Genetics and genomics have been buzz words in the tree fruit industry since the Tree Fruit Technology Roadmap named them top priorities five years ago, and they were prominent during the International Fruit Tree Association’s annual conference this year. Genetics is the study of genes, while genomics refers to the complete genetic makeup of an organism (all its genes). As scientists identify the various genes in an organism and where they’re located, tantalizing possibilities arise in the area of plant breeding. Breeders are talking about developing new fruit varieties or products with the kinds of traits that consumers want and, […]