Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/14

Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience is primary industry stakeholders. We also target the research community. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? This project has provided professional development for several graduate students in multiple disciplines, including, packaging/food science, horticulture/physiology, genetics and genomics, and economics/marketing. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The results have been disseminated through many avenues. Since our primary audience is industry practitioners, we have focused our efforts on extension presentations at regional, national, and international meetings as well as regional plot tours and field days. In addition, we have updated grower communities through social media and on our website. We will alsopublish an extension manual on training systems for sweet cherries that will be available internationally. This manual outlines the UFO training system that was developed to facilitate mechanized harvest. We also continue to publish results in peer-reviewed scientific journals to inform our professional peers and the broad scientific community. Presentation of key results at national and international symposia have also been an important avenue for disseminating results. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This project has answered all of the key questions that industry has about the potential to transition to mechanical and mechanical-assist harvest technologies: what cultivars to grow, how to prune and train the trees for efficient harvest with minimal damage, how to handle the fruit during packing, what consumer packages are well-received at retail for stem-free cherries, developed a novel package for stem-free cherries, documented strong consumer demand for stem-free cherries, revealed genomic regions responsible for clean pedicel-fruit abscission, and incorporated useful parents into the breeding program to produce future genotypes well-suited to mechanical harvest. The training system developed under this project has been adopted globally - PD Whiting has been invited to train growers in Australia, Canada, Chile, China, and throughout Europe on this canopy architecture. In addition, the architecture (dubbed the UFO system) has been adopted to other tree fruit crops including pear, plum, and apple. Industry collaborators, Chelan Fresh, have patented a new cup lid for marketing fresh market quality stem-free sweet cherries. Test marketing in 2014 was very positive and the company is quickly expanding into this previously undeveloped market. Further, a technology developed in this project to assess harvest efficiency of individual pickers is being commercialized and licensed to a startup company. This system will allow growers to track the efficiency of individual pickers and pay the pickers precisely for the weight of fruit they harvest rather than by piece-rate. There is strong industry demand for this system, not only in sweet cherries but also other fruit and vegetable industries that currently reimburse pickers by piece-rate. This technology was featured on the cover of an industry trade journal (the Western Fruit Grower).

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2014 Citation: A total systems approach to renovating the fresh market sweet cherry industry in North America. Presentation at International Horticultural Congress Brisbane, Australia, 21 August
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Sweet cherry orchard systems of the future. Presentation delivered to 3rd International Seminar on Sweet Cherry San Fernando, Chile, 28 October
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2014 Citation: Improving sweet cherry production efficiency Presentation delivered at Annual Meeting of the Washington State Horticultural Society Kennewick, WA, 3 December
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Ampatzidis, Y., M.Whiting, S. Vougioukas, and Q. Zhang. 2014. Applying the machine repair model to improve efficiency of harvesting fruit. Biosystems Engineering. 120:25-33
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2014 Citation: Incorporating mechanization/automation in cherry production systems. Presentation delivered to Cherry Institute Meeting Yakima, WA, 10 January
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2014 Citation: Novel sweet cherry research. Presentation delivered at North Central Washington Stone Fruit Day. Wenatchee, WA, 21 January
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2014 Citation: How to incorporate automation and mechanization in cherry production systems. Presentation delivered at Mid-Columbia Cherry Day. The Dalles, OR, 6 February
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2014 Citation: Canopy light interception in modern planar orchard systems Presentation delivered at ISHS Symposium on physiological principles in tree fruit production Geneva, NY, 26 March
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Koutsimanis, G., J. Harte, and E. Almenar. 2014. Development and evaluation of a new packaging system for fresh produce: A case study on fresh cherries under global supply chain conditions. Food and Bioprocess Technology. 8:655-669
• Type: Books Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Long, L., G. Lang, S. Musacchi, and M. Whiting. Sweet cherry training systems manual. An extension manual for industry practitioners published through Oregon State University Extension.
• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: The website developed and maintained for this project: http://cahnrs-cms.wsu.edu/sweetcherryresearch/Pages/default.aspx

Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/13

Outputs
Target Audience: This project has a very broad audience, targeting personnel throughout the entire supply chain of sweet cherries including nurserymen, growers, packers/shippers, produce buyers, retailers, and consumers. We also target university researchers and outreach specialists, keeping them informed of our project's progress. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Several graduate students were trained in whole-plant physiology, genetics, genomics and breeding, and agricultural engineering fields. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results have been disseminated throughout the U.S. and around the world as PIs give research reports and outreach presentations to stakeholders and the scientific community. These events have varied from presentations at grower meetings, demonstrations of technologies in the orchards, and participation at international scientific meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This research and outreach project has generated new knowledge that will: 1) facilitate the improvement of labor efficiency and safety for sweet cherry growers, and 2) improve industry sustainability and profitability. More specifically: The new training system for sweet cherry, dubbed the Upright Fruiting Offshoots (UFO) has been adopted across the U.S. and globally (Australia, New Zealand, Hungary, Turkey, Canada, Chile) due to its ease of management, suitability for mechanized processes, and favorable production economics. For example, grower-collaborators, Olsen Brothers Farms, reported an improvement in net returns per acre of about $15,000 from their UFO orchard grown adjacent to a more traditional system (of the same age and cultivar). They planted a new 17-acre orchard to the UFO system the next year. Furthermore, the UFO architecture for growing fruit on unbranched upright shoots has been adopted successfully to other tree fruit crops including pear and apricot. Team members performed quantitative trait loci (QTL) analyses to determine the genetic bases for ease of abscission (a critical trait for adopting the mechanical harvest technologies we are developing) and fruit quality. Confirming analyses from 2012, we discovered QTLs for pedicel-fruit retention force on the top and bottom of linkage group 1. This is the first identification of QTL for this crucial trait and will lead to the identification of genomic regions controlling both pedicel-fruit retention force and fruit quality traits to facilitate a marker-assisted breeding strategy. This research will lead to the generation and selection of cultivars with desirable abscission traits and excellent consumer appeal. The team has developed a novel, mechanically-assisted harvest system that was evaluated in 17 commercial orchards (in WA, OR, CA). The system is comprised of modified cordless reciprocating saws paired with catching frames. The system proved effective in commercial orchards with a 90% removal efficiency. Harvest efficiency was improved significantly - rates were 3-5 fold higher with the shake-and-catch harvest system compared to traditional hand harvest. This can be improved further with modifications to tree architecture. In 2013, for the first time, stem-free cherries that were harvested by mechanically-assisted means (WSU prototype shake-and-catch system) were sold at retail with our partner, Copp's in Madison, Wisconsin. In a month-long retail study of stem-free with stem-on (i.e., traditional) sweet cherries using fruit harvested in collaborating growers' orchards on the same day, we learned that consumers will purchase stem-free cherries as much, or, in several weeks, more than standard stem-on cherries without any additional information or promotion. Having stem-free and stem-on sweet cherries positioned prominently in the store's produce department improved cherry sales overall by about 15% compared to previous years. Consumers will buy stem-free sweet cherries at the same price as cherries with stems. Growers now have a software tool to improve decision making and predict the profitability of orchard systems at the time of planting. The interactive Excel application, UFO Economics, was developed to allow growers to compare profitability of different sweet cherry production systems simultaneously for up to 6 years.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Long He, Jianfeng Zhou, Xiaoqiang Du, Du Chen, Qin Zhang, Manoj Karkee. 2013. Energy efficacy analysis of a mechanical shaker in sweet cherry harvesting. Biosystems Engineering, 116 (4): 309-315
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Zhou, Jianfeng, Long He, Qin Zhang, Xiaoqiang Du, Du Chen and Manoj Karkee. 2013. Evaluation of the influence of shaking frequency and duration in mechanical harvesting of sweet cherry. Applied Engineering in Agriculture 29(5): 607-612
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Koutsimanis, G., Harte, J., Almenar, E. (2013). Development and evaluation of a new packaging system for fresh produce: A case study on fresh cherries under global supply chain conditions. 18th IAPRI World Packaging Conference. Proceedings. June 2012 at California Polytechnic State University. Editor: Dr. Jay Singh, Professor and Packaging Program Director, Cal Poly State University. 978-1-60595-084-6, 2012, 603 pages. DEStech Publications, Inc. http://www.destechpub.com/links/catalogs/bookstore/packaging-technology/18th-iapri-world-packaging-conference/
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2014 Citation: Larbi, P.A. and M. Karkee. 2013. Effects of Orchard Characteristics and Operator Performance on Harvesting Rate of a Mechanical Sweet Cherry Harvester. GSTF Journal on Agricultural Engineering (In Press)
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Whiting, M.D., A. Dhingra, N. Oraguzie, F. Pierce, Q. Zhang, T. Arnold, E. Almenar, J. Harte, C. Ross, C. Seavert, L.Long, and J Grant. 2012. A total systems approach to developing a sustainable stem-free sweet cherry production, processing, and marketing system. Acta Hortic. 965:131-140.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Ampatzidis, Y., and M.D. Whiting. 2013. Canopy architecture affects harvest efficiency in sweet cherry. HortScience. 48:547-555.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Ampatzidis, Y., M.D. Whiting, B. Liu, P. Scharf, and F.J. Pierce. 2013. Portable weighing system for monitoring picker efficiency during manual harvest of sweet cherry. Precision Agriculture. DOI 10.1007/s11119-012-9284-3
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Ampatzidis, Y., M.D. Whiting, P.A. Scharf, and Q. Zhang. 2012. Development and evaluation of a novel system for monitoring harvest labor efficiency. Computers and Electronics in Agr. 88:85-94.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Ampatzidis, Y., Q. Zhang, and M.D. Whiting. 2012. Comparing the efficiency of future harvest technologies for sweet cherry. Acta Hortic. 965:195-198
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Ampatzidis, Y., M.Whiting, S. Vougioukas, and Q. Zhang. Applying the machine repair model to improve efficiency of harvesting fruit. Biosystems Engineering. Published online in August at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2013.07.011.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2013 Citation: Du, X., D. Chen, Q. Zhang, P.A. Scharf, and M.D. Whiting. Response of UFO (Upright Fruiting Offshoots) cherry trees to mechanical harvest by dynamic vibratory excitation. Transactions of the ASABE. 56:345-354.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Tan, L., R. Haley, R. Wortman, Y. Ampatzidis and M. Whiting. An integrated cloud-based platform for labor monitoring and data analysis in precision agriculture. Proceedings of the 2013 IEEE International Conference on Information Reuse and Integration. DOI: 10.1109/IRI.2013.6642492
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Submitted Year Published: 2013 Citation: Koutsimanis, G., Harte, J., Almenar, E. (2013). Freshness maintenance of cherries ready for consumption using convenient microperforated, bio-based packaging (submitted).
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Larbi, P.A. and M. Karkee. 2013. Improvement and evaluation of a mechanical harvester for sweet cherry (Electronic Poster). ASABE Agricultural Equipment Technology Conference, Kansas City, MO, January 28-30, 2013.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: : Larbi, P.A. and M. Karkee. 2013. Fully Mechanized Sweet Cherry Harvest System. WSU CPAAS Expo 2013, Prosser, WA, October 8, 2013
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Long He, Zhou, Jianfeng, Qin Zhang, Manoj Karkee. 2013. Evaluation of multi-pass mechanical harvest on sweet cherry. ASABE Paper No. 13-1596308 St. Joseph, Mich.: ASABE.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Killian, B. T. Koepke, A. harper, S.Schaeffer, C. Hendrickson, M. Whiting, N. Oraguzie, and A. Dhingra. Genetics of the Fruit-Pedicel Connection in Sweet Cherry. Annual Meeting of the Washington State Horticultural Association. 2-4 December.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Zhou, J., L. He, P. Larbi, S. Amatya, Q. Zhang, M. Karkee, and M. Whiting. Harvesting Rate in Cherry Orchards Using a Mechanical-assisted Shake-and-Catch System. Annual Meeting of the Washington State Horticultural Association. 2-4 December
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Zhou, Jianfeng, Long He, Manoj Karkee, Qin Zhang. 2013. The effect of shaking frequency on fruit motion patterns and damage rate during cherry detaching process. ASABE Paper No. 13-1591861 St. Joseph, Mich.: ASABE
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Koutsimanis, G., Gartner, H., Harte, J., Almenar, E. (2013). Shelf-life Extension of Fresh Sweet Cherries Using a Microperforated, Biodegradable Packaging System, IFT 2013 Annual Meeting and Expo, 13-16 July 2013, Chicago, IL, USA
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: UFO Economics. An interactive tool (in Excel spreadsheet) that allows users to compare the profitability of establishing two different orchard systems for up to 6 years. This will assist in initial decision making process of establishing a new sweet cherry orchard.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Whiting, M.D. and A. Sanchez Labbe. 2013. The upright fruiting offshoots system: A novel architecture for sweet cherry. J. of SummerFruit New Zealand. July 2013 pp. 10-13.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Whiting, M. and A. Sanchez L. 2013. El sistema de conducci�n UFO: Clave en la eficiencia de los nuevos huertos de cereza. Revista Fruticola. 2:49-57.

