Areas of Focus

Table Grape. Sun World’s table grape breeders work to develop seedless varieties of all colors which ripen in early and late season. The primary attributes the Company strives to incorporate into new varieties include improved flavor, large berry size, firm flesh, seedlessness, uniform berry size, good color and appearance, good stem structure, optimum storage and shipping ability, improved cluster shape, pest resistance and maturity within special market niches.

Stone Fruit. Company researchers and marketing specialists believe that the greatest opportunities for improving existing tree fruit are with early and late season varieties with improved flavor, size, color and yield. The Center is currently developing new peach, plum, apricot and nectarine varieties with enhanced flavor and higher amounts of natural sugar as well as extended peak season maturity.

A single stone fruit variety is harvested over a 10 day period but, with a series of similar varieties that ripen at 10-14 day intervals, buyers have a consistent product that is always at its peak of freshness.  As a means of further extending fruit seasonality and producing fruit in non-traditional growing regions, it is also developing early-maturing, high-quality fruit, which is specifically adapted to low chill areas such as California’s Coachella Valley.

For more information on our Low-Chill Breeding program, click here.