New Developments in Stone Fruit Varieties

With an increasing demand for higher quality and more flavorful fruits, breeders are stepping up to develop improved varieties of stone fruits.  Our speakers will review varieties and their attributes for direct marketing as well as for shipping. A discussion of the techniques and methods that are used to breed and evaluate new varieties will be included. Leith Gardner has taken on the stone-fruit breeding role of her father, Floyd Zaiger. Over decades, they have developed many varieties that are now marketed by Dave Wilson Nursery. John Slaughter has been the prime stone-fruit breeder for decades at Burchell Nursery, and in the last two years has transitioned his fruit breeding to Wawona-Prima Fruit, California’s largest stone-fruit grower and one of the largest organic stone-fruit growers.