Global fruit genetics and licensing company Sun World International and Washington State University have joined forces to develop a new generation of high-flavor, sweet cherries that ripen earlier and are more practical to grow.
“Pursuing partnerships such as the WSU and Sun World collaboration is a key priority and helps ensure that we remain leaders in the industry,” Jennifer Petersen, chief science officer at Sun World, said in a news release. “We continue to focus on partnerships that enable us to develop varieties that meet the demands of growers and consumers in a dynamic marketplace.”
Per McCord, horticulture associate professor and stone fruit breeder, and Sun World scientists are sharing germplasm from promising cherry varieties under a new research collaboration launched in the spring.
“Sun World has desirable germplasm, and we have material that they can benefit from,” McCord said in the release. “Now, we’re able to share our parental varieties for new crosses, and potentially, high quality releases.”
Germplasm is genetic material found inside pollen and seeds. Plants exchange germplasm to reproduce. Fruit breeders seek out promising parent plants with desired traits, crossing them with other varieties to develop new varieties.
“In addition to supporting research between a public university and a private company, our combined research efforts will result in the development of new cherry varieties with strong consumer appeal and desirable to growers,” Dr. Terrence Frett, sweet cherry breeder and molecular specialist at Sun World, said in the release. “And through our global network, we will enable growers around the world to produce these WSU-Sun World varieties.”
Sun World’s germplasm has been developed over a 17-year period with a focus on developing low and mid-chill cherry varieties adaptable to the hot California climate and similar regions around the world, according to the release. This process provides cherry varieties with better consistency in quality, making them less susceptible to sunburn, heat damage and sutures.
Development of new varieties takes a decade or more, as breeders such as WSU and Sun World compare and winnow out hundreds of different crosses in a series of orchard trials. Potentially saving time in this long process, the partnership also offers opportunities for dialogue and collaboration in breeding and research.
“I’m excited to bring in Sun World’s ultra-early and early cherry material,” McCord said in the release. “This new material will help extend our program further into the early Pacific Northwest season, further adapt to a changing environment, and provide new, grower-friendly cherry varieties to our growers.”
Read more:
https://www.thepacker.com/news/packer-tech/sun-world-unveils-center-innovation
