Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/751050
24 DECEMBER 2016 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com Some Washington producers are caught off guard by international propagation plans for WA 38. by Ross Courtney T he first Cosmic Crisp international licenses have been signed and the first budwood has been shipped overseas. Last year, Proprietary Variety Management shipped buds of the new apple variety, designed specifically for Washington's fruit industry, to international quarantine facilities and licensed two Italian fruit companies to grow and sell WA 38, which goes by the trade name Cosmic Crisp. The Yakima, Washington, company was contracted by Washington State University to manage the commercialization of Cosmic Crisp, devel- oped by university breeders. Despite some grower surprise that overseas com- panies are already involved, the moves mark the uni- versity's efforts to protect its breeders' invention in the competitive and complex global marketplace, said uni- versity officials and variety managers. "This has to be done or it becomes an open variety," said Lynnell Brandt, president of Proprietary Variety Management. That would mean anybody could grow it and sell it with any level of quality anywhere in the world. Acknowledging that the international agreements may not have been known among Washington growers, Brandt and university officials have been speaking at Cosmic to be grown overseas field days and industry groups over the summer and will present during a Cosmic Crisp session at the Washington State Tree Fruit Association annual meeting Dec. 5-7 in Wenatchee. "This has come so fast, with so much interest and so forth that we haven't reached out enough to make sure (800) 876-2767 www.westbridge.com ® Prevents Fire Blight in Apples & Pears • Effective alternative to antibiotics • Ideal for IPM programs • Efficacy is comparable to conventional products • No development of pathogen resistance • No pre-harvest interval or chemical residues • Safe for bees and beneficial insects Blossom Protect ™ KERIAN MACHINES, INC. 1709 Hwy 81 South, P.O. Box 311 Grafton, ND 58237 701-352-0480 • Fax 701-352-3776 sales@kerian.com • www.kerian.com GENTLE: Separates without damaging peaches, apples, mushrooms and fresh tomatoes ACCURATE: Precisely grades grape tomatoes, cherries, nuts, and small berries, maintaining that accuracy for larger products including cantaloupes and pineapple FAST: Thirteen standard models custom- designed to meet your needs sort from 1,000 lb/hr to 100,000 lb/hr SIMPLE: Effective but simple design provides a rugged, low-cost, low-maintenance machine at a high value to our customers. It can even be used in the field! VERSATILE: Specialized rollers allow for the accurate sizing of round products (potatoes, onions, and citrus), long products (carrots, russets, and cucumbers), and irregular products (bell peppers, jalapeños, and garlic) FRUIT AND VEGETABLE KERIAN SIZER