New apple varieties from Washington State University’s breeding program present opportunities for the state’s growers, said Tom Auvil, research horticulturist with the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission. WSU has just released the first variety from its breeding program, WA 2, and has more in the pipeline. These varieties will be available to any Washington grower, though only the growers who take part in the evaluation process will earn commercialization rights. “I think the big game changer for Washington growers will be the WSU releases,” Auvil said. “Many of them are very promising commercial varieties with the potential for good packouts, […]