Cherry Research

Cherry Research. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

It always amazes me when I go to the grocery store and look at all the fruit in the produce section. The uniformity of size, shape and color. Jim McFerson, manager of the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission says that a huge goal for research is to be able to pick 10 tons of something like cherries at a specific size.

McFERSON: Twenty years ago we were in pretty good shape but it looks like it’s going to be 50-million and that’s because you planted so many acres. A lot more trees. A lot more productive varieties and we spread the marketing season out so what we are facing now in terms of research is a heck of a lot different than it was 10 years ago, 20 years ago just like it is in the growing and export side of things.

He talks about some of their priorities with research.

McFERSON: Post harvest fruit quality. These are not listen in order of priority, these are just the 4 most important things to us. Fruit quality issues. I’ve heard that time and again and luckily we’ve aligned with that and are putting a lot of research dollars into those issues. Also our *** breeding program to provide the varieties that are going to help us get a large, firm, good-looking cherry growing in the first place.

The other two, insect pest detection and management and powdery mildew are something that marketers don’t care about but McFerson says that of course growers do.

McFERSON: If we’re not able to produce tons per acre without insect pests, some of our new friends out there and manage powdery mildew, we’re not going to have anything to complain about returns on.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.