One-Stop cherry Web site: Cherry variety evaluations will be housed in one spot

摘要

Researchers at Michigan State University have evaluated hundreds of sweet cherry varieties for the fresh and processed markets, but until now, the data was housed in multiple places and in different formats. A new MSU cherry Web site will give growersaccess to variety evaluations in a "one-stop shop" database. Dr. Nikki Rothwell, MSU horticulturist and coordinator of the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Station in Traverse City, said that MSU began standardizing data collection on new cherry varieties in 2007. A new database was developed, and evaluations are being merged into the program. MSU has three primary cherry evaluation sites across the state—NWMHRS (Traverse City), Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center in Benton Harbor, and Clarksville Horticultural Experiment Station. The Traverse City station, serving as the main hub for cherry cultivar evaluation, houses more than 300 selections under study.