North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

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

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From: ARS News Service <NewsService@ars.usda.gov>
Reply-To: ARS News Service <NewsService@ars.usda.gov>
Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2004 08:56:26 -0400
To: ARS News subscriber <lonrom@hevanet.com>
Subject: New Plum Rich in Antioxidants

STORY LEAD:
New Plum Variety Released
___________________________________________

ARS News Service
Agricultural Research Service, USDA
Sharon Durham, (301) 504-1611, sdurham@ars.usda.gov
July 30, 2004
___________________________________________

Ruby Queen, a high-quality, late-ripening plum well adapted to the humid
climate of the southeastern United States, has recently been released by the
Agricultural Research Service.

W. R. Okie and his colleagues at the ARS Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut
Research Laboratory in Byron, Ga., selected the Ruby Queen seedling in 1985
for testing, after three years of development.

Ruby Queen has performed well in central Georgia, New Jersey and New York
and is recommended for trial in areas with similar climates.

The fruit ripens in mid- to late July at Byron, about three to four weeks
after Santa Rosa and Morris, two other plums commonly grown in Georgia. No
other plums are available to ripen at this time. Ruby Queen's skin color is
dark-red to reddish-black, with firm red flesh and outstanding flavor. The
plum is round and about two inches in diameter. Tests conducted by research
collaborators in New York show the flesh to have high antioxidant levels.

Ruby Queen is compatible with common peach rootstocks such as Guardian and
Lovell. Budded trees are moderately vigorous with somewhat upright growth.
Ruby Queen appears to be moderately resistant to bacterial spot disease and
bacterial canker disease.

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