North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

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From: "ARS News Service" <isnv@ars-grin.gov>
To: "ARS News List" <ars-news@ars-grin.gov>
Subject: New Plum, Apricot Cross
Date: Tue, Jun 13, 2000, 6:32 AM


STORY LEAD:
New Plum, Apricot Cross Ideal for Southern Growers

___________________________________________

ARS News Service
Agricultural Research Service, USDA
Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov
June 13, 2000
___________________________________________

Agricultural Research Service scientists have developed and released a new
specialty fruit as luscious as its name. Spring Satin, a cross between a
plum and apricot, is now available to nurseries.

ARS horticulturist William R. Okie developed the reddish-black-colored
fruit. Southeastern fruit growers have trouble growing plums and apricots in
that region's climate. This new cultivar is the first plumcot that is well
adapted to the medium-high chill areas of the south. Plumcots developed in
California haven't done well in the south.

Spring Satin produces beautiful white flowers that bloom in mid March. The
large, high- quality fruit ripen in early May, a time of year when
high-quality fruit is in limited supply. When fully ripe, these fruits have
a very good flavor.

The short fuzz plumcot is about two inches in diameter. This vibrant beauty
has yellow flesh when immature, changing to a yellowish-red when mature.

This unique cross is tolerant to major plum diseases, like bacterial spot
disease, bacterial canker disease, and plum leaf scald. These diseases make
commercial production difficult due to the limited life span of the orchard.

Spring Satin trees will be available commercially this winter. Limited
amounts of budwood are available from Okie, who is with the ARS Southeastern
Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory in Byron, Ga. Germplasm from this
release is deposited in the NSRP5/IR-2 Fruit Tree collection at Washington
State University, Prosser, Wa.

Consumers will have to wait to try Spring Satin; the trees take about three
years to start producing fruit for large-scale distribution.

ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research
agency.
___________________________________________

Scientific contact: William R. Okie, ARS Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut
Research Laboratory, Byron, Ga.; phone (912) 956-6405, fax (912) 956-2929,
dokie@byronresearch.net.
___________________________________________
This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information
distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the
latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at
www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm.
* Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov.
* ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD
20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648.




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