News about USA

USA: Court reinstates Staccato cherry patent, victory for AAFC

Varieties

26 Mar 2025

The US Court reinstated the Staccato cherry patent, overturning the previous decision. AAFC will now be able to defend its rights against the unauthorised sale of the 'Glory' variety. A key victory for intellectual property protection in the global fruit industry.

Cherry tree leaf spot in Michigan (USA): the return of cupric fungicides

Crop protection

25 Mar 2025

Leaf spot threatens Montmorency cherry trees in Michigan. With fungicide resistance on the rise and regulatory restrictions, growers are rediscovering the use of copper to protect plants. Learn about strategies and new research to combat this disease.

Northwest cherries: global marketing powered by influencers and health

Consumption

21 Mar 2025

Northwest Cherries is bringing back the iconic redhead woman in their campaign, paired with influencers, digital ads, and health-focused messaging. The goal: expand into global markets like South Korea and Thailand, leveraging quality, strong demand, and innovative promotions.

Cherry fruit quality: from sugar content to genetics

Quality

05 Mar 2025

The study conducted by Spanish and US researchers explored the genetic factors behind key factors influencing the taste of sweet cherries, including sugar and acid content.

US season 2024: 355,000 tonnes expected, slight increase over 2023

Production

03 Jul 2024

"The national total number is 355,000 tonnes, technically one could say it is up three-tenths of a percentage point from 2023. But if you exclude Michigan, which was not counted in the total last year, there is a decrease of 5.9 per cent."

Controlling San José Scale with new chemicals: a possible solution?

Crop protection

03 Jun 2024

A US study evaluated the efficacy of two San Jose mealybug defence programmes in black cherry using Sivanto Prime 200SL and flupyradifuron 300SL. Due to the slow onset of action of the treatments, the results did not show significant data.

TOMRA's new LUCAi platform for post-harvest efficiency in the US and New Zealand

Post-harvest​

21 May 2024

Cherry packers Prima Frutta Packing, Dunstan Hills and Panmure Orchards in California, the US and New Zealand have implemented TOMRA's LUCAi technology, achieving ‘improved grading and a productivity increase of around 10%’.

US consumer study ranks quality first, but price is still the most relevant value

Consumption

20 May 2024

A 2023 consumer study that surveyed over 2,000 consumers found that the key factors continue to be quality and flavour. However, once the retail price reaches $4.50 per pound, sales begin to decline.

The pruning period can affect the spread of bacterial cancer

Crop protection

05 Mar 2024

Youfu Zhao recommends pruning in summer whenever possible and switching from sprinkler to drip irrigation to keep the orchard drier. For larger trees, it is possible to cut back the cankers, Zhao said, but this is fatal for young trees.

Grasshopper study in Washington could solve X-disease related problems

Crop protection

04 Mar 2024

"We are trying to understand how X-disease pathogen exploits the grasshopper to facilitate its life cycle," said William Walker, USDA geneticist. "This could provide us with forms of disruption, such as biopesticides, to halt the insect's life cycle."