FALL 2003 COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS

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ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

FALL 2003 COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS

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Contents
Authors _______________________________________________________________ 4 Introduction: Tips for Interpreting Vegetable Variety Trial Performance Results ______ 5 Eggplant Trial Conducted at Brewton ________________________________________ 7 No Differences Found Among Romaine Lettuces ________________________________ 9 Hot Pepper Trials Contain Ancho, Cayenne, and Jalapeño Types __________________ 11 Comparison of Cucurbita moschata Germplasm to Commercial Pumpkin Varieties _____ 13 High Pumpkin Yields at North Alabama ______________________________________ 15 Results of the 2003 Southernpea Cooperative Trials ___________________________ 17 Summer Squash Trials Reveal Few Differences ________________________________ 19 Results of the 2003 National Sweetpotato Collaborators’ Trials __________________ 21 ‘All Top’ Turnip Tops All __________________________________________________ 23 Triploid Watermelon Cultivar Evaluation, Summer 2003 _________________________ 25 Winter Squash Varieties Exhibit Few Differences ______________________________ 28 Seed Sources for Alabama Trials ___________________________________________ 30

Information contained herein is available to all persons without regard to race, color, sex, or national origin. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other related acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.

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ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

Authors
Tony Dawkins Superintendent Sand Mountain Research and Extension Center Crossville, AL (256) 528-7133 Darby M. Granberry Department of Horticulture University of Georgia Rural Development Center Tifton, GA Thomas Horgan Research Associate North Mississippi Research and Extension Center Mississippi State University Verona, MS Peter Hudson Research Associate II Truck Crops Experiment Station Mississippi State University Crystal Springs, MS (601) 892-3731 W.Terry Kelley Department of Horticulture University of Georgia Rural Development Center Tifton, GA Joe Kemble Associate Professor and Extension Horticulturist Department of Horticulture Auburn University, AL (334) 844-3050 Gerard W. Krewer Department of Horticulture University of Georgia Rural Development Center Tifton, GA Richard G. Snyder Vegetable Specialist Truck Crops Experiment Station Mississippi State University Crystal Springs, MS Edgar Vinson Research Assocaite Department of Horticulture Auburn University, AL (334) 844-3041

Randy Akridge Superintendent Brewton Agricultural Research Unit Brewton, AL (334) 867-3139 George Boyhan Department of Horticulture University of Georgia East Georgia Extension Center Statesboro, GA Jason Burkett Superintendent E.V. Smith Research Center Shorter, AL (334) 727-6159 Arnold Caylor Superintendent North Alabama Horticulture Research Center Cullman, AL (256) 734-5820 Kent Cushman Associate Research Professor North Mississippi Research and Extension Center Mississippi State University Verona, MS

FALL 2003 COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS

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Introduction: Tips for Interpreting Vegetable Variety Performance Results
Joe Kemble and Edgar Vinson The Fall 2003 Vegetable Variety Trials regional bulletin includes results from Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Trials conducted at various locations provide a wealth of information to growers, extension specialists, researchers, and seed companies. The main purpose of vegetable variety evaluation, however, is to provide growers and seed retailers practical information on varieties and to assist growers in selecting an appropriate variety. Here are a few tips for interpreting vegetable variety trial resuslts. Open Pollinated vs. Hybrid Varieties In general, hybrids (also referred to as F1) mature earlier and produce a more uniform crop. Often, they have improved disease, pest, or virus tolerances and/or resistances. Generally, hybrid seed is more expensive than that of open-pollinated (OP) varieties, and seeds cannot be collected and saved for planting next year’s crop. Despite the advantages hybrids offer, OP varieties are still planted in Alabama. Selecting a hybrid variety, however, is the first step toward earliness and improved crop quality. Yield Potential Yields reported in variety trial results are extrapolated from small plots. Depending on the vegetable crop, plot sizes range from 50 to 600 square feet. Yields per acre are estimated by multiplying plot yields by corrective factors ranging from 100 to 1,000. Small errors can be amplified, and estimated yields per acre may not be realistic. Therefore, locations cannot be compared to one another by just looking at the range of yields actually reported. The relative differences in performance among varieties within a location are realistic, however, and can be used to identify the best-performing varieties. Statistical Interpretation The coefficient of determination (R2), coefficient of variation (CV), and least significant difference (LSD, 5%) are reported for each test. These numbers are helpful in separating differences due to small plots (sampling error) and true (but unknown) differences among entries. R2 values range between zero and one. Values close to one suggest that the test was conducted under good conditions and most of the variability observed was mainly due to the effect of variety and replication. Random, uncontrolled errors were of lesser importance. CV is an expression of yield variability relative to yield mean. Low CVs (under 20%) are desirable but are not always achieved. There must be a minimum yield difference between two varieties before one can statistically conclude that one variety actually performs better than another. This is known as the least significant difference (LSD). When the difference in yield is less than the LSD value, one cannot conclude that there is any real difference between two varieties. For example, in the pumpkin trial presented in this issue conducted at the North Alabama Horticulture Research Center, ‘Pro Gold 500’ yielded 87,459 pounds per acre, while ‘Howdy Doody’ and ‘Racer’ yielded 72,857 and 64,410 pounds per acre, respectively. The LSD for this test was 15,000. Since there was less than a 15,000 difference between ‘Pro Gold 500’ and Howdy Doody’ , there is no statistical difference between these two varieties. However, the yield difference between ‘Pro Gold 500’ and ‘Racer’ was 23,049, indicating that there is a real difference between these two varieties. From a practical point of view, producers should place the greatest importance on LSD values when interpreting results. Ratings of Trials At each location, variety trials were rated on a 1 to 5 scale, based on weather conditions, fertilization, irrigation, pest pressure, and overall performance (Table 1). These numbers may be used to interpret differences in performance from location to location. The overall rating may be used to give more importance to the results of variety performance under good growing conditions. Results from trials with ratings of 2 and under are not reported.

6 Testing Conditions AU vegetable variety trials are conducted under standard, recommended commercial production practices. If the cropping system to be used is different from that used in the trials, the results of the trials may not apply. Information on soil type (Table 2), planting dates, fertilizer rates, and detailed spray schedules is provided to help producers compare their own practices to the standard one used in the trials and make relevant adjustments. Where to Get Seeds Because seeds are alive, their performance and germination rate depend on how old they are, where and how they were collected, and how they have been handled and stored. It is always preferable to purchase certified seeds from a reputable source, such as the ones listed in

ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Seed Sources for Alabama Trials at the end of this publication. Several factors other than yield have to be considered when choosing a vegetable variety from a variety trial report. The main factors are type, resistance and tolerance to diseases, earliness and, of course, availability and cost of seeds. It is always better to try two to three varieties on a small scale before planting a large number of a single variety. Vegetable Trials on the Web For more vegetable variety information be sure to visit the Commercial Vegetable Production at AU Web page at http://www.aces.edu/dept/com_veg/veg_trial/ vegetabl.htm. Here you will find description of variety types, a ratings system, and information about participating seed companies.

T ABLE 1. DESCRIPTION
Rating 5 4 3 2 1 Weather Very good Favorable Acceptable Adverse Destructive Fertilizer Very good Good Acceptable Low Very Low

OF

RATINGS
Pests None Light Tolerable Adverse Destructive Overall Excellent Good Acceptable Questionable Useless

Irrigation Very good Good Acceptable Low Insufficient

TABLE 2. SOIL TYPES AT THE LOCATIONS OF THE ALABAMATRIALS
Location Gulf Coast Research and Extension Center (Fairhope) Brewton Agricultural Research Unit (Brewton) Wiregrass Research and Extension Center (Headland) Lower Coastal Plain Substation (Camden) E.V. Smith Research Center, Horticultural Unit (Shorter) Chilton Research and Extension Center (Clanton) Upper Coastal Plain Agricultural Research Center (Winfield) North Alabama Horticultural Research Center (Cullman) Sand Mountain Research and Extension Center (Crossville) Water-holding capacity (in/in) 0.09 0.12 0.14 0.13 0.15 0.13 0.13 0.16 0.16 0.19 0.14 0.15 0.15 0.17 0.15 0.20 0.20 0.18 Soil type Malbis fine sandy loam Benndale fine sandy loam Dothan sandy loam Forkland fine sandy loam Norfolk-orangeburg loamy sand Luvernue sandy loam Savannah loam Hartsells-Albertville fine sandy loam Wynnville fine sandy loam

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Eggplant Trial Conducted at Brewton
Joe Kemble, Edgar Vinson, and Randy Akridge An eggplant variety trial was conducted at the Brewton Agricultural Research Unit (BARU) in Brewton (Tables 1 and 2). Soils were fertilized according to the recommendations of the Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory. Names of chemicals are mentioned only for describing the production practices used. This represents neither a recommendation nor an endorsement of these products. Current recommendations for pest and weed control in vegetable production in Alabama may be found in IPM Commercial Vegetables: Insect, Disease, Nematode and Weed Control Recommendations (Publication 2003IPM2 from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System). Eggplant transplants were set on plots that were 20 feet long and 6 feet wide on May 23 at a within row spacing of 2 feet. There was a 10-foot spacing between rows and a 5-foot spacing within a row. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications. Eggplants were harvested six times between July 7 and August 11(Table 3). Eggplants were then mowed to the ground and allowed to grow back for a fall harvest.

