FALL
1997
VEGETABLE VARIETY 
TRIALS
Progress Report No. 133 June 1998
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
James E. Marion, Director Auburn University 
Auburn, Alabama
I

Contents
Authors 2
Introduction: Vegetable News & How to Read Vegetable Variety Trial Results 3
Colored Bell Peppers May Do Better in the Fall 5
'Punchline' Among Best Yellow Supersweet Sweet Corn 
7
'All Top'Turnip Green is Really AllTops 
10
'Galeon' and 'Packman'Top Broccoli Varieties in 1997 
12
Bravo! 'Bravo' Cabbage 
14
'Red Prize' Earliest Leaf Lettuce Variety 
16
Pumpkin Production is Increasing in Alabama 
18
Ornamental Corn Varieties Evaluated in Isolation 
22
Performance of Winter Squash Varieties on Black Plastic 
24
Results of 1997 Southernpea Southern Cooperative Trials 
26
'L-89-110' Sweetpotato Could be Released in 1999 
28
Sponsors and Suppliers 
30
Authors
(Eric Simonne
Assistant Professor
Department of Horticulture
(334) 844-3018
esimonne@acesag.aubum.edu
"Edgar Vinson, III
Research Tech VII
Department of Horticulture
Joe Little
Superintendent
Lower Coastal Plain Substation
(334) 682-4662
Paul Rose
Assistant Superintendent
Lower Coastal Plain Substation
(334) 682-4662
Larry Wells
Superintendent
Wiregrass Substation
(334) 693-2363
VBrian Gamble
Associate Superintendent
Wiregrass Substation
(334) 693-2363
\/Randy Akridge
Superintendent
Brewton Experiement Field
(334) 867-3139
Jim Bannon
Director
E.V. Smith Research Center
(334) 727-7403
Jason Burkett
Superintendent
E.V. Smith Research Center
Horticulture Unit
(334) 727-6159
VArnold Caylor
Superintendent
North Alabama Horticulture Substation
(256) 734-5820
SAmy Simonne
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Department of Nutrition and Food Science
(334) 844-3290
'v ooby Boozer
Area Horticulturist
Department of Horticulture
(205) 646-3610
v/Tony Dawkins
Superintendent
Sand Mountain Substation
(256) 528-7133
im Pitts
Superintendent
Chilton Area Horticulture Substation
(205) 646-3610
\//Marvin Ruf
Associate Superintendent
Sand Mountain Substation
(256) 528-7133
Introduction: Vegetable News &
How to Read Vegetable Variety Trial Results
Eric Simonne
Vegetable News
AAES field days for 1998. Field days will be held
on September 17 at the Chilton Area Horticulture Sub-
station and on July 21 at the Upper Coastal Plain Sub-
station. Field days are open to the public. For more in-
formation, please call the substation directly. These are
the only horticulture field days that will be held in 1998.
Farmers Day at Montgomery Farmers Market on
July 11. All fruit and vegetable growers are invited to
take part in a grower's contest at the Farmers Market Day
at the Montgomery State Farmers Market on July 11.
For more details, call (1-800) 243-4769.
'Athena'cantaloupe is back on the market. Despite
contradictory reports, it is now official that seeds of
'Athena' will be available for 1998 through Novartis-
authorized dealers and transplant growers.
Pumpkin growers of Alabama now have their as-
sociation. The Alabama pumpkin industry has grown.
Three years ago, practically no acreage was planted in
pumpkins while in 1997, 500 acres were harvested. Much
of the acreage is presently located north of Birmingham.
The Alabama Pumpkin Association, established in 1997,
welcomes members from throughout the state. For your
convenience, an application form for membership has
been included in the original mailout of this publication.
For more information on how to join the association,
contact Joe Kemble, Assistant Professor of Horticulture,
at (334) 844-3050, or Dwight James, President, at (256)
383-4831.
Ornamental corn is a good companion crop for
pumpkins. Ornamental corn (also referred to as 'Indian
corn') is a good companion crop for pumpkin. Both are
in high demand during the Halloween season. Important
attributes for ornamental corn include kernel color, ear
fill, lack of insect damage, and good plant height. Be-
cause ornamental corn varieties can cross-pollinate, they
should be isolated from one another if true-to-type ker-
nels are expected.
Another new sweetpotato variety for 1999? 'L-89-
110' was dropped from the collaborator's trials in 1996,
but was still entered in the 1997 AU trials. At their last
state conference in February, Alabama sweetpotato grow-
ers have expressed a unanimous desire to have 'L-89-
110' released as a variety. This variety yields as well as
or slightly better than 'Beauregard' and has all the other
desirable attributes of 'Beauregard'. An official request
for release has been made to Dr. Don Labonte,
sweetpotato breeder at Louisiana State University.
Three-year summary of vegetable variety trials. The
AAES Bulletin 632 "Varieties for the Alabama Vegetable
Industry and the Southeast," summarizing yield data and
horticultural characteristics of the major vegetable crops
grown in Alabama, was made available in December
1997. An updated version will be available this fall. Cop-
ies of Bulletin 632, copies of this publiction (Fall 1997
Vegetable Variety Trials, Progress Report 133), as well
as copies of past Vegetable Variety Trials (Spring 1994-
Prog. Rept. 125, Fall 1994-Prog. Rept. 126, Spring 1995-
Prog. Rept. 127, Fall 1995-Prog. Rept. 129, Spring 1996-
Prog. Rept. 130, Fall 1996-Prog. Rept. 131, Spring 1997-
Prog. Rept. 132) may be obtained by calling the AAES
Office of Research Information at (334) 844-4877.
How to Read Vegetable Variety Trial Results
The main purpose of vegetable variety evaluation is
to provide growers and seed retailers with practical in-
formation that will help them select a "good" variety.
The importance of variety selection cannot be over em-
phasized: effective marketing begins with variety selec-
tion. Here are a few tips about how to get the most out of
vegetable variety trial results.
Open pollinated or hybrid varieties. In general, hy-
brids (also referred to as Fl) are earlier and produce a
more uniform crop. They have improved disease, pest,
or virus tolerance/resistance. F1 varieties are often more
expensive than open pollinated varieties (OP), and seeds
cannot be collected from one crop to plant the next. De-
spite the advantages hybrids offer, OP are still often
planted in Alabama. Selecting a hybrid variety is the first
step toward earliness and quality.
Yield potential. Yields reported in variety trial re-
sults are extrapolated from small plots. Depending on
the vegetable crop, plot sizes range between 100 to 500
square feet. Yields per acre are estimated by multiplying
FALL 1997 VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS 3
4 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
plot yields by corrective factors ranging from 100 to
1,000. Small errors are thus amplified, and estimated
yields per acre may not be realistic. Therefore, locations
cannot be compared by just looking at the range of yields
actually reported. However, the relative differences in
performance among varieties are realistic, and can be used
to identify best-performing varieties.
Statistical interpretation. The coefficient of deter-
mination (R
2
), coefficient of variation (CV), and least
significant difference (lsd, 5%) are reported for each test.
These numbers are helpful in separating the differences
due to small plots (sampling error) and true (but un-
known) differences among entries.
R
2 
ranges between 0 and 1. Values close to 1 suggest
that the test was conducted under good conditions and
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 vari-
ability 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 1997 cabbage trial con-
ducted at the North Alabama Horticulture Substation in
Cullman, 'Bravo' yielded 29,102 pounds per acre, while
'Emblem' and 'Blue Pack' yielded 25,912 and 8,590
pounds per acre, respectively. Since there was less than a
13,936 difference (the lsd) between 'Bravo' and 'Em-
blem', there is no statistical difference between these two
varieties. However, the yield difference between 'Bravo'
and 'Blue Pack' was 20,512, indicating that there is a
real difference between these two varieties. From a prac-
tical point of view, producers should place the most im-
portance on lsd values when interpreting results.
Testing condition. 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 1),
planting dates, fertilizer rates, and detailed spray sched-
ule are provided to help producers compare their own
practices to the standard one used in the trials, and make
relevant adjustments.
Ratings oftrials. At each location, variety trials were
rated on a 1 to 5 scale, based on weather conditions, fer-
tilization, irrigation, pest pressure, and overall perfor-
mance (Table 2). Results from trials with ratings of 2
and under are not reported. 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.
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 prefer-
able to get certified seeds from a reputable source, such
as the sources listed on page 30.
In conclusion, several factors other than yield have
to be considered when choosing a vegetable variety from
a variety trial report. The main factors are type, resis-
tance 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 making a
large planting of a single variety.
TABLE 1. SOIL TYPE AT THE LOCATION OF THE TRIALS
Location Water-holding Soil type
capacity (in/in)
Brewton Experiment Field (Brewton) 0.12-0.14 Benndale fine sandy loam
Wiregrass Substation (Headland) 0.14-0.15 Dothan sandy loam
Lower Coastal Plain Substation (Camden) 0.13-0.15 Forkland fine sandy loam
Horticultural Unit, EV Smith Research Center (Shorter) 0.15-0.17 Norfolk-orangeburg loamy sand
Chilton Area Horticultural Substation (Clanton) 0.13-0.15 Luvemue sandy loam
North Alabama Horticultural Substation (Cullman) 0.16-0.20 Hartsells-Albertville fine sandy loam
Sand Mountain Substation (Crossville) 0.16-0.18 Wynnville fine sandy loam
TABLE 2. DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS
Rating Weather Fertilizer Irrigation Pests Overall
5 Very Good Very Good Very Good None Excellent
4 Favorable Good Good Light Good
3 Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Tolerable Acceptable
2 Adverse Low Low Adverse Questionable
1 Destructive Very Low Insufficient Destructive Useless
FALL 1997 VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS
Colored Bell Peppers May Do
1etter in the Fall
Eric Simonne, Edgar Vinson, Joe Little, and Paul Rose
In the spring of 1997, a colored pepper variety trial
was conducted at the Lower Coastal Plain Substation
(LCPS) in Camden (Tables 1 and 2). On May 27 five-
week-old bell peppers were transplanted on bare ground,
in single rows at a within-row spacing of one foot. This
created a stand of approximately 7,300 plants per acre.
Soils were fertilized according to the recommenda-
tions 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 97IPM-2
from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System).
Preplant fertilization consisted of 200 pounds of 0-
20-20 and 70 pounds of nitrogen (N) as ammonium ni-
trate (NH
4
NO
3
) per acre. Preplant herbicide used was
Treflan (at a rate of one pint per acre) applied early May.
