North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Thomas Olenio <tolenio@sentex.net>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 08:02:51 -0400
From: ARS News Service <NewsService@ars.usda.gov>
To: ARS News subscriber <tolenio@sentex.net>
Subject: Tasty New Pear

STORY LEAD:
Agency Debuts Feisty New Pear

___________________________________________

ARS News Service
Agricultural Research Service, USDA
Rosalie Marion Bliss, (301) 504-4318, rbliss@ars.usda.gov
September 26, 2002
___________________________________________

A distinct blend of sugars, acids and other flavor compounds give a rich, 
aromatic taste to a new pear variety released by the Agricultural Research 
Service.

The new yellow and light-golden pear, named "Blake's Pride," was developed by 
horticulturist Richard Bell with the ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station 
in Kearneysville, W.Va.

The beauty of this pear isn't just skin deep. The fruit is endowed not only 
with excellent eating quality, but also with resistance to fire blight, a 
devastating pear disease. Caused by a bacterium native to North America, fire 
blight greatly limits pear production in the eastern and midwestern United 
States.

According to Bell, the U.S. pear industry relies heavily on just four major 
pear varieties, leaving much room, and demand, for new and improved 
alternatives. "Blake's Pride" now provides commercial pear growers and 
homeowners a new selection of disease-resistant pear.

Budwood of "Blake's Pride" is available free to nurseries on request by 
contacting Dr. Bell through the lab's web site at:
http://afrsweb.usda.gov/DBell.htm

Since the variety has been certified as virus-free, Bell expects a growing 
demand from orchardists and homeowners beginning next year.

Pears mature and are harvested from early August through early October, with 
varieties farther south ripening earliest. "Blake's Pride" ripens 10 to 14 
days after the widely grown "Bartlett" variety. California, Oregon and 
Washington state together produce most of the pears harvested in the United 
States.

The new variety is the second fire-blight-resistant pear developed by Bell, 
who is now planning additional new releases in the near future. ARS is the 
chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

___________________________________________

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