TABLE 1. RATINGS OF THE 2003 EGGPLANT VARIETY TRIALS 1
Location Weather Fertility Irrigation Pests Overall
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BARU 5 5 5 5 5

See introduction for a description of rating scales.

Eggplants were harvested three times in the fall between October 3 and October 17 (Table 3). In early season production, ‘Epic’, ‘Dusky’, and ‘Green Giant’ were the top three performers followed by ‘Megal’ and ‘Ichiban’. These varieties were statistically similar. In total spring production, ‘Night Shadow’ produced yields that were significantly higher than all other varieties except ‘Black Bell’. Again in the fall production ‘Night Shadow’ had significantly higher yields than all other varieties with the exception of ‘Zebra’.

TABLE 2. SEED SOURCE
Variety Type1

AND

CHARACTERISTICS
Color2

OF

SELECTED EGGPLANT VARIETIES
Maturity Disease resistance/tolerance3

Seed source

Black Bell F1 Stokes B 65 — Calliope F1 Johnny’s Select P,W 64 — Dusky F1 Seminis B 62 TMV Epic F1 Seminis B 64 TOMV Ghostbuster F1 Harris W 80 — Green Giant F1 Johnny’s Select G 62 — Ichiban F1 Gurney’s B 58 — Megal F1 Vilmorin B 60 CMV,TMV Night Shadow F1 Stokes B 75 — Vernal F1 Stokes B 70 CMV,TMV Zebra F1 Johnny’s Select P,W 70 — 1 Type: F1=Hybrid. 2Color: B=Black; P=Purple, W=White. 3 Disease resistance/tolerance: CMV=Cucumber Mosaic Virus; TMV=Tobacco Mosaic Virus; TOMV=Tomato Mosaic Virus. —=not available from seed catalogues.

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ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

TABLE 3. EARLY SPRING, TOTAL SPRING, AND TOTAL FALL PRODUCTION OF S ELECTED E GGPLANT V ARIETIES
Variety Early marketable yield lbs/ac 6,932 6,212 5,699 5,663 5,351 4,235 3,179 2,888 2,863 2,143 1,971 0.80 26 1,605 38,209 30,130 27,379 25,605 25,542 24,809 23,057 21,500 19,625 19,575 14,568 0.50 27 9,905 15,852 11,473 7,768 6,628 5,627 5,492 3,634 3,350 3,240 3,212 2,205 0.60 59 5,327 Early fancy weight lbs/ac 4,335 3,973 4,303 3,854 2,805 3,636 2,609 1,869 2,227 1,864 1,679 0.53 35 1,530 17,426 17,521 14,994 13,396 14,850 13,460 11,554 13,248 10,478 10,675 11,126 0.50 20 3,951 12,139 8,692 4,646 4,888 4,240 4,317 2,562 2,240 2,534 2,514 1,815 0.70 55 3,620 Early Early US no.1 US no.2 weight weight lbs/ac lbs/ac Early Spring Yield 1,789 1,616 2,160 318 1,093 1,151 1,269 1,079 969 1,577 523 305 1,140 • 793 848 848 • 1,118 • 583 • 0.51 0.34 52 75 878 1,465 Total Spring Yield 16,597 4,186 8,303 4,307 6,748 5,637 7,162 5,047 7,504 3,189 6,362 4,987 5,340 6,164 4,777 3,475 4,507 2,588 4,806 1,827 4,093 1,057 0.70 0.44 23 42 7,653 3,558 Total Fall Yield 2,660 1,054 3,678 1,256 1,628 2,535 2,320 • 819 2,271 1,251 944 1,182 744 1,797 422 941 • 594 418 1,562 • 0.50 0.70 70 55 2,296 1,165 Early fancy number no/ac 4,785 4,350 4,241 7,178 8,374 3,806 2,828 2,066 1,849 1,958 2,501 0.72 37 2,098 17,400 18,596 16,965 15,116 13,920 23,381 32,843 19,031 13,376 13,811 14,790 0.61 24 6,070 15,225 17,618 13,376 10,114 6,960 9,461 3,589 5,003 5,111 3,806 2,284 0.60 54 6,562 Early US no.1 number no/ac 1,958 2,936 1,160 1,740 2,501 435 870 870 870 1,740 653 0.60 54 1,208 8,156 7,721 7,286 8,265 6,525 9,788 12,941 6,525 5,546 6,416 5,655 0.44 42 2,698 3,806 4,785 3,770 4,350 1,631 4,060 1,595 4,568 1,595 1,196 1,740 0.60 47 1,164 Early US no.2 number no/ac 1,305 435 1,088 1,740 3,589 435 • 435 • • • 0.70 72 2,112 3,915 4,894 5,764 5,655 3,045 8,265 12,506 4,459 2,610 2,030 870 0.70 47 3,598 1,631 2,900 5,945 • 4,350 3,045 1,740 1,088 • 870 • 0.80 48 2,221

Epic Dusky Green Giant Megal Ichaban Black Bell Calliope Zebra Night Shadow Ghostbusters Vernal R2 CV
LSD

Night Shadow Black Bell Epic Dusky Green Giant Megal Ichiban Vernal Ghostbuster Zebra Calliope R2 CV
LSD

Night Shadow Zebra Ichiban Vernal Dusky Calliope Black Bell Megal Ghostbusters Epic Green Giant R2 CV
LSD

•=not found.

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No Differences Found Among Romaine Lettuces
Joe Kemble, Edgar Vinson, and Jason Burkett A lettuce variety trial containing butterhead, looseleaf, and romaine types was conducted at the E.V. Smith Research Center (EVSRC) in Shorter, Alabama (Tables 1 and 2). Beds were covered with white plastic mulch and drip irrigation was used. On October 16 five-week-old lettuce transplants were set in double staggered rows space 12 inches apart with a within-row spacing of 12 inches. Plots were 10 feet long on 5-foot centers. This created a stand of approximately 17,400 plants per acre. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications. Fertilizer was applied according to the recommendations of the Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory. Names of chemicals are mentioned only for describing the production practices used. This represents neither a recommendation nor an endorsement of these products. For current recommendations for pest and weed control in vegetable production in Alabama, consult your county Extension agent (see http://www.aces.edu/counties/) or

TABLE 1. RATINGS OF THE 2003 LETTUCE VARIETY TRIALS1
Location Weather Fertility Irrigation Pests Overall
1

EVSRC 5 5 5 5 5

See introduction for a description of rating scales.

view recommendations online at http://www.aces.edu/ pubs/docs/A/ANR-0500/VOL-0001/COMMVEG.pdf. A liquid calcium nitrate solution and 20-10-20 were injected on September 19 and September 23 at a rate of 6 pounds of N per acre. Between October 16 and November 25, fertilization consisted of weekly injections of 6 pounds of N per acre, with alternate injections of calcium nitrate (9-0-0-11) and 20-10-20.

TABLE 2. SEED SOURCE, EARLINESS, AND DISEASE CLAIMS
Variety Head type Seed source Days to harvest

OF

SELECTED LETTUCE VARIETIES
Disease claims1 Years evaluated

Leaf color

Optima Butterhead Vilmorin/Sieger’s Nancy Butterhead Johnny’s Esmeralda Butterhead Sieger’s Tania Butterhead Harris Harmony Butterhead Shamrock Athena Looseleaf Enza Zaden/Siegers Louisa Looseleaf Harris New Red Fire Looseleaf Takii Slobolt Looseleaf Siegers Tango Looseleaf Johnny’s Green Towers Romaine Harris Parris Island Romaine Stokes Red Eye Romaine Stokes 1 Disease claims: B=Bolting, CRR=Cork root rot, DM=Downy —=not available from seed catalogues; •=not found.