Plots were sidedressed with calcium nitrate 
[Ca(NO
3
)
2
]
at a rate of 30 pounds of N per acre applied every other
week between June 11 and September 11. Total sidedress
application was 180 pounds of N per acre. Alleys be-
tween plots were cultivated as needed to control weeds.
TABLE 1. RATINGS OF SPRING 1997 COLORED
BELL PEPPER VARIETY TRIAL'
Location LCPS
Weather 4
Fertility 5
Irrigation 5
Pests 5
Overall 4
'See introduction for a description of rating scales.
No insecticide or fungicide was used. Water was pro-
vided as needed through the drip system.
Fruits were harvested at the two-third-colored stage,
weighed, and graded using the standards of the Sweet
Pepper Grader's Guide (Circular ANR-783 of the Ala-
bama Cooperative Extension System). Plots were har-
vested five times between September 12 and November
3. Early production included the first two harvests (Tables
3 and 4). Because several varieties did not produce any
fruits in the Fancy category, mean fruit weight was cal-
culated for the US#1 grade.
All varieties suffered from extreme heat in the spring
and summer. This caused delayed harvest and small pep-
pers. 'X3R Camelot' (red), 'Dove' (white), 'Chocolate
Beauty' (brown), and 'Enterprise' (red) performed best.
TABLE 2. SEED SOURCE, FRUIT CHARACTERISTICS, AND RELATIVE EARLINESS OF SELECTED BELL
PEPPER VARIETIES
Variety Type' Seed source Color
2  
Days to Disease Years
harvest tolerance/resistance
3  
evaluated
Blue Jay Fl Stokes P-R 73 -
94-97
Camelot X3R F1 Petoseed G-R 75 BLS(1,2,3),TMV 
94-97
Canary F1 Stokes G-Y 72 TbMV 
94-97
Chocolate Beauty F1 Petoseed G-Br-R 85 ThMV 
94,96,97
Dove F1 Stokes W-Pk-O 71 - 94-97
Enterprise F1 Asgrow G-R 77 BLS(1,2,3),TbMV 95-97
Goldcoast F1 Asgrow G-Y 74 BLS(1,2,3),TbMV 
95-97
'Type: Fl = Hybrid; OP = Open Pollinated.
2
Color: Bk = black; Br = brown; G = green; O = orange; Pk = pink; R = red; W = white; Y = yellow; P = purple.
3
Disease tolerance/resistance:TbMV = Tobacco Mosaic Virus; BLS = Bacterial Leaf Spot; - = none; from seed catalogues.
TABLE 2, CONTINUED. SEED SOURCE, FRUIT CHARACTERISTICS, AND RELATIVE EARLINESS OF
SELECTED BELL PEPPER VARIETIES
Variety Type' Seed source Color
2  
Days to Disease Years
harvest tolerance/resistance
3  
Evaluated
Gold Finch Fl Stokes W-Y-R 72 - 96,97
Lilac Fl Sandoz Rogers P-R 68 TbMV 94-97
Orange Grande Fl Stokes G-O 76 TbMV 95-97
Purple Beauty OP Petoseed Bk-R 74 TbMV 96,97
'Type: F1 = Hybrid; OP = Open Pollinated.
2
Color: Bk = black; Br = brown; G = green; O = orange; Pk = pink; R = red; W = white; Y = yellow; P = purple.
3
Disease tolerance/resistance:TbMV-= Tobacco Mosaic Virus; BLS = Bacterial Leaf Spot; -= none; from seed catalogues.
TABLE 3. EARLY PRODUCTION AND GRADE DISTRIBUTION OF SELECTED COLORED BELL PEPPER VARI-
ETIES GROWN AT THE LOWER COASTAL PLAIN SUBSTATION'
Early Early Early Early
Variety marketable wt. fancy wt. US#1 wt. US#2 wt. fancy no. US#1 no. US#2 
no.
lbs/a lbs/a lbs/a lbs/a #/a #/a#/a
Dove 2,187 0 2,187 1,403 0 11,506 
9,810
Camelot X3R 1,673 81 1,592 1,001 246 6,632 
8,106
Enterprise 1,336 0 1,336 508 0 7,393 
3,981
Goldcoast 1,296 0 1,296 840 0 
6,813 7,630
Chocolate Beauty 968 27 941 1,101 123 5,158 
9,088
Blue Jay 873 0 873 1,606 0 
2,537 13,476
Gold Finch 642 0 642 1,041 0 4,589 
9,179
Purple Beauty 501 0 501 1,647 0 
2,528 13,275
Lilac 393 0 393 2,095 0 
2,180 18,431
Orange Grande 203 0 203 1,103 0 
1,299 9,462
Canary 0 0 0 538 0 
0 3,488
R
2  
0.60 0.20 0.20
CV 61 496 461
lsd 960 29 436
'Cumulative productions of the first two harvests.
TABLE 4. TOTAL YIELD AND GRADE DISTRIBUTION OF SELECTED COLORED 
BELL PEPPER VARIETIES
GROWN AT THE LOWER COASTAL PLAIN SUBSTATION
1
Variety
Total Total Total Total Total Total Total Total Individual
marketable wt.
2 
fancy wt. US#1 wt. US#2 wt. cull 
fancy no. US#1no. US#2 no. fruit wt.
3
lbs/a lbs/a lbs/a lbs/a lbs/a #/a #/a #/a 
lb
Camelot X3R
Dove
Chocolate Beauty
Enterprise
Goldcoast
Blue Jay
Canary
Orange Grande
Gold Finch
Purple Beauty
Lilac
R
2
CV
lsd
8,874
8,680
7,053
7,014
6,636
4,922
4,224
3,962
3,522
1,976
1,038
0.61
47
2,880
135
253
27
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.30
285
279
8,738 3,081 1,343 368 34,389 22,844
8,427 6,821 1,701 969 39,967 48,323
6,782 4,102 1,759 140 29,353 34,512
7,014 4,480 1,392 0 30,330 32,795
6,636 3,104 977 0 27,931 23,026
4,922 7,226 1,218 0 22,038 57,393
4,224 7,642 1,286 0 20,928 60,168
3,962 6,373 1,524 0 14,657 45,084
3,522 5,689 2,643 0 18,128 42,682
1,976 8,799 1,489 0 9,605 72,166
1,038 11,564 896 0 5,351 102,856
0.50 0.44
44 244
960 436
0.25
0.21
0.24
0.23
0.24
0.23
0.20
0.27
0.19
0.21
0.19
'Actual harvest dates were September 12, September 23, October 2, October 20, and November 
3.
2
Marketable yield was determined as Fancy + US#1 grades.
3
Individual fruit weight was determined on the US#1 grade.
I UIU~ JQY urJ v vrJ ~ )VVV
6 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
FALL 1997 VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS 
7
'Punchline' Among Best Yellow
Supersweet Sweet Corn
Eric Simonne, Edgar Vinson, Larry Wells, and Brian Gamble
In the spring of 1997, sugary and sugar-enhanced 
(sul
se) and supersweet (sh2) sweet corn varieties were evalu-
ated at the Wiregrass Substation (WS) in Headland (Tables
1 and 2). Cultural practices for su, se, and sh2 types were
similar. However, sh2 varieties were separated by 300 
feet
from other field and sweet corn plantings because cross-
pollination alters grain characteristics, including sweetness.
Plots were 20 feet long and eight feet wide and consisted 
of
four rows. Within-row spacing was eight inches, creating 
a
stand of approximately 32,700 plants per acre. Yields were
not adjusted for stand.
Fertilizer was applied according to the recommenda-
tions of the Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory.
Names of chemicals are mentioned only for-describing the
production practices used. This represents neither 
a recom-
mendation 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 97IPM-2 from the Alabama
Cooperative Extension System).
Preplant fertilization consisted of a broadcast applica-
tion of 13-13-13 at a rate of 250 pounds per acre 
and of a
16-16-0 liquid fertilizer (11 pounds per gallon) 
at a rate of
15 gallons per acre. The planting date was April 8. Plots
were sidedressed with 60 pounds of N as NH4NO
3 
per acre
on May 23. Lannate LV insecticide was applied at a rate of
one quart per acre on May 27. Both tests were over-head
irrigated with 1.25 inches of water on May 13, May 30,
May 25, June 5, Junel3, Junel9, June 28, and July 3.
Su/se varieties were harvested as needed between June
9 and June 23. Sh2 varieties were harvested as needed be-
tween June 21 and July 2. For the su/se test, first harvest
occurred 62 days after planting (DAP) for 'Sparkler' and
'Spring Snow'; 65 DAP for 'Snow Belle, 'Fantasia', 'Merit',
'Silver King', 'WH-4487', and 'Rising Star'; and 77 DAP
TABLE 1. RATINGS OF SPRING 1997 SWEET
CORN VARIETY 
TRIAL
1
Location WS
Weather 5
Fertility 5
Irrigation 5
Pests 5
Overall 5
'See introduction for a description of rating scales.
for 'Silver Queen'. For the sh2 test, first harvest occurred
74 DAP for 'A-Maizingly-Sweet', 'Double Dots', 'Prime
Plus', 'Punchline', and 'Victor'; 76 DAP for 'Sweet
Rhythm', 'Sweet Symphony', 'FMX 415', and 'Challenger';
and 86 DAP for 'Festival', 'Bi-Time', 'SS 8102', 'Prime
Plus', 'SS 8100', and 'Endeavor'.
After harvest, ears were graded following the Sweet
Corn Grader's Guide (Circular ANR-679 of the Alabama
Cooperative Extension System). Yield (Tables 3 and 4) and
ear characteristics (Table 5) were determined. For all vari-
eties, ear diameters were similar and ranged between 1.4
and 1.7 inches.
In the white su/se group, 'Silver King', 'WH-4487',
and 'Fantasia' were the highest yielders, while the yield of
'Silver Queen' was lowest. Sh2 varieties tended to perform
better than the su/se ones. In the bi-color group, 'Double
Dots' was the highest yielder. In the yellow group, 'Prime
Time' and 'Punchline' performed best. 'A-Maizingly-Sweet'
(bi-color) and 'Punchline' (yellow) had the highest 
ear qual-
ity rating.
