In order to remain competitive in the global market, the world’s biggest sweet cherry producers have banded together to drive innovation along the entire production chain. The molecules-to-market project, called “A total systems approach to developing a sustainable, stem-free sweet cherry production, processing and marketing system,” is just completing its first year of research.
The project has just launched a new web site, sweetcherryresearch.wsu.edu, which features research news, videos, photos, and the 2010 annual report. The project’s goals include:
• Developing high-efficiency, productive angled fruiting wall orchard systems;
• Establishing the genetic bases for sweet cherry abscission;
• Improving labor efficiency and safety by developing mechanical and/or mechanical assist harvest technologies;
• Extending the shelf-life and increasing consumer appeal of sweet cherries;
• Analyzing system profitability, market potential, and developing economic models for outreach and adoption.
Milestones reached in 2010 include:
• Establishment of test orchards in California, Oregon, and Washington;
• Phenotyping of cherry cultivars and advanced breeding selections for pedicel-fruit retention force and fruit texture and flavor attributes;
• Documented expression of known abscission genetic pathways in sweet cherry;
• Field testing of an upgraded mechanical harvester and other mechanical-assistance equipment.
The four-year project is funded by a USDA Special Crop Research Initiative grant. Participating collaborators include Washington State University, Oregon State University, Michigan State University, the University of California, and Picker Technologies.