Wyoming Apple Project

Home , Apple butter, Red Astrachan, Wealthy (apple)

(1988) 2012-2019

Steve Miller

Botany Department University of Wyoming The Wyoming Apple Project

Save apple varieties growing in Laramie The Wyoming Apple Project

Wyoming Apple Project-initial goals

•Create a database of apples in Wyoming

•Take scions graft them onto hardy rootstock

•Return grafted apples to owners

•Develop a heritage apple specimen orchard at the Sheridan Research Station

•Promote apple growing in Wyoming

•Develop an informative website

Molecular identification of cultivars Funding sources Historic Orchards

• Ed. Young Orchard Now the Spear S Produce Company -(3000 apple trees)

• University of Wyoming Experimental Fruit farm Now the Central Wyoming College Field Station -(1700 apple trees, 182 cultivars)

• Duncan Grant Ranch Rural Historic Landscape (Wheatland, WY), Box Cross Ranch (Sheridan, WY), HF Bar Ranch (Buffalo, WY), Spea’s Orchard (Casper, WY), Archer Field Station (Cheyenne, WY) and multiple other Experimental Fruit Farms located in Sheridan, Wheatland, Laramie and Sundance, WY. Sites The Ten best apples for Wyoming

1. Yellow transparent 2. The Dutchess 3. Wealthy 4. Longfield 5. Hibernal 6. Northwestern Greening 7. McIntosh 8. Wolf River 9. Windsor 10. Scott The Ten best apples for Wyoming

1. Yellow transparent 2. The Dutchess 3. Wealthy 4. Longfield 5. Hibernal 6. Northwestern Greening 7. McIntosh 8. Wolf River 9. Windsor 10. Scott

218 cultivars were mentioned in available literature University of Wyoming Experimental Fruit Farm - 1905 Ed Young Orchard - 1901

Sarah McLachlan-Angel

“In the arms of the Angel Fly away from here”

Grafting Grafting Unknown cultivar Pope Orchard Lingle WY

Tuffy’s favorite Speas orchard Grandma’s favorite Full circle Grafting workshops (17 in 12 locations) Grafting workshops Wyoming heritage apple collection- ShREC Sheridan Research and Extension Center Document apple characteristics Apples developed at the University of Wyoming Experimental Fruit farm specifically for Wyoming Breckstein Margaret Mart Fremont Nelson Popoasia Roberts Sundance Washakie Wyoming Novel Cultivars

Kieth Murray – Murraymere Farms Powell Wyoming Breckstein Novel Cultivars Apple genotyping - Jonathan Magby Genotyping

• DNA extraction on leaf samples o DNA finger printing using nine Microsatellites • Match to a known reference sample o USDA-National Plant Germplasm System o Seed Savers Exchange o Washington State University

• Manual allele correction (Gross et al, 2012 & 2018) o Reference total 1211 Goal

Identify heritage apple cultivars in Wyoming using genetic fingerprinting (microsatellite) techniques

•conservation of Wyoming heritage apples

•recommendations on candidate cold-hardy cultivars for specialty crop

•breeding programs Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN)

•database of Apple cultivars (SSR aka microsatellites)

•operated by the USDA Agricultural Research Service

•contains 1251 apple genotype accessions

•publicly available database Wyoming ID

• 64% ID to cultivar (328/510) o 47 cultivars o 303 matched at T=0, 25 at T=2 threshold ▪ (T=2, mismatches to two steps at either one locus or among two different loci) ▪ Standard ProbI (2.1 x 10-12) and conservative -4 Probsibs (1.4 x 10 ) • 182 remaining unknowns o 146 unique fingerprints or genotypes • Eight found in more then two cities • Nine matched unique genotypes outside the state Apples Found In Wyoming

• Alamata • Fire Cracker Crab • Anoka • Fireside • Beacon/Northern Lights • Gideon • Ben Davis • Haas • Charlamoff • Haralson • Cherry crab (M.Baccata X M. • Hibernal prunifolia) • Jefferies • Cortland • Kelsey • Delicious • Liberty • Dolgo • Lodi • Dutchess of Oldenburg • Lowland Raspberry • Empire • Macrocarpa • Erickson Apples Found In Wyoming

• Martha • Regent • McIntosh Red • Sharon • McMahan • St. Edmund’s Russet • Melba • State fair • Norland • Sweet Sixteen • Northwest Greening • Virginia Crab • Oriole • Wealthy • Patten Greening • Whitney No. 20 • Plum Cider • Wolf River • Prairie Spy • Yellow Sweet • Ralls • Yellow Transparent • Red Astrachan Top 15 cultivars: Found

