Qualterra rootstocks: Virus free, greenhouse grown

At eastern Washington-based Qualterra, we’re on a mission to create innovations for agriculture and sustainability. Our customers, commercial growers and nurseries of specialty crops (apple, cherry, pear, hops and grape) benefit from our technologies when they purchase and receive healthy, vigorous rootstocks/plants that are certified virus-free, and DNA-level verified true to type. To accomplish this, our company utilizes micropropagation and controlled environment agriculture (CEA) integrated with our molecular diagnostic plant testing laboratory. We invite you to visit our website (https://www.qualterraag.com) or contact us for an
in-person tour.
At Qualterra, our propagation process begins by sourcing our starting material from one of the National Clean Plant Centers (Prosser, Washington or Davis, California). Our starting material goes through our in-house comprehensive virus screening and microbial indexing. Varieties are tested to confirm true-to-type, and we proactively prevent mix-ups throughout our growing process by utilizing our proprietary TreeTracker software.
We utilize a technology called vegetative micropropagation, a lab technique shown to reliably produce true-to-type clones.
This technology also allows us to scale up to meet your volume needs, yet we do not have order minimums. Lastly, micropropagation requires less water, resources, and time, all while maintaining the plants’ virus-free state.
Qualterra rootstocks and plants are finished in our state-of-the-art Dutch-technology greenhouse in eastern Washington in the heart of the Yakima Valley. Our precision-controlled acclimatization and growth conditions
ensure that your plants are healthy, vigorous and ready to thrive as soon as they are planted so they reach grafting caliper (if necessary) at the correct time in the season. Our customers can choose between receiving their plants as dormant or actively growing, and they can be delivered bare root or potted in containers. Visit our website for a full list of our offerings, including apple, cherry, pear and grape rootstocks available for
growers and nurseries.
At Qualterra, our molecular plant testing division is also available to serve the industry. We offer a variety of disease screening options, including a comprehensive sequencing-based virus and phytoplasma screen, as well as qPCR tests for individual diseases. By detecting diseases early, you can prevent their spread and prolong the life of your orchard or nursery block. We also offer variety testing services and S-Allele pollination compatibility checks. Our Molecular Plant Testing division is supported by our highthroughput laboratory which can process thousands of samples per day, so we can accommodate your project no matter the size. Screening for Little Cherry Virus is one of our main services out of our lab, and we are a Clean Plant Network Northwest certified lab.
Qualterra is proud of our employee team and network of industry partners in both the public and private sectors.
We offer a spirit of collaboration as we all work together to help the industry adapt and change for the future. Several U.S. Department of Agriculture- and State of Washington-funded grants are supporting our research and development in plant micropropagation, virus screening, plant tracking and carbon sequestration. We look forward to working with you to help ensure a bright future for the next generation.
E-mail Tim O’Brien at timo@qualterraag.com or call him directly at 509-285-7037. FGN