Written by Bernardita Sallato, Sara Serra, Kate Evans, Stefano Musacchi, Washington State University, and Manoella Mendoza, WA Tree Fruit Research Commission, 6/4/2025
WA 64 is a bicolored apple, the result of a cross between Honeycrisp and Cripps Pink. It was developed by the apple breeding program at Washington State University, led by Kate Evans and Bruce Barritt. Patented by WSU in 2023, the trees are available for purchase, and the first commercial top-working occurred in Spring 2025. The apples will be sold under the brand name Sunflare™.
In 2022, two pilot blocks located at WSU Sunrise Research Orchard in Rock Island and WSU Roza Research Orchard in Prosser were planted to better understand the influence of rootstocks and training systems on WA 64 tree growth. The rootstocks included Bud9 (very dwarfing), G.969 and G.41 (dwarfing), and G.890 (semi-dwarfing). WA 64 was established as spindle and bi-axis on both locations, with the addition of angle systems (V-trellis, Y-trellis, and Tatura style), and upright fruiting offshoot (UFO) at the Roza orchard for demonstration purposes.
The extension publication highlights general characteristics such as tree habit, bearing wood, and bloom timing, and provides preliminary findings and general recommendations based on the observations from these two sites for the first three growing seasons.
Environmental conditions, including soil type, elevation, temperatures, water quality, and management, can significantly influence tree growth, fruit quality, and overall productivity. Thus, when interpreting cultivar-rootstock differences, it is important to consider the site environmental conditions.
The extension publication can be found here. The information is also accessible on the WSU Tree Fruit website within the Varieties and Breeding section, under WA 64 Resources, WA 64—Tree Characteristics and Horticulture. A link to the extension publication is provided on the page, and it is available for download in PDF format.
Contacts
Bernardita Sallato
Tree Fruit Extension Specialist
WSU Extension
b.sallato@wsu.edu
Sara Serra
Tree Fruit Science
WSU Tree Fruit Research & Extension Center
sara.serra@wsu.edu
Manoella Mendoza
Washington Tree Fruit Research Comission
manoella@treefruitresearch.com
Kate Evans
Pome Fruit Breeding Program
WSU Tree Fruit Research & Extension Center
kate_evans@wsu.edu
Stefano Musacchi
Tree Fruit Physiology and Management
WSU Tree Fruit Research & Extension Center
stefano.musacchi@wsu.edu
