The Facilities

The Center, just outside of Bakersfield, California, is surrounded by a 180 acre (75 hectares) experimental farm on which tens of thousands of grape and stone fruit seedlings are planted annually.  The Center itself consists of a sample (tissue culture) preparation room, an (embryo rescue and extraction) transfer room, a (seedling cultivation) growth room, a post harvest laboratory, and four (climate controlled) greenhouses.

Sun World's laboratory facilities include one of the world's most active Embryo Rescue Labs, annually culturing over 75,000 seedless table grape and stone fruit embryos. For more information on Embryo Rescue, click here.

It also includes a state-of-the-art Post Harvest Lab facility for analyzing fruit quality and storage potential. It is here that Sun World varieties and selections are carefully evaluated, alongside standard varieties. Dr. Carlos Crisosto, University of California Post Harvest Specialist, assisted in development of this lab and its operating protocols. Fruit size, quality, firmness, sugar, acidity, juiciness, and storability are tested. For more information on internal Quality and Storage Potential, click here.

As part of the company’s variety development activities, Sun World’s Technical Support Program is unmatched in the world of fruit breeding and licensing. For more information, refer to our: Grower Guidelines, Grower Manuals, Variety Profiles, Quality Specifications, Cultural Articles, and Research Reports.