7 v , 4 -r 4r #tt CONTENTS Page ORIGIN..................................................... DESCRIPTION................................................. YIELD DATA................................................. SEED AVAILABILITY........................................... ACKNOWLEDGMENT........................................... LITERATURE CITED........................................... 3 3 4 7 7 8 FIRST PRINTING 4M, JANUARY 1979 Information containedherein is available to all regardless of race, color, or national origin. FREEZEGREEN, A New Southernpea for Processing OYETTE L. CHAMBLISSI VREEZEGREEN', released by the Auburn University Ag- ricultural Experiment Station in 1978 is a new type of southernpea with a green seedcoat. It was released to fill a need expressed by the vegetable processing industry, especially those who pack frozen southernpeas, for a variety which maintains its green color to maturity, through processing and into the frozen pack. Such a product should have greater consumer appeal in the frozen pack and more intense green color than other varieties (hence, the name 'Freezegreen'). There is some indication that the enhancement of green color would have appeal at the fresh stage also. ORIGIN 'Freezegreen' originated from a single dry seed with a green seedcoat which appeared in a bulked seed lot of the white seeded breeding line Ala. 963.8. Ala. 963.8 is derived from the breeding program of Dr. C. L. Isbell and it is of uncertain origin. It is thought that the parental background included 'Lady' and 'Conch'. The persistent green color of its seed is due to a green seedcoat which has been found to be controlled by a single recessive gene, gt (= green testa). DESCRIPTION The plant has a low bushy growth habