Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/132109
Hundreds of own-rooted seedlings were planted in April in Phase 1 of WSU's cherry breeding program. information," he said. "Once we have the right genotypes, we can do smart breeding, which should improve our chance of success." Three phases When Oraguzie joined WSU in 2008, a few hundred seedlings were in the ground from crosses made in the first few years of the program's restart. Today, there are about 10,000 seedlings planted in the field and the program has evolved into three phases. Phase 1 includes making crosses, planting own-rooted seedlings in the field, and evaluating fruit. Phase 2 includes replicated trials of grafted advanced selections at three locations (WSU's Roza research orchard in Prosser, Oregon State University's research station in Hood River, and a grower cooperator's orchard in Washington). In each location, five trees of each genotype are planted next to a comparable commercial variety. In Phase 3, replicated trials of elite selections are grown at Prosser and grower-cooperator orchards in Washington and Oregon. The number of trees planted expands to 100 at each location as Oraguzie looks for fatal flaws that may have been hidden earlier. "We have to plant enough trees in Phase 3 to achieve enough volume that can be commercially handled so we can obtain packout and storage data," he said. "We want to look at things that affect cullage rates, such as pitting and cracking." Throughout the three phases, selections are continually evaluated, with a host of data collected, from date of bloom time and cold hardiness to fruit quality. For seedlings in —Nnadozie Oraguzie Phase 1, three years of fruiting data are collected before a decision is made to advance a selection to Phase 2. Oraguzie typically has to wait for three years before the trees in Phase 1 begin producing fruit for evaluation. However, there are exceptions to the three-step selection process. "The DNA testing is what makes our breeding program stand out." Fast track Breeder Nnadozie Oraguzie stands in a Phase 1 block planted in 2011 and 2012. He'll begin collecting fruiting data when the trees are three to four years old. www.goodfruit.com PHOTOS BY MELISSA HANSEN Oraguzie and his grower advisory team have the ability to fast-track a selection that shows exceptional fruit qualities in its first year of fruiting. "If we see something that looks like an exceptional performer—based on only one year of data—we can send wood to the nursery for propagation instead of waiting for three years of data before ramping up the number of trees for advanced evaluations," he said. It takes two years to get a tree back from the nursery for planting, so this has been an important step in speeding up the time involved in the breeding program. And though a selection can get a fast track into Phase 2, data is still collected from the initial Phase 1 tree, as well as from the named cultivars or numbered selections that produced the cross. The fast-track option has only been used on about ten selections thus far—out of about 5,000 trees that are fruiting. Improved efficiency One of the biggest costs involved with the breeding program is management of the thousands of trees planted in the different phases. In looking for ways to minimize tree management costs at WSU's Roza block, Oraguzie will soon begin budding five selections on trees planted to the UFO training system (Upright Fruiting Offshoots) developed by fellow WSU researcher Dr. Matt Whiting. In Phase 1, with 10,000 trees planted, the majority of the program's costs are in the trees, said Oraguzie. It's easy to do the math of growing five selections in the space of one tree. "By putting five GOOD FRUIT GROWER June 2013 25