204:. His work has also reduced the chill-hours needed for fruits like cherries which allow them to be grown in warmer climates and produced peaches and nectarines that are sweet, yet firm allowing for intercontinental shipping. Another invention, the 'Independence' almond is self-fertile allowing pollination without the use of honeybees needed for other almond varieties. He created the
549:
189:. While the Zaiger family continued to operate an ornamental nursery until 1990, Zaiger and family are better known for fruit variety development. The family-owned company Zaiger Genetics
149:. He attended school until eighth grade and worked as a migrant strawberry picker. During World War II, he was drafted into the U.S. Army where he served as a paratrooper in the
664:
216:
Zaiger married Betty Jean Taylor in 1950 and they had three children Leith, Gary, and Grant. Zaiger died at his home in
Modesto, California on June 2, 2020.
196:
Zaiger's first patented varieties were the Royal Gold peach, introduced in 1965, and âCrimson Goldâ nectarine. He revolutionized the plum industry by
553:
343:
639:
654:
649:
193:
by hand, rather than gene-splicing or DNA manipulation, to develop new hybrids. As of 2020, they have patented 446 plant varieties.
659:
580:
397:
150:
229:
for "distinguished service and contributions to the advancement of pomological science and for outstanding fruit varieties"
501:
162:
447:
314:
592:
Anne
Gonzales (October 9, 2011). "'The Disneyland of fruits': Firm creates new varieties -- the old-fashioned way".
416:
154:
371:
260:
129:, which is now an international business selling cultivars and hybrids. Zaiger developed varieties such as the
609:
527:
644:
226:
121:(April 26, 1926 â June 2, 2020) was an American fruit breeder particularly known for hybrid development of
233:
238:
1999 Alumni Award of
Distinction award from UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
417:"Floyd Zaiger: 'Pluot' Creator Continues Perfecting Fruit With Meticulous, Low-Tech Breeding Methods"
141:
Chris Floyd Zaiger was born to
Christian Fredrick Zaiger and Anna Marie Zaiger on April 26, 1926, in
473:
581:"Farmer creates new fruit, perfects old varieties (Floyd Zaiger, a fruit innovator to the world)"
398:"Farmer creates new fruit, perfects old varieties (Floyd Zaiger, a fruit innovator to the world)"
166:
285:
Raquel Maria Dillon (October 22, 2010). "California breeder keeps perfecting peaches, plums".
669:
177:
In 1954, Zaiger and wife Betty purchased a 2.5 acre nursery and began breeding heat-tolerant
634:
629:
489:
Who is the mad genius who originally bred the aprium? Floyd Zaiger from
Modesto California.
158:
125:
and numerous plant patents. Zaiger founded Zaiger's
Genetics, a fruit-breeding business in
8:
126:
62:
153:. Zaiger earned a degree in plant pathology and agricultural education in 1952 from the
614:
315:"Floyd Zaiger, prolific fruit breeder who brought new flavors to our lives, dies at 94"
146:
181:
as a hobby. In 1956 and 1957, he apprenticed with breeder Fred
Anderson, a protege of
190:
142:
44:
615:
Interview with Floyd Zaiger The man who introduced the Kiwi (Internet
Archive Audio)
133:, and has been called "the most prolific stone fruit breeder in the modern era."
594:
182:
98:
505:
623:
552:. UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Archived from
197:
208:, a hybrid cross between apricots and plums but more similar to apricots.
145:. The family moved to Iowa and then Oregon, before coming to California's
122:
186:
94:
73:
90:
344:"Floyd Zaiger is the Sweetness Scientist Behind Zaiger Genetics"
178:
205:
201:
130:
550:"Chris Floyd Zaiger, 1999 Award of Distinction Recipients"
284:
621:
448:"Fruit Breeder Extraordinaire Floyd Zaiger Dies"
504:. American Pomological Society. Archived from
200:plum-apricot hybrids with plums to create the
591:
372:"About Zaiger Genetics | Dave Wilson Nursery"
665:United States Army personnel of World War II
474:"What are apriums and how do you eat them?"
136:
578:
415:Dillon, Raquel Maria (October 22, 2010).
395:
219:
542:
640:People from Washington County, Nebraska
655:University of California, Davis alumni
622:
471:
414:
389:
258:
650:American horticulture businesspeople
445:
441:
439:
437:
366:
364:
341:
337:
335:
312:
308:
306:
304:
302:
300:
298:
296:
254:
252:
157:. He taught agriculture classes at
13:
572:
259:Adler, Carlye (December 1, 2004).
16:American fruit breeder (1926â2020)
14:
681:
603:
434:
361:
332:
293:
278:
249:
211:
660:People from Modesto, California
520:
494:
232:1997 Awarded rank of Officier,
155:University of California, Davis
472:Garcia, Janis (May 25, 2018).
465:
408:
1:
313:Karp, David (June 12, 2020).
242:
446:Eddy, David (June 8, 2020).
342:Eddy, David (July 5, 2017).
227:American Pomological Society
7:
579:Jon Bonné (June 12, 2011).
396:Jon Bonné (June 12, 2011).
