Wally Heuser and Wanda Heuser Gale of International Plant Management, Inc. announce that they will be hosting a Sweet Cherry Variety Showcase on July 15, 2004.

 With the increased use of Gisela rootstocks, an increased interest in fresh market sweet cherries and the availability of many new promising named and numbered selections, International Plant Management, Inc. feels that there is a real need for a Variety Showcase to give growers as idea of what is available

International Plant Management, Inc. plans to have samples for the Cornell University breeding program with Dr. Robert Andersen.  We also expect selections for the Vineland Ontario Research Station and cherry varieties from the test plantings of the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center with Dr. Bill Shane and from the MSU Northwest Research Station represented by Dr. Jim Nugent.  Samples of Western grown cherries from British Columbia, Oregon and Washington are also planned. 

Samples showing the newest CA storage and shipping technology for cherries produced in the Northwest are planned along with the latest developments in the technology from Dr. Olga Padilla Zakor of Cornell University.   Dr. Zakor work focuses on CA storage of small packages of fresh market cherries. 

Dr. Greg Lang, Dr. Jim Flore and Dr. Ron Perry from Michigan State University will be on hand to discuss developments in the with fresh marketing of Balaton cherry.  Dr Phil Schwallier from the Clarksville Research Station and Peach Ridge area will further discuss the development of a viable fresh market sweet cherry industry in Michigan.

Also featured will be Ralph Cramer from the Haygrove Tunnel Company.  He will have a video presentation and discussion of their new tunnel systems for covering sweet cherries and other high value crops.  There are already a few of these systems in place in Pennsylvania and many acres of covered cherries in the west. 

The variety displays will open at 1:00 and remain open throughout the afternoon.  The program will begin at 1:30.  This meeting is open to all growers and extension personel and their spouses.  It will be held at the home of Wally and Laura Heuser at 55826 60th Avenue in Lawrence, MI.  For more information and to  register, please call International Plant Management, Inc. at 800-424-2765 or email Wanda at wgale@cybersol.com.

Please send any comments or suggestions regarding this site to: 

Bill Klein, kleinw@msu.edu
Last Revised: 5-07-04