My name is Tommy, I am a biologist stationed in Nova Scotia, Canada. My groups research is focussed on improving apples and apple trees for the fruit growing community. Our hopes are to help growers get varieties and sports that have improved traits - everything from disease to aesthetics! We love apple trees and we want to see them flourish.
I am hoping to do two things:
Find some cool new apple sports we can study! Do you have any interesting apple sports? Would you be willing to send us some tissue?
Talk to some commercial growers in the apple/fruit growing industry. I love the opportunity to pick some of the brains of real fruit growing pros!
If you think you could help me out with any of the above, please contact me at tom.davies@dal.ca.
first of all welcome Tom. we are honored to have fruit breeders/ biologist amongst us. i personally grow several different fruit and cultivars from Kent Research Station in N.S and have a stepson that lives in Dartmouth. your providence is very beautiful. i live in n. Maine right across from Edmunston, N.B. i have several apple types i could send you from wild apples on old farmland around here but unfortunitly cant send them to Canada. there are quite a few Canadians on here that may be able to help you. speak with skillcut. he rings in on here once and awhile. he has a you tube channel. hes doing crosses all the time and has a few real good ones . his videos are worth watching. good luck with your search sir!
Welcome Tommy. It’s always good to see someone doing research on our fruit growing passion. I’m located in the deep south and we need locally what you’re doing for your area.
I am a graduate biologist, but since I study apples, I am technically a botanist. Botany fits within the definition of biology so, they’re both correct at the end of the day. Ive only studied plants for less than two years though, so more or my expertise is in biology more broadly!
Our area probably has many of the common issues that other locations have. I attempt to grow as much as possible with an organic approach and anything that would help in that pursuit would be what I’m interested in.
What is the technology you use to improve? Agrobacterium-mediated mutagenesis?
I’ve started a longitudinal study on apple and lemon trees two years ago and I’d gladly exchange thoughts and ideas. I’m attempting to improve the crop with the use of UV irradiation of seeds. I should get fruit from the first generation in 2 years
