My guest on Tuesday's AM Minnesota Program will be David Bedford who is an apple breeder at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Yes it is time to talk about the apple industry in Minnesota and the apple breeding program at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. The apple breeding program actually began west of Chanhassen where the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is now located in 1908.

One of the first apple varieties developed for Minnesota's harsh climate was the Minnehaha in 1920. Another one still popular and grown today, the Haralson released in 1922. There are only three apple breeding programs in the United States, the other two are in the states of Washington and New York. The years required to develop a new apple variety is almost unbelievable. It is 20 to 25 years before a new apple tree variety will be available to growers. Then it is about another 5 years before the new apple variety will be available to consumers!

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