55 Green DM,LMV 95-97,02,03 66 Red — 96,97,02,03 65 Green DM,LMV 02,03 65 Green DM 02,03 68 Green B,DM,TB 02,03 63 Green CRR,DM,LMV,TB 02,03 56 Green — 02,03 55 Red — 95,96,02,03 57 Green TB 96,97,02,03 45 Green — 98,003 74 Green — 02,03 65 Green TB 96,97,02,03 • Red • 02,03 mildew, LMV=Lettuce Mosaic Virus, TB=Tip burn.

10 Lettuce was harvested on December 5 and graded according to the U.S. Standards for Grades of Romaine (U.S. Dept. Of Agriculture Publication 60-6130) (Table 3). Among looseleaf types, ‘Athena’ and ‘Slobolt’ produced yields that were significantly higher than ‘Tango’, ‘New Red Fire’, and ‘Louisa’. Butterhead types ‘Nancy’ and ‘Tania’ were similar in yield and had significantly higher yields than ‘Esmeralda’, ‘Harmony’ and ‘Optima’. No differences were found among romaine types.

ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

TABLE 3. PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED ROMAINE, BUTTERHEAD, AND LOOSELEAF LETTUCE TYPES
Variety Athena Slobolt Tango New Red Fire Louisa Green Tower Parris Island Red Eye Nancy Tania Esmeralda Harmony Optima R2 CV
LSD

Type Looseleaf Looseleaf Looseleaf Looseleaf Looseleaf Romaine Romaine Romaine Butterhead Butterhead Butterhead Butterhead Butterhead

Marketable weight lbs/ac 25,136 20,724 19,119 18,578 15,813 24,719 22,659 20,858 23,703 20,738 19,665 18,625 16,427 0.60 13 3,909

Marketable heads no/ac 17,202 16,985 15,896 17,202 16,985 17,202 15,025 17,420 17,202 17,202 17,202 17,202 16,985 0.50 5 2,472

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Hot Pepper Trials Contain Ancho, Cayenne, and Jalepeño Types
Joe Kemble, Edgar Vinson, Randy Akridge, and Arnold Caylor Hot pepper varieties trials were conducted at the Brewton Agriculture Research Unit (BARU) in Brewton and the North Alabama Horticulture Research Center (NAHRC) in Cullman (Tables 1 and 2). Fertilizer was applied according to the recommendations of the Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory. Names of chemicals are mentioned only for describing the production practices used. This represents neither a recommendation nor an endorsement of these products. For current recommendations for pest and weed control in vegetable production in Alabama, consult your county Extension agent (see http://www.aces.edu/counties/) or view recommendations online at http://www.aces.edu/ pubs/docs/A/ANR-0500/VOL-0001/COMMVEG.pdf.

TABLE 1. RATINGS OF THE 2003 HOT PEPPER VARIETY TRIALS 1
Location Weather Fertility Irrigation Pests Overall
1

BARU 5 5 5 5 5

NAHRC 5 5 5 5 5

See introduction for a description of rating scales.

At BARU, hot peppers were planted on bare ground on plots that were 3 feet by 7 feet with a within-row spacing of 12 inches. Drip irrigation was used. Peppers were
AND

TABLE 2. SEED SOURCE, FRUIT CHARACTERISTICS,
Variety Tiburon Ancho San Luis Ancho San Martin Ancho 101 Andy Type1 F1 OP F1 OP F1 Classification Ancho Ancho Ancho Ancho Cayenne Seed source

EARLINESS
Pod shape

OF

SELECTED HOT PEPPER VARIETIES
RSR3 Disease claims4

Days to harvest

Color2

Siegers 81 Tapered G–R 1,000-3,000 — Seminis 78 Blunt point G–R 1,500-4,500 — Seminis 75 Tapered G–R — — Rupp 78 Tapered G–R 1,000-1,500 — Johnny’s 65 Thin G–R — TMV Select Cayar F1 Cayenne Seedway 63 Thin G–R — — Cayenne LS OP Cayenne Rupp 72 Thin G–R 30,000-50,000 — Mesilla F1 Cayenne Seminis 87 Thin G–R 2,000-4,000 PVY,TEV,TbP TM 888 Thin Hot F1 Cayenne Seedway 71 Thin G–R — — Ixtapa X3R F1 Jalapeño Seminis 75 Blunt point G–R 4,000-6,000 BLS(1,2,3) Grande F1 Jalapeño Seminis 75 Blunt point G–R 4,000-6,000 PVY TEV Mitla F1 Jalapeño Seminis 72 Blunt point G–R 4,000-5,000 — Summer Heat 105 F1 Jalapeño Abbott & — Blunt point G–R — — Cobb Summer Heat 5000 F1 Jalapeño Abbott & 75 Blunt point G–R — CMV,PVY, Cobb TEV,TMV Tula F1 Jalapeño Seminis — Blunt point G–R 4,000-6,000 TMV 1 Type: OP=Open pollinated, F1=Hybrid. 2Color: G–R=Green fruit turning red. 3RSR: Relative Scoville Rating=the higher the rating, the hotter the variety. 4 Disease claims: BLS (1,2,3)=Bacterial Leaf Spot races 1,2,and 3; PVY=Potato Virus Y; TEV=Tobacco Etch Virus; TbP=Tobamo Virus; TMV=Tobacco Mosaic Virus. —=not available from seed catalogues.

12 transplanted on June 3. At NAHRC, hot peppers transplants were set on plots that were 8 feet by 10 feet on June 16. Beds were covered in white plastic mulch and drip irrigation was used. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications. At BARU, peppers were harvested on July 17, July 24, July 31, and August 12. At NAHRC peppers were harvested on July 30, August 26, and September 18. At both locations the weight of 25 pods was also determined (Table 3). At NAHRC, jalapeño and ancho type peppers were tried. Jalapeño varieties ‘Tula’, ‘Summer Heat 5000’, and ‘Summer Heat 105’ were statistically similar. ‘Tiburon’ was the best of the three ancho types. At BARU, ancho, cayenne, and jalapeño peppers were tried. Of the ancho types, ‘Ancho 101’ had the lowest yield. ‘Andy’ and ‘TM 888 Thin Hot’ were the two top yielding cayenne varieties. The jalapeño variety ‘Ixtapa’ had significantly higher yields than the standard variety ‘Mitla’.

ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

T ABLE 3. PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED JALEPEÑO , ANCHO, CAYENNE H OT PEPPER VARIETIES
Variety North Tula Summer Heat #5000 Summer Heat #105 Ixtapa Grande Tiburon Ancho San Martin Ancho San Luis R2 CV
LSD

AND

Type

Total marketable weight lbs/ac

25-pod weight lbs 5.69 5.32 5.15 5.77 4.46 13.46 12.00 10.78 0.93 15 1.6 2.81 1.70 1.23 1.75 0.76 2.72 1.16 0.52 2.89 2.32 2.74 2.30 0.84 21 0.5

Tiburon Ancho San Martin Ancho 101 Andy TM 888 Thin Hot Mesilla Cayar Rupp LS Cayenne Ixtapa Grande Mitla Tula R2 CV
LSD

Alabama Horticulture Research Center Jalapeño 33,632 Jalapeño 32,205 Jalapeño 30,397 Jalapeño 26,353 Jalapeño 21,984 Ancho 21,880 Ancho 16,673 Ancho 13,144 0.80 15 6,213 Brewton Agricultural Research Unit Ancho 8,452 Ancho 6,792 Ancho 3,427 Cayenne 13,813 Cayenne 11,516 Cayenne 10,857 Cayenne 7,860 Cayenne 4,402 Jalapeño 16,156 Jalapeño 12,724 Jalapeño 11,858 Jalapeño 10,074 0.84 19 2,611