Progress 09/01/11 to 08/31/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: We continued to monitor test orchards in WA, Or, and CA; held tours of completed test orchards; refined orchard management strategies; continued to evaluate the stem pull force and other quality attributes of four major cultivars grown in the Pacific Northwest; highlighted research in various field days/seminars; and showed there is a significant genotypic variation for pedicel fruit retention force (PFRF) as well as a strong genotype x year interaction component. We also found that PFRF was independent of fruit quality traits; generated a genetic linkage map of Selah x Cowichie based on a 6 K SNP array; modified and upgraded one USDA sweet cherry harvester to use a remote control unit with support from a private industry partner, Vine Tech Equipment; tested the modified harvester in two experiments in a Skeena cherry plot in Prosser, WA and a Sweetheart cherry orchard in Selah, WA; analyzed field data to evaluate performance of the harvester in terms of harvest efficiency and fruit quality; improved the real-time Labor Monitoring System (LMS) to track individual picker efficiency; evaluated the role of training systems and yield on harvest efficiency in commercial sweet cherry orchards; developed an internet database (server) and software; a bio-based package was developed with a minimal number of microperforations that successfully modified the concentration of the in-package gases and resulted in the maintenance of the quality of stem on and stem off cherries for 27 days of storage at 1 degree C and 65% relative humidity.

