MINUTES
FPS FRUIT & NUT TREE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Thursday, November 20, 2014, 1:30-4:30pm
Alpha Gamma Rho room, Buehler Alumni Center, UC Davis
Present:
Maher Al Rwahnih, Michele Barefoot, Cliff Beumel, Bill Burchell, Tom Burchell, Sarah Castro, Greg
Clark, David Cox, Sean Dayyani, Vincent Delbos, John Duarte, Nancy Fowler-Johnson, Tom
Gradziel, Deborah Golino, Mona Gouran, Justin Jacobs, Joshua Kress, Carole Lamb, Phuong Lao,
Lori Leong, Cliff Little, Joanna Luna, Clint Neagley, Ken Noren, Jack Poukish, Josh Puckett, Isaac
Rainwater, Reid Robinson, Adib Rowhani, Tia Russell, Stephanie Syphers, Athar Tariq, Jerry
Uyemoto, Steve Veyna, Robert Woolley, Mohammad Yaghmour, Judy Yang
Agenda Items:
Welcome and Introductions
Committee Chair Bill Burchell greeted the group and asked the attendees to introduce
themselves.
Approval of Minutes from November 18, 2013 Committee Meeting
Dave Cox moved to approve the minutes from the November 18, 2013 committee meeting.
Nancy Fowler-Johnson seconded and the motion passed unanimously.
FPS Updates
Josh Puckett, Production Manager at Foundation Plant Services, reported on the Fruit and
Nut tree program. New accessions were received from Ted DeJong, Sierra Gold, and L.E.
Cooke. We have a number of new selections to the FPS program from Prosser as well.
These will be field planted so that more material is available to the industry. Josh invited
members of the industry to identify gaps in our public collection so we can work on
obtaining them. FPS has begun to establish a new orchard at Russell Ranch with funds from
NCPN. We are in the initial stages of creating a new virus elimination program for prunus
using tissue culture, possibly combined with heat therapy. Denny French prune will be the
first selection to receive treatment.
Progress Toward Fruit and Nut Tree R & C Revisions
Tom Burchell, Industry Chair of the IAB Revision Committee, reported that meetings of the
committee continue with nurseries to elicit input on proposed changes to the Fruit and Nut
Tree Registration & Certification program. The committee would like to harmonize the new
regulations with other G level regulations participating in NCPN. Josh Kress & Sean
Dayyani at CDFA are working on a draft incorporating the proposed changes, which they
expect will be significant since the current regulations are more than 30 years old.
Updates from the Prune Cultivar Development Program
Sara Castro reported that there are no new prune releases. G-16N19 is showing promise, but
still under testing. Peach rootstocks Controllers 6 & 9 are becoming popular for their size
controlling qualities. Fred Bliss will be releasing two new apricot varieties, ‘Amelia’ & ‘Mara’
suitable for gardens & Farmer’s markets.
Plum Pox has become a big concern in California. An international meeting was held in
September at UC Davis dedicated to this disease. Much more information is needed. Tom
Gradziel is working with Spanish colleagues to determine if almonds can carry the virus. The
meeting was recorded and can be found at the UC Davis Fruit and Nut Research website.
New Almond and Processing Peach Releases
Dr. Tom Gradziel, Professor of Plant Sciences at UC Davis, reported on two new releases:
‘Kester’ almond and ‘Kader’ peach. He also updated his research results for almond bud
failure. Bud failure in ‘Monterey’ appears to be the result of environmental conditions, i.e.
poor water delaying the end of dormancy. It appears that the condition is not a genetic
problem, but increases as trees age. He has sent UC materials to two labs in Spain for
analysis of resistance to PPV. Although some resistance was found in the lab, field resistance
has not been demonstrated yet.
ADAPT – Advanced Database & Plant Testing
Karl Krist, IT Director at FPS demonstrated portions of the new system currently under
development. FPS is a data driven organization & this will be continually modified to reflect
changing needs. We hope to eventually have a Tree Encyclopedia similar to the National
Grape Registry for use by the public as well as industry.
Progress Report on the Activities of the National Clean Plant Network
Dr. Deborah Golino gave a brief history of the NCPN. Created in 2008 initially supporting
grapes & fruit & nut trees, it has grown to include hops, berries & citrus. There was a delay
in funding in 2012 as a result of the Farm Bill not being passed. At FPS, NCPN funding has
made it possible to import a large number of grape selections, establish the new plantings at
Russell Ranch, replace outdated instrumentation & upgrade greenhouse facilities.
Other Business
Bill Burchell is stepping down as the Chair of the FPS Tree Advisory Committee. His many
years of service to us are gratefully acknowledged. Jack Poukish was nominated and has
agreed to fill this position.
Respectfully submitted,
Carole Lamb
Analyst
Foundation Plant Services