November 2023 - 23

TREE FRUIT VARIETY SHOWCASE
ADAMS COUNTY
NURSERY
Adams County Nursery continues to have a strong
relationship with Rutgers University's tree fruit
breeding program. The focus of this program is on
varieties suitable for the Mid-Atlantic region, where we
face unique challenges. The climate in this area has an
effect on productivity due to low winter temperatures,
variable spring weather and high moisture levels that c
an exacerbate the presence of many diseases.
Under the direction of Dr. Joe Goffreda, the
Rutgers peach breeding program has been selecting
for bud-hardy, bacterial spot-tolerant stone fruit
for many years. We have been fortunate to have the
opportunity to help distribute, test and release some
of these selections.
We have a team of testers in New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Maryland and New England, and
there are now nearly 20 varieties that have been
released under U.S. plant patents with several more
in the pipeline. We recognize Jerry Frecon, a retired
Cooperative Extension specialist, and Jon Clements, a
University of Massachusetts Extension specialist, along
with our team of on-farm evaluators, for their valued
participation in this work.
The five most recent releases from the Rutgers
peach program are Tiana, Selena, Anna Rose, Felicia
and September Rose. The " Rose " series from Rutgers
includes early-, mid- and late-season white peach
selections. Felicia is a yellow variety that ripens just
after Redhaven. Tiana and Selena are late-season
varieties, with Selena ripening just before Encore,
followed by Tiana.
Our search for new and improved cultivars goes
beyond our stone fruit trials, with an active evaluation
program in apples. We are excited to be able to offer
RubyRush (NJ150 Cltv.) PP#33,546, which is another
release from Goffreda at Rutgers.This Enterprise x
GoldRush cross produces a bright red high-quality
apple with tolerance to fire blight, cedar apple rust,
and scab. We are also excited to offer our " Legacy "
series, which currently includes a red strain of both
Gala and Jonagold. They were discovered in our own
orchards by the late John Baugher Sr.
We are nearing the completion of a generational
transition at Adams County Nursery and are excited
to offer these varieties that pay homage to the
contributions of people who came before us. On
this foundation, we look forward to a future focused
on variety development as we continue to seek out
opportunities to provide our growers with the besttasting
and best-performing cultivars available.
FRUITGROWERSNEWS.COM | 23
Left: The " Rose " series from Rutgers University includes
early-, mid- and late-season white peach selections.
Right: Felicia is a yellow variety that ripens just after
Redhaven.
BLUE RIBBON
ATTENTION
GIVEN TO EVERY ORDER
Our fields are planted with the most popular
clonal and seedling fruit tree rootstock varieties.
We grow a great selection of dwarf, semi-dwarf
and standard vigor varieties for apple, cherry,
pear, plum and more...
WillametteNurseries.com
http://www.WillametteNurseries.com http://www.FRUITGROWERSNEWS.COM
November 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2023