8 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
TABLE 2. SEED SOURCE, FRUIT CHARACTERISTICS, AND RELATIVE EARLINESS OF SELECTED
BI-COLOR AND WHITE SWEET CORN VARIETIES'
Variety Seed source Color Type Days to Disease Years
harvest tolerance/resistance
2  
evaluated
A-Maizingly Sweet Ferry-Morse BC sh2 82 CR 96,97
Bi-Time Sandoz Rogers BC sh2 - 97
Challenger Asgrow Y sh2 78 CS,NCLB,SBW,SCLB 94-97
Double Dots Ferry-Morse BC sh2 - 97
Endeavor Asgrow Y sh2 78 ANT CS,NCLB,SCLB 97
Fantasia Asgrow W se 82 CR,CS 95-97
Festival Asgrow BC sh2 75 NCLB 94-97
FMX 415 Ferry-Morse W sh2 * 96,97
Merit Asgrow Y su 78 CS,SBW,SCLB,MDMV 96,97
NCLB
Prime Plus Sandoz Rogers Y sh2 - 97
Prime Time Sandoz Roger Y sh2 - 97
Punchline Asgrow Y sh2 74 ANT NCLS,SBW,SCLB 94-97
Rising Star SeedWay W se 79 SBW 96,97
Silver King Sandoz Rogers W se 82 CR,NCLB,SBW 97
Silver Queen SeedWay W su 92 NCLB,SBW,SCLB 94-97
Snow Belle Asgrow W se 85 CR,SCLB 95-97
Sparkler Solar Seeds W se - 97
Spring Snow Harris Seeds W se 66 SBW 97
SS 8100 A&C Y sh2 * - 97
SS 8102 A&C BC sh2 81 NCLB,SBW,SCLB 94,96,97
Sweet Rhythm Harris Seeds BC sh2 73 CS,SBW 96,97
Sweet Symphony Harris Seeds BC sh2 75 CS,CW,MDMV 97
Victor Ferry-Morse Y sh2 80 CS,NCLB 96,97
WH 4487 Sandoz Rogers W se * - 97
?e = not available; - = none; from seed catalogues.
2
Disease: CR = corn rust; CS = corn smut; MDMV = maize dwarf mosaic virus; NCLB = northern corn leaf blight; SBW =
Stewart bacterial wilt; SCLB = southern corn leaf blight; ANT = anthracnose.
Disease: CR = Corn Rust; CS = Corn Smut; MDMV = Maize Dwarf Mosaic Virus; NCLB = Northern Corn Leaf Blight; SBW =
Stewart's Bacterial Wilt; SCLB = Southern Corn Leaf Blight; ANT = Anthracnose
TABLE 3. YIELD OF SELECTED Su/SE SWEET CORN VARIETIES GROWN AT THE WIREGRASS SUBSTATION
Variety Kernel color' Type
2  
Yield Ear Stand
3  
Ear set height
lbs/a #/a % in
Silver King W se 17,974 63,275 145 14
WH-4487 W se 12,660 41,148 157 13
Fantasia W se 12,573 46,652 87 12
Sparkler W se 12,421 56,953 158 4
Rising Star W se 10,862 35,044 120 11
Snow Belle W se 9,363 46,598 133 11
Merit Y se 8,622 30,084 150 17
Spring Snow W se 6,055 34,281 107 4
Silver Queen W su 3,085 10,246 132 11
R' 0.62 0.64 0.78
CV 35 32 23
lsd 5,297 18,552 3
'Kernel color: Y = yellow, W = white; BC = bi-color.
2
Type: su = sugary; se = sugar enhanced.
3100% stand corresponds to 32,700 plants per acre.
TABLE 4. YIELD OF SELECTED SH2 SWEET CORN VARIETIES GROWN AT THE WIREGRASS SUBSTATION
Variety Kernel color' Type
2  
Yield Ear Stand
3  
Ear set height
lbs/a #/a % in
Double Dots BC sh2 28,776 56,517 143 12
A-Maizingly Sweet BC sh2 21,108 41,529 61 
4
Sweet Symphony BC sh2 19,119 45,671 
158 15
Sweet Rythm BC sh2 17,217 40,657 
154 11
SS 8102 BC sh2 13,750 24,580 
148 14
Bi-Time BC sh2 12,748 25,397 
165 21
Festival BC sh2 3,286 
7,630 42 11
Prime Time Y sh2 32,989 
68,180 169 21
Punchline Y sh2 27,544 
66,381 168 6
Victor Y sh2 21,429 41,148 
72 13
Prime Plus Y sh2 16,568 
33,790 167 20
Challenger Y sh2 15,930 
34,499 145 16
SS 8100 Y sh2 12,895 26,215 
163 18
Endeavor Y sh2 11,837 
25,179 155 21
FMX 415 Y sh2 11,483 
22,291 96 14
R
2  
0.79 0.78 0.97
CV 25 
27 6
lsd 7,806 
17,734 1
'Kernel color: Y = yellow, W = white; BC = bi-color. Data are sorted by color.
2
Type: sh2 = shrunken.
3100% stand corresponds to 32,700 plants per acre.
TABLE 5. EAR CHARACTERISTICS OF SELECTED SWEET CORN 
VARIETIES GROWN AT THE
WIREGRASS SUBSTATION
Variety Kernel color' Type
2  
Quality Tip cover Ear fill Eye appeal Ear length
rating
3  
rating
4  
rating rating in
A-Maizingly Sweet BC sh2 9.2 
2.5 3.4 3.3 7.23
Double Dots BC sh2 8.5 
2.6 3.1 2.8 6.63
Sweet Rythm BC sh2 
8.2 2.2 3.1 2.9 6.65
SS 8102 BC sh2 
8.1 3.4 2.2 2.5 6.99
Sweet Symphony BC sh2 
7.3 2.4 2.7 2.2 6.55
Bi-Time BC sh2 7.1 
2.7 2.4 2.0 6.95
Festival BC sh2 
6.9 2.4 2.6 1.9 6.73
Punchline Y sh2 8.6 
3.2 2.7 2.7 6.68
Victor Y sh2 
8.6 3.1 2.5 3.0 
7.34
SS 8100 Y sh2 
7.7 2.7 2.8 2.2 7.01
Prime Time Y sh2 
7.0 2.6 2.3 2.1 7.10
Endeavor Y sh2 6.8 
2.0 2.5 2.3 7.45
Prime Plus Y sh2 
6.7 2.3 2.1 2.3 7.09
FMX 415 Y sh2 6.0 
2.1 2.1 1.8 7.45
Challenger Y sh2 
5.6 2.0 1.9 1.7 7.15
R
2  
0.83 0.80 0.80 0.80 0.98
CV 
22 26 27 28 
7
lsd 
1.2 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.4
'Kernel color: Y = yellow, W = white; BC = bi-color. Data are sorted by 
color.
2
Type: sh2 = shrunken.
3
Quality rating is the sum of tip cover, ear fill, and eye appeal ratings. Quality 
data not available for 'Dazzle', 'Diabolo', and
'Maxim'.
4
Tip cover, ear fill, and eye appeal ratings: 5 = excellent; 4 = good; 3 = fair; 
2 = poor; 1 = very poor.
FALL 1997 VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS 9
'All Top' Turnip Green is
Really All Tops
Eric Simonne, Randy Akridge, Jim Bannon, Jason Burkett, and
............ Edgar Vinson
Leafy green (collard, kale, mustard, and turnip) vari-
ety trials were conducted at Brewton Experiment Field
(BEF) in Brewton and the Horticulture Unit at the E.V. Smith
Research Center (EVSRC) in Shorter(Tables 1 and 2).
At BEF, leafy greens were direct seeded on October 6
onto 20-foot-long and five-foot-wide plots. Plots contained
seven rows which created a stand of approximately 500,000
plants per acre. At EVSRC, leafy greens were double
cropped following a spring planting of cantaloupe. Beds
were covered with white plastic and contained two drip tapes
one foot apart. After final harvest, cantaloupe vines were
removed from the field and new holes were punched for the
leafy greens. Six-week-old leafy greens were transplanted
on August 29. Spacing consisted of staggered triple rows
12 inches apart. Within-row spacing was 12 inches for kale
and turnip, and 18 inches for collard. All plots were 12 feet
long, which created a stand of approximately 27,000 plants
per acre for kale and turnip, and 18,000 plants per acre for
collard.
Soils were fertilized according to the recommendations
of the Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory. Names
of chemicals are mentioned only for describing the produc-
tion practices used. This represents neither a recommenda-
tion nor an endorsement of these products. Current recom-
mendations for pest and weed control in vegetable produc-
tion in Alabama may be found in IPM Commercial Veg-
etables: Insect, Disease, Nematode and Weed Control Rec-
ommendations (Publication 97IPM-2 from the Alabama Co-
operative Extension System).
At BEF, fertilization consisted of preplant applications
of 1,000 pounds of 5-10-5 and 175 pounds of ammonium
nitrate (NH
4
NO
3
) per acre. Ammonium nitrate was also
sidedressed on December 1.
TABLE 1. RATINGS OF 1997 LEAFY GREENS
VARIETY TRIALS
1
Location BEF EVSRC
Weather 5 5
Fertility 5 5
Irrigation 5 5
Pests 5 5
Overall 5 5
'See introduction for a description of rating scales.
At EVSRC, fertilization consisted of injections of six
pounds of N per acre, alternately from a liquid calcium ni-
trate [Ca(NO
3
)
2
] solution (9-0-0-11) and from 20-10-20.
Weekly injections started on August 29 and ended on Octo-
ber 14 and provided a total of 50 pounds of N. Insect con-
trol consisted of applications of Dipel 4L (two pints per
acre) once per week beginning August 30 and ending Octo-
ber 11, and one application of Asana XL (at a rate of 9.6
ounces per acre) on August 30.
At both locations, leafy greens were harvested when
they reached marketable size (Table 3). At BEF, harvest dates
were November 17 for kale, mustard, and turnip and Janu-
ary 23 for collard. At EVSRC, all greens were harvested on
December 16. Leaf yields were expressed in 30-pound bush-
els.
Turnip and mustard were harvested approximately 30
days before collard. 'Flash Hybrid' and 'Top Bunch' col-
lard, as well as 'All Top', 'Seven Top', and 'Royal Crown'
turnip had highest green yields. Differences in leaf yield
between 'Southern Giant Curled' and 'Florida Broad Leaf'
mustard were small. Mustard varieties did not perform as
well as the top turnip varieties.
TABLE 2. SEED SOURCE AND EARLINESS OF SELECTED LEAFY 
GREEN VARIETIES
Variety Type' Crop 
Seed source Days to harvest
2
All Top OP Turnip Sakata 
50
Blue Ridge 
F1 Kale 
Sakata *
Champion OP Collard 
Harris Seed 75
Flash Hybrid F1 Collard 
A&C,Stokes 73
Georgia OP Collard 
Stokes 80
'OP=open pollinated; Fl=hybrid; from seed catalogue. 2* 
= not available; from seed catalogue.
