Milestones


Horses were still an important means of


transportation for staff of the Summerland research station when they


gathered for this photo in 1923.


PARC marks centennial


As farming has evolved in the region during the past 100 years, so too have the programs and achievements of its agriculture scientists.


By Judie Steeves F


or more than a century, orchards have been part of the landscape of the Okanagan Valley—but over the decades, it has evolved from farms of largely mixed fruits to today’s single- fruit operations.


That evolution occurred


hand-in-hand with research work at the Pacific Agri-food Research Centre (PARC) in Summerland, which was known as the Summerland Research Station in its early days.


This year it celebrates its 100th anniversary, and is holding an open house in October, as well as a speaker series which began in June and continues through the end of the year. Now-retired tree fruit breeder Frank Kappel says tree fruits were big amongst the research projects at PARC right from the beginning, although animals, vegetables and ornamentals were also the focus of some of the early research work.


8


That was a reflection of the fact that most farming operations were also a mix of animals, vegetables and fruits, including field crops to feed cattle. Scientists also did some work on seeds at one time, including onions, industrial hemp and tobacco.


“There was quite a bit of ornamental work,” Kappel recalls, adding, “People tried to re-create the English cottage garden, because it reminded them of home.”


Today, the centre, located on 320 hectares on a bench above


Okanagan Lake, is the site of a xeriscape


demonstration garden, featuring native and non-


Frank Kappel


native drought-tolerant species that do particularly well in the near-desert Okanagan climate.


But, as farmers specialized, so did the work at PARC, and the work with animals and ornamentals continued at other centres instead.


The Summerland facility is known best for its work in tree fruits, including research into what is now called Controlled Atmosphere or CA storage, which allows the sale of still-crisp apples for fresh market throughout the winter and the following spring, instead of just after harvest.


As well, the centre is known for its British Columbia FRUIT GROWER • Fall 2014


introduction of the M9 dwarfing rootstock for apples, chemical thinning, introduction of new peach varieties and the development of sprinkler irrigation instead of ditches.


And, in particular, for its breeding program for apples, table grapes and cherry varieties, which began more than 78 years ago.


(Although those have been the focus in recent years, tomato varieties were also developed at the


Summerland facility, along with some ornamentals). With tree fruits, though, it’s essential that a breeding program be committed to the long term, and that’s what has put the PARC program into the global


limelight, notes Kappel.


“You need a long-term commitment for tree fruit breeding,” he says, and it is important that industry and the research facility work hand-in-hand. The B.C. Fruit Growers Association celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, and the two institutions have worked well together over the years, he adds.


All along, it has been such partnerships with industry which spurred the work, Kappel says. Breeding of a variety of late-maturing cherry, the Lapin, would not have revolutionized the industry if it hadn’t


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24