We also conducted preference tests for participants. Two consumer acceptance sensory tests rated the cherries packaged in microperforated bio-based packages higher than the cherries packaged in current commercially available packages in terms of appearance, texture, flavor and overall acceptability. Cherries were packaged in conventional (bags) and novel (Developed at Michigan State University) packaging and stored at 4 degrees C. For 51 days.

Four AgTools Academies were held in the Pacific Northwest reaching 97 apple, pear and cherry growers. The aim of these workshops was to assist growers manage their financial, marketing and production risks when establishing new orchards and purchasing technologies. The main occupation of most participants was a grower/producer of tree fruits. The majority of the participants (37%) had a gross annual income of less than $249,000, the USDA definition of a small farm, 20% between $250,000-$749,000, and the remaining 43% greater than $750,000. We conducted a grower survey of attendees at the June 2012 WSU-Oregon State University Sweet Cherry Field Day and interviewed retailers regarding preferences between stem on and stem free cherries. We also interviewed packers/shippers regarding preferences of stem on and stem free cherries; PARTICIPANTS: Participants:
Whiting, Matthew, D., Associate Professor, WSU;
Qin Zhang, Professor, Washington State University;
Eva Almenar, Assistant Professor, Michigan State University;
Amit Dhingra, Assistant Professor, WSU;
Joseph Grant, University of California Cooperative Extension,
Janice Harte, Associate Professor, Michigan State University;
Lynn Long, Extension Coordinator, OSU;
Nnadozie Oraguzie, Associate Professor, Horticulture, WSU;
Carolyn Ross, Assistant Professor, WSU;
Clark Seavert, Center Director, OSU North Willamette Research & Extension Center;
Yiannis Ampatzidis, Post-Doc Research Associate, WSU;
Manoj Karkee, Assistant Professor, WSU-IAREC;
Li Tan, Assistant Professor, WSU Tri-Cities

Partner organizations:
WTFRC,
NW Cherries,
Diamond Fruit Growers,
Western Sweet Cherry Group,
Stemilt,
Chelan Fresh Marketing.

Collaborative growers:
Hanrahan Orchards,
Olsen Brother's Farms,
Hayden Farms,
Dahle Orchards,
Orchard View Farms,
Omeg Farms TARGET AUDIENCES: This project is committed to distributing information to our target audiences to positively impact the sweet cherry industry in the United States. The nursery industry, growers, packers/processors, marketers/retailers and consumers all represent a target market for our research. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
PFRF was independent of fruit quality traits, suggesting that low or high PFRF will not impact fruit quality. Preliminary Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) analysis based on one year's phenotypic data from Selah x Cowiche mapping population identified QTLs for PFRF on LG 1,2, and 8. Fruit removal rate was greater than 70% with both tests of the USDA harvester, amd each LMS monitoring system was reliable at transmitting data wirelessly to the server (web-database) in real time. The LMS shows promise to facilitate payroll and enhance real-time decision making and fruit handling logistics. Zero fungal growth was observed in stem on and stem off cherries packaged in microperforated bio-based containers after 27 days of storage, and weight losses were extremely low in cherries packaged in the microperforated bio-based containers after 27 days.