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Comparison of Cucurbita moschata Germplasm to Commercial Pumpkin Varieties
George E. Boyhan, Gerard W. Krewer, Darbie M. Granberry, and W. Terry Kelley Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo & C. maxima) is an important crop in the United States particularly for fall Halloween sales. Georgia produced only 510 acres of pumpkins in 2001 with a value just under $2 million. The top five pumpkin-producing counties that year were Dawson, Bacon, Brooks, Mitchell, and White Counties, which represented 263 acres with about half of this produced in Dawson and White Counties in north Georgia. In 2001, the United States harvested 35,600 acres of pumpkins concentrated in six states: California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. This does not include the smaller acreage that is produced throughout the United States primarily for fall harvest. Although south Georgia is the primary vegetableproducing region of the state, conditions are not conducive for fall pumpkin production. Diseases such as mosaic viruses, downy mildew, and powdery mildew preclude fall production due to the high susceptibility of most pumpkin varieties. Several years ago, seed of Cucurbita moschata was obtained from Brazil and a program of selection was initiated to select for material with high disease resistance and fruit characteristics suitable for the fall Halloween market. The objective of this study was to compare this material to commercial pumpkin varieties under fall production in south Georgia. Seed from the spring 2003 season selections were sown on July 21, 2003 in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Each plot consisted of 10 hills planted with an in-row spacing of 6 feet and a between-row spacing of 12 feet. Fertilization and weed control followed University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service recommendations. There was no disease control program used. Plots were harvested on October 22, 2003 with each fruit weighed individually. Yield data were calculated based on a 360 square foot plot. Plots were rated on September 3, 2003 for disease incidence. Each plot was assigned a disease severity rating of 1-5, with 1 indicating no disease symptoms and 5 severe symptoms. Although both downy mildew and mosaic disease symptoms were present, no attempt was made to identify specific diseases. The disease rating was based primarily on mosaic disease symptoms. Because we wished to use the most recently selected material (spring 2003), we did not sow seed for this trial until July 21, which only allowed approximately 90 days to harvest. This material, we feel, would have performed better if it were sown one month earlier allowing for 120 days to maturity. Consequently, the fruit were smaller and yields lower than expected. The disease rating information was the most dramatic development of this trial. The commercial varieties—‘Merlin’, ‘Gold Strike’, and ‘Magic Lantern’—all had severe disease infections particularly to virus diseases, which affected yield. All of the experimental material had significantly lower disease incidence than the commercial varieties. This is important because disease incidence is the most limiting factor to south Georgia pumpkin production. There is no virus control measure that is effective in all cases; therefore, host-plant resistance will be an important attribute in this material. Yields ranged from 1,416 pounds per acre for ‘Gold Strike’ to 30,278 pounds per acre for #8 (see table). These yields are considerably lower than have been recorded in recent trials. A trial held at Blairsville, Georgia, in 2002 had yields ranging from approximately 30,000 pounds per acre to more than 100,000 pounds per acre. Experimental varieties #8, #6, and #17 all had significantly greater yields than the highest yielding commercial variety, ‘Magic Lantern’. The high yields of the experimental varieties are the direct result of higher disease resistance. Commercial varieties exhibited virus disease symptoms early on which appeared to dramatically reduce growth and yield. We plan to continue the selection process during the 2004 spring and fall seasons. In addition, variety tri-

14 als with the most promising material are planned for both spring and fall. It is hoped the spring trial will give us a good idea on yield potential in comparison to commercial

ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION varieties under favorable growing conditions, while the fall trial should give us another assessment of disease resistance along with production potential.

PUMPKIN YIELD
Variety Source

AND

FRUIT CHARACTERISTICS
Fruit size range lbs 2.5 – 10.2 3.6 – 12.3 1.7 – 12.7 1.4 – 15.7 2.4 – 13.9 1.4 – 16.6 1.8 – 18.7 Disease rating1 4.3 4.0 4.0 2.2 1.0 1.6 1.0 10% 1.0

Avg. fruit Yield Yield weight lbs/ac no/ac lbs Merlin Harris Moran 3,081 484 6.4 Gold Strike Rupp 1,416 202 7.0 Magic Lantern Harris Moran 7,365 1,210 6.1 #12 Experimental 13,544 1,734 7.8 #17 Experimental 24,567 3,630 6.8 #6 Experimental 23,817 4,638 5.1 #8 Experimental 30,278 3,832 7.9 CV 36% Fisher’s Protected LSD (p<0.05) 9,423 1 Virus disease rating: 1-5, 1=no visible symptoms, 5=severe symptoms.

FALL 2003 COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS

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High Pumpkin Yields at North Alabama
Joe Kemble, Edgar Vinson, and Arnold Caylor A pumpkin variety trial was conducted at the North Alabama Horticulture Research Center (NAHRC) in Cullman (Tables 1 and 2). Soils were fertilized according to the recommendations of the Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory. Names of chemicals are mentioned only for describing the production practices used. This represents neither a recommendation nor an endorsement of these products. For current recommendations for pest and weed control in vegetable production in Alabama, consult your county Extension agent (see http://www.aces.edu/counties/) or view recommendations online at http://www.aces.edu/ pubs/docs/A/ANR-0500/VOL-0001/COMMVEG.pdf. Pumpkins were direct seeded in hills on rows that were 60 feet long on July 16. There was a 10-foot spacing between rows and a 5-foot spacing within a row. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications. Beds were made and weekly applications of 5 pounds per acre of N as ammonium nitrate were injected through the drip irrigation from July 21 through September 7. Plots

TABLE 1. RATINGS OF 2003 P UMPKIN VARIETY TRIALS1
Location Weather Fertility Irrigation Pests Overall
1

NAHRC 5 5 5 5 5

See introduction for a description of rating scales.

received no other fertilization. Pesticides were applied weekly from July 24 through September 25. Pumpkins were harvested on October 14. Because color development stops after harvest, pumpkins were harvested at the full-color stage and graded as marketable or non marketable (Table 3). Overall, yields were higher in 2003 (Table 3) than in 2002. ‘Pro Gold 500’ produced only 18,599 pounds per acre in 2002 while in 2003 it produced 87,459 pounds per acre. On the other hand, ‘Sorcerer’ yielded 44,398 TABLE 2. SEED SOURCE, RELATIVE E ARLINESS, AND F RUIT SIZE pounds per acre and OF S ELECTED P UMPKIN V ARIETIES 54,928 pounds per acre in 2002 and 2003, respecVariety Type1 Seed Maturity Fruit weight source (days) (lbs) tively. ‘Sorcerer ’ was among the best performAppalachian F1 Seminis 90 20 – 25 ers in 2002 but in 2003 it Gold Bullion F1 Rupp Seeds 110 15 – 25 was among the poorest. Gold Medal OP Rupp Seeds 108 >25 Howdy Doody — Rupp Seeds 90 15 – 25 The industry standard Sorcerer F1 Harris Moran 105 15 – 25 ‘Appalachian’ was also Phantom F1 Seminis 110 20 – 30 among the poorest perPro Gold 300 F1 Abbot and Cobb 88 15 – 25 formers in 2003.
Pro Gold 510 F1 Abbott and Cobb 95 20 – 30 Pro Gold 500 F1 Abbott and Cobb 95 20 – 30 Magic Lantern F1 Harris Moran 115 15 – 25 Racer F1 Johnny’s Seeds 98 15 – 25 Rocket F1 Johnny’s Seeds 85 15 – 25 1 Type: F1=Hybrid, OP=Open pollinated. —=not available from seed catalogues.

16

ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

T ABLE 3. PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED P UMPKIN VARIETIES AT NORTH ALABAMA HORTICULTURE R ESEARCH CENTER
Variety Marketable yield lbs/ac Pro Gold 500 87,459 Howdy Doody 72,857 Racer 64,410 Phantom 63,603 Pro Gold 300 62,880 Gold Bullion 58,428 Sorcerer 54,982 Magic Lantern 53,471 Rocket 52,350 Gold Medal 50,989 Pro Gold 510 50,831 Appalachian 48,304 R2 0.20 CV 41 LSD 15,000 Marketable Individual number fruit weight no/ac lbs 6,837 12.64 6,321 11.51 5,074 12.72 3,827 16.67 6,880 9.14 4,601 12.56 5,031 10.74 3,956 13.36 3,569 14.09 3,698 13.45 4,945 10.31 3,225 16.13 0.41 0.40 35 25 1,015 4.5

FALL 2003 COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS

17

Results of the 2003 Southernpea Cooperative Trials
Joe Kemble, Edgar Vinson, and Arnold Caylor Replicated and observational southernpea cooperative trials were conducted at the North Alabama Horticulture Research Center (NAHRC) in Cullman, Alabama (Tables 1 and 2). The purpose of these trials is to evaluate the performance of southernpea cultigens that have not been released in comparison to current standard varieties. Southernpeas were planted into bare ground plots that were 20 feet long and 3 feet wide on July 11. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications. Plots had a within-row spacing of 1 foot. Overhead irrigation was used. Fertilization consisted of a preplant application of 510-15 at a rate of 500 pound per acre. Southernpeas were

TABLE 1. RATINGS OF THE 2003 SOUTHERNPEA COOPERATIVE T RIALS1
Location Weather Fertility Irrigation Pests Overall
1

BARU 5 5 5 5 5

See introduction for a description of rating scales.

harvested at the dry stage on September 3 and September 10. Dry and imbibed yields were determined. To estimate yield and to compensate for different percentages of dry

TABLE 2. YIELD

OF

SELECTED ENTRIES IN THE 2002 R EPLICATED SOUTHERNPEA COOPERATOR'S TRIAL
Imbibed weight lbs/ac 3,825 1,907 1,896 1,796 2,777 1,225 1,910 1,958 1,669 1,272 1,571 1,243 1,955 560 0.53 44 1,144 Shellout % 42.58 28.10 27.65 26.73 54.51 24.19 39.85 38.82 35.77 29.27 36.79 28.08 23.62 Variety Type

AND

O BSERVATIONAL
Imbibed weight lbs/ac 3,245 3,306 1,896 2,346 2,129 976 1,428 1,746 1,910 2,884 1,611 1,369 1,963 1,557 383

Variety

Type

Shelled weight lbs/ac

Shelled weight lbs/ac

Shellout % • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Replicated US 1071 Blackeye 2,239 Coronet Cream 1,847 TX 116BE Blackeye 1,815 AR 01-1293 Pinkeye 1,728 TX 123BE Blackeye 1,383 LA 9461 Pinkeye 1,287 Ark Blackeye Blackeye 1,258 #1 US 1031 Cream 1,192 US 1076 Pinkeye 1,186 LA 94-55 Pinkeye 1,144 TX 158Egc Pinkeye 1,130 AR 01-1657 Blackeye 1,081 LA 96-4 Cream 453 AR 96-868 Pinkeye 408 R2 0.54 CV 39 LSD 732 •=not found.