10 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
TABLE 2, CONTINUED. SEED SOURCE AND EARLINESS OF SELECTED LEAFY GREEN VARIETIES
Variety Type' Crop Seed source Days 
to harvest
2
Florida Broad Leaf OP Mustard Asgrow,Stokes 50
Purple top White Globe OP Turnip 
Asgrow,Stokes 60
Royal Crown F1 Turnip Stokes 
50
Seven Top OP Turnip Asgrow,Stokes 
45
Southern Giant Curled OP Mustard 
Petoseed 45
Top Bunch F1 Collard 
Sakata 70
Vates OP Collard 
Stokes 56
White Lady F1 Turnip 
Stokes 35
'OP=open pollinated; F1=hybrid.
2From seed 
catalogue.
TABLE 3. LEAF AND ROOT YIELD OF SELECTED LEAFY GREEN VARIETIES 
(30-POUND BUSHEL)
1
Variety Crop Leaf weight 
Root weight Stand
bua bua %
Brewton Experiment Field
Flash Hybrid Collard 394
Top Bunch . Collard 319
Georgia Collard 297
Champion Collard 196
Florida Broad Leaf . Mustard 430
Southern Giant Curld Mustard 373
All Top Turnip 687
Royal Crown Turnip 464
Purple Top White Globe Turnip 436
White Lady Turnmip 
429
Seven Top Turnip 
390
R
2  
0.90
CV 
12
lsd 66
E.V. Smith Research Center
Top Bunch Collard 945 
0 95
Flash Hybrid Collard 913 
0 91
Vates Collard 890 
0 91
Champion Collard 740 
0 93
Georgia Collard 471 
0 87
Blue Ridge Kale 725 
0 93
Southern Giant Curled Mustard 1,065 
0 71
Florida Broad Leaf Mustard 944 
0 62
All Top Turnip 1,764 
14,582 66
Seven Top Turnip 1,386 
8,829 76
Purple Top White Globe Turnip 775 
27,268 73
White Lady Tumip 616 
43,013 74
Royal Crown Turnip 612 
21,215 67
R
2  
0.78 0.96 0.83
CV 22 
34 , 8
lsd 133 
2,031 9
S- = not available.
FALL 1997 VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS 11
12 
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL 
EXPERIMENT STATION
'Galeon' 
and 
'Packman' 
Top
Broccoli Varieties in 1997
Eric Simonne, Edgar Vinson, Jim Bannon, and Jason Burkett
A broccoli variety trial was conducted at the Horticul-
ture Unit of the E.V. Smith Research Center (EVSRC) in
Shorter (Tables 1 and 2). Broccoli was evaluated as a sec-
ond crop following summer squash. After final harvest,
squash plants were rouged from the field. Broccoli was trans-
planted in staggered triple rows on August 29, which cre-
ated a stand of approximately 27,000 plants per acre. The
plants were drip irrigated and the beds were covered with
white plastic mulch.
Fertilizer was applied according to the recommenda-
tions of the Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory.
Names of chemicals are mentioned only for describing the
production practices used. This represents neither a recom-
mendation 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 97IPM-2 from theAlabama
Cooperative Extension System).
Between August 29 and December 3, fertilization con-
sisted of injections of seven pounds of N per acre alterna-
tively from a liquid calcium nitrate [Ca(N0
3
)
2
] solution (9-
TABLE 1. RATINGS OF 1997 BROCCOLI
VARIETY TRIAL
1
Location EVSRC
Weather 5
Fertility 5
Irrigation 5
Pests 5
Overall 5
'See introduction for a description of rating scales.
0-0-11) and 20-10-20. Insect control consisted of weekly
applications of Dipel (two pints per acre) from August 30
through October 11, and one application ofAsana XL (9.6
ounces per acre) on August 30.
Heads were harvested when they reached six inches in
diameter. Harvest dates were October 20, October 28, No-
vember 4, Novemberl0, November 17, November 23, De-
cember 1, and December 10. Marketable weight (in num-
bers of 23-pound cartons) and corresponding number of
heads were recorded (Table 3).
TABLE 2. SEED SOURCE, EARLINESS, AND DISEASE TOLERANCE/RESISTANCE OF
SELECTED BROCCOLI VARIETIES
Variety Type' Seed source Earliness Disease tolerance/resistance
2
Arcadia F1 Sakata 86 DM
Gallant F1 Sakata 
-
Galeon Fl Petoseed 75 -
Greenbelt F1 Sandoz Rogers/Sakata 75 -
Legend F1 Sakata 85 DM
Packman F1 Petoseed/Stokes 78 -
'Type: F1 = hybrid; from seed catalogues.
2
Disease tolerance/resistance: DM = downy mildew; = not 
available;- = none; from seed catalogues.
1 9
12 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
FALL 1997 VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS 13
TABLE 3. YIELD OF SELECTED BROCCOLI VARIETIES AT THE E.V. SMITH RESEARCH CENTER
Marketable Marketable Marketable Marketable
Variety 23-lb carton yield heads Stand' head number
2
#/a lbs/a #/a % %
Galeon 529 12,175 20,771 86 93
Packman 349 8,027 18,156 93 74
Legend 278 6,404 8,909 84 41
Gallant 277 6,365 10,071 77 52
Arcadia 193 4,435 8,715 96 35
Greenbelt 36 831 2,324 91 10
R
2  
0.85 0.91 0.41 0.84
CV 21 17 11 
22
ls d 1,743 4,358 17 
25
1100% stand corresponds to 27,000 plants per acre.
2
Marketable head number relative to actual 
stand.
14 
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL 
EXPERIMENT STATION
Bravo! 'Bravo' Cabbage
Eric Simonne, Edgar Vinson, Randy Akridge, and Arnold 
Caylor
Cabbage variety trials were conducted at the Brewton
Experiment Field (BEF) in Brewton, and the North Ala-
bama Horticulture Substation (NAHS) in Cullman (Tables
1 and 2).
At both locations, six-week-old cabbage was trans-
planted onto 20-foot-long plots. Transplanting dates were
September 3 at BEF and August 27 at NAHS. At BEF, cab-
bage was double cropped following a spring planting of
cantaloupe on black plastic. Two rows of cabbage were es-
tablished six inches off each side of the drip tape. Within-
row spacing was one foot and plots contained 40 plants
each, which created a stand of approximately 18,000 plants
per acre. At NAHS, cabbage was planted on bare ground in
single rows two feet apart. This created a stand of approxi-
mately 16,000 plants per acre.
Soils were fertilized according to the recommendations
of the Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory. Names
of chemicals are mentioned only for describing the produc-
tion practices used. This represents neither a recommenda-
tion nor an endorsement of these products. Current recom-
mendations for pest and weed control in vegetable produc-
tion in Alabama may be found in IPM Commercial Veg-
etables: Insect, Disease, Nematode and Weed Control Rec-
ommendations (Publication 97IPM-2 from the Alabama
Cooperative Extension System).
At BEF, fertilization consisted of six pounds of N per
acre injected as calcium nitrate [Ca(NO
3
)
2
] on September
6; as ammonium nitrate (NH
4
NO
3
) on September 11, Sep-
tember 26, October 2, October 16, October 30, and No-
vember 11; and as potassium nitrate (KNO
3
) on September
18. Insect control consisted of applications of Dipel (at a
rate of 1.5 pints per acre) on September 19, September 29,
and October 16; Lannate LV (at a rate of one quart per acre)
on September 19 and October 16; and Larvin (at a rate of
one quart per acre) on September 29.
TABLE 1. RATINGS OF 1997 CABBAGE
VARIETY TRIALS
1
Location BEF NAHS
Weather 5 5
Fertility 5 5
Irrigation 5 5
Pests 5 5
Overall 4 5
'See introduction for a description of rating scales.
At NAHS, 500 pounds of 13-13-13 were applied on
September 22. Insecticides applied were Asana XL (at a
rate of 9.6 ounces per acre) on September 5; Dipel (at a rate
of one pound per acre) on October 3; and Lannate (at a rate
of three pints per acre) and Javelin (at 1.5 pounds per acre)
both on October 3.
When they reached marketable size, cabbage heads
were harvested with four wrapper leaves and graded ac-
cording to United States Standards for Grades of Cabbage
(U.S. Department of Agriculture 46 FR 63203). Harvest
dates were January 8 and 23 at BEF, and January 12 at
NAHS. Marketable weight (in numbers of 50-pound car-
tons) and corresponding number of heads were recorded
(Table 3).
At BEF, 'Bravo', 'Emblem', and 'Cheers' performed
best under growing conditions that resulted in overall low
marketable yields. At NAHS, the standard 'Bravo' had the
highest yield. The experimentals 'FMX 551' and 'FMX 552'
showed good potential. 'Fortress' and 'Blue Pack' had high
cull rates.
14 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
TABLE 2. SEED SOURCE, EARLINESS, AND DISEASE RESISTANCE/TOLERANCE OF SELECTED HEAD
CABBAGE VARIETIES
Variety Type' Head Seed source Days to Disease resistance/
color harvest tolerance
2
Bravo Fl Green Harris Seeds 85 FY, BR
Cheers F1 Green Takii 75 BR, FY
Fortress F1 Green Ferry-Morse 99 BR, FY
FMX 551 Fl Green Ferry-Morse
FMX 552 F1 Green Ferry-Morse
Emblem Fl Green Rupp Seeds 85 BR, TB, FY
Blue Pak F1 Green Ferry-Morse 80 FY
IF1 = hybrid.
2
FY = fusarium yellows; BR = black rot; TB = tip burn; * = not available; - = none; from seed catalogue.
TABLE 3. YIELD OF SELECTED CABBAGE VARIETIES
Marketable Marketable Marketable Percent
Variety yield yield heads marketable Stal
50-lb carton/a lbs/a #/a head number' %
Brewton Experiment Field
FMX 551 289 14,460 4,905 44 71
FMX 552 266 13,309 4,142 29 
83
Cheers 247 12,342 3,779 24 
88
Emblem 211 10,527 2,834 29 56
Bravo 204 10,192 3,052 30 67
Fortress 136 6,778 2,035 17 
67
Blue Pak 80 3,981 981 16 46
R
2  
0.32 0.37 0.23 0.55
CV 56 61 70 
21
lsd 3,434 3,271 24 
27
North Alabama Horticulture Substation
Bravo 582 29,102 13,283 80 
96
FMX 551 579 28,950 15,460 88 
100
FMX 552 520 25,988 13,718 80 
99
Emblem 518 25,912 10,888 
74 85
Cheers 417 20,828 11,323 67 
98
Fortress 298 14,916 8,492 50 
99
Blue Pak 172 8,590 6,750 41 
93
R
2  
0.44 0.60 0.57 0.42
CV 42 24 
23 7
Isd 13,936 4,355 
24 10
'Percent marketable head is of actual stand.
