Article written by Madeline Wimmer, UMN Fruit Production Extension Educator and reviewed by Mara Sanders, UMN Plant Material and IP Logistics Manager, and David Bedford, UMN Fruit Breeder and Researcher
The University of Minnesota’s Fruit Breeding program is recognized worldwide for its work on cold climate grapes (ex Frontenac, Marquette, Clarion) and supreme apple varieties like Honeycrisp, SweeTango, and FirstKiss.
It can take decades from the first time a cross (isolated hand-pollination) is made between two parent plants, to planting seedlings, grafting them, evaluating them, and getting them to the point of nursery production and sales to commercial and backyard growers. This includes the cost of research land, paying researchers and workers to care for trees to name a few.
And through these efforts comes licensing programs through the University of Minnesota to help fund the continuation of the fruit breeding program, with Superior Fruit Innovations™ emerging as the most recent program.
Similar to other variety management programs, there is a lot for commercial growers, nurseries, as well as backyard and hobby growers to get familiar with to navigate the new process of membership and enrollment to gain access to licensed fruits. Here are some of the basics to get you started!
Who can join Superior Fruit Innovations™ (SFI)?
Commercial growers within the U.S., both in and outside of Minnesota, can join the program, however, Minnesota growers will receive an incentive of free membership for the first two years (reach out to learn more about this). Canadian growers interested in the program can also anticipate a specific program rolling out this winter.
Which fruit crop varieties are included in the SFI program?
Apples
Images: Rave®, BigFlirt™, and SuperSnap™ licenses to grow are all available for the Super Fruit Innovations program.
The three apples included in the U.S. Superior Fruit Innovations™ program are Rave®, BigFlirt™, and SuperSnap™.
Rave®
Similar to previous years, Rave® produced in Minnesota can still be marketed as First Kiss®, but will continue to be called Rave® for the fruit that is produced outside of Minnesota. For growers outside of Minnesota, there is a limit of 1,000 trees planted per orchard for direct market sale only, as wholesale marketing of Rave® is handled under a separate national program to standardize fruit grade sold throughout U.S. grocery stores.
BigFlirt™ and SuperSnap™
There are currently no limitations on the number of trees that may be purchased for BigFlirt™ and SuperSnap™ within the U.S.
BigFlirt™ is a larger apple with a sweet flavor that has scab tolerance similar to Honeycrisp and is harvested around a week earlier than Honeycrisp.
SuperSnap™ is considered the first release of the UMN Ultra Crisp™ series. It is described as having a balanced flavor, hardy to USDA Zone 4, and has mild scab resistance. Its harvest date is later than BigFlirt™, about 7-10 days after Honeycrisp.
Nurseries
More nurseries will continue to produce and offer these apple varieties. Currently Adam’s County Nursery, Cameron Nursery, and Gold Crown Nursery are enrolled.
Grapes
The grapes included in the SFI program are the UMN cold hardy table grape Northern Glo™ series. This includes LumiGlo™, EmberGlo™, and ShadowGlo™. While previous table grapes have been marginally hardy at USDA Zone 4, these grapes are more consistently hardy for cold hardy Zone 4 regions. All of these grapes are seedless in that they, at most, contain a minor seed trace.
LumiGlo™
A golden-green grape with tropical flavors and notes of pineapple, LumiGlo™ shows moderate vigor in growth and flexibility within harvest—grapes can be harvested all at once or over several weeks based on ripening cues, from late August to early September.
LumiGlo™ is moderately susceptible to powdery mildew, downy mildew, and anthracnose, and has moderate resistance to black rot and grape phylloxera, with high resistance to phomopsis.
EmberGlo™
EmberGlo™ clusters appear similar to Sommerset, for those who are familiar. Its rosy-red hue matches the strawberry-like flavors it exhibits when harvested in early September.
EmberGlo™ is highly resistant to powdery mildew, black rot, and phomopsis. It also has moderate resistance to downy mildew, phylloxera, and anthracnose, making it the most resilient in the Northern Glo™ series.
ShadowGlo™
One of the later harvested varieties (mid-September), this grape is most unique with its midnight-blue-to-black skin color and mildly tart flavor. Because of this, ShadowGlo™ has the potential to become a new favorite “blue fruit”.
It has shown high resistance to phylloxera and phomopsis, with moderate resistance to powdery mildew, black rot, and anthracnose, and some susceptibility to downy mildew.
Nurseries
Double A Vineyards, Northeastern Vine Supply, and Hauser’s Superior View Farm are all supplying the Northern Glo™ vines at this time.
How can you join SFI?
The first step to joining the SFI program is to sign up to become a member.
Start by heading over to the Superior Fruit Innovations website and click on the “Membership” tab at the top of the screen.
Next, click on the link, “Fill out the Express Membership License to Join” for non-Minnesotan memberships. For Minnesota members, please contact me at wimm0035@umn.edu or Mara Sanders at superiorfruit@umn.edu.
Click the SFI Membership Agreement, “ORDER NOW” button on the right side of the screen to get enrolled. Memberships last for 10 years and cost $100 per orchard member. This does not include royalty costs associated with varieties.
Fill out the registration form and click register at the bottom of the screen.
After this point, make sure to check your email inbox for the SFI Welcome Email, which will include your membership number. Keep track of your membership number—you’ll need this to sign up for the varieties you’re interested in growing.
Make sure to click on and sign up the varieties you want to grow! This is your plant material licensing agreement, which are available at no additional cost to members. Look forward to more apple varieties being added in the near future, too.
Once you’ve clicked on a variety, select the, “Order Now” button on the right side of the screen. Also note the product brochure button available for download at the bottom of the screen.
Finally, contact the nurseries where the fruit variety is being sold to make purchases. Each plant purchased through the SFI program will include a $1.00 royalty at the time of purchase, and $1.00 per plant per year of production will be accessed starting on the 4th year after planting.
What else should you know about the program?
More nurseries will be enrolling into the program and more plant material will be available as time goes on.
Homeowners interested in growing the Northern Glo™ table grape series can purchase plants through local nurseries in the near future, but cannot sell their fruit without a SFI membership.
Minnesota growers with existing SweeTango® and First Kiss® licenses with the University will be contacted by the Technology Commercialization Office this summer to transition into the Superior Fruit Innovations program. Reach out to superiorfruit@umn.edu with any questions or concerns.
Signing up for the SFI newsletter does not enroll you into the SFI program. Follow the instructions above to enroll. For those who are interested in signing up for the SFI newsletter, this form is available at the bottom of the homepage and membership page on the SFI website.
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