Observational AR 01-633 Blackeye 2,272 US-1086 Pinkeye 2,204 Coronet Pinkeye 1,815 AR 01-1237 Pinkeye 1,624 TX 160BE Blackeye 1,604 US-1088 Pinkeye 1,562 AR 96-854 Pinkeye 1,428 LA 94-1 Pinkeye 1,280 Ark Blackeye Blackeye 1,258 #1 AR 01-874 Red Holstein 1,236 TX 162PE Pinkeye 1,128 US-1084 Pinkeye 1,026 US-1080 Creame 981 TX 158BEgc Blackeye 778 LA 91-30cr Creame 306

18 and mature green pods, all peas shelled from each plot were placed into containers with water to allow the dry peas to soak up water (imbibe) overnight. Comparisons are then more realistic since all peas are at the same moisture level. Imbibed weights are estimates of mature green,

ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION shelled weight yield (Table 2). Bushels of fresh, in-pod yield per acre may be estimated by multiplying the imbibed weight by 2 (assuming an average shellout of 50 percent) and dividing it by 25 (the average weight of a bushel of fresh, unshelled southernpeas).

FALL 2003 COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS

19

Summer Squash Trials Reveal Few Differences
Joe Kemble, Edgar Vinson, and Randy Akridge A yellow and scallop summer squash variety trial was conducted at the Brewton Agricultural Research Unit (BARU) in Brewton (Tables 1 and 2). Soils were fertilized according to the recommendations of the Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory. Names of the chemicals are mentioned only for describing the production practices used. This represents neither a recommendation nor an endorsement of these products. For current recommendations for pest and weed control in vegetable production in Alabama, consult your county Extension agent (see http://www.aces.edu/counties/) or view recommendations online at http:// www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0500/VOL-0001/ COMMVEG.pdf. Plants were direct seeded on April 18. Plots were 20 feet long with 5-foot spacing between rows and a within

TABLE 1. RATINGS OF 2003 SUMMER S QUASH VARIETY TRIALS1
Location Weather Fertility Irrigation Pests Overall
1

BARU 5 5 5 5 5

See introduction for a description of rating scales.

row spacing of 2 feet. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications. Silver plastic mulch and drip irrigation were used. Plots were fumigated with methyl bromide at a rate of 250 pounds per acre. As a pre-plant fertilizer, TABLE 2. SEED SOURCE, FRUIT TYPE, AND RELATIVE EARLINESS 5-10-15 was applied at a rate OF SELECTED SQUASH VARIETIES of 600 pounds per acre. Thereafter, fertilization con1 Variety Type Seed Days to Disease Years sisted of weekly injections source harvest claims2 evaluated of N as calcium nitrate for a ACX 204 F1 A&C — — 02,03 total of 20 pounds of N per Butter Scallop F1 Novartis 48 — 03 acre. Dixie F1 Seminis 41 — 94-96,98-00,03 Squash were harGentry F1 Novartis 43 — 95-99,02,03 vested three times per week Medallion F1 A&C 53 — 96,02,03 between May 28 and June Patty Green Tint F1 Seminis 52 — 03 Precious II* F1 Harris 53 — 02,03 13. Squash were graded as Prelude II F1 Seminis 40 PM,WMV,ZYMV 97-01,03 marketable and non marketSeneca Supreme* F1 Rupp 45 CMV,WMV 94,97,98,03 able according to the United Starship F1 Novartis 45 — 03 Stated Standards for Supersette* F1 Harris Moran — CMV,WMV 94,96,03 Grades of Summer Squash Sunburst F1 Novartis 50 — 03 (U.S. Dept. Agr. G.P.O 1987Sunray* F1 Seedway — CMV,PM,WMV 03 180-916:40730AMS) (Tables Zephyr* F1 Johnny’s Select 54 — 99,01-03 1 3 and 4). Type: F1=Hybrid. 2Disease claims: PM=Powdery Mildew; ZYMV=Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus; WMV=Watermelon Mosaic Virus In the scallop squash *=Precocious variety. —=not available from seed catalogues. category, ‘Starship’ had sig-

20 nificantly higher yields than ‘Patty Green Tint’ or ‘Sunburst’ in both early and total yield. In the yellow summer squash category there were few differences in early yield. All varieties were similar in yield with the exceptions of ‘Seneca Supreme’ and ‘Sun Ray’. There were no significant differences in total yield.

ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

T ABLE 3. EARLY YIELD OF SELECTED YELLOW AND SCALLOP SUMMER SQUASH AT BREWTON AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH UNIT
Variety Starship Patty Green Tint Sunburst Gentry Medallion Supersette Prelude II ACX 204 Precious II Zephyr Seneca Supreme Sun Ray R2 CV
LSD
1

Type1 S S S Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

Early marketable yield lbs/ac 4,638 2,920 500 5,410 5,264 5,187 4,812 4,747 4,589 3,997 3,485 3,339 0.70 25 1,478

Early number no/ac 11,419 7,069 1,196 29,689 29,254 29,254 27,514 23,273 21,206 14,681 21,533 17,944 0.90 22 6,119

Type: S=Scallop; Y=Yellow.

TABLE 4. TOTAL YIELD
Variety

OF

SELECTED YELLOW VARIETIES
Total number no/ac 28,710 21,206 21,315 68,023 25,665 56,441 45,566 62,640 65,468 69,600 49,264 61,118 46,545 0.93 11 7,557

AND

PATTY PAN SQUASH
Percent Individual marketable fruit weight % lbs 59 0.38 53 0.37 65 0.33 94 0.19 66 0.50 89 0.23 71 0.28 81 0.20 74 0.18 83 0.17 80 0.24 61 0.18 77 0.24 0.90 13 0.05

Type1 Total marketable yield lbs/ac Starship P 10,810 Patty Green Tint P 7,852 Sunburst P 7,123 Seneca Supreme Y 13,023 Starship Y 12,876 Sun Ray Y 12,805 Zephyr Y 12,637 Medallion Y 12,327 Gentry Y 12,022 Supersette Y 11,946 ACX 204 Y 11,914 Prelude II Y 11,060 PreciousII Y 10,947 R2 0.63 CV 14 LSD 2,282 1 Type: P=Patty pan; Y=Yellow.