2100% stand corresponds to 18,000 and 16,000 plants per acre at BEF and NAHS, respectively.
FALL 1997 VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS 15
16 
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT 
STATION
'Red Prize' Earliest Leaf
Lettuce Variety
Eric Simonne, Amy Simonne, Edgar Vinson, Jim Bannon, and
Jason Burkett
A lettuce variety trial was conducted at the Horticul-
ture Unit at the E.V. Smith Research Center (EVSRC) in
Shorter (Tables 1 and 2). Lettuce was double cropped fol-
lowing a spring planting of cantaloupe. Beds were covered
with white plastic and two drip tapes one foot apart had
been prepared before cantaloupe were established. After final
harvest, cantaloupe vines were rouged and new holes were
punched for lettuce.
On September 3, sixweek-old lettuce were transplanted
in staggered triple rows 12 inches apart at an in-row spac-
ing of 12 inches. This created a stand of approximately
27,000 plants per acre.
Soils were fertilized according to the recommendations
of the Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory. Names
of chemicals are mentioned only for describing the produc-
tion practices used. This represents neither a recommenda-
tion nor an endorsement of these products. Current recom-
mendations for pest and weed control in vegetable produc-
tion in Alabama may be found in IPM Commercial Veg-
etables: Insect, Disease, Nematode and Weed Control Rec-
ommendations (Publication 97IPM-2 from the Alabama
Cooperative Extension System).
A liquid calcium nitrate [Ca(N0
3
)
2
] solution (9-0-0-
11) and 20-10-20 were injected (before transplanting) on
August 29 and September 2 at a rate of six pounds of N per
acre each. Between September 5 and October 14, fertiliza-
tion consisted of weekly injections of six pounds of N per
TABLE 1. RATINGS OF SPRING 1997 LETTUCE
VARIETY TRIAL
1
Location EVSRC
Weather 5
Fertility 5
Irrigation 5
Pests 5
Overall 5
'See introduction for a description of rating scales.
acre, alternately from a liquid calcium nitrate solution (9-0-
0-11) and 20-10-20. Insect control consisted of weekly ap-
plications of Dipel 4L (at a rate of two pints per acre) be-
tween August 30 and October 11, and of one application of
Asana XL (at a rate of 9.6 ounces per acre) on August 30.
Lettuce was harvested on October 8 and graded ac-
cording to the U.S. Standards for Grades of Romaine (U.S.
Dept. of Agriculture Publication 60-6130). Heads were
culled because of bolting or insufficient head size, and mar-
ketable and total yields are reported separately (Table 3).
Marketable yield was used to determine relative earliness.
A better comparison for yield potential of each variety may
be made from total yield and head number results. While
most varieties grew well, 'Sierra' was the most attractive
overall.
TABLE 2. SEED SOURCE, EARLINESS, AND DISEASE RESISTANCE/TOLERANCE OF
SELECTED LETTUCE VARIETIES
Variety Seed source Days to Head Leaf Disease Years
harvest type color resistance/tolerance' evaluated
Cabernet Red Asgrow 66 Looseleaf Red * 96,97
Greengo Asgrow * Looseleaf Green * 96,97
Legacy Takii * Crisphead Green * 95-97
Nancy SeedWay 66 Butterhead Green * .96,97
Nevada Vilmorin 58 Batavia Green DM,LMV,TB 95-97
Optima Vilmorin 55 Butterhead Green DM,LMV 95-97
Parris Island Stokes 65 Romaine Green TB 95-97
Red Prize Ferry-Morse 46 Looseleaf Green/Red TB 96,97
Salinas 88 Supreme Sakata 75 Crisphead Green LMV 95-97
Sierra Vilmorin * Batavia Green/Red DM,LMV,TB 95-97
'Disease claims: LMV = Lettuce Mosaic Virus; TB = Tip Burn; DM = Downy Mildew; * = not found; from seed catalogue.
16 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
TABLE 3. YIELD OF SELECTED LETTUCE VARIETIES GROWN AT THE E.V. SMITH RESEARCH CENTER
Total Total Marketable Marketable Cull Cull Earli- Bitter-
Variety weight heads weight heads weight heads Stand' ness ness
lbs/a #/a lbs/a #/a lbs/a #/a % rating rating'
Sierra 16,031 26,051 16,031 26,051 0 0 
100 35 0
Legacy 13,669 25,179 13,177 24,525 492 654 
96 45 0
Nevada 13,069 25,833 13,069 25,833 0 0 99 
32 0.25
Greengo 12,865 25,942 144 436 12,721 25,506 
99 30 2
Salinas 88 Supreme 12,829 26,160 12,829 26,160 0 0 100 
45 1
Parris Island 11,235 25,615 48 109 11,187 
25,506 98 29 1.5
Optima 10,719 25,615 168 763 10,551 
24,852 98 31 1.5
Nancy 9,592 23,653 2,014 5,668 7,578 
17,985 90 32 0.5
Red Prize 7,985 25,506 5,515 16,023 
2,470 9,483 98 29 0
Cabernet Red 7,722 26,269 1,954 8,066 5,767 
18,203 100 35 1
Epic 6,714 22,672 6,427 22,236 
288 436 87 35 0
R
2  
0.70 0.40 0.95 0.97 0.40
CV 19 5 24 17 
5
lsd 2,880 1,744 1,920 3,488 
7
'100% stand correcponds to 27,000 plants per acre.
2
Earliness rating (observed): actual number of days after transplanting necessary to produce a harvestable lettuce under the conditions of the
test.
3
Bitterness rating: 0 = sweet; 1 = slight; 2 = marked; 3 = bitter; 4 = unpleasant.
FALL 1997 VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS 17
18 
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL 
EXPERIMENT STATION
Pumpkin Production is
Increasing in Alabama
Eric Simonne, Edgar Vinson, Jim Bannon, Booby Boozer, Jason
Burkett, Arnold Caylor, Tony Dawkins, Jim Pitts, and Marvin Ruf
Pumpkin variety trials were conducted at the Horticul-
ture Unit at the E.V. Smith Research Center (EVSRC) in
Shorter, the Chilton Area Horticulture Substation (CAHS)in
Clanton, the Sand Mountain Substation (SMS) in Crossville,
and the North Alabama Horticulture Substation (NAHS) in
Cullman (Tables 1 and 2). Trials were also established at
the Gulf Coast Substation (GCS) in Fairhope and the
Wiregrass Substation (WS) in Headland. However, a rain-
storm which occured a few days after planting at GCS and
extreme summer heat at WS destroyed these tests.
At EVSRC and NAHS, plots were 50 feet long and
contained four replications per variety. At CAHS and SMS,
plots were 100 feet long and contained only two replica-
tions. At all locations, hills were spaced 10 feet apart and
contained two plants each. Between-row spacing was 10
feet. Planting dates were July 7 at EVSRC and NAHS, and
July 11 at CAHS and SMS.
Soils were fertilized according to the recommendations
of the Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory. Names
of chemicals are mentioned only for describing the produc-
tion practices used. This represents neither a recommenda-
tion nor an endorsement of these products. Current recom-
mendations for pest and weed control in vegetable produc-
tion in Alabama may be found in IPM Commercial Veg-
etables: Insect, Disease, Nematode and Weed Control Rec-
ommendations (Publication 97IPM-2 from the Alabama
Cooperative Extension System).
At EVSRC, 0-20-20 and 15.5-0-0 fertilizers were
broadcast applied preplant on July 3 at a rate of 500 and
322 pounds per acre, respectively. On July 30, plants were
sidedressed with 15.5-0-0 at a rate of 193 pounds per acre.
Herbicide used was Prefar 6EC herbicide (at a rate of four
quarts per acre) on July 7. Insecticides used were Asana XL
(at a rate of 9.6 ounces per acre) onJuly 23, July 30, August
9, August 15, September 6, September 13, and September
27; and Ambush (at a rate of eight ounces per acre) on Au-
gust 22, August30, and September 20. Fungicides used were
Terranil 6L (at a rate of 1.3 pints per acre) on July 23, July
30, August 9, August 15, September 6, September 13, Sep-
tember 27; and Benlate 50 WP (at a rate of 0.5 pounds per
acre) and Manex (at a rate of 1.5 quarts per acre) both ap-
plied on August 22, August 30, and September 20.
TABLE 1. RATINGS OF 1997 PUMPKIN
VARIETY TRIALS'
Location EVSRC CAHS SMS NAHS
Weather 5 5 5 5
Fertility 5 5 5 5
Irrigation 5 5 5 5
Pests 5 5 5 5
Overall 5 4 4 5
'See introduction for a description of rating scales.
At CAHS, fertilization consisted of a preplant applica-
tion of 400 pounds of 13-13-13 and a sidedress application
of ammonium nitrate (NH
4
NO
3
). Insecticides used were
Asana XL (at a rate of nine ounces per acre) on July 26,
August 2, and August 16; and Phaser (at a rate of 1.5 pints
per acre) on August 9 and 30. Fungicides used were Bravo
720 (at a rate of two pints per acre) on July 26, August 8,
August 23, September 4, September 12, September 19, and
September 25; Ridomil 50W (at a rate of 1.5 pounds per
acre) on August 2, August 16, August 30, and September 7;
Manzate 200 (at a rate of two pounds per acre) on August 2
and 30; and Benlate (at a rate of 0.5 pound per acre) on
August 30 and September 7.
At SMS, soil pH was adjusted to 6.5 with an applica-
tion of lime at a rate of 1.5 tons per acre on April 16. Fertili-
zation consisted of a preplant application on July 11 of 13-
13-13, concentrated superphosphate, and muriate of pot-
ash. On August 13, pumpkins were sidedressed with
NH
4
NO
3 
at a rate of 90 pounds per acre. Insecticides used
were Asana XL (at a rate of seven ounces per acre) on July
25, August 8, August 26, September 8, and September 17;
and Sevin XLR (at a rate of one pint per acre) on August 1
and 18. Fungicides used were Bravo 720 (at a rate of 1.5
pints per acre) on August 15, August 22, August 29, Sep-
tember 5, and Septemberl2; Ridomil (at a rate of 1.5 pounds
per acre) on August 8, August 18, August 26, and Septem-
ber 8; and Benlate (at a rate of 0.25 pounds per acre) on
August 1 and September 2.