Publications

• Ampatzidis, Y.G., Whiting M.D., Scharf P.A. and Zhang Q (2012) Development and Evaluation of a Novel System for Monitoring Harvest Labor Efficiency. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 88, 85-94.
• Ampatzidis, Y.G., Whiting, M.D., Liu B., Scharf, P.A., and Pierce, F. (2012) Portable Weighing System for Monitoring Picker Efficiency During Manual Harvest of Sweet Cherry. Precision Agriculture (on-line). doi: 10.1007/s11119-012-9284-3
• Koutsimanis, G, Getter, K., Behe, B., Harte, J., Almenar, E., (2012) Influences of Packaging Attributes on Consumer Purchase Decisions for Fresh Produce. Appetite, 59, 270-280.
• Koutsimanis, G., Harte J., Beaudry, R., Harte B., Almenar, E., (2012) Developing a bio-Based Packaging System for Fresh, Sweet Cherries, WSU-IAREC Cherry Field Day Handout, 8-9.
• Orlando, J., (2012) Produce Packaging Influencing Purchases, Michigan State University News (on-line). http://research.msu.edu/stories/produce-packaging-influences-purchase s
• Orlando, J., (2012) How Food Packaging Affects Food Purchases, The Health Edge, (on-line). http://www.thecuttingedgenews.com/index.php?article=74381
• Du, X., Chen, D., Zhang, Q., Scharf, P.A., and Whiting, M.D., (2012) Dynamic Responses of Sweet Cherry Trees Under Vibratory Excitations, Biosystems Engineering, 111:305-314. (IF-1.4).

Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Reported project outputs are as follows: Completed planting test orchards in WA, OR, CA; held tours of completed test orchards; refined orchard management strategies; Phenotyped cherry cultivars and advanced breeding selections for pedicel-fruit retention force and fruit texture/flavor attributes; evaluated cherry-specific genetic networks involved in abscission using next-generation genomics tools; created a sample-specific reference transcriptome in Chelan, Bing and Skeena varieties; improvements made in shake and catch harvest assist systems completed and field tested; yield monitoring system for sweet cherries developed and tested; all systems field-tested for efficiency and impact on fruit quality, in-field fruit cooling tests conducted, mobile harvest platform prototype developed and initially tested; completed study of effects of modified atmosphere packaging on fruit quality and shelf life; completed study of effects of harvest technology on fruit quality and shelf-life; investigated effect of time of harvest on quality and storability; consumer acceptance sensory tests have been designed and conducted; completed consumers' perception studies (role of pedicel); continued collecting field data on harvest efficiency of technologies; verification that economic and financial information are representative of growers in each state; published cost of production budgets; developed AgProfit and AgFinance budget files; held gower workshops; Events: WSU-IAREC Cherry Field Day, WA State Cherry Industry Information Session, OSU Pre Harvest Orchard Tour, Industry collaborative grower orchard tour, presentations given at Cherry Institute, ASHS, IFTA Annual Meetings. Services: Matt Whiting constantly consults with industry regarding the UFO architecture, and offers consulting & advice to growers around the world on a consistent basis. Products: "How To" videos and printed materials are being developed for the UFO system. Dissemination: Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, E-newsletter campaign,project website, radio interviews, articles in popular press. PARTICIPANTS: Overall, our research team has made good progress in developing efficient planar orchard systems and effective harvest technologies, understanding the genetics of abscission, shelf-life of and consumer acceptance of stem-free sweet cherries, and studying harvest efficiencies and economic impacts of new technologies. TARGET AUDIENCES: We are committed to distributing information to our target audiences to positively impact the sweet cherry industry in the United States. The nursery industry, growers, packers/processors, marketers/retailers each represent a target audience for our research. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
Project outcomes and impacts are as follows: timing of initial training-average shoot number was similar for all timings at about 6 new uprights per tree; there does not appear to be any relationship between the length of a shoot at the time of application of Apogee and its growth increment post-application; preliminary results suggest the most successful means for renewing uprights is a cut leaving 1-2 buds-nearly all stub cuts resulted in the generation of replacement uprights; correlations between PFRF and fruit quality attributes were generally low, suggesting that PFRF has minimal influence on fruit quality. This suggests that PFRF can be improved by breeding; we identified most sweet cherry abscission-related genes described in other model plant species; primers for sweet cherry genes mentioned in the abscission model were designed and quantitative expression analyses were performed; seven genes in Bing treated with ethylene and no ethylene treatment have been completed and demonstrate that several genes have differential expression during development. We have also developed around 2200 high quality single nucleotide polymorphisms; preliminary results also show the resonant frequency of tested woody structure was 8 Hz; shelf life of packaged stem-free and stem-on cherries was notably affected by the number of microperforations, package design, and temperature changes; replacement of atmospheric air with a gas mixture did not affect the quality of the packaged cherries based on similar results found for headspace composition; consumer acceptance panels showed significant differences in overall appearance acceptance, fruit size, color and shape between stemmed and stem-free cherries; ethephon treatment of cherries did not impact consumer acceptance; AgProfit budget files were developed to estimate a Grower's Financial Indifference Value of mechanically harvested stem-free sweet cherries; updated costs of establishing and producing sweet cherries in OR and WA; AgTools website allows growers, processors, packers, and technology providers access to orchard risk management tools.

