The Fruit Growers News - December 2000


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Varieties in Gerber Trial Show
Promise at Clarksville
By Karen Gentry Associate Editor


Several apple scab resistant varieties have shown promise in trials at the Clarksville Horticulture Experiment Station (CHES) in research funded by the Gerber Products Company. Gerber funded this research in an effort to find varieties that would eliminate fungicides in apples. In 1995, apple scab resistant varieties were planted in high density training systems using dwarfing rootstock with the trellis systems, according to Phil Schwallier, coordinator of CHES in Clarksville, Mich. and principal investigator of the Gerber planting. Schwallier has been working closely with Todd DeKryger, ag research specialist at Gerber. DeKryger said Gerber worked with breeders from Purdue University, Rutgers University and the University of Illinois. Three named varieties were originally chosen to be planted including Enterprise, Gold Rush and Pristine, along with the numbered varieties from that program (Co-op 29, Co-op 35 and Co-op 36) and three varieties from Cornell University’s breeding program.

A grower looks over the Gerber planting of scab resistant apple varieties at the Clarksville Horticultural Experiment Station in Michigan.
“We asked Sasi Korban (professor of plant genetics at the University of Illinois) to give us the top six to eight varieties that work well specifically for processing or whether or not they might go fresh or not,” said DeKryger. Most of the varieties showing promise are for the processing market as fresh growers would still have to spray for fungicide. “We have evaluated them for their sauce making characteristics according to Gerber protocol,” Schwallier said. He said Co-op 35, Co-op 36, Enterprise and Gold Rush make some nice applesauce while all of the other varieties make only good or fair sauce. Co-op 29 has a very nice flavor particularly for the fresh market, he said. All five of these varieties were also determined to be good slicing apples. “We feel there’s a lot of potential for Gerber for these varieties as a sauce and as juice. We also realize the apple has got to be a very universal apple. Growers wouldn’t want to plant a so-called baby food apple. It’s got to be a very versatile processing apple,” said DeKryger. Continuing research with the trials is at a crossroads, according to Schwallier. He has been meeting with DeKryger at Gerber to determine what trees from the block should be pulled, what direction the research should take and what new varieties should be tried. Schwailler said he plans a display of these varieties at the upcoming Michigan State Horticultural Society convention in Grand Rapids, Mich. Dec. 5-7.