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Summer Fruits Everything about PEACHES Desmond Layne’s peachy new Web site gets its hits. by Richard Lehnert D Desmond Layne’s work in peach cultivar evaluation means tasting a lot of peaches. “It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it,” he quips. esmond Layne looks younger than he is, and he thinks young, too. His goal is to use that modern information tool, the Internet, and put together “the most comprehensive peach Web site anywhere, a one-stop shop for peach information,” that fits the needs of commercial growers, backyard hobbyists, and even consumers looking for recipes and places to buy tree- ripened peaches. Last July, he launched such a Web site, Everything About Peaches, at www.clemson.edu/peach and by May this year had collected nearly 76,000 hits from 76 coun- tries. It was recognized earlier this year by the Southern Region of the American Society for Horticultural Science with the Blue Ribbon Extension Communication award. “There you will find a lot of new information that has been developed for peach growers,” he said. “There are ten educational videos, 32 original educational columns I have written, 33 original FAQs (frequently asked ques- tions), many with pictures, and other information. The educational videos up on YouTube have been viewed more than 10,000 times around the world.” The titles of the videos include: How to Pick the Best Peach, How to Determine Peach Ripeness, Different Kinds of Peaches, Clemson Peach Evaluation Program, The Per- fect Peach, South Carolina Peach History and Field Day, Chinese Protected Fruit Cultivation, Recognizing Stress Factors in Orchards, and Peaches—Fresh for You. In May, Dr. Layne began a new series of videos called Peach Picks for South Carolina.Each week during the har- vest season, he will feature those cultivars that are best suited for growing in “The Tastier Peach State” (a term South Carolinians coined as they compete with Georgia, “The Peach State”). “Featured cultivars in the series will include those that have performed consistently well over the last five or more years,” he said. Although the videos emphasize South Carolina, where Layne’s evaluation work is focused, many of these cultivars will also perform www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER JULY 2011 19 RICHARD LEHNERT