Cull lbs/ac 7,598 7,074 3,882 865 6,525 1,588 5,177 2,904 4,236 2,452 2,898 7,210 3,290 0.60 51 2,996

FALL 2003 COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS

21

Results of the 2003 National Sweetpotato Collaborators’ Trials
Joe Kemble, Edgar Vinson, and Arnold Caylor National sweetpotato collaborators’ trials were conducted at the North Alabama Horticulture Research Center (NAHRC) in Cullman, Alabama (Table 1.). Sweetpotato seed roots from selected commercial varieties and breeding lines were planted in a heated bed at NAHRC on April 15 for slip production. Sweetpotato slips were planted on June 11. Varieties were replicated three times. Plots contained two rows that were 25 feet long and 3.5 feet wide. Within-row spacing was 1 foot. Soils were fertilized according to the recommendations of the Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory. Per acre fertilization consisted of 80 pounds of N, 40 pounds of P2O5, and 80 pounds of K2O total. Names of chemicals are mentioned only for describing the produc-

TABLE 1. RATINGS OF THE 2003 SWEET POTATO COLLABORATORS’ T RIALS1
Location Weather Fertility Irrigation Pests Overall
1

NAHRC 5 5 5 5 5

See introduction for a description of rating scales.

tion practices used. This represents neither a recommendation nor an endorsement of these products. For current recommendations for pest and weed control in vegetable production in TABLE 2. YIELD AND GRADE D ISTRIBUTION OF S ELECTED SWEETPOTATO Alabama, consult your BREEDING LINES AND CULTIVARS county Extension agent (see http://www.aces.edu/ Total Variety marketable US no.11 Canner2 Jumbo3 US no.14 Cull5 counties/) or view recom———————50-lb bushels/ac——————— —% of total yield— mendations online at http:/ Beauregard 805 596 90 147 72 29 /www.aces.edu/pubs/ (B94-14-G1 NC) docs/A/ANR-0500/VOLBeauregard 796 607 120 69 76 28 0001/COMMVEG.pdf. (B63-G1- LSU) Sweetpotatoes were Carolina Ruby 779 623 99 57 80 46 harvested on October 9. MS -I52* 752 610 140 7 81 66 Roots were graded as US no.1 (roots 2 to 3.5 inches MS-K39 700 503 72 125 73 20 in diameter, 3 to 9 inches L-99-35 686 503 48 134 73 19 in length, well shaped, and 2 R 0.30 0.50 0.70 0.34 0.20 0.30 free of defects), canner CV 14 12 26 57 10 63 (roots 1 to 2 inches in diLSD 185 122 40 111 66 33 1 ameter, 2 to 7 inches in US no.1: Roots 2 to 3.5 inches in diameter, length 3 to 9 inches; must be well shaped and free of defects. 2 Canners: Roots 1 to 2 inches in diameter, 2 to 7 inches in length. length), jumbo (roots that 3 Jumbos: Roots that exceed the diameter, length, and weight requirements of the exceed the diameter, above two grades, but are of marketable quality. 4 Percent US no.1: Calculated by dividlength, and weight reing the weight of US no.1's by the total marketable weight (Culls not included). 5 Culls: quirements of the US no.1 Roots must be 1 inch or larger in diameter and so misshapen or unattractive that they could grade, but that are of marnot fit as marketable roots in any of the above three grades.*MSI-152 was not replicated due ketable quality), or cull to insufficient number of slips. Averages yields are given on a per acre basis.

22 (roots at least 1 inch in diameter but so misshapen or unattractive that they could not be classified as marketable roots). Marketable yield was calculated by adding

ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION the yields of the US no. 1, canner, and jumbo grades. Percent US no.1 was calculated by dividing the yield of the US no.1 grade by the marketable yield (Table 2).

FALL 2003 COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS

23

‘All Top’ Turnip Tops All
Joe Kemble, Edgar Vinson, and Randy Akridge A leafy green variety trial was conducted at the Brewton Agricultural Research Unit (BARU) in Brewton, Alabama (Tables 1 and 2). Collard and turnip greens were direct-seeded on October 10 into plots that were 20 feet long and 5 feet wide. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications. Fertilizer was applied according to the recommendations of the Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory. Names of chemicals are mentioned only for describing the production practices used. This represents neither a recommendation nor an endorsement of these products. For current recommendations for pest and weed control in vegetable production in Alabama, consult your county Extension agent (see http://www.aces.edu/counties/) or view recommendations online at http://www.aces.edu/ pubs/docs/A/ANR-0500/VOL-0001/COMMVEG.pdf. Leafy greens were harvested when they reached marketable size (Table 3). Turnip leaves were harvested on December 1, 2003, and entire collard plants were harvested on January 13, 2004. Yields were expressed in 30pound bushels.

TABLE 1. RATINGS OF THE 2003 LEAFY GREENS VARIETY T RIALS1
Location Weather Fertility Irrigation Pests Overall
1

BARU 5 5 5 5 5

See introduction for a description of rating scales.

‘SCO 0104’, a new collard variety, performed better than the older standard varieties ‘Vates’ and ‘Champion’. ‘Flash’, an improved hybrid ‘Vates’ type, had yields that were higher than both ‘Champion’ and its predecessor ‘Vates’. Among the turnip varieties there were few differences with ‘All Top’ producing significantly more bushels per acre than all other turnip varieties. No other differences were found among varieties.

TABLE 2. SEED SOURCE AND EARLINESS OF SELECTED LEAFY GREEN VARIETIES
Variety Type1 Crop Champion OP Collard Flash F1 Collard Heavi-Crop F1 Collard Top Bunch F1 Collard Vates OP Collard SCO 0104 F1 Collard All Top F1 Turnip Purple Top White Globe OP Turnip Royal Crest F1 Turnip Seven Top OP Turnip Topper F1 Turnip Top Star F1 Turnip White Lady F1 Turnip 1 Type: F1=Hybrid, OP=Open pollinated. Seed source Harris A&C/Stokes Takii Sakata Stokes Sakata Sakata Seminis/Stokes Siegers Seminis/Stokes Rupp Sakata Stokes Days to harvest 75 73 70 70 56 70 50 60 45 45 60 36 35

24

ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

TABLE 3. PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED COLLARD AND T URNIP V ARIETIES
Variety Top Bunch SCO0104 Flash Champion Vates Hevi-Crop R2 CV
LSD

Type Collard Collard Collard Collard Collard Collard

All Top Top Star Topper Seven Top White Lady Royal Crest Purple Top White Globe R2 CV
LSD

Turnip Turnip Turnip Turnip Turnip Turnip Turnip

Leaf yield no of 30-lb bu/ac 634 583 566 423 374 315 0.90 12 83 651 523 520 499 495 389 371

0.90 8 56

FALL 2003 COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS

25

Triploid Watermelon Cultivar Evaluation, Summer 2003
Richard G. Snyder, Peter Hudson, Kent Cushman, and Thomas Horgan Eleven varieties of triploid (seedless) watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) were included in a variety trial at the Truck Crops Experiment Station in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, in the summer of 2003. A similar evaluation was conducted at the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center at Verona, but this report summarizes only results at the Crystal Springs location. Eleven varieties of triploid (seedless) watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) were included in a variety trial at the Truck Crops Experiment Station in Crystal Springs in the summer of 2003. This is the second year for evaluating the elongated, seedless types. Seed of eleven varieties of triploid watermelon were seeded in the greenhouse into 72-cell trays on March 13, 2003. All test varieties were red-fleshed, elongated, and in the 18- to 22-pound size class according to seed company descriptions. ‘Cooperstown’, an oval ‘Tri-X 313’ type triploid watermelon, was used as a standard cultivar of known good performance. Seed sources are shown in Table 1. Triploids were transplanted on April 11. Plants were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Plants were spaced 4 feet apart within the row, and 6 feet apart between rows (24 square feet per plant), with 10 plants per plot. This is equivalent to a plant population of 1,815 plants per acre. To insure good pollination, ‘Charleston Elite’ was selected as a pollinizer variety. This variety, with a solid, light green color, has a different appearance than the triploids being tested, which is important to avoid confusion

TABLE 1. SEED SOURCE, FRUIT YIELD, AND EARLINESS, TRIPLOID WATERMELON CULTIVAR EVALUATION, SUMMER 2003
Market Market Early Early Size early yield1 yield1 harvest2 harvest2 harvest1 lbs/ac no/ac lbs/ac no/ac lbs Vertigo Hazera 18,050 c-e 953 b-e 1,325 91 14.6 e Cooperstown Seminis 23,075 a-c 1,361 a 5,921 363 16.3 c-e Banner Sunseeds 24,813 ab 1,225 a-c 6,130 340 18.0 b-d WX28 Willhite 17,660 c-e 703 e 4,460 182 24.6 a Triple Seven SeedWay 22,114 a-d 1,270 a-c 4,576 250 18.3 b-d Seedless Sangria Syngenta 26,454 a 1,270 a-c 3,517 182 19.4 bc SWX4016 Sunseeds 21,156 a-d 1,157 a-d 7,283 363 20.1 b SR8026 Sunseeds 20,566 a-e 1,021 a-e 4,152 204 20.3 b Revolution Sunseeds 14,125 e 817 de 3,746 227 16.5 c-e Freedom Sunseeds 16,517 de 930 c-e 4,522 227 19.9 b Hazera 1042 Hazera 23,121 a-c 1,339 ab 3,285 212 15.5 de significance — * * ns ns *** p-value — 0.0158 0.0307 0.054 0.08 0.0006 LSD or mean LSD3 — 6,443 402 — — 3.32 1 Yield and size of marketable melons, based on melons greater than 10 pounds. Yield based on plant population of 1,815 plants per acre (24 square feet per plant). Rows spaced 6 feet apart with plants 4 feet apart in the row. 2 Early yield indicates portion of the weights or numbers of melons from the first of three harvests. 3 Least Significant Difference (LSD) at p<0.05. Treatments not significantly different (ns); significant at p<0.05 (*), p<0.01 (**), p<0.001 (***). Entry Seed source