225:1995 Wilder Award from the
10:
686:
172:
159:Modesto city high schools
112:
104:
86:
79:
69:
51:
30:
23:
234:Ordre du MĂ©rite Agricole
137:Early life and education
585:San Francisco Chronicle
530:. Dave Wilson Nurseries
528:"About Zaiger Genetics"
402:San Francisco Chronicle
220:Awards and recognition
167:Modesto Junior College
163:Livingston High School
151:11th Airborne Division
610:About Zaiger Genetics
478:Daily Harvest Express
185:and developer of the
645:American geneticists
119:Chris "Floyd" Zaiger
508:on January 16, 2005
421:The Huffington Post
127:Modesto, California
63:Modesto, California
502:"The Wilder Medal"
376:www.davewilson.com
147:San Joaquin Valley
556:on March 22, 2014
319:Los Angeles Times
143:Kennard, Nebraska
116:
115:
108:Zaiger's Genetics
99:fruit hybridizing
81:Scientific career
45:Kennard, Nebraska
677:
599:
588:
566:
565:
563:
561:
546:
540:
539:
537:
535:
524:
518:
517:
515:
513:
498:
492:
491:
486:
484:
469:
463:
462:
460:
458:
443:
432:
431:
429:
427:
412:
406:
405:
393:
387:
386:
384:
382:
368:
359:
358:
356:
354:
339:
330:
329:
327:
325:
310:
291:
290:
287:Associated Press
282:
276:
275:
273:
271:
261:"Designer Fruit"
256:
191:cross-pollinates
58:
41:
39:
21:
20:
685:
684:
680:
679:
678:
676:
675:
674:
620:
619:
606:
575:
573:Further reading
570:
569:
559:
557:
548:
547:
543:
533:
531:
526:
525:
521:
511:
509:
500:
499:
495:
482:
480:
470:
466:
456:
454:
452:Growing Produce
444:
435:
425:
423:
413:
409:
394:
390:
380:
378:
370:
369:
362:
352:
350:
348:Growing Produce
340:
333:
323:
321:
311:
294:
283:
279:
269:
267:
257:
250:
245:
222:
214:
175:
139:
70:Alma mater
65:
60:
56:
47:
42:
37:
35:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
683:
673:
672:
667:
662:
657:
652:
647:
642:
637:
632:
618:
617:
612:
605:
604:External links
602:
601:
600:
595:Sacramento Bee
589:
574:
571:
568:
567:
541:
519:
493:
464:
433:
407:
388:
360:
331:
292:
277:
247:
246:
244:
241:
240:
239:
236:
230:
221:
218:
213:
210:
183:Luther Burbank
174:
171:
138:
135:
114:
113:
110:
109:
106:
102:
101:
88:
84:
83:
77:
76:
71:
67:
66:
61:
59:(aged 94)
53:
49:
48:
43:
34:April 26, 1926
32:
28:
27:
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
682:
671:
668:
666:
663:
661:
658:
656:
653:
651:
648:
646:
643:
641:
638:
636:
633:
631:
628:
627:
625:
616:
613:
611:
608:
607:
598:. p. D1.
597:
596:
590:
586:
582:
577:
576:
555:
551:
545:
529:
523:
507:
503:
497:
490:
483:September 26,
479:
475:
468:
453:
449:
442:
440:
438:
422:
418:
411:
403:
399:
392:
377:
373:
367:
365:
349:
345:
338:
336:
320:
316:
309:
307:
305:
303:
301:
299:
297:
288:
281:
266:
262:
255:
253:
248:
237:
235:
231:
228:
224:
223:
217:
212:Personal life
209:
207:
203:
199:
194:
192:
188:
184:
180:
170:
168:
164:
160:
156:
152:
148:
144:
134:
132:
128:
124:
120:
111:
107:
103:
100:
96:
92:
89:
85:
82:
78:
75:
72:
68:
64:
54:
50:
46:
33:
29:
22:
19:
670:Paratroopers
593:
584:
558:. Retrieved
554:the original
544:
532:. Retrieved
522:
510:. Retrieved
506:the original
496:
488:
481:. Retrieved
477:
467:
455:. Retrieved
451:
424:. Retrieved
420:
410:
401:
391:
379:. Retrieved
375:
351:. Retrieved
347:
322:. Retrieved
318:
286:
280:
268:. Retrieved
264:
215:
198:backcrossing
195:
176:
140:
118:
117:
105:Institutions
80:
57:(2020-06-02)
55:June 2, 2020
25:Floyd Zaiger
18:
635:2020 deaths
630:1926 births
270:January 30,
123:stone fruit
624:Categories
243:References
38:1926-04-26
560:March 21,
534:March 21,
512:March 21,
187:nectarine
457:June 14,
426:July 26,
381:June 14,
353:June 14,
324:June 14,
95:pomology
74:UC Davis
179:azaleas
91:Biology
36: (
206:aprium
173:Career
165:, and
87:Fields
202:Pluot
131:pluot
562:2014
536:2014
514:2014
485:2020
459:2020
428:2010
383:2020
355:2020
326:2020
272:2010
52:Died
31:Born
265:CNN
626::
583:.
487:.
476:.
450:.
436:^
419:.
400:.
374:.
363:^
346:.
334:^
317:.
295:^
263:.
251:^
169:.
161:,
97:,
93:,
587:.
564:.
538:.
516:.
461:.
430:.
404:.
385:.
357:.
328:.
289:.
274:.
40:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.