AtNAHS, preplant fertilization consisted of 120 pounds
per acre of calcium nitrate [Ca(NO
3
)
2
] applied on April 18.
Herbicide used was Curbit (incorporated at a rate of 72
18 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
FALL 1997 VEGETABLE 
VARIETY TRIALS 
19
ounces per acre) on July 31. Insecticide used was Asana
XL (at a rate of 9.6 ounces per acre) on July 17, August 1,
August 13, August 22, and September 5. Fungicides used
were Bravo 720 (at a rate of 48 ounces per acre) on July 17,
August 1, August 13, August 22, September 5, and Sep-
tember 19; Benlate (at a rate of 0.25 pound per acre) on
July 17; and Baleyton (at a rate of three ounces per acre) on
August 13, August 22, and September 5.
Harvest dates were October 1 at EVSRC, October 21
at CAHS, October 22 at SMS, and October 7 at NAHS.
Because color development stops after harvest, pumpkins
were harvested at the full-color stage and graded as market-
able or non-marketable (Tables 3 and 4).
In commercial plantings, closer spacing can be used
than the spacing used in these trials because in these trials
varieties with very different vining characteristics were in-
cluded together. Varieties with larger fruits tended to pro-
duce higher yields. However, large pumpkins may be worth
$1.00 each, while small ones may sell for $0.10 each. Be-
cause small-fruited varieties (such as 'Sweetie Pie' or 'Jack-
be-Quick') are very prolific (up to approximately 30 fruits
per plant), they have similar or higher economical potential
than the large fruited ones. The more varieties and diversity
in types of pumpkins grown, the more attractive the farm
will be.
The best varieties were 'Jumpin' Jack' (jumbo); 'Gold
Rush' and 'Thomas Halloween' (large); 'Appalachian',
'Connecticut Field', and 'Howden' (medium); 'Autumn
Gold', 'Spirit', and 'Wizard' (small); and 'Baby Bear', 'Oz',
and 'Small Sugar' (desktop/pie). An Extension publication
on recommended pumpkin and winter squash varieties for
Alabama is currently in press.
TABLE 2. SEED SOURCE, RELATIVE EARLINESS, AND FRUIT SIZE OF SELECTED
PUMPKIN VARIETIES
Variety' Type
2  
Seed source Maturity
3  
Fruit weight
(days) (pounds)
Appalachian
Autumn Gold
Baby Bear
Big Autumn
Big Max
Buckskin
Casper*
Cinderella**
Connecticut Field
Early Autumn
Fairytale
Frosty
Funny Face
Gold Rush
HMX 4695
Howden
Jack-Be-Quick
Jackpot
Jumpin' Jack
Little Lantern
Lumina*
Mother Lode
Oz
Peek-A-Boo
Small Sugar
Spookie
Spooktacular
Sugar Treat
Sweetie Pie
Thomas Halloween
Trick-or-Treat
Var #300
Var #500
Var #510
Wizard
F1l
F1l
OP
Fl
F1l
F1l
OP
OP
OP
OP
OP
F1l
OP
OP
Fl
OP
OP
S Fl
OP
OP
OP
Fl
Fl
Fl
F1l
OP
F1l
Fl
OP
OP
F1l
F1l
Fl
F1l
Fl
Rupp Seeds
Sandoz Rogers
Rupp Seeds
Sandoz Rogers
Asgrow
Rupp Seeds
Rupp Seeds
Vilmorin
Rupp Seeds,Asgrow
Rupp Seeds
Rupp Seeds
Stokes
Rupp Seeds
Rupp Seeds
Harris Seeds
Stokes, Harris, Rupp
Rupp Seeds
Harris Seeds
Rupp Seeds
Stokes
Rupp Seeds, Stokes
Rupp Seeds
Harris Seeds
Rupp Seeds
Stokes, Asgrow
Harris Seeds
Petoseed
Rupp Seeds
Stokes
SeedWay
Petoseed
A&C
A&C
A&C
Harris Seeds
90
90
105
90
120
100
90
95
115
100
100
90
100
120
100
95
100
120
100
90
100
105
90
100
105
85
90
110
110
98
90
95
95
115
20-25
8-10
1-2
15-20
35-50
15
10-20
20-30
15-25
10-14
20-40
10
10-12
30-40
2-3
15-20
0.25
10-12
30-50
1-2
10-15
20-30
3-5
3-4
7
5-6
3-5
3-5
0.25
16-35
10-12
15-20
18-22
22-26
10-15
Variety: * = white-skinned varieties; ** also sold as 'Rouge Vif d'Etamps'.
2
Type: F1 = hybrid; OP = open 
pollinated.
3
Maturity: * = not found; from 
seed catalogues.
FALL 1997 VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS
19
TABLE 3. FIELD PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED PUMPKINVARIETIES IN CENTRAL ALABAMA
Marketable Marketable Culled Total Individual
Variety yield fruits yield 
yield fruit wt.
lbs/a #/a lbs/a lbs/a lb
E.V. Smith Research Center
Jackpot 21,382 1,544 3,430 24,812 
14
Buckskin 19,049 2,327 
8,185 27,233 8
Big Max 15,648 638 2,482 
18,131 27
Trick-or-Treat 15,188 1,457 4,389 19,577 
10
Cinderella 14,825 957 4,989 19,814 
14
Oz 13,341 4,067 781 14,122 3
Casper 13,313 1,349 2,436 15,749 10
Wizard 13,050 1,436 4,935 17,985 
9
Lumina 12,113 1,305 139 12,253 9
Spooktacular 10,729 3,719 1,590 12,319 3
Howden 10,592 805 5,444 16,036 13
Frosty 10,362 1,240 7,630 17,992 9
Small Sugar 10,353 3,524 2,068 12,421 3
Sugar Treat 9,094 2,654 1,607 10,701 3
Jumpin' Jack 8,391 566 3,656 12,047 15
Baby Bear 6,486 4,916 850 7,336 1
R2 0.46 0.80 0.56 0.85
CV 39 41 33 33
lsd 7,395 1,305 7,917 4
Chilton Area Horticulture Substation
Var #500 20,183 1,122 3,872 24,055 19
Gold Rush 15,440 924 3,727 19,166 16
Frosty 14,956 1,540 0 14,956 11
Appalachian 14,230 1,012 1,742 15,972 13
Jackpot 14,230 1,034 242 14,472 14
Fairytale 13,891 924 968 14,859 15
Jumpin' Jack 11,906 858 0 11,906 14
Howden 9,390 660 2,130 11,519 14
Var #510 8,712 594 194 8,906 15
Var #300 8,518 792 2,033 10,551 11
Connecticut Field 8,228 484 2,565 10,793 17
Cinderella 7,502 616 290 7,792 16
Mother Lode 7,405 462 1,888 9,293 16
Big Autumn 5,082 572 194 5,276 9
Jack-Be-Quick 1,452 4,708 0 1,452 0.25
R
2  
0.59 0.82 0.61 0.80
CV 52 63 52 24
lsd 12,487 1540 13,842 3
20 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL 
EXPERIMENT STATION
TABLE 4. FIELD PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED PUMPKIN VARIETIES IN NORTH ALABAMA
Marketable Marketable Culled Total Individual
Variety yield fruits Yield yield fruit wt.
lbs/a #/a lbs/a lbs/a lb
North Alabama Horticulture Substation
Fairy Tale 34,637 1,436 0 34,637 25
Appalachian 33,713 2,828 0 33,713 15
Early Autumn 32,001 2,915 0 32,001 11
Connecticut Field 26,909 1,544 0 26,909 17
Autumn Gold 22,737 2,762 .0 22,737 8
Thomas Halloween 22,555 1,653 0 22,555 13
Spooktacular 21,350 4,067 0 21,350 7
Peek-A-Boo 16,700 4,198 0 16,700 4
Spookie 13,457 3,545 0 13,457 4
HMX 4695 9,131 8,004 0 9,131 1
Jack-Be-Quick 4,959 14,377 0 4,959 0.25
Sweetie Pie 3,860 10,411 0 3,860 0.25
R
2  
0.55 0.89 0.50 0.75
CV 51 0.38 51 55
Isd 21,315 3,132 21,054 10
Sand Mountain Substation
Funny Face 7,038 946 266 7,304 7
Var #500 6,571 660 249 6,820 10
Frosty 5,614 748 625 6,239 7
Var#510 5,056 462 0 5,056 11
Spooktacular 4,996 2,552 0 4,996 2
Var #300 3,872 550 515 4,387 7
Sugar Treat 3,736 1,276 0 3,736 3
Jackpot 3,225 374 178 3,403 9
Trick-or-Treat 2,743 418 167 2,911 6
Oz 2,603 1,100 110 2,713 2
Wizard 2,345 396 0 2,345 6
Howden 2,042 220 0 2,042 9
Jack-Be-Quick 1,558 4,400 0 1,558 0
Little Lantern 1,074 682 0 1,074 2
Baby Bear 141 132 0 141 1
R
2  
0.89 0.70 0.70 0.96
CV 52 52 52 17
lsd 1,104 3,879 4,092 7
FALL 1997 VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS 21
22 
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL 
EXPERIMENT STATION
Ornamental Corn Varieties
Evaluated in Isolation
Eric Simonne, Jim Bannon, and Jason Burkett, and Edgar
Vinson
An ornamental corn variety trial was conducted at the
Horticulture Unit at the E.V. Smith Research Center
(EVSRC) in Shorter (Tables 1 and 2).
Corn was direct seeded on bare ground in four-row
plots, each 20 feet long, on April 9. Within-row spacing
was six to eight inches and rows were 2.5 feet apart, which
created a stand of approximately 26,000 plants per acre. To
reduce chances of cross-pollination, varieties were planted
in blocks of four replications and separated from other vari-
eties by 300 feet. Cross-pollination affects kernel color.
Fertilization consisted of 20-10-20 at the rate of 500
pounds per acre on March 24 and 17-17-17 at the rate of
100 pounds per acre on March 27. Herbicides used were
Sutan (at a rate of four pints per acre) and Atrazine (at a rate
of two pints per acre) applied on May 6.
TABLE 1. RATINGS OF 1997 ORNAMENTAL CORN
VARIETY TRIAL
1
Location EVSRC
Weather 5
Fertility 5
Irrigation 5
Pests 5
Overall 5
'See introduction for a description of rating scales.
Ears were allowed to dry on the plant and were har-
vested on August 4. Yield (Table 3) and ear characteristics
(Table 4) were determined. All four selected varieties showed
potential in Alabama.