26 during harvest. Seeding and transplant dates of the pollinizer variety were the same as the triploids. They were planted in every other plot in each block using a checkerboard pattern to be certain that pollen was well distributed among test varieties. Also, two honey bee hives were placed adjacent to the field to be sure that bee population was adequate. The soil at the Truck Crops Experiment Station is a Providence Silt Loam (fine-silty, mixed, thermic, Typic Fragiudalf). The rows were established on raised beds and were covered with black plastic mulch with trickle irrigation tubing beneath (rated at 0.5 gallons per 100 feet at 10 pounds per square inch). Plants were hand planted through holes cut in the mulch. Preplant and sidedressing fertilizer were applied according to the results of a soil test performed at the Mississippi State University Soil Testing Lab, with sidedressings via drip tape. This included applying 60 pounds of N, 100 pounds of P, and 200 pounds of K per acre preplant, then sidedressing with an additional 30 pounds of N per acre from calcium nitrate on May 16 when vines began to run, and again on May 29. Melons were harvested on July 1, July 9, and July 15. Each melon was weighed individually. Data collected included total and marketable numbers and weights of fruit. Fruit smaller than 10 pounds were considered unmarketable. Early yield was calculated from marketable weights and numbers of fruit harvested on July 1. In addition, fruit Brix (soluble solids) was recorded on two dates. On each date, one mature fruit per plot was cut and two samples were drawn from near the center. The two readings from each fruit were averaged. Brix was read with a hand held refractometer. Data were analyzed using SAS, utilizing proc GLM and proc MIXED, with mean separations by Least Significant Difference. Percentage data were arc sin transformed, and analyses performed on the transformed data. Means of variables analyzed with proc MIXED were separated by calculating mean lsd values from the product of the two-tailed t-value for α = 0.05 and the mean standard deviation for all pairwise comparisons. There were significant differences in marketable weights and numbers of fruit (Table 1). By weight, ‘Seedless Sangria’ had the highest yield, but it was not significantly different from ‘Banner’, ‘Hazera 1042’, ‘Cooperstown’, ‘Triple Seven’, SWX4016, or SR8026. ‘Revolution’ had the lowest yield by weight. As for yield by number of fruit per acre, ‘Cooperstown’ was the highest, but statistically the same as ‘Hazera 1042’, ‘Triple Seven’, ‘Seedless Sangria’, ‘Banner’, SWX4016, and SR8026. WX28 had the lowest yield by fruit number. There were no differences in early yield, either by weights or numbers of fruit (Table 1). However, there were

ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION differences in the size of early fruit harvested (Table 1). WX28 had the largest early fruit, averaging 24.6 pounds, and ‘Vertigo’ had the smallest, at 14.6 pounds. All of the others were in the 16- to 20-pound range. Fruit size over the whole season was also significantly different (Table 2). Again, WX28 had the largest fruit, averaging 25.1 pounds, but ‘Cooperstown’ had the smallest, at 17 pounds. It is not surprising that ‘Cooperstown’ would be the smallest since it is a ‘Tri-X 313’ type and not as elongated as the other triploids in this trial. However, it is surprising that it was not significantly different in size than ‘Triple Seven’, SWX4016, ‘Revolution’, ‘Freedom’, or ‘Hazera 1042’, which were all in the 17- to 18-pound range. Other varieties were intermediate in size, averaging 19 to 21 pounds. Fruit were divided into five size classes: less than 10 pounds, 10 to 14 pounds, 14 to 18 pounds, 18 to 22 pounds, and more than 22 pounds. Table 3 shows the size distribution of fruit. There was no difference in the number of colored seeds, which ranged from 0 to 2.5 seeds per fruit, but arc sin transformed data of percentage colored seeds were different, with ‘Triple Seven’ having more than the others (Table 2). However at 0.63 percent, this is still an extremely low incidence of seeds, and very acceptable to the market. Notable is that ‘Revolution’ had zero seeds, and it was the only variety with that claim. As with colored seeds, there were differences with hollowheart (Table 2). However the numbers were all extremely low, with well under 1 percent of fruit showing symptoms of this defect. ‘Hazera 1042’ had the highest incidence, at 0.81 percent, but this was not significantly different from four other varieties. ‘Revolution’ had no hollowheart at all, the only variety without any incidence. For those with hollowheart, the width of the opening at the widest point varied from 0.4 to 2 inches. ‘Hazera 1042’ and SWX4016 had the largest gap, but this was not significantly different from five other varieties. Again, it is important to keep in mind that the occurrence of hollowheart was very low in all varieties. Soluble solids, an indication of sweetness, was significantly different among varieties tested (Table 2). ‘Vertigo’ had the highest sugars (12.6 percent brix), followed by SR8026 (12.5 percent), ‘Hazera 1042’ (12 percent), and ‘Freedom’ (11.9 percent). The lowest was WX28 with 10.9 percent. There was no problem in the Crystal Springs trial with rind necrosis. Any of the varieties tested would be considered of suitable yield and quality for triploid watermelons in this size class. For marketable yield, the best were ‘Seedless Sangria’, ‘Banner’, ‘Hazera 1042’, ‘Triple Seven’, SWX4016, or SR8026. ‘Cooperstown’ also had high yield

FALL 2003 COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS in this trial, but it was included only as a reference variety because it had performed well in the past few years at this location. For fruit quality (colored seeds, hollowheart,

27 rind necrosis, undersized fruit), all varieties were very acceptable. ‘Vertigo’, SR8026, ‘Hazera 1042’, and ‘Freedom’ were the sweetest.

TABLE 2. FRUIT S IZE AND QUALITY , TRIPLOID WATERMELON CULTIVAR EVALUATION, SUMMER 2003
Colored Colored Hollow Hollow Soluble solids Size1 seed2 seed2 heart2 heart2 content 2 lbs no % % in % Vertigo 18.9 d 1.3 0.39 a-d 0.44 a-c 1.90 ab 12.6 a Cooperstown 17.0 e 1.0 0.26 b-e 0.06 d 1.00 a-c 11.2 de Banner 20.3 bc 1.2 0.52 a-c 0.31 b-d 0.40 c 11.8 b-d WX28 25.1 a 1.0 0.13 de 0.63 ab 1.70 a-c 10.9 e Triple Seven 17.4 de 2.2 0.63 a 0.13 cd 0.90 a-c 11.3 c-e Seedless Sangria 20.8 b 2.5 0.26 b-e 0.69 ab 0.50 bc 11.3 c-e SWX4016 18.3 de 1.0 0.20 c-e 0.16 d 2.00 a 11.4 c-e SR8026 20.1 bc 1.0 0.26 b-e 0.44 a-c 0.50 bc 12.5 ab Revolution 17.3 de 0.0 0.0 e 0.00 d 0.00 d 11.7 cd Freedom 17.8 de 1.2 0.59 ab 0.06 d 1.00 a-c 11.9 a-d Hazera 1042 17.3 de 1.7 0.35 a-e 0.81 a 2.00 a 12.0 a-c significance *** ns * *** * *** p-value < 0.0001 0.814 0.04 0.0003 0.0136 0.0009 LSD or mean LSD3 1.71 0.37 0.566 1.49 0.714 1 Size of melons based on marketable melons greater than 10.0 pounds. Yield based on plant population of 1,815 plants per acre (24 square feet per plant). Rows spaced 6 feet apart with plants 4 feet apart in the row. Least square means reported. 2 Average of two samples from each of four replications; least square means reported; p-value and lsd from arc sin transformed data shown where appropriate. 3 Least Significant Difference (LSD) at p<0.05. Treatments not significantly different (ns);significant at p<0.05 (*), p<0.01 (**), p<0.001 (***). Entry

TABLE 3. FRUIT SIZE DISTRIBUTION, TRIPLOID WATERMELON CULTIVAR EVALUATION, SUMMER 2003
Entry Vertigo Cooperstown Banner WX28 Triple Seven Seedless Sangria SWX4016 SR8026 Revolution Freedom Hazera 1042 <10 lb % 0 2 2 0 2 0 0 0 5 2 0 10-14 lb % 10 13 2 0 14 0 18 11 16 17 8 14-18 lb % 33 52 22 10 35 20 31 13 42 33 51 18-22 lb % 31 28 44 20 40 41 41 42 29 33 31 >22 lb % 26 5 31 71 9 39 16 33 8 14 10

