Dive Summary:
- Two new apple varieties developed by Cornell University breeder and Horticulture Professor Susan Brown received names Thursday at the annual Fruit Field Days.
- Known for years during development and consumer testing as "NY1" and "NY2," Cornell and New York Apple Growers have named the new apple varieties "SnapDragon" and "RubyFrost."
- SnapDragon is noted for its juicy crispness and spicy-sweet flavor, and RubyFrost is predicted to be a new favorite among Empire and Granny Smith lovers with its sugar-acid balance.
From the article:
... A decade in the making, the apples represent a first for the Cornell apple-breeding program and the New York apple industry in the way they’ve gone to market. Previously, public universities developed new apple breeds and released them to the industry freely. In 1980, however, the Bayh-Dole Act gave universities the ability to retain the intellectual property rights for their research, with limited plant-based royalties.
In May 2010, Cornell formed a partnership for a managed release with NYAG to establish an exclusive licensing agreement in North America for the two apple varieties. Under the agreement, growers pay royalties on trees purchased, acreage planted and fruit produced, with the income going to market the new varieties and support Cornell’s apple-breeding program. ...