TABLE 2. SEED SOURCE AND FRUIT TYPE OF SELECTED ORNAMENTAL CORN VARIETIES
Variety Type Seed source Days to harvest Ear length
(inches)
Alabama Coschatta Ornamental Rupp Seeds 110 8-10
Mr. T Ornamental Rupp Seeds 95 5-8
Chinook Ornamental Rupp Seeds 90 5-7
Wampum Ornamental Rupp Seeds 95 4-6
TABLE 3. FIELD PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED ORNAMENTAL CORNVARIETIES
Variety Yield Ear no. Stand' Plant height Ear set height
lbs/a #/a % in in
Alabama Coschatta 4,967 32,373 109 88 34
Mr. T 3,487 55,917 97 75 28
Wampum 3,042 56,135 96 72 22
Chinook 1,631 33,463 78 50 13
R
2  
0.83 0.84 0.70 0.70
CV 18 13 13 27
lsd 933 8,720 14 10
1100% stand corresponds to 26,000 plants per acre.
22 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL 
EXPERIMENT STATION
22
FALL 1997 VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS 23
TABLE 4. EAR CHARACTERISTICS OF SELECTED ORNAMENTAL CORN VARIETIES GROWN AT THE
E.V. SMITH RESEARCH CENTER
Variety Quality Tip cover Ear fill Eye appeal Ear length Ear diameter
rating' rating
2  
rating rating in in
Mr. T. 13.25 4.41 4.44 4.41 3.70 0.78
Wampum 12.84 4.19 4.44 4.22 3.76 0.77
Alabama Coshatta 12.38 4.50 3.63 4.25 6.79 1.13
Chinook 12.03 4.41 3.94 3.69 4.47 0.81
R
2  
0.10 0.02 0.14 0.12 0.60 0.22
CV 13 20 17 20 16 21
lsd 3.3 2.0 1.2 2.3 1.3 0.34
'Quality rating is the sum of tip cover, ear fill, and eye appeal ratings.
2
Tip cover, ear fill, and eye appeal ratings: 5 = 
excellent; 4 = good; 3 = fair; 2 = poor; 1 = very 
poor.
24 
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL 
EXPERIMENT STATION
Performance of Winter Squash
Varieties on Black Plastic
Eric Simonne, Arnold Caylor, and Edgar Vinson
A winter squash variety trial was conducted at the North
Alabama Horticulture Substation (NAHS) in Cullman
(Tables 1 and 2). Selected varieties were planted on black
plastic on May 10 on 20-foot-long plots. Within-row spac-
ing was 1.5 feet.
Soils were fertilized according to the recommendations
of the Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory. Names
of chemicals are mentioned only for describing the produc-
tion practices used. This represents neither a recommenda-
tion nor an endorsement of these products. Current recom-
mendations for pest and weed control in vegetable produc-
tion in Alabama may be found in IPM Commercial Veg-
etables: Insect, Disease, Nematode and Weed Control Rec-
ommendations (Publication 97IPM-2 from the Alabama
Cooperative Extension System).
Preplant fertilization consisted of an application of 500
pounds per acre of 15-0-0 on April 18. To control weeds
between beds, Gramoxone F-45 (at a rate of three pints per
acre) was applied on June 19. Insecticides used were Asana
(at a rate of 9.6 ounces per acre) on June 19, July 11, and
July 17; Adios (at a rate of 12 ounces per acre) on June 12;
Sevin XLR (at a rate of one pint per acre) on June 27; and
Phaser (at a rate of one quart per acre) on July 3.
Fungicides used were Bravo (at a rate of 48 ounces per
acre) on July 3, 11, and 17; Ridomil/Bravo 81W (at a rate
of three pounds per acre) on June 12; Dithane F-45 (at a
rate of 77 ounces per acre) on June 19; Bravo Ultra (at a
rate of three pints per acre) on June 27; Kocide (at a rate of
two pounds per acre) on June 19 and July 3; and, Benlate
(at a rate of 0.5 pound per acre) on June 27, July 3, July 11,
and July 17.
TABLE 1. RATINGS OF 1997 WINTER SQUASH
VARIETY TRIAL
1
Location NAHS
Weather 5
Fertility 5
Irrigation 5
Pests 5
Overall 5
'See introduction for a description of rating scales.
All varieties were once-over harvested on August 19
(Table 3). Black plastic was used in this test to better con-
trol weeds and fertilizer applications. However, bare ground
is the more traditional method for winter squash produc-
tion. 'XPH 1755' (green acorn, fromAsgrow) showed good
potential. Some early fruits tended to have a round blossom
end rather than a pointed one as found in other acorn variet-
ies. Best varieties were 'Butternut Supreme' and 'Ultra
Butternut' (butternut); 'Vegetable Spaghetti' (spaghetti);
green 'Tay Belle' and white 'Swan White Acorn' (acorn);
and green 'Hubbard Improved Green' and yellow 'Golden
Hubbard' (hubbard). An Extension publication on recom-
mended pumpkin and winter squash varieties for Alabama
is currently in press.
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION24
FALL 1997 VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS 25
TABLE 2. SEED SOURCE, FRUIT TYPE, RELATIVE EARLINESS, AND GROWTH HABIT OF SELECTED
WINTER SQUASH VARIETIES
Variety Type Description Seed source Days to harvest
2  
Growth habit
Hubbard Improved Green OP Hubbard Stokes 120 Vining
Tay Belle F1 Bush Acorn Stokes,Asgrow 68 Erect
Sweet Mama Fl Buttercup Stokes 75 Semi-Erect
Golden Hubbard OP Hubbard Stokes 90 Vining
Vegetable Spaghetti OP Spaghetti Stokes 70 
Vining
Early Butternut F1 Butternut Stokes 75 
Semi-Erect
Golden Delicious OP Novelty Stokes 100 
Vining
Sweet Dumpling OP Sweet Potato Stokes 100 
Vining
Ultra Butternut F1 Butternut SeedWay 90 
Vining
Buttemut Supreme Fl Butternut Stokes 97 
Vining
Tivoli Fl Spaghetti Sakata 
90 Erect
Carnival F1 Novelty Harris Seeds 90 
Erect
XPH 1755 Fl Acorn Asgrow 
Semi-Erect
Nicklow's Delight Fl Butternut Solar Seeds 
Vining
Waltham Butternut OP Butternut Asgrow,Stokes 
90 Vining
'Type: F1 = hybrid; OP = open pollinated; from seed catalogues.
2
Days to harvest: * = not found.
TABLE 3. FIELD PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED WINTER SQUASH VARIETIES 
AT THE NORTH ALABAMA
HORTICULTURE SUBSTATION
Variety Marketable weight Marketable fruits 
Individual fruit weight Stand'
lbs/a #/a lbs %
Vegetable Spaghetti 86,928 33,027 
2.7 73
Ultra Butternut 80,442 31,610 
2.5 90
Hubbard Improved Green 58,669 7,521 
7.5 79
Nicklow's Delight 54,631 40,875 
1.3 92
Butternut Supreme 53,486 35,425 
1.5 94
Tivoli 42,521 17,658 
2.4 90
Tay Belle 41,366 26,814 
1.5 92
Golden Delicious 38,760 5,123 
6.8 83
XPH 1755 35,529 20,928 
1.7 94
Early Butternut 34,880 32,046 
1.1 85
Waltham Butternut 33,103 25,615 
1.3 94
Carnival 32,493 33,463 
1.0 88
Golden Hubbard 30,874 5,777 
5.1 60
Sweet Dumpling 18,497 21,473 
0.9 56
Sweet Mama 10,404 5,377 
2.3 28
R
2  
0.64 0.80 0.80 
0.70
CV 18 49 
39 29
lsd 24,466 9,677 
1.9 22
'100% stand corresponds to 5,700 plants per acre.
26 
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL 
EXPERIMENT STATION
Results of 1997 Southernpea
Southern Cooperative Trials
Eric Simonne, Edgar Vinson, Jim Bannon, and Jason Burkett
Observational and replicated southernpea cooperative
trials were conducted at the Horticulture Unit at the E.V.
Smith Research Center (EVSRC) near Shorter (Table 1).
These breeders' trials evaluate the potential of cultigens not
yet released for commercial production. Results of these
trials are of interest primarily to the breeders; however, the
new varieties of Southernpea are usually developed from
these trials.
Selected cultigens of southernpeas were planted onto
two-row, 20-foot-long plots at a one-foot within-row spac-
ing. Rows were 2.5 feet apart. Check varieties were 'Coro-
net' and 'Pink Eye Purple Hull BVR' (both pinkeyes), 'Ar-
kansas #1' (blackeye), 'Early Acre' (cream), and 'Missis-
sippi Silver' (crowder).
One ton of lime per acre was used to raise the pH to
6.5. Preplant fertilizer was 30-50-50 at the recommended
rate. Plants were irrigated as needed with drip irrigation.
Southernpeas were planted on June 9 and harvested as
needed between August 6 and August 21. Each plot was
TABLE 1. RATINGS OF SPRING 1997
SOUTHERNPEA VARIETY TRIAL
1
Location EVSRC
Weather 5
Fertility 5
Irrigation 5
Pests 5
Overall 5
'See introduction for a description of rating scales.
once-over harvested when 50% of the pods were dry. Dry
and imbibed yields were determined (Tables 2 and 3).
To estimate yield and compensate for different percent-
ages of dry and mature green pods among the plots, all peas
shelled from each plot's harvest were placed into contain-
ers with water to allow the dry peas to soak up water (im-
bibe) overnight. This step makes comparisons more realis-
tic since all peas are then at the same moisture level.
TABLE 2. YIELD OF 1997 OBSERVATIONAL SOUTHERPEA TRIAL AT THE E.V. SMITH RESEARCH CENTER
1
Days to Number of Hand In-pod Imbibed
Variety " harvest harvests shellout yield shelled yield
% lbs/a lbs/a
Mississippi Silver 58 1 58 2,516 2,149
AR-92-674 58 1 50 1,524 1,029
US-880 58 1 42 1,045 725
Coronet 58 1 48 905 666
AR-95-306 58 1 63 895 829
Early Acre 58 1 37 796 350
AR-95-195 58 1 51 716 579
US-881 58 1 43 712 337
AR-96-918 58 1 33 700 342
AR-95-105 58 1 37 650 296
Pink Eye Purple Hull BVR 58 1 38 624 362
AR-91-333 58 1 51 546 487
AR-95-368 58 1 45 475 446
AR-95-104 58 1 34 400 
187
'Statistical parameters-R
2
, CV, and Isd-cannot be evaluated on data from observational trials.
