Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/245704
"The apple I sent to market today was one I would personally like to bite into." —Bruce Allen Bedford said Washington has grown some nice Honeycrisp apples. "But there's some fruit out there from Washington that's not so pretty and doesn't eat well," he said. "Just because it can be grown here doesn't mean it should be grown anywhere. My concern is that by growing red strains we start to cover up where it can be grown. It should be grown in certain areas." Eating quality Karen Lewis, WSU extension specialist, asked speakers at the Fruit School what they thought was the number-one thing the Washington industry could do to maintain a consistently good eating experience for the consumer with Honeycrisp. "Set a grade standard that doesn't allow green background color," responded Mike Robinson, a grower at Royal City, Washington. Dr. Jim Luby, fruit breeder at the University of Minnesota, said it's important not to stress the trees; otherwise, eating quality will suffer. "It's a creature that just doesn't tolerate stress," he said. Bruce Allen, a grower and packer based in Yakima, Washington, said every Honeycrisp grower should have to take an oath that they will look themselves in the mirror in the morning and say, "The apple I sent to market today was one I would personally like to bite into." Dr. Jim Mattheis, postharvest physiologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Wenatchee, said Honeycrisp should be picked neither too early nor too late, but if it is picked too late it shouldn't be stored long. Dan Griffith, horticulturist with G.S. Long, Yakima, suggested setting grade standards to avoid Washington losing its reputation because of a few growers who produce poor quality fruit, though he recognized that would be hard to do and implement. Dr. Terence Robinson, horticulturist at Cornell University, New York, would like to see a new trademark— Honey Crunch—that could only be used for fruit that met certain standards. He also thought that, because of the variety's susceptibility to internal disorders, fruit held in controlled atmosphere storage should not be sent to market without internal defect sorting on the packing line to check every apple. Bedford said growing quality Honeycrisp starts with crop load. The tree should not be stressed or overcropped, and the fruit should be picked at the right time. As Washington produces increasing volumes of Honeycrisp, the apples will be stored longer, and that pushes growers to pick earlier for good storability, which can negatively affect both flavor and texture. "We're asking people to pay $3 a pound or more, so you've set a very high bar in terms of what you're going to deliver," he said. "If I've paid twice the price of other apples and it doesn't deliver, I'm really going to remember that experience." Bedford reminded growers of the fable about the goose that laid the golden eggs and said a variety as valuable as Honeycrisp comes along only once in a lifetime. Although new Honeycrisp-like varieties are in the pipeline that might be easier to grow, there's no guarantee that they will retain the exceptional eating quality of Honeycrisp, and there's no knowing how consumers will respond. "We need to make sure we don't kill this one," he said. "This is a rare opportunity." Right place. Right time. The superior placement and enhanced availability of Wolf Trax® DDP® Micronutrients guarantee more consistent, early plant uptake for optimum growth and productivity. Ask for Wolf Trax and deliver micronutrients to your crops on time. Call 855.237.9653, or visit wolftrax.com. SCAN THIS CODE FOR MORE ABOUT ON-TIME MICRONUTRIENT DELIVERY, OR GO TO WOLFTRAX.COM/ONTIME Growing Forward ® ® wolftrax.com I N N O VAT I V E N U T R I E N T S Wolf Trax®, DDP® and Growing Forward® are registered trademarks of Wolf Trax, Inc. ©2013. Not all products are registered in all areas. Contact infomaster@wolftrax.com for more information. 20198 GFG • www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER FEBRUARY 1, 2014 13