Publications

• Burnham, T.J., 20111, Unit enters new age of cherry picking, Western Farmer Stockman, (press)
• Almenar, E., 2011, Cherries in microperforated bio-based containers, Good Fruit Grower, (press)
• Burnham, T.J., 2011, Mechanical picker could ease labor woes, Western Farmer Stockman, (press)
• Arnold, T., 2011, How sweet it is!, On Solid Ground (press)
• Milkovich, M., 2011, Novel sweet cherry system getting attention, Fruit Grower News, (press)
• Warner, G., 2011, Appropriate orchard architecture will be important for the success of the tree fruit industry, Good Fruit Grower, (press)
• Warner, G., 2011, Growers gain UFO experience, the Upright Fruiting Offshoots system is a novel concept for cherry growers, (press)
• Hasen, M., 2011, What growers have learned, have a plan to deal with bull suckers, Good Fruit Grower, (press)
• Wheat, D., 2011, Cherry project marks first year, Capital Press, (press)
• Stern, R., 2011, Machine harvesting could affect every facet of the sweet cherry industry, The Grower Magazine, (press)
• Arnold, T., 2011, Keeping cherry growing profitable, Good Fruit Grower, (press)
• Burnham, T.J., 2011, Cherries blossom with fed dollars, Western Farmer Stockman, (press)
• Whiting, M., Zhang, Q., Dhingra, A., Grant, J., Harte, J., Long, L., Oraguzie, N., Ampatsidiz, A., Ross, C., Seavert, C., 2011, A total systems approach to developing a sustainable, stem-free sweet cherry production, processing, and marketing system, IFTA Annual Meeting, Pasco, WA.
• Whiting, M., Zhang, Q., Dhingra, A., Grant, J., Harte, J., Long, L., Oraguzie, N., Ampatsidiz, A., Ross, C., Seavert, C., 2011, A total systems approach to developing a sustainable, stem-free sweet cherry production, processing, and marketing system, Cherry Institute, Yakima, WA.
• Koutsimanis, G., Harte, J., Bix, L., Harte, B., Behe, B., Whiting, M., McFerson, J., Almenar, E., 2011, Fresh Produce Packaging Trends: Consumer Preferences and Behaviors, IAPRI, Berlin, Germany.
• Ampatzidis, Y., 2011, Modeling Activities During Maual Fruit Harvesting: A Comparison of Processes in the U.S. and Greece, ASHS Annual Meeting, Yakima, WA.
• Koepke, T., Schaeffer, S., Vandhana, K., Jiwan, D., Whiting, M., Oraguzie, N., Dhingra, A., 2011, Rapid SNP and haplotype marker development in non-model crops using 3'UTR sequencing, BMC Genomics, (press)
• Koepke, T., Sharpe, R., Harper A., Grimer, J., Dhingra, A., 2011, Customizable in silico Sequence Evaluation of Restriction Sites, Nucleic Acids Research (press)
• Koutsimanis, G., Harte, J., Bix, L., Harte, B., Behe, B; Whiting, M., McFerson, J., Almenar, E., 2011, Fresh produce packaging trends: consumer preferences and behaviors. Proceedings of the 25th IAPRI Symposium on Packaging, Berlin, Germany, (press)
• Whiting, M., Zhang, Q., Dhingra, A., Grant, J., Harte, J., Long, L., Oraguzie, N., Ampatsidiz, A., Ross, C., Seavert, C., 2011, A total systems approach to developing a sustainable, stem-free sweet cherry production, processing, and marketing system, ASHS Annual Meeting, Yakima, WA.
• Ampatzidis, Y., 2011, Portable Weighing System for Determining Harvest Efficiency, ASHS Annual Meeting, Yakima, WA.
• Ampatzidis, Y., 2011, UML Modeling for mechanical Harvester Work Flow, ASHS Annual Meeting, Yakima, WA.
• Koutsimanis, G., Harte, J., Bix, L., Almenar, E., 2011, Impact of Storage Conditions and Package Design on the Shelf Life of Stem-Free Cherries, Washington State Horticultural Association's 54th IFTA Annual Conference, Pasco, WA.

Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/10

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Objective 1: In 2010, four new orchards were planted as research/demonstration sites for the angled upright fruiting offshoots (UFO) architecture. In addition, another UFO orchard was planted with a collaborator in Tasmania, Australia to provide a site for counter-seasonal research. We have developed a draft 1-page handout that summarizes key steps in establishing the UFO system, covering planting to year 2. Objective 2: In year one, we phenotyped cherry cultivars and advanced breeding selections for pedicel-fruit retention force and fruit texture/flavor attributes; documented expression of known abscission genetic pathways in sweet cherry. We identified cherry genes homologous to abscission related genes from other species, and tested the gene expression of these known abscission players at the cherry fruit-pedicel abscission zone. Objective 3: In year one, the USDA mechanical harvester and shake and catch mechanical assist harvest method were upgraded and extensively field tested. All systems were field-tested for efficiency and impact on harvest efficiency and fruit quality. A yield monitoring system was also developed. Objective 4: In year one, we studied effects of modified atmosphere packaging on fruit quality and shelf life. Three different experiments were conducted to preliminarily assess the effect of packaging, temperature and cherry variety on the shelf life and quality of fresh sweet stem on and stem free cherries. Three different packaging systems were compared. Objective 5: In year one, studies on the sensory acceptance of sweet cherries by consumers were conducted. A consumer acceptance test was conducted to determine how consumers rated the acceptability of stemmed and stem-free cherries. 100 consumers used a 7-point hedonic scale for evaluation of overall appearance, acceptance of size, shape, color, overall taste/texture acceptance, acceptance of juiciness, firmness and flavor. Objective 6: Much of year one for this objective was allocated to the development of the AgFinance software program and construction of a new AgTools website. Information from our project is being shared via presentations, our website, field days, demonstrations, and media exposure. PARTICIPANTS: Team Members: Project Directors: Matthew Whiting, Washington State University; Qin Zhang, Washington State University. Co-Project Directors: Randy Allard, Picker Technologies; Eva Almenar, Michigan State University; Amit Dhingra, Washington State University; Joseph Grant, University of California Cooperative Extension; Janice Harte, Michigan State University; Lynn Long, Oregon State University; Nnadozie Oraguzie, Washington State University; Fran Pierce, Washington State University; Carolyn Ross, Washington State University; Clark Seavert, Oregon State University. Stakeholder/Advisory Committee: Don Walters, Grower Direct Marketing; Jeff Colombini, Lodi Farming, Inc.; Steve Agidius, Diamond Fruit; Todd Einhorn, Oregon State University; Bill Howell, Northwest Nursery Improvement Institute; B.J. Thurlby, Northwest Cherries and WA Fruit Commission; Travis Allan, Allan Brothers Farms; Tory Schmidt, WA Tree Fruit Research Commission; Gwen Alyn-Hoheisel, WSU Benton County Extension. Collaborative Growers: Hanrahan Orchards, Orchardview Farms, Dahle Orchards, Hayden Farms, Private Partners: Western Sweet Cherry Group, Northwest Cherries. Opportunities for training or professional development were provided at the WSU Cherry Field Day in Prosser in June 2010, and the Pre-Harvest Tour in The Dalles, Oregon in June of 2010. Team members also spoke at the Washington State Horticultural Association Annual Meeting in December 2010. TARGET AUDIENCES: Cherry growers mainly in Washington, Oregon and California, sweet cherry marketers, sweet cherry processors, and individuals in sweet cherry retail. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: At our annual meeting in November 2010, the advisory committee presented a list of recommendations to the research team. These modifications will be implemented in year two as a result of the advisory committee comments: 1) we will research other architectures other than UFO 2); we will continue to stress that this project is not strictly about stem-free sweet cherries, but about the sweet cherry industry in general; 3) team members will tour packing sheds in WA, OR and CA; 4) retail test marketing will be expanded; 5) domestic vs. foreign markets will be tested; 6) better packaging will be developed for test marketing; 7) effects of etheryl on sweet cherries will be studied; and 8) increased outreach to northern Washington state will be provided.