1. Wealthy (71)*22% o Minnesota 2. Haralson (25) o Minnesota 3. Patten’s Greening (23) o Wisconsin 4. Yellow transparent (20) o Russia 5. Northwestern Greening (16) o Wisconsin 6. McMahon (14) 11. Dutchess of Oldenburg (12) o Wisconsin o Russia 7. Whitney Crab (14) 12. Martha (10) o Illinois (near border of Wisconsin) o Minnesota 8. Dolgo (13) 13. Virginia Crab (10) o Russia o Russia 9. McIntosh Red (13) 14. Anoka(7) o Canada o South Dakota 10. Wolf River (13) 15. Charlamoff (6) o Wisconsin o Russia 3. Map of Top 15’s TOTAL CULTIVARS SD 0 R U E 1 KS 1 MI

1 ORIGIN WYOMING: OF CULTIVAR TZ 1 TN 1 WV 1 US 1 R E G 2 MD 2 ME 2 NE 2 RI 2 KY 3 VT

3 Total VA 3 STATE/COUNTRY STATE/COUNTRY CT 4 IL 4 AR 4 G N E 4 IN 4 NC 6 NJ 6 PA 6 MO 7 OH 8 CAN 9 WY 11 NY 11 IA 12 MA 13 WI 18 ? A N 21 MN 21 S U R 23 218 Cultivars: Year Introduced or Breed

1951-Present

1926-1950

1901-1925

1876-1900

1851-1875

1826-1850

1801-1825

1776-1800

Year Year 1751-1775

1726-1750

1701-1725

1676-1700

1651-1675

1626-1650

1600-1625

Pre-1599

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Total Wyoming Apple Project Website

• About Wyoming Apples o Recommendations by UW Experimental Fruit Farm in 1924. • City (locale) Pamphlets o Cultivars found o Recommendations ▪ By elevation and location (UW EX Fruit Farm) ▪ Top three cultivars found in your area o Previous Orchards & Land Owners ▪ Cultivars grows Wyoming Apple Project Website

• About Wyoming Apples (218 Cultivars + identified) o Use ▪ Dessert ▪ Cider ▪ Kitchen (pies, jelly, apple butter, etc.) ▪ Market

o Information for future breeding programs ▪ Parentage ▪ Characteristics ▪ Disease resistance o Synonyms Wyoming Apple Project Website

• Propagation & Maintenance o Rootstocks (32) ▪ Tree size ▪ Fruiting ▪ Hardiness ▪ Disease resistance ▪ Rooting o Grafting techniques ▪ Workshop video ▪ Planting o Maintenance ▪ Video workshops on pruning new trees ▪ Video workshops on restoring old trees ▪ Training ▪ Fruit- thinning, harvest and storage ▪ Winter protection o Disease and pests 5. Wyoming Apple Project Website

• Propagation & Maintenance o Rootstocks (32) ▪ Tree size ▪ Fruiting ▪ Hardiness ▪ Disease resistance ▪ Rooting o Grafting techniques ▪ Workshop video (Dr. Steve Miller) o Planting o Maintenance ▪ Video workshops on pruning new trees (Chris Hilgert) ▪ Video workshops on restoring old trees (Chris Hilgert) ▪ Training ▪ Fruit- thinning, harvest and storage ▪ Weeds ▪ Winter protection o Disease and pests 5. Wyoming Apple Project Website

• Apples lost and found (218 Cultivars + identified) o Origin o Year introduced or breed o Availability for purchase in: ▪ Commercial nurseries ▪ Conservation orchards ▪ Germplasm orchards (USDA)

• Also on the website o Orchards and homesteads of Wyoming o In-state and out-of-state nurseries selling to Wyoming o Wyoming Apple key (218 Cultivars + identified) o Includes 400 + USDA watercolor drawings and cross sections Ongoing orchard restoration projects:

•Ed Young Orchard (now Spear S Produce Company)

•University of Wyoming Experimental Fruit Farm Station (e.g. now CWC Field Station in Sinks Canyon) are preserving original trees.

•A Wyoming heritage apple collection has been developed at the Sheridan Research and Extension Center orchard

Miller, S.L. 2014. Wyoming Apple Project: Attempts to Save Wyoming’s Diverse Apple Cultivars. Barnyards and Backyards. Univ. of Wyoming, www.uwyo.edu/barnbackyard/_files/documents/magazine/2014/winter/0 10114bbwyappleproject.pdf.

