Washington State University’s tree fruit breeding programs are still years away from commercially releasing new varieties, but WSU and industry representatives are already thinking about how new varieties from the programs will be commercialized. The apple breeding program was established in 1994 at Wenatchee, and the cherry breeding program was revived at Prosser in 2005. The apple variety landscape has changed dramatically in the last 15 years. Consumers no longer buy apples just by variety, like Gala or Granny Smith, explains Dr. Bruce Barritt, WSU apple breeder. Today, they also buy apples by brand name. Examples include the Pink Lady […]