Impacts
Objective 1: 1) Developing abundant new upright shoots in the year of planting, 2) Achieving balanced growth among uprights in the year of planting, and 3) Managing excessively vigorous uprights. It appears that the first two issues can be addressed largely by modifying management practices after planting. It is still recommended that the trees be planted at an angle of about 45 degrees, but, rather than tying the planting stock horizontal at that time, we now recommend leaving the trees at this orientation until new shoots are well-developed at the tree's terminus. Objective 2: Significant differences in pedicel retention force (PRF) were observed among cultivars and between years as well as between cultivars and years. This significant genotypic variation for PRF suggests that it will be relatively easy to breed for low PRF. The relationships of PRF and fruit quality traits were examined using Pearson's correlation coefficient in 2009 and 2010. The results show the dissection of the underlying genetics for variation in PRF and facilitate establishment of marker trait focus associations necessary to develop a marker-assisted breeding strategy for pedicel retention force. The genes identified so far will be cloned and the sequences used for understanding their expression during fruit absiccion. Objective 3: Excitation frequency has great influence on the response of the upright fruiting offshoots (UFO) cherry tree under the oscillation model. The resonant frequency region (12~16 Hz) has the greatest efficiency on harvesting the UFO cherry tree, especially for 16 Hz excitation. It is concluded that for three year old UFO cherry trees (Selah variety), the excitation under 12~16 Hz can achieve the highest harvest efficiency than under other frequency excitations. Further results will be presented in the future. Objective 4: The shelf life of the stem free and stem on cherries was notably affected by the type of package, the surrounding temperature, and the cherry variety; the length of the shelf life of the packaged cherries was determined by fungal growth, weight loss, and anaerobic conditions; the effect of the package on the quality and shelf life of the cherries was more pronounced for sweetheart than for Skeena; the increase of the temperature reduced the shelf life of the packaged cherries by one week; and the proposed bio-based container reduced the cherry weight loss by about 5,8, and 10% after one, two, and three weeks of storage, respectively. Objective 5: Significant differences were found in the overall appearance acceptance and acceptance of size of the stemmed vs. the stem-free cherries; the stemmed cherries had a higher mean overall appearance acceptance and size acceptance compared to the stem-free cherries; and no differences in flavor, taste or texture attributes were found between the stemmed and stem-free cherries. However, the presence or absence of the stem did not significantly impact the acdeptance of other cherry sensory attributes. Objective 6: Suggestions from the lender meetings were incorporated into the AgFinance software. The alpha version is completed and testing began in September 2010.

Publications

• Almenar, E. 2010. Measuring Supply Chain Trends in the Packaging of Stem-Free Fresh Sweet Cherries: A Sustainable Approach in Package Design, Product Characteristics and Expectations. United Fresh Poster Session (abstract), United Fresh Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada. April 2010.
• Zhang, Q., Du, X., and Chen, Du. 2010. Mechanical Sweet Cherry Harvester Research. WSHA Poster Session (abstract), Washington State Horticultural Association Annual Meeting, Yakima, Washington. December, 2010.
• Koutsimanis, G., Harte, J., Bix, L., L., and Eva Almenar. 2010. Impact of Storage Conditions and Package Design on the Shelf Life of Fresh Stem-Free Cherries. WSHA Poster Session (abstract), Washington State Horticultural Association Annual Meeting, Yakima, Washington. December, 2010.
• Pierce, F., Whiting, M. 2010. An Approach to Measuring Harvest Efficiency for Stem and Stem-Free Sweet Cherries. WSHA Poster Session (abstract), Washington State Horticultural Association Annual Meeting, Yakima, Washington. December, 2010.
• Oraguzie, N., Athanson, B., Dahl, A., Whiting, M., Peace, C., Dhingra, A., Iezzoni, A., Bliss, F., Hanrahan, I., Auvil, T., and McFerson, J., Recent Developments in the Pacific Northwest Sweet Cherry Breeding Program. 2010. WSHA Poster Session (abstract) Washington State Horticultural Association Annual Meeting, Yakima, Washington. December, 2010.
• Whiting, M. 2010. The UFO System: A Planar Architecture for Sweet Cherry. WSHA poster session (abstract), Washington State Horticultural Association Annual Meeting, Yakima, Washington. December, 2010.
• Whiting, M., Zhang, Q., Dhingra, A., Allard, R., Almenar, E., Bryan, V., Grant, J., Harte, J., Long, L., Oraguzie, N., Pierce, F., Ross, C., and Seavert, C. 2010. A Total Systems Approach to Developing a Sustainable, Stem-Free Sweet Cherry Production, Processing, and Marketing System. WSHA Poster Session (abstract), Washington State Horticultural Association Annual Meeting, Yakima, Washington. December 2010.