cherries
Starletta blush cherries were bred in Summerland, British Columbia.Photo courtesy of PICO Cherry growers in British Columbia, Canada, have historically not been interested
DS 22 planned for this fall
Doug Shefelbine’s new apple, DS 22, may debut this September, marketed by Wescott Agri-Products, which bought rights to the apple and organized growers to
More predictability with MCP needed
Jake Gutzwiler said pear packers need to be able to use MCP accurately, effectively, and efficiently. Fruit packers in Washington State say they’d like to
Grower patents new variety
Twenty-five years after starting an innocent project planting apple seeds from pomace left after cider making, Doug Shefelbine is finally being rewarded. Four new apple
MCP results influenced by temperature
Jim Mattheis Many factors influence how SmartFresh (1-methylcyclopropene) works, which means that there are several potential tools that packers can use that will result in
Saving resources
Rod Grams obtained EQIP funding to upgrade his irrigation system, and is now using less water and fertilizer in his pear orchard. PHOTO COURTESY OF
Does MCP affect flavor?
A question that scientists say needs to be researched further is whether MCP (1-methylcyclopropene) affects the flavor and aroma of fruit after storage. Dr. Enrique
Muscat plantings on the rise
Muscat grape varieties, the hottest selling wines in America, have also been the hottest selling grape nursery stock. And while there’s been an uptick in Muscat plantings in Washington State, in general, the state’s wine industry is taking a cautious approach to the latest wine fad.
Moscato madness
The Moscato craze started with Gallo's Barefoot Cellars, when it released a light, sweet wine in 2008. It's been estimated that Gallo will produce four
Muscat, old but new
Muscat grapes are used in a variety of wine styles, from off-dry to sweet to dessert wines. These Muscat grapes, with their mantle of snow,
Last Bite–From Shangri-La
Apricots are dried on a Hunza Valley rooftop. On the flanks of the magnificent Karakoram mountain range, a jagged spine of 25,000-foot-high mountain spires, lies
Dream blush cherry has dim future
When 8011-3 trees are three or four years old, cracking appears on the trunk above the graft union. It was a dream of
WA 2 update
WA 2 in 2011 at Quincy, Washington, with a crop of 79 bins per acre. Washington State University’s first new apple variety, WA
Good to Know–Assessing new cherry varieties
Left to right: Kiona is an excellent-tasting early variety but lacks firmness. Santina is large and firm, though flavor is only fair to good—but
What is known about MCP
More is known about treating Bartlett pears than d’Anjous, Bosc, or other varieties, says Welcome Sauer, president of AgroFresh, which markets SmartFresh. In general: • MCP-treated