Good Fruit Grower

June 2011 Vol 62 number 11

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Management entity is a work in progress WA 2, the first release of Washington State University's apple breeding program, is a blushed, orange-red apple. Research Commission will be officially licensed to com- mercialize the varieties, which are owned and patented by the WSU Research Foundation. The commercializa- tion agreement between the commission and the foun- dation has not yet been signed, said Tom Kelly, the university’s technology licensing associate. Dr. Jim McFerson, manager of the Research Commis- T sion, said the commission has been moving ahead slowly. It had to work with the Washington State Attorney General’s office and Department of Agriculture to revise its enabling legislation so it could set up the new organization. he Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission is in the process of setting up a nonprofit organ- ization to manage Washington State University’s new tree fruit varieties. Once the 501(c)(3) organization is set up, the The Research Commission is in the process of setting up the entity that will manage WSU’s new tree fruit releases. by Geraldine Warner The tree fruit entity will handle the day-to-day man- agement of the WSU tree fruit releases as well as other products that growers have made a significant invest- ment in, McFerson said. It will have a board of directors that will probably be made up of five to seven appointees of the Washington Apple Commission, Washington State Fruit Commission, and Research Commission. The breeding program has an Industry Advisory Coun- cil, whose members consult with WSU apple breeder Dr. Kate Evans on selection and evaluation. The council will continue to be involved in the evaluation phases, while the management entity will take charge of varieties when they reach the commercialization phase. Brent Milne, chair of the advisory council, said the commission is working to get the new entity in place, though it’s taking longer than expected. He thought it might be created by this summer. “It’s definitely a work in progress,” he said. Potato Institute Its rules and responsibilities still need to be defined, but the “ad hoc management entity,” as the commission calls it, should look similar to the Potato Variety Manage- ment Institute, McFerson said. The institute is a non- profit, grower-controlled company created to return the value of new potato varieties developed in the Northwest to the breeding program. Objectives of the potato institute include: • Supporting development of varieties • Administering license and royalty fees from all growers who benefit from the varieties in order to return a benefit to the breeding program • Expediting access to new varieties by accelerated com- mercialization, allowing growers to evaluate the per- formance of new cultivars sooner in the development cycle Earlier this year, orchardists who have been evaluating OHxF® 69, 87, & Rootstocks Trees on OHxF® *OHxF® 69 Rootstock Shown Patent Information Available and orchard to one of these rootstocks for maximum results. 69, 87, & 97* – Match your specifi c variety WA 2 were able to convert their evaluation agreements to licenses to grow the variety commercially. Growers can order WA 2 from several nurseries in Washington that are propagating trees. Several thousand trees have been planted for evaluation, but Evans said she thought it would be a couple of years before commercial-size plantings go in the ground. • 97 Call today for more detailed information (800) 675-6075 www.fowlernurseries.com • Newcastle, California almonds • apricots 26 JUNE 2011 GOOD FRUIT GROWER cherries • pears • nectarines • peaches • asian pears GOOD FRUIT Grower of the Year ing nominations from the tree fruit and grape indus- tries for the annual Good Fruit Grower of the Year award. The recipient will be featured in the January 1, 2012, issue. Please include your nominee’s name, contact T information, and a detailed explanation of why you think this person (or persons) deserves the award. Nominations are due by July 31. The Good Fruit Grower Advisory Board, which is made up of industry leaders, will make the selection. The Grower of the Year may be an individual or family and must currently reside and work in North America. A full description of criteria, a list of past winners, and a description of the selection process are available at www.goodfruit.com/Good-Fruit- Grower/Web-2010/Good-Fruit-Growers-of-the-Year/. www.goodfruit.com he Good Fruit Grower maga- zine is request- Order today to receive your BEST deal! GERALDINE WARNER

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