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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 27, 2004 CORNELL
RELEASES FOUR NEW STONE FRUITS
GENEVA, NY: Fruit breeders at Cornell University officially released two new cherries and two new plums during the Centennial Fruit Field Days at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station (NYSAES), in Geneva, NY, on July 27, 2004. The four new varieties, which are primarily for the processing market, were developed and tested by Robert L. Andersen, director of the stone fruit breeding program at Cornell, and professor of horticultural sciences. "BlackYork™ ('Haas' cultivar-NY 1725) is a mid-season, dark-fleshed, sweet cherry that is well adapted to humid climates," says Andersen, who retires as Cornell's stone fruit breeder this year. "The skin is glossy black, and the fruit of medium size and firmness." Although primarily a processing sweet cherry well suited for use in cherry yogurts, BlackYork™ has also performed well in pick-your-own operations as a fresh-market cherry. "It is a reliable cropper that sets good quality fruit on rugged trees," says Andersen. BlackYork™ can pollenize Emperor Francis, Kristin, Ulster, and BlushingGold™, the other new cherry release from Cornell. BlushingGold™('Pendleton cultivar-NY 8182) is a mid-season brining-type cherry with light flesh that is an excellent high-yielding variety, says Andersen. It ripens after Emperor Francis, but prior to Stark Gold. Like BlackYork™, BlushingGold™ will pollinate Emperor Francis, and vice-versa. Two New Plums "NY6™ (Jayfre' cultivar -NY 66.609.6) ripens before Stanley and Italian Prune, and crops regularly and heavily," says Andersen. "Fruit size is larger than Castleton, its sister, and infant food trials have been very favorable." The variety is a cross of Iroquois X Valor, and requires cross-pollination. Stanley, NY9™ and Castleton are effective pollenizers. NY6™ grows on spreading, precocious trees that are medium in vigor and non-biennial in cropping habit. The fruit is medium size, round/oval in shape, with sky-blue skin color and a non-fragmenting pit. The plum has low-acid flesh and good color retention. Highly suitable for processing, NY6™ can be used in infant foods, bakery purees, and blended with other plums. Gerber Products has made product out of NY6™ and found it meets their needs better than Stanley. "NY9™ ('Kenmore' cultivar-NY 58.900.9) is pit-free, medium size, non-shattering plum, with an oval shape, attractive blue skin, and excellent quality as both a fresh market and processing plum," says Andersen. "The trees are self-fertile, and the fruit is firm enough to pack and ship to wholesale markets." Yield, size, and ripening times are all similar to Stanley. The tree is more resistant to black knot than Stanley, and more resistant to mites than either Stanley or NY6™. Like NY6™, NY9™ has performed well in infant food products that utilize European-type blue plums as an ingredient. Andersen, who is retiring as Cornell's stone fruit breeder [see related press release], has released 15 varieties of stone fruit during his 13 years as Cornell's stone fruit breeder. International Plant Management, Inc., of Lawrence, MI, represents
the Cornell Research Foundation (CRF) and the NYSAES in the introduction
and marketing of stone fruit selections from Cornell's stone fruit
breeding program. The new releases will be patented and trademarked
by CRF, and sublicensed to nurseries by International Plant Management,
Inc., who will make them available to commercial growers and the
public. See Related:
Wanda Gale, of International Plant Management, Inc., can be reached at 1-800-424-2765.
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New York State Agricultural
Experiment Station, 630 West North Street, Geneva, New York 14456
Telephone: 315.787.2011
Last Modified:
July 28, 2004
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