Geneticist identifies lost apple lineage using Maine tree samples

The short version

• Cameron Peace evaluated genetic profiles submitted by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association through his MyFruitTree project.[Scientific American]
• Heritage apple hunting efforts led by Fedco Trees founder John Bunker and professor Todd Little-Siebold contributed to locating old specimens.[Scientific American]
• The broader research context involves agricultural threats like fire blight, which was estimated to cause over $100 million in annual losses nationwide.[Scientific American]

Key facts

• Cameron Peace oversees MyFruitTree, a project comparing genetic profiles of unidentified apple trees against a reference database.[Scientific American]
• The apple samples evaluated by Cameron Peace were provided by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association.[Scientific American]
• An estimate produced more than two decades ago placed nationwide losses from the bacterial disease fire blight above $100 million annually.[Scientific American]
• Regional outbreaks of fire blight have caused producers damages ranging between $16 million and $42 million at a time.[Scientific American]
• A heat wave in 2021 destroyed more than 2 percent of the apple crop in Washington State.[Scientific American]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• How apple detectives solved the mystery of an ancient tree—and rewrote the history of fruitScientific American metered