Follow
A few weeks ago we gave thanks to our friend, Craig Ledbetter, the Research Geneticist who is responsible for our yummy Apache Apricots. The truth is, however, we have much more to thank him and people like him for. Five of our ten apricot varieties exist thanks to Craig and his team! If you are anything like me, however, you have no idea what it looks like to create a new variety of apricot. So, I thought I would ask the man himself – Craig Ledbetter.
Craig always knew that he wanted to do something in the realm of plant science, and breeding appealed to him. While studying at the University of Arizona, he began to focus on genetics and thought he would pursue one of the most farmed plants in the world, cotton. Craig’s job with the USDA fell in his lap while he was pursing a Master’s Degree in cotton. At the time, Craig was learning a technique for creating varieties called embryo culture, or growing plants in test tubes, and this technique interested the USDA. This job appealed to Craig, because it was an opportunity to be out in nature, instead of confined to an office. Craig has been working with the USDA and apricots ever since!
Fruit quality is the most important component to creating a new variety for Craig. For many growers, fruit size is the drive for growing a specific variety, but not for Craig. Taste is the top concern. Every year, Craig and his team create new crosses. Together they decide which female components (seeds) to cross with male components (pollen) before blooming begins. Once the cross has been made, fruit begins to develop and is harvested to be chilled for three months. This chilling process is called stratification, which is the time in which the seeds are given to germinate. Once this time has passed, the germinated seeds are then planted and left to grow for two years. After two years of growth, the plants will then flower, grow fruit, and plants can be assessed for success. Craig says that 1 plant is successful for every 999 plants that are undesirable and have to be thrown out! The process requires a lot of patience and the understanding that not every pursuit will end in success. It can take up to 15 years from the time the seed is planted to the time the variety is released to farmers! Each year, however, there are plants in all different stages being developed.
Farmer Al heard about all the work that Craig had done with apricots and contacted him during the Apache season. At the time, Frog Hollow was not farming Apaches, so our Apricot harvest was much shorter. The Apache was released from a cross meant to identify earlier ripening materials. Apache apricots consistently put on a crop and don’t crack significantly from the sweltering sun, though they do have an issue of dropping off the tree early. Craig and his team selected the Apache variety because of its delicious taste, excellent fruit quality, and its fruit earliness — all the qualities that Farmer Al desires in our fruit! Since our adoption of the Apache, our relationship with Craig has grown and, as mentioned before, we have adopted 4 other varieties including the not yet marketed Goshen Gold variety that we planted this year!
The development of new apricot varieties allow us to enjoy the tastiness of apricots for a longer season and allows apricots to grow in ever changing environments. We would like to say a big thanks to Craig and many others like him who have dedicated themselves to the bettering of our food system. And in the words of Craig, “Eat more apricots!”
