To: nafex mailing list at ibiblio <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [nafex] Scientists are creating half-sized peach treesto make picking fruit easier (Modern Farmer)
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 16:55:03 -0400
Oh, yes; I can definitely think of good reasons for people to be working on
this.
I was just puzzled by the article's being so written as to give the
impression that they think dwarf fruit trees, in general, are a new idea. I
very much doubt that the researchers themselves think this; it's most likely
a problem in the reporting.
-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 6A now I think
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale
On Aug 19, 2014, at 3:15 PM, Geoffrey Tolle wrote:
> Another point would be that our dwarfing rootstock is very limited
> genetically. There are many fruit varieties but much more limited rootstock
> varieties. If (when) something shows up to take out one rootstock, then it
> could take years for the industry to recover from the loss of that
> rootstock. Having another source of dwarf trees only makes good ecological
> sense.
>
>
> Geoffrey Tolle
>
> On Aug 19, 2014, at 12:37 PM, Brungardt, Sam (MPCA)
> <sam.brungardt@state.mn.us> wrote:
>
>> Good point, Bob and Idell. I don't have a decent solution for selling the
>> trees as are the club apples. Maybe a night visit to one of those compact
>> tree orchards at full bloom to collect pollen?
>>
>> Still, I'd like to think some of the selections might end up being
>> propagated and sold by the nursery industry. Seems like no rootstock is
>> very successful for peaches, and this development (compact trees on their
>> own roots, if that's what it is) would fill both commercial and amateur
>> growers' needs. -- Sam
>