Chris "Floyd" Zaiger (April 26, 1926 – June 2, 2020) was a fruit breeder particularly known for hybrid development of

stone fruit In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is an indehiscent fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pit'', ''stone'', or ''pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed (''kernel'') ...

and numerous plant patents. Zaiger founded Zaiger's Genetics, a fruit-breeding business in

Modesto, California Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton- ...

, which is now an international business selling cultivars and hybrids. Zaiger developed varieties such as the

pluot Pluots, apriums, apriplums, plumcots or pluclots are some of the hybrids between different ''Prunus'' species that are also called interspecific plums. Whereas plumcots and apriplums are first-generation hybrids between a plum parent ('' P. salic ...

, and has been called "the most prolific stone fruit breeder in the modern era."

Early life and education

Chris Floyd Zaiger was born to Christian Fredrick Zaiger and Anna Marie Zaiger on April 26, 1926 in

Kennard, Nebraska Kennard is a village in Washington County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 361 at the 2010 census. History Kennard was established in 1869 when the Sioux City & Pacific Railroad was extended to that point. It was named for Thomas P. ...

. The family moved to Iowa and then Oregon, before coming to California's

San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley ( ; es, Valle de San Joaquín) is the area of the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California that lies south of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is drained by the San Joaquin River. It comprises seven c ...

. 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

11th Airborne Division The 11th Airborne Division ("Arctic Angels") is a United States Army airborne formation, first activated on 25 February 1943, during World War II. Consisting of one parachute and two glider infantry regiments, with supporting troops, the div ...

. Zaiger earned a degree in plant pathology and agricultural education in 1952 from the

University of California, Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a public land-grant research university near Davis, California. Named a Public Ivy, it is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The institut ...

. He taught agriculture classes at Modesto city high schools, Livingston High School, and

Modesto Junior College Modesto Junior College (MJC) is a public community college in Modesto, California. It is part of Yosemite Community College District along with Columbia College. MJC, and Columbia College, belong to the California Community College system al ...

Career

In 1954, Zaiger and wife Betty purchased a 2.5 acre nursery and began breeding heat-tolerant

azaleas Azaleas are flowering shrubs in the genus ''Rhododendron'', particularly the former sections ''Tsutsusi'' (evergreen) and '' Pentanthera'' (deciduous). Azaleas bloom in the spring (April and May in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, and Octob ...

as a hobby. In 1956 and 1957, he apprenticed with breeder Fred Anderson, a protege of

Luther Burbank Luther Burbank (March 7, 1849 – April 11, 1926) was an American botanist, horticulturist and pioneer in agricultural science. He developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants over his 55-year career. Burbank's varied creations incl ...

and developer of the

nectarine The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-fuz ...

. 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 cross-pollinates by hand, rather than gene-splicing or DNA manipulation, to develop new hybrids. As of 2020, they have patented 446 plant varieties. Zaiger's first patented varieties were the Royal Gold peach, introduced in 1965, and ‘Crimson Gold’ nectarine. He revolutionized the plum industry by

backcrossing Backcrossing is a crossing of a hybrid with one of its parents or an individual genetically similar to its parent, to achieve offspring with a genetic identity closer to that of the parent. It is used in horticulture, animal breeding, and product ...

plum-apricot hybrids with plums to create the

Pluot Pluots, apriums, apriplums, plumcots or pluclots are some of the hybrids between different ''Prunus'' species that are also called interspecific plums. Whereas plumcots and apriplums are first-generation hybrids between a plum parent ('' P. salic ...

. 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 aprium, a hybrid cross between apricots and plums but more similar to apricots.

Personal life

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.

Awards and recognition

* 1995 Wilder Award from the

American Pomological Society The American Pomological Society was founded by Marshall Pinckney Wilder in 1848, to foster the growing of fruit and the development of new varieties, and is the oldest fruit organization in North America. Publications The organization's primary ...

for "distinguished service and contributions to the advancement of pomological science and for outstanding fruit varieties" * 1997 Awarded rank of Officier,

Ordre du Mérite Agricole The Order of Agricultural Merit (french: link=no, Ordre du Mérite agricole) is an order of merit bestowed by the French Republic for outstanding contributions to agriculture. When it was created in 1883, it was second in importance only to th ...

* 1999 Alumni Award of Distinction award from UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

References

External links