fruit breeding
Strawberry variety features bright red, sweet fruit
The USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) strawberry breeding program in Beltsville, Maryland, is releasing a new cultivar, Lumina, which produces lustrous bright red strawberries that are large and sweet. Early research results quickly showed that... more »
Harvest stars: Berries set the pace in New Jersey
Production trends for blueberries and cranberries were highlighted during the North American Strawberry Growers Association’s 2023 Summer Tour in New Jersey. Peter Oudemans, director of Rutgers University’s Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry... more »
University of Arkansas leads blackberry genome project
An international team of scientists has assembled the first complete sequence of the blackberry genome, creating a genetic tool that will help guide fruit breeders to develop new varieties with improved flavor, hardiness and other... more »
Texas A&M releases low-, medium-chill peaches
Whether served in pies or cobblers, shakes and ice cream or eaten straight from a roadside fruit stand, peach lovers in Texas owe much of their delight to Texas A&M AgriLife’s Stone Fruit Breeding and Genetic program.... more »
Midwest Apple introduces EverCrisp successor
The Midwest Apple Improvement Association (MAIA) has introduced a successor to the EverCrisp variety. MAIA-Mitchell is an advanced and more vibrant coloring strain of its groundbreaking predecessor, MAIA-1. Specimens of which may be marketed as... more »
MBG, UF develop late-season Georgia blueberries
Berry Blue LLC, an MBG Marketing subsidiary, has signed a seven-year, multi-million-dollar partnership with the University of Florida (UF) blueberry breeding program. The agreement will allow members of the MBG Marketing grower cooperative in Georgia... more »
UGA student maps peach trees in detail with laser scanners
Near the University of Georgia Griffin campus, Jordan Knapp-Wilson walks into a peach orchard equipped with a myriad of laser-equipped scanners, targets and tripods. He’ll spend the next few hours using data collection tools with the potential to... more »
Vegetable breeder Rijk Zwaan enters soft fruit breeding
Expanding its product profile, vegetable seed breeder Rijk Zwaan has entered soft fruit breeding. Since the company’s 1924 foundation, Rijk Zwaan has been active in vegetable breeding. The company is now launching a new breeding... more »
Grower has faith in Duchess Blueberries
Greg Willems first became fascinated by plant genetics as a student at California State University-Fresno in 1998, while studying under noted plant science professor Earl Bowerman. Bowerman, in turn, learned from Rutger University’s Arlen Draper,... more »
IFG names three new varieties in its low-chill line
International Fruit Genetics LLC (IFG) has released the names of three new trademarked cherries in its Cheery Cherry line: Cheery Cupid, Cheery Nebula and Cheery Chap. IFG has almost 50 patented table grape varieties and... more »