Remembering Floyd Zaiger

We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our friend and partner Floyd Zaiger. Floyd was a remarkable man, and his work in fruit breeding and the development of hybrid rootstocks was revolutionary to the stone fruit and tree nut industry. As one of the greatest innovators and fruit breeders of the modern era, he will be greatly missed. From the establishment of the Pluot to the success of the Independence Almond, Floyd has reinvented the way our industry thinks and acts regarding fruit and nuts. His rootstock program delivered top-notch rootstocks that revolutionized growers views on planting location and soil types. He was constantly striving to develop the latest and greatest varieties, and continually improving on existing ones. Floyd always demonstrated tremendous passion, pride, and love for his work, and his legacy will continue on with Zaiger’s Genetics. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Zaiger family during this very difficult time.

FLOYD IN THE ORCHARD AND BREEDING BLOCK
As a grower and a breeder, Floyd had an excellent perspective as to what the industry was looking for, and this helped him develop groundbreaking varieties.

Floyd continuously evaluated his work and made adjustments to produce the best products.

Modesto Bee article June 20, 2020