Author
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Stover, Eddie |
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Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 8/27/2006 Publication Date: 8/1/2007 Citation: Stover, E.W. 2007. MEDITERRANEAN FRUITS: ANCIENT HISTORY AND MODERN PROMISE. HortScience. 42:1071. Interpretive Summary: Historically, several fruits were extremely important in the lives of people living in the Mediterranean region, and this importance was reflected in their frequent mention in the holy books of major world religions of Mediterranean origin. Grapes (Vitis vinifera) continue to be one of the most important fruits of commerce, and receive much attention within the U.S. horticultural community. In contrast, the other fruits of historic importance have received relatively little attention within the U.S. horticultural community. Interestingly, several of these fruits are now receiving renewed attention. In this workshop, an historic overview was provided to place Mediterranean fruits into cultural context. This was followed by detailed discussion of dates, figs, olives, and pomegranates, to provide interested horticulturists and lovers of fruits with an understanding of the fascinating biology of these crops, an overview of current cultivars, and their place in modern commerce. You may purchase DVD recordings of these presentations at http://www.ashs.org/shop/product.php?productid=16789&cat=103&page=1. The workshop ended with a tasting of these fruits and their products, but you gentle reader, will need to pursue them on your own. Technical Abstract: The National Clonal Germplasm Repository (NCGR) in Davis, California is home of the national collections of most Mediterranean-adapted fruits and nuts (including fig, olive and pomegranate), while the NCGR at Riverside, CA maintains the dates and citrus. Our missions are to acquire, preserve, characterize and distribute germplasm resources of these crops. We are committed to acquiring additional material and are very interested in learning of opportunities, with a special interest in protecting collections which may otherwise be lost. It is NPGS policy to distribute plant material, free of charge, to research interests around the world (see the NPGS repository webpage http://www.ars-grin.gov/npgs/holdings.html). This workshop was presented by the American Pomological Society (APS), an organization affiliated with ASHS. APS actually predates ASHS, being founded in 1848, and is considered to have given birth to the younger and much larger organization. Past APS presidents include Liberty Hyde Bailey (1919-1924). APS meets annually with ASHS and holds both a concurrent workshop and an evening educational meeting which provide interesting information and an opportunity to taste fruits and their products, as a celebration of our shared love for fruit, their associated science, and their lore. APS publishes the Journal of the American Pomological Society that contains refereed articles on a wide range of fruit-related topics. Our website can be found at http://americanpomological.org/. The APS provides several annual awards: the Wilder Medal to an individual or organization for distinguished service and contributions to the advancement of pomological science including developing outstanding fruit cultivars; the U.P. Hedrick Awards for the best Journal of the American Pomological Society paper submitted by horticulture students; and the Shepard Award for best scientific paper published in the Journal of the American Pomological Society the previous year. If you are a fruit-beguiled horticulturist, please join us at our next APS meeting! |