Magby JT & SL Miller. 2019. Wyoming Apple Project: Old trees meet new technology. Barnyards and Backyards, Winter edition. http://video.wyomingpbs.org/video/2365890965/

WWW.WYOMINGAPPLEPROJECT.COM (Note: For PC and/or non-apple platforms google search Wyoming apple project or allow access through Sophos Anti-Virus protection).

Aven Nelson--secretary of the Wyoming State Board of Horticulture The Ten best apples for Wyoming

1. Yellow transparent 2. The Dutchess 3. Wealthy 4. Longfield 5. Hibernal 6. Northwestern Greening 7. McIntosh 8. Wolf River 9. Windsor 10. Scott Apples developed specifically for Wyoming

1. Breckstein Fruit large in Size, skin light green blushed with red on one side. Flesh is fine textured, juicy and in season first of October. Apples developed specifically for Wyoming

Breckstein Fremont Fruit resembles Wealthy in shape, size, color (pale yellow with red stripes, Flesh whitish) and flavor(less juicy than wealthy) and keeping quality Margaret Large in size, skin light green, overliad with red stripes

Mart Large in size, skin green with blush on the sun side with a dull crimson splash. Flesh pleasant and juicy. Nelson Large in size, skin yellowish with bright and deep red stripes. Flesh very tender and delicious Popo agia Fruit is streaked with green and red. Flesh tender, delicate and slightly subacid. Ripins first of October. Apples developed specifically for Wyoming Breckstein Fremont Margaret Mart Nelson Popo agia Roberts Above medium, skin light green with red stripes. Flesh mild Sundance Medium in size, skin yellow and speckled in red. Flesh white and bruise resistant. Good flavor. Ripens around September Washakie Large, skin nearly red with greenish color. Flesh fine textured, good flavor and very firm. Wyoming (Ed Young) Large to very large, skin striped and splashed with red and almost solid red Goals

• Conservation of Wyoming heritage apples o Historic orchards o Establish a Wyoming heritage apple collection o Wyoming Apple Project website ▪ Provide information on maintenance and propagation to help residents rehabilitate and/or start future apple orchards ▪ For land owners, provide information on past homesteads, orchards and the cultivars grown. Apple trees in Wyoming?

• Early homesteaders o Claimed land via Homestead and Timber Culture Act ▪ 320 acres/person or 640 acres/couple o Provided $ via market and/or stock sold o Personal food source and products ▪ Baking, juice, hard cider, pectin, vinegar and medicine o Livestock Feed • Today o Specialty crops growers o Backyard hobbyist ▪ Local farmers markets ▪ Hard cider Cultivars in Wyoming

• 218 cultivars were mentioned in available Wyoming Horticulture and Experimental Fruit Farm bulletins o 207 breed or identified in 28 states and six different countries o 11 novel cultivars for Wyoming ▪ ‘Margaret’, ‘Brecksteinia’, ‘Fremont’, ‘Poposia’, ‘Mart’, ‘Roberts’, ‘Sundance’, ‘Washakie’, ‘Wyoming-Fremont’ and ‘Nelson’ (in honor of Aven Nelson, the longtime secretary of the Wyoming Horticultural Society and Botanist at UW). ▪ Ed Young called his cultivar ‘Wyoming -Ed Young’.

3. Top 15 cultivars: # of cities

1. Wealthy (12) 11. Hibernal (5)* o Russia o Minnesota 12. Lowland Raspberry (5)* 2. Haralson (9) o Russia o Minnesota 13. Patten’s Greening (4) 3. Yellow transparent (9) oWisconsin o Russia 14. Martha (4) 4. Whitney Crab (8) o Minnesota o Illinois (Near Wisconsin) 15. Virginia Crab (4) 5. McIntosh Red (7) o Russia-VA o Canada 6. Northwestern Greening (6) Not In Top 15 Found o Wisconsin 7. Dolgo (5) o Russia 8. Dutchess of Oldenburg (5) o Russia 9. Charlamoff (5) o Russia 10. Anoka (5) o South Dakota

3. Other factors

CULTIVAR OF WY: ORIGIN

21 21 18

Total

12 12 11

No.Cultivars ID in Wy 11

TOTALCULTIVARS

9 9

6 6 6

4 4 4 4 4

3 3 3 3 3 3

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

0.5 0.5

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

SD EUR KS MI TZ TN WV US GER MD ME NE RI KY VT VA CT IL AR ENG IN NC NJ PA MO OH CAN WY NY IA MA WI NA? MN RUS STATE/COUNTRY 3. Other factors

218 Cultivars: Year Introduced or Developed