Washington State University has named International New-Varieties Network LLC of Ephrata, Wash., as the exclusive global licensing partner for its new WA 64 apple.
WA 64 is a hybrid of Honeycrisp and cripps pink and is described as tart, firm, sweet and juicy. It was first selected for further evaluation in 1998 at private and research orchards, and the university officially announced its release in 2023.
INN is a network of more than a dozen companies in the U.S., Chile, France, Italy, China, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa offering tree fruit propagation, commercialization and distribution globally.
The company will manage sales of licensed WA 64 trees and budwood to growers for planting or grafting in orchards and license the new apple’s forthcoming trademark to fruit packers and marketers, according to a news release. The new apple is expected to reach consumers in 2029; its name has not yet been announced.
The university launched a public naming contest and said it expects to announce the new name by the end of the year.
“The license agreement is the latest step in a decades-long process to commercialize a new apple,” Jeremy Tamsen, director of innovation and commercialization for WSU’s College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences, said in the release.
INN will monitor and enforce the variety’s plant patent and plant variety protection certificate while collecting royalties, the release said. INN has appointed Willow Drive Intellectual Property Protection to issue licenses for WA 64.
“All three services are necessary to protect the hard work that went into breeding and selecting this cultivar in Washington,” Tamsen said.
Only U.S. growers in Washington state will be able to license and grow WA 64 until August 2034. The university said royalties from the tree and apple sales will support its breeding program.
INN-developed varieties and brands include Aztec Fuji, Modi, Kissabel, Royal Red Honeycrisp and Galaval, and the company also helped introduce the Rosy Glow and Lady in Red cultivars into the trademarked Pink Lady brand, according to the release.
“Through our members, we’ve helped bring new variety innovations to growers around the world for nearly 30 years,” said Garry Langford, INN’s general manager. “We look forward to working with the world-renowned WSU apple breeding program to successfully develop WA 64.”
