In spite of the 70 breeding programs around the world developing new tree fruit cultivars, most new varieties are disappointments and don’t succeed, says a European researcher. Growers, packers, and marketers have responded well to improved clones of established varieties like Gala and Golden Delicious apples, but the industry has not successfully introduced new apple varieties. “Why do new releases fail?” asks Dr. Joan Bonany of IRTA, an agricultural and technology research institute owned by the Catalonian government in Spain. “There’s not a single cause for failure of a new variety, but failure can be the result of poor field […]