Floyd Zaiger
| Floyd Zaiger | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1926 Nebraska |
| Residence | Modesto, California, United States |
| Fields | Biology, pomology, fruit hybridizing |
| Institutions | Zaiger's Genetics |
| Alma mater | UC Davis |
Chris "Floyd" Zaiger (born 1926) is a biologist who is noted for his work in fruit breeding and hybrid development, particularly of stone fruit. Zaiger founded Zaiger's Genetics, a fruit-breeding business in Modesto, California, which is now an international business selling cultivars and hybrids. Zaiger is famous for developing varieties such as the Spyksma pluot, and has been called "the most prolific stone fruit breeder in the modern era."
Zaiger, a Nebraska native, received a degree in plant pathology and agricultural education in 1952 from the University of California, Davis.
Zaiger has developed both cultivars of existing species and new hybrids such as the pluot He uses cross-pollination by hand, rather than gene-splicing or DNA manipulation, to develop new hybrids. The Zaigers hold around 280 patents for types of fruit.
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