Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/37334
GOOD TO KNOW A research report from Ines Hanrahan and Tom Auvil, Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission, and Kate Evans, Washington State University Apple selections evaluated for postharvest performance In Phase 3 of the WSU apple breeding program evaluation process, selections are examined after storage and packing. Starting about three weeks before anticipated harvest, fruit of each selection is tested weekly for starch conversion. Wells Fargo Insurance Services Protecting the future of your business Fruit is drenched before storage to reduce decay, and half of the fruit is treated with MCP. T Local service, national resources, customized services. With more than 300 agriculture customers including 40 fruit packing and storage warehouse customers, and over 30 years of agribusiness experience insuring orchards, row crops, hops, and vineyards, Wells Fargo Insurance Services takes that knowledge and works with the agribusiness community to continually assess risk, identify ways to minimize it, and ensure that your coverage remains the right fi t over time. • Crop insurance • Workers’ compensation • Employee benefi ts • Risk management • Product contamination and recall coverage • Highly protected property risk Team up with us today. Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA, Inc. 1430 N. 16th Ave. Yakima, WA 98902 509-248-7460 wellsfargo.com/wfi s © 2010 Wells Fargo Insurance Services. All rights reserved. 706 North Chelan Ave. Wenatchee, WA 98801 509-662-5157 he Washington State University apple breeding program is focused on developing novel apple varieties that will meet or exceed the quality of currently grown commercial varieties, both off the tree and after storage. After initial seedling selection and evaluation (Phase 1) and small-scale on-farm trials (Phase 2), promising selections go into the Phase 3 intensive industry-evaluation phase, which will provide crucial horticultural performance data for each advanced selection of interest to the apple industry. Phases 1 and 2 were described in an article in the July 2011 issue of Good Fruit Grower. How does Phase 3 work? The Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission, in collaboration with WSU, oversees four Phase 3 test sites with varying climates. All trees are on Malling 9, usually M.9 337 but some on Pajam 2. The trees are planted 10 by 3 feet apart in all sites and typically grown in a tall spindle format. A minimum of 50 trees per site is needed to provide adequate fruit volume for storage testing. A hundred trees will provide additional fruit for packing-line tests, industry sampling, and market testing. Horticultural performance is observed every year during a selection’s five- or six-year stay in Phase 3 blocks. Fruit size and annual cropping are two of the most important traits evaluated. Other important obser- vations include: incidence of bitter pit, responsiveness to chemical thinning, and susceptibility to sunburn and mildew. These traits, along with tree growth habits and fruit characteristics, are collated with storage and handling data. The report is combined with Phase-2 data collected by WSU. As data are gathered, the breeding program’s Industry Advisory Council recommends whether to advance selections or discontinue their Phase 3 evaluation. 22 AUGUST 2011 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com washington tree fruit research commission washington tree fruit research commission