Floyd Zaiger
Encyclopedia
Floyd Zaiger is a biologist
who is most noted for his work in fruit
genetics, and founded Zaiger's Genetics. He was born in Nebraska
and grew up in Iowa
. Zaiger has developed both cultivar
s of existing species and new hybrids such as the pluot and the aprium
. He uses cross-pollination, rather than gene-splicing or DNA manipulation, to develop new hybrids.
Zaiger figures prominently in the mental life of artisanal marijuana breeder Miro Basinas, hero of Mark Haskell Smith's novel Baked
Biologist
A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of life. Typically biologists study organisms and their relationship to their environment. Biologists involved in basic research attempt to discover underlying mechanisms that govern how organisms work...
who is most noted for his work in fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
genetics, and founded Zaiger's Genetics. He was born in Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
and grew up in Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. Zaiger has developed both cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
s of existing species and new hybrids such as the pluot and the aprium
Plumcot, Apriplum, Pluot, or Aprium
Plumcots, apriplums, pluots, and apriums are some of the hybrids between different Prunus species that are also called interspecific or IS plums. In the United States, these fruit are known by most regulatory agencies as interspecific plums...
. He uses cross-pollination, rather than gene-splicing or DNA manipulation, to develop new hybrids.
Zaiger figures prominently in the mental life of artisanal marijuana breeder Miro Basinas, hero of Mark Haskell Smith's novel Baked