26 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
FALL 1997 VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS 27
TABLE 3. YIELD OF 1997 REPLICATED SOUTHERPEA TRIAL AT THE E.V. SMITH RESEARCH CENTER
Days to Number of Hand In-pod Imbibed
Variety harvest harvests shellout yield shelled yield
% lbs/a lbs/a
White Acre 69 1 50 1,623 1,108
US-867 60 1 44 1,445 819
AR-92-551 58 1 46 1,318 715
US-865 60 1 40 1,107 530
TX1-21-8-4-OOPE 60 1 47 1,065 657
AR-92-552 58 1 49 964 774
Coronet 58 1 48 905 666
TX1-21-8-30-10PE 61 1 40 791 453
AR-87-435-68 58 1 45 722 573
TX1-21-5-OOOPE 60 1 41 474 298
AR-92-574 58 1 44 639 487
Pink Eye Purple Hull BVR 58 1 38 624 362
Arkansas #1 58 1 52 497 409
R
2  
0.50 0.50
CV 44 48
lsd 588 293
28 
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL 
EXPERIMENT STATION
'L-89-110' Sweetpotato Could
be Released in 1999
Eric Simonne, Jim Bannon, Robert Boozer, Jason Burkett,
Arnold Caylor, and Jim Pitts
National sweetpotato collaborators' trials were con-
ducted at the E.V. Smith Research Center (EVSRC) near
Shorter, the Chilton Area Horticulture Substation (CAHS)
in Clanton, and the North Alabama Horticulture Substation
(NAHS) in Cullman (Table 1).
The evaluation of some breeding lines that were new
in 1997 was restricted by slip production. As recommended
by the collaborators' group, 'Beauregard' and 'Jewel' were
used as checks. Although released in 1996, 'Carolina Rose'
and 'Carolina Ruby' were included in 1997 trials to famil-
iarize Alabama growers with these varieties.
Sweetpotato seed roots from selected commercial va-
rieties and breeding lines were planted in a heated bed at
NAHS on April 10 for slip production. On May 20, slips
were removed from the beds as needed and bundled for
shipment to the locations of the trials. For some new en-
tries, the amount of slips produced was not sufficient for all
three locations. At all locations, varieties were replicated
four times. Plots contained two rows that were 30 feet long
and 3.5 feet wide. Within-row spacing was one foot.
At EVSRC, preplant fertilization consisted of a broad-
cast application of 20-0-20 at a rate of 400 pounds per acre
on June 4. Devrinol 50DF herbicide was applied (at a rate
of three pounds per acre) on June 13. Planting date was
June 13. On June 18, sweetpotatoes were sidedressed with
60 pounds of N per acre as ammonium 
nitrate (NH
4
NO
3
).
Overhead irrigation was applied as needed.
At CAHS, 40 pounds of N, P205, and K20 were pre-
plant applied on June 12. Slips were transplanted on June
13. Temik nematicide (at a rate of 15 pounds per acre) and
Command 3E herbicide (at a rate of 1.25 quart per acre)
were applied on June 13. No irrigation was necessary.
At NAHS, NH
4
NO
3 
was broadcast applied at a rate of
200 pounds of N per acre on June 22. Slips were trans-
planted on June 26. Weed control was provided by an ap-
plication of Devrinol 50DF (at a rate of four pounds per
acre) on June 26. No irrigation was used.
TABLE 1. RATINGS OF 1997 SWEETPOTATO
VARIETY TRIALS
1
Location EVSRC CAHS NAHS
Weather 5 5 5
Fertility 5 5 5
Irrigation 5 5 5
Pests 5 5 5
Overall 5 5 5
'See introduction for a description of rating scales.
Sweetpotatoes were harvested on October 14 at
EVSRC, October 8 at CAHS, and October 20 at NAHS.
Roots were graded as US#1 (roots 2 to 3.5 inches in diam-
eter, three to nine inches in length, well shaped and free of
defects), canner (roots one to two inches in diameter, two to
seven inches in length), jumbo (roots that exceed the diam-
eter, length, and weight requirements of the US#1 grade,
but that are of marketable quality), or cull (roots at least one
inch in diameter but so misshapen or unattractive that they
could not be classified as marketable roots). Marketable yield
was calculated by adding the yields of the US#1, canner,
and jumbo grades. Percent US#1 was calculated by divid-
ing the yield of the US#1 grade by the marketable yield
(Table 2).
Dispositions for 1997 entries were to drop 'MS-D45',
and keep 'L-94-75', 'L-94-96', 'NC-93-17', 'W-287,' and
'W-317'. New entries for 1998 will be 'L-95-95' and 'W-
337'. A request has been made to release 'L-89-110'.
a v
28 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
TABLE 2. YIELD AND GRADE DISTRIBUTION OF SELECTED SWEETPOTATO BREEDING 
LINES
AND CULTIVARS
Variety US#1 Canner Jumbo 
Cull Total market
2  
US#1
bu/a' bu/a bu/a bu/a bu/a %
E.V. Smith Research Center
Beauregard 374 98 75 
92 547 69
Carolina Rose 261 51 151 161 463 55
L-89-110 245 50 70 125 365 67
Carolina Ruby 221 57 96 
188 373 59
NC-93-17 201 141 7 256 349 58
Jewel 186 59 42 206 288 64
R
2  
0.37 0.48 0.61 0.40 0.35 0.35
CV 38 49 50 43 34 13
lsd 154 79 69 159 351 17
Chilton Area Horticulture Substation
Beauregard 305 127 83 108 515 59
L-89-110 259 156 46 113 461 54
Carolina Ruby 218 170 27 175 415 
52
Carolina Rose 184 156 20 85 360 51
Jewel 97 138 14 99 250 40
NC-93-17 95 163 2 157 260 32
R
2  
0.55 0.20 0.62 0.27 0.59 0.42
CV 43 24 75 49 26 27
lsd 207 58 39 76 97 22
North Alabama Horticulture Substation
W-317 441 314 0 180 755 58
L-94-75 401 421 64 24 885 45
L-94-96 281 526 0 112 807 35
L-89-110 229 106 49 52 384 59
MS-D45 209 156 38 59 403 51
Beauregard 197 160 27 29 385 51
NC-C75 190 165 49 113 404 
46
NC-C59 157 100 32 86 289 56
Jewel . . 437 167 3 40 307 41
NC-93-17 125 122d 3 83 251 50
W-287 49 38 0 59 87 57
R
2  
0.63 0.89 0.52 0.50 0.76 0.34
CV 37 25 85 61 29 21
lsd 92 103 59 121 480 29
'bu = 40-lb bushels.
2
Total market: calalculated by adding 
US#1, canner, and jumbo.
3
Percent US#1: calculated by dividing the weight of US#1 
by the total marketable weight (Culls not included).
FALL 1997 VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS
29
30 
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL 
EXPERIMENT STATION
Sponsors and Suppliers
V
f' Asgrow 
Seed Co.
South Alabama
Greg Davis
Alachua, FL
(904)462-7838
Central Alabama
Rusty Autry
Venice, FL
(941)497-4227
North Alabama
Ken Baker
Hendersonville, TN
(615)824-0383
/Harris seeds
Dottie Robustelli
Harris Morgan
P.O. Box 4938
Modesto, CA 95352
(209) 549-5264
V~akata 
Seeds
Howard Adams
P.O. Box 1118
Lehigh, FL 33970-1103
(941) 369-0032
V"Abbott and Cobb (A
Pete Suddarth
207 Wellington Woods Dr.
Hahira, GA 31632
(912) 249-8135
V/Stokes 
Seeds 
Inc.
Joe Butwin
P0 Box 548
Buffalo, NY 14240-0548
1-800-263-7233
Va kil Seed
Haki Yamasaki
301 Natividad Rd
Salinas, CA 93906
(408) 443-4901
(,-Ferry-Morse Seed Co.
Glenn McKay
P0 Box 392
Sun Prairie, WI 53590
(608) 837-6574
Micro Macro
International,inc.
Mike Duemmel
183 Paradise Blvd., Suite 108
Athens, GA 30608
(706) 548-4557
Performed Leaf Analyses
Lewis Taylor Farms, Inc.
Bill Brim
P0 Box 822
Tifton, GA 31793
(912) 382-4454
Provided Tanspiants
V/Petoseed
John Mance
926 Sweet May Ct.
Macon, GA 31204
(912) 477-5544
john.mance@ svseeds.com
Tom Gordon
2235 Kraft Rd.
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 387-3959
Rupp Seeds
Roger Rupp
17919 County Road B
Wansiom, OH 43567
(419) 337-1841
Sandoz Rogers
Curt Pollard
2101 Melrose Drive
Valdosta, GA 31602
(912) 245-9457
curt.pollard@seeds.novartis.com
~,/Seed 
Way
Neal Shank
1225 Zeager Rd.
Elizabethtown, PA 17022
(717) 367-1075
Solar Seeds
Roland Verlaik
302 South Center Street
Eustis, FL 32726
1-800-CARROTS
m&C)
30 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

Location of Participating Research 
Units
LAUDERDALE LIMESTONE MADISON 
JACKSON
COLBERT
FRANKLIN MORGA
MARSHALL DE KALB
LAWRENC 
SMS
MARION 
WINSTON 
SAHS
ETOWAH 
CHEROKE
BLOUNT
SAINT CLAIR
JEFFERSON
LAMAR FAYETTE 
TALLEDEGA CLEBURNE
PICKENS TUSCALOOSA 
HELBY CLAY
E Sith COOSA 
trALLAPOOSA C
GREENE 
HALE 
CAH
UMTE PERRY
AUTAUG A ES
E SRC 
RUSSELL
MARENGO MACON
MONTGOMER
OCTAW 
BULLOCK
BARBOUR
CLARKE UPS BUTLER PIKE
MONROE
CRENSHA COFFEE DALE
AHINGTON CONECUH IN 
S
COVINGTON
HOUSTO
BF 
GENEVA
OBILE BALDWIN 
ESCAMBIA
Variety trials were conducted at these AAES substations:
Sand Mountain Substation (SMS) at Crossville, North
Alabama Horticulture Substation (NAHS) at 
Cullman,
Chilton Area Horticulture Substation (CAHS) 
at Clanton,
E.V. Smith Research Center (EVSRC) 
at Tallassee,
Lower Coastal Plain substation (LCPS) at Camden,
Wiregrass Substation (WS) at Headland, Brewton
Experiment Field (BF) at Brewton, and Main
Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES) at Auburn.
Without the commitment of the substation personnel,
results presented in this report would not have been
presented in a timely manner,