The Fruit Growers News

New sweet cherries, plums, peaches and apricots from Cornell University will be introduced and marketed by International Plant Management, Inc. of Lawrence, Mich. International Plant Management will represent Cornell Research Foundation and the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station to market stone fruit selections from Dr. Robert Andersen’s breeding program. “This is an exciting group of new stone fruit varieties from one of the most distinguished stone fruit breeders in the world. Dr. Andersen is an exceptional researcher and has assembled an impressive array of new varieties,” said Wallace Heuser from International Plant Management and president of Summit Sales, a separate company. “We feel that this is a unique arrangement between a public university and a private marketing organization. Institutional programs are by far the best use of scientific talent to develop new varieties, but the researchers usually need help in the final field testing, evaluation, protection, and marketing of their varieties,” said Heuser. His plant management company has been around since 1989, specializing in this phase of fruit variety introduction and will work in close partnership with Cornell to get the most promising of these new varieties to the industry. The agreement was set up to return a significant portion of the royalties back to Cornell for distribution to the Department of Horticulture and to a New York Stone Fruit Testers Association that will help with the final field-testing. “We have a very active group of growers that want to be on the leading edge of testing and evaluation of the New York varieties. A portion of the royalty proceeds will go to their organization to help fund field research,” said Andersen. International Plant Management will merge its established testers network with Andersen’s network of testers and the newly formed New York Stone Fruit Testers Association to help in the evaluation of these varieties. As the best selections finish the final evaluation stage, they will be patented, trademarked and licensed to nurseries throughout the United States and Canada. The first available selections, BlackGold and WhiteGold sweet cherries, which are self-fertile, and NY 6 and NY 9 plums will be officially released within a year. The plum varieties will be named later, according to Wanda Heuser Gale, from International Plant Management. Cornell believes that it’s better in the long run to handle new releases as patented, high selling varieties, according to Gale. “We’ll market it like we have other varieties with sublicensing as more nurseries are interested,” said Gale. “The university’s goal is to benefit the industry.” She estimated there could be 18-20 new varieties of sweet cherries, plums, peaches, apricots and nectarines. Gale said they are working with two lists of varieties. Varieties on the first list are ready for farm testing and probable release while the second list is still limited to testing at Cornell. Gale said there could be “some real blockbusters” in the upcoming varieties from Cornell. International Plant Management has also been working with Michigan State University with the Jubileum and Danube cherries, both red flesh, red juice tart cherries. They also market several new varieties including Buckeye Gala, Ruby Jon Jonathan, Kumeu Crimson Braeburn and the Fruit Acres Stellar Peaches. Heuser and his wife, Laura will host a Variety Showcase at their home in Lawrence, Mich. on Sept. 5.