28

ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

Winter Squash Varieties Exhibit Few Differences
Joe Kemble, Edgar Vinson, and Tony Dawkins A winter squash variety trial was conducted at the Sand Mountain Research and Extension Center (SMREC) in Crossville, Alabama (Tables 1 and 2). Soils were fertilized according to the recommendations of the Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory. Names of chemicals are mentioned only for describing the production practices used. This represents neither a recommendation nor an endorsement of these products. For current recommendations for pest and weed control in vegetable production in Alabama, consult your county Extension agent (see http://www.aces.edu/counties/) or view recommendations online at http://www.aces.edu/ pubs/docs/A/ANR-0500/VOL-0001/COMMVEG.pdf. On June 26, three types of winter squash (acorn, butternut, and spaghetti) were direct seeded in hills on rows that were 60 feet long. There was a 10-foot spacing between rows and a 5-foot spacing within a row. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications. The ground was roto-tilled on June 25. Preplant fertilization consisted of one application of 5-10-15 (at a rate of 1,000 pounds per acre) on June 25. Additional applica-

TABLE 1. RATINGS OF THE 2003 W INTER SQUASH VARIETY TRIALS 1
Location Weather Fertility Irrigation Pests Overall
1

SMREC 5 5 5 5 5

See introduction for a description of rating scales.

tions of ammonium nitrate (at a rate of 10 pounds per acre) were made on August 6, August 12, and August 18. Pesticides were applied weekly at recommended rates between June 26 and August 26. Winter squash was harvested on September 30. There were few differences found among winter squash varieties. Among the spaghetti squash types, ‘Small Wonder’ and ‘Spaghetti’ were similar. Both were significantly higher than ‘Trivoli’. There were no differences found among the butternut and acorn types.

TABLE 2. SEED SOURCE, FRUIT TYPE, AND RELATIVE EARLINESS OF SELECTED SQUASH VARIETIES
Variety Type1 Description Seed source Hollar Hollar Sakata Stokes Rupp Seminis Rupp Rogers Hollar Johnny’s Days to harvest 90 105 90 97 80 90 80 75 75 90 Growth habit Vining Vining Bush Vining Semi-Bush Vining Semi-Bush Bush Semi-Bush Vining

Small Wonder F1 Spaghetti Spaghetti F1 Spaghetti Tivoli F1 Spaghetti Butternut Supreme F1 Butternut Chieftan F1 Butternut Waltham Butternut OP Butternut Bugle OP Butternut Creme of the Crop F1 Acorn Mesa Queen F1 Acorn Tuffy F1 Acorn 1 Type: F1=Hybrid; OP=Open pollinated.

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TABLE 3. PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED WINTER SQUASH VARIETIES
Market- Marketable Cull able yield number weight lbs/ac no/ac lbs/ac Small Wonder S 18,483 12,342 1,246 Spaghetti S 16,583 6,413 768 Tivoli S 9,559 3,751 606 Butternut B 8,827 5,627 357 Chieftan B 8,639 7,139 200 Waltham B 6,895 5,143 42 Bugle B 6,516 7,623 73 Creme of the Crop A 6,391 3,025 502 Mesa Queen A 3,975 3,388 278 Tuffy A 2,608 3,146 196 R2 0.80 0.82 0.43 CV 31 25 109 LSD 4,015 2,060 675 1 Type: S=Spaghetti; B=Butternut; A=Acorn. Variety Type1 Percent Individual marketable fruit weight % lbs 94 1.49 96 2.59 94 2.50 96 1.57 98 1.20 99 1.31 99 0.85 93 3.33 93 1.17 93 0.85 0.40 69 1.67

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ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

Seed Sources for Alabama Trials
Abbot and Cobb, Inc. To order: (800) 345-SEED In TX: (800) 277-8177 Tech. Rep: Russ Becham 146 Old US Highway 84 West Boston, GA 31626 Office/fax: (229) 498-2366 E-mail: rbeckham@rose.net Enza Zaden North America, Inc. 1352 Burton Ave. Salinas, CA 93901 Ph: (831) 751-0937 Fax: (831) 751- 6103 E-mail:seed@enzasalinas.com Gurney’s Seed Company and Nursery P.O. Box 4178 Greenville, IN 47025-4178 Ph: (513) 354-1491 Fax: (513) 354-1493 Harris Seeds To order: (800) 544-7938 Tech. Rep: Mark Wills 355 Paul Rd. P.O. Box 24966 Rochester, NY 14624-0966 Ph: (716) 442-0410 Fax: (877) 892-9197 Harris Moran Seed Co. Tech. Rep: Brad Conrad Ph: (941) 543-7300 Fax: (941) 543-7003 Hollar Seeds To order: (719) 254-7411 P.O. Box 106 Rocky Ford, CO 81067-0106 Ph: (719) 254-7411 Fax: (719) 254-3539 Website: www.hollarseeds.com Johnny’s Select Seeds To order: (207) 437-4395 Tech. Rep: Steve Woodward 1 Foss Hill Road 2580 RR 1 Box 2580 Albion, ME 04910-9731 Fax: (800) 437-4290 Rupp Seeds To order: (800) 700-1199 17919 County Road B Waseon, OH 43567 Sakata Seed America, Inc. Tech Rep: Atlee Burpee P.O. Box 880 Morgan Hill, CA 95038 Ph: (610) 316-6063 Rogers/Syngenta 7500 Olson Memorial Hwy Golden Valley, MN 55427 Ph: (763) 593-7333 Fax: (763) 593-7218 Seedway Tech Rep: Dean Cotton P.O. Box 250 Hall, NY 14463 Ph: (717) 367-1075 Fax: (717) 367-0387 E-mail: info@seedway.com Seminis Vegetable Seeds, Inc. Tech. Rep: Jack Stuckey 2221 North Park Ave. Tifton, GA 31796 Ph: (229) 386-0750 Shamrock Seed Co., Inc To order: (408) 351-4443 3 Harris Place Salinas, CA 93901-4586 Ph: (800) 351-4443 Fax: (831) 771-1517 Sieger Seeds 13031 Reflections Dr. Holland, MI Ph: (800) 962-4999 Stokes Seeds To order: (800) 396-9238 P.O. Box 548 Buffalo, NY 14240-0548 Fax: (888) 834-3334 Sunseeds Richard Wojciak 12214 Lacewood Lane Wellington, Florida 33414-4983 Ph: (561) 791-9061 Fax: (561) 798-4915 Mobile: (561) 371-2023 richard.wojciak@sunseeds.com Takii Seeds 301 Natividad Rd Salinas, CA 93906 Ph: (408) 443-4901 Fax: (831) 443-3976 Tifton Seed Distribution Center Tech. Rep: Van Lindsey Ph: (912) 382-1815 Vilmorin 251 North Dragoon Tucson, AZ 85745 Ph: (520) 884-0011 Fax: (520) 884-5102

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Guidelines for Contributions to the Vegetable Variety Regional Bulletin Vegetable variety evaluation and selection is an essential part of production horticulture. The vegetable variety regional bulletin is intended to report results of variety trials conducted by research institutions in the Southeast in a timely manner. Its intended audience includes growers, research/extension personnel, and members of the seed industry. Timeliness and rapid turnaround are essential to better serve our audience. Hence, two bulletins are printed each year: one in November with results from spring crops, and another one in April or May with results from summer and fall crops. It is essential that trial results are available before variety decisions for the next growing season are made. Here are a few useful guidelines to speed up the publication process for the next regional bulletin (spring 2004). When: September 24, 2004 Deadline for spring 2004 variety trial report submissions. What: Results pertaining to variety evaluation in a broad sense. This includes field performance, quality evaluation, and disease resistance. Here are a few tips: • Follow the format used in the first eleven regional bulletins. • Include author's complete mailing address, e-mail address, and phone number. • Follow your own unit’s internal review process. Contributions will be edited, but not formally reviewed. How: Send a disk and hard copy to: Edgar Vinson or Joe Kemble Department of Horticulture 101 Funchess Hall Auburn University, AL 36849-5408 Or send e-mail to: vinsoed@auburn.edu, or kembljm@auburn.edu

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6

5

4

7 3

2

1

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA 1. Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center, Lyons, GA AUBURN UNIVERSITY 2. E.V. Smith Research Center, Shorter, AL 3. Brewton Agricultural Research Unit, Brewton, AL 4. Sand Mountain Research and Extension Center, Crossville, AL 5. North Alabama Horticulture Research Center, Cullman, AL MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY 6. North Mississippi Research and Extension Center, Verona, MS 7. Truck Crops Experiment Station, Crystal Springs, MS