Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/132109
"It was a combination of the varieties and these innovative growers that saw the potential." "The cherry generation time is not short," she noted. The more characteristics desired in a cherry—for example, good fruit quality, self-fertility, and disease resistance—the lower the chances of finding it. That means sorting through so many more seedlings to identify promising selections. "It does raise the bar," Hampson said. In fact, Lane says not having to take disease resistance into account has been one of the reasons for the success of the program in the past. The Pacific Northwest has far fewer concerns with little cherry virus or pseudomonas, for example, than growing districts in eastern North America or Europe. "If you have to deal primarily with resistance or tolerance to diseases, then you don't have the flexibility to focus on large size and that sort of thing," he said. Hampson said she is not focusing exclusively on new late-season varieties because there's been an upsurge of interest in early to midseason varieties. Larger growers, in particular, want an extended season to keep their workers busy and to keep their customers supplied over a longer period. Lynn Long, Oregon State University Extension educator in The Dalles, agrees that self-fertility is no longer a necessity with the advent of the size-controlling Gisela and Krymsk rootstocks. "There are other ways to get productivity besides self-fertile cherries," he said, "Though it's nice to have a self-fertile variety because you don't have to worry about pollinizers, and in years when pollination weather is not what you hoped it would — Frank Kappel Photo by richard mcdonalrd, Parc be, it gives you better potential for pollination." If varieties don't have to be self-fertile, it might be easier to find new cherries with other important characteristics, said Suite Note, a recent release from the Summerland breeding program, is available to anyone who wants to grow it. www.goodfruit.com Long, who still sees a need for more new varieties. "We have not found the perfect cherry yet," he said. "There's always some limitation. You've got cherries like Lapins and Sweetheart that are very productive, but they tend to pit. You have a cherry like Skeena that ships well, but is very sensitive to rain cracking. You have Regina that's resistant to rain cracking but not very productive. "There's definitely room out there for finding better cherries." • The Kershaw family, owners of Domex Superfresh Growers ®, are farmers who for five generations have built a business based on shared values, trustworthiness and fiscal responsibility. Our marketing experience and consumer connections fuel the success of the "Superfresh" growers we serve. Call us today to learn more about growing with Superfresh Growers®. We know what's trending NOW. Our difference makes all the difference™ 151 Low Rd., Yakima, WA. 98908 | superfreshgrowers.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER June 2013 23