Sun World's licensing staff, breeders, and  development specialist met in mid-October to discuss cultivar development and support strategies. Sun World's David Marguleas hosted the two-day planning meetings at the Coachella, California administrative facilities.

Breeders Michael Striem (Table Grapes) and Terry Bacon (Stone Fruit) presented comprehensive cultivar performance reviews of established Sun World cultivars and of new cultivars in the pipeline at Sun World's R&D facility. Said Bacon of the meetings, "It is important to look at detailed evaluations after the season, but equally important to step back, look at the big picture, and compare our cultivars to commercial cultivars in different parts of the world. You can do that in meetings like this, with specialists from so many areas focusing on one thing. We consider the performance of competing cultivars, as well as requirements of growers and buyers in different parts of the world when we prepare for these meetings."

Licensing Managers Bob Wickson of Australia, Johan Jooste of South Africa, and Andrew Mansour, covering Chile and France, attended and reported on cultivar performance and trends in their areas of the world. "These annual gatherings are critical to how we establish, manage and measure our global business activities and objectives," Marguleas said. "As importantly, through this exchange of ideas, our staff fine-tunes and benchmarks their performance criteria for the coming few years," he noted.

Cultivar Development Specialist Guy McGhie reported on storage trials, cultural trials, and on results of several studies performed during the 2004 season in California. "We focused this year on studies comparing several late-season white and red seedless grape cultivars from Sun World and from competing programs.  As a result of that study, we are convinced that some of the new Sun World cultivars being distributed today will be strong industry competitors in the important late-season timeslot." McGhie reviewed assorted production trials and treatments applied in 2004 and outlined objectives for the 2005 season. He also presented the Company's plans to internationally distribute plant materials comprising various cultivars in the coming months.

The first look at Sun World's Suapriseven (HONEYCOT brand) apricot in South Africa was promising.  Sun World's Johan Jooste, General Manager of Operations in South Africa has reported Suapriseven quality and appearance was outstanding this year in plantings in the Ceres and Bonnievale regions of the Western Cape where it ripens with the early season standard, Supergold apricot. "I could not ask for a better kick off", remarked Jooste, "size was superior for the season, sugar was in the 14.5 to 17 brix range, and the fruit had up to 80% blush". Although supplies are still limited in South Africa, Capespan persuaded Jooste to export a few cartons (pictured).

The first reports on storability were promising as well. Jooste said, "I examined samples of Suapriseven held for approximately 32 days at -0.5 degrees Celsius, and results were superb. It looked as if the fruit were packed yesterday; no defects or decay or breakdown. Next week we will examine more samples, and have the first look at Suaprieight. I realize there is still a long road ahead and lots of research and cold storage information to be accumulated, but I am enjoying the moment!"  

Several of Sun World's R&D/Licensing staff will be traveling to the southern hemisphere during the 2004-2005 fruiting season to inspect Sun World plantings and visit with licensees. Guy McGhie, Cultivar Development Specialist, will be in South Africa during much of January and will accompany Sun World's Johan Jooste throughout  the growing regions there to visit with growers; Terry Bacon, Stone Fruit Breeder, will be in Australia and New Zealand, traveling with Bob Wickson to visit with growers and marketers there; And Andrew Mansour, Licensing Manager for Chile and France, will spend much of the fruiting season in Chile. We look forward to their reports in the coming months.