Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/132109
Varieties PEACHES from Arkansas Photos courtesy of John clark, university of arkansas New Arkansas plant breeder John Clark. N ew nectarine varieties and a peach variety developed by fruit breeder Dr. John Clark at the University of Arkansas are high chill and should be adapted not only for Arkansas growers but for more northerly production areas of the United States. Clark's most recent releases are the nectarine varieties Bowden and Amoore Sweet, and a peach named Souvenirs. They are resistant to bacterial spot, an important trait to all growers in the more humid production areas of the eastern United States. Clark has a track record not only in breeding stone fruit but also grapes and, especially, blackberries. He is one of the fruit breeders involved in the national RosBREED program. Growers in Arkansas grow for local markets and for wholesale distribution. Clark has sought genetics that allow peaches to be firm at harvest, resistant to damage during handling and shipping, store well, and yet deliver the flavor, sweetness, juiciness, and melt-in-your mouth texture consumers like. The discovery that a complex group of genes controls firmness and texture, and that firmness can be achieved without getting the rubbery texture often found in cling by Richard Lehnert peach varieties, has given new avenues for peach improvement, Clark said. The new nectarines, Bowden and Amoore Sweet, ripen in early July, have firm flesh, and can be stored up to three weeks, he said. These traits help extend marketing range and time. Bowden is the first white-fleshed nectarine from the Arkansas Division of Agriculture breeding program. Breeder John Clark thinks his program's peaches have a place in orchards across the nation. This is the new Bowden nectarine, the first white-fleshed nectarine to come from the University of Arkansas program. TABLE GRAPES part of Arkansas breeding program M uch of John Clark's success as a plant breeder rests with blackberries, but he also breeds grapes, as well as peaches and nectarines. Four new seedless table grape varieties named Faith, Hope, Joy, and Gratitude, which were released last year, are available from nurseries in limited quantities. These are the ninth through twelfth grape cultivars released by the Arkansas program. "These releases expand options for table grape growers for local markets in the United States," Clark wrote in describing them. "All four cultivars have non-slipskin flesh with good skin quality, fruit cracking resistance, and good vine health and winter hardiness." Faith is blue-fruited, he said, slight fruity to neutral in flavor, and semicrisp. It is the earliest of the four and ripens in late July to early August. Hope is green-fruited, has a fruity flavor, is rather soft in texture, and has high production potential. It ripens near August 19. Joy is blue-fruited with exceptional fruity flavor but very soft texture, and ripens the first or second week of August. Gratitude berries are green with exceptional flesh crispness, and neutral flavor, ripening usually in late August. "These cultivars, in addition to prior releases from the program (including Mars, Jupiter, and Neptune), provide for a range of dates of harvest along with choices of fruit colors, shapes, textures, and flavors for local market growers," Clark said. —R. Lehnert 28 June 2013 GOOD FRUIT GROWER This is Joy, in a photo from Idaho, where fruit breeder Esmaeil Fallahi included John Clark's table grapes in his trial plantings. www.goodfruit.com