ARS | Publication request: 'Sunrise' pear

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: October 7, 2010
Publication Date: January 1, 2011
Citation: Bell, R.L., Vanderzwet, T. 2011. 'Sunrise' pear. HortScience. 46:118-120.

Interpretive Summary: All major cultivars of commercial importance, as well as many of those grown by home orchardists are susceptible to the devastating disease known as fire blight, which is endemic to most pear production areas of the northern hemisphere. Infections can result in serious loss of fruit production or rapid death of trees of susceptible cultivars. 'Sunrise' pear is a new cultivar developed and released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. The cultivar combines excellent appearance and fruit quality, and good storage potential in an early maturing pear with resistance to fire blight. Planting of this new cultivar will allow commercial growers and home orchardists to grow a pear of excellent quality without the potential loss of trees. The potential for longer storage and shelf life, which is common in early season pears, is an added bonus and advantage of 'Sunrise'. The moderate degree of resistance to the fungal disease, pear scab, may reduce the need to spray fungicides, resulting in added benefits for environmental impact and production costs.

Technical Abstract: 'Sunrise' is a new pear (Pyrus communis L.) cultivar released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. It combines a high degree of resistance to fire blight with excellent fruit quality. The sources of resistance in the pedigree are the old American cultivar, 'Seckel', and NJ1, a P. communis × P. pyrifolia hybrid. It matures in early August in the northern hemisphere, approximately two weeks before 'Bartlett' and one week before 'Clapp's Favorite', and is characterized by a storage potential and shelf life greater than 'Clapp's Favorite'. Precocity and production were similar to 'Bartlett', as is average fruit weight. The cultivar is moderately resistant but not immune to pear scab, but it is susceptible to powdery mildew and Fabraea leaf spot. Fruit infection with Fabraea is minimal.