Washington State University

"Americans have been falling hard for new apples," says the New York Times. Three recently developed varieties - Ambrosia, Honeycrisp and Jazz - are in the top 10 for sales and were the only ones to record a sales increase in 2014. Mainstays such as Red Delicious and McIntosh slumped. Fruit breeders are creating new varieties with names such as SweeTango, SnapDragon and Cosmic Crisp.

Researchers at Washington State University hope to test a robotic apple picker this fall that is able to work fast enough and gently enough to make it economically viable, says Capital Press.

A comprehensive study by two Washington State U scientists "finds organic agriculture is more profitable for farmers than conventional agriculture," says a WSU release.

Cosmic Crisp is a new variety of apple developed by Washington State University and should appear in orchards in 2017, says the Associated Press.

The Agriculture Department announced $118 million in grants for research and market-building for specialty crops - fruits, vegetables, horticulture, nuts and nursery crops.