Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/114539
Bernardo said anyone can apply for the WA 38 license. It could be an individual grower shipper, an organization, or a consortium, for example. "We're just looking for the best strategy to get this variety in the hands of Washington producers," he said. "Certainly, a consortium—if it's the right consortium—would offer the advantage of having greater geographic distribution and access to a large number of growers, and that's going to be one of the main criteria we're going to evaluate them on. "Everyone has the common goal of having this variety in the hands of as many of the growers as we possibly can, given our various constraints, such as how much budwood we can produce over time." "My direction was we needed to focus our energies and our intellectual property efforts on WA 38 because our priority was to get 38 out," Bernardo said. "We certainly will be doubling back and revisiting WA 2 and trying to craft a plan going forward, but we haven't resolved that issue either internally or with the industry. "There's definitely, from what we hear, more interest in 38, but I think WA 2 is still a very viable apple," he said. "We're not giving up on WA 2. We think that's a quality apple. It's just a matter of continuing to make some changes in our policies and procedures that are going to give it its greatest impact on the industry." Cultivar Licensing Committee members included: WSU apple breeder Dr. Kate Evans; Tom Kelly, technology licensing associate at the WSU Research Foundation, which owns the varieties generated by the breeding program; Harold Schell, horticulturist with Chelan Fruit Company; Dale Goldy, a nursery owner and horticulturist with Stemilt Growers, Inc., Wenatchee; Kent Waliser, manager of Sagemoor Farms, Pasco; and Peter Verbrugge, a partner at Valley Fruit and president of Sage Fruit Company, Yakima. Information For information about the commercialization opportunity (RFP) for WA 38, contact Tom Kelly at the WSU Research Foundation, kellytj@wsu.edu. • Marketing expertise The university will be looking for entities with merchandising and marketing expertise. Bernardo said that, in his opinion, the keys to the success of a variety are having enough volume to push through the supply chain to the retail store, securing shelf space, and establishing relationships with retailers. "Whomever we partner with has to have that capability," he said. "That's really what the industry does best." Brent Milne, chair of the Cultivar Licensing Committee, said both the committee and the university recognize that many growers are excited about WA 38 and eager to plant trees so they can get fruit to market as soon as possible. However, before growers can do that, nurseries need to establish mother blocks to generate budwood and then propagate trees. "WSU, from the dean on down, are acutely aware of what has to happen in that process," Milne said. "I think they're trying to turn this around just as fast as they possibly can, but there are several components that need to fall into place. It's just a process. It takes time, and you have to do it carefully, and they're doing that, though they have their eye on the fact that they're going to do this as timely as possible. "Once it's out there and everything's in place, there's going to be a ramp-up period of time before trees are widely available," he added. "WSU are keenly aware of the groundswell of interest in the industry for this particular selection. With that in mind, they're moving towards getting everything in place." Dr. Kate Evans, WSU's apple breeder, said it would probably be 2015 before reasonable numbers of trees are available for commercial plantings. Certified virus-free budwood has gone out to about five or six major nurseries that have expressed interest in the variety, and certified mother trees were planted in 2012. Those nurseries have propagation licenses but don't yet have tree-sale licenses, she said. High Potency CYD-X® HP The most potent codling moth virus...ever. CYD-X HP codling moth granulosis virus. Powerful. Versatile. Easy to use. WA 2 Bernardo said the university is developing a process whereby each new WSU variety will have a unique commercialization strategy to fit that particular apple. "Obviously, WA 38 has high potential for being a premium apple in the state, if not the world, so the recommendations we have from the committee are different from if we were trying to deal with some of the niche varieties coming out of the program," he said. "We will treat each one uniquely." The university hasn't yet resolved the question of how to commercialize WA 2. www.goodfruit.com OMRI® Listed and NOP Approved. For conventional or organic farming. Residue exempt. Four-hour reentry interval (REI) and zero plant harvest interval (PHI). No effect on beneficial insects. Devastating to codling moth larvae. ] [ © 2013 Certis USA www.CertisUSA.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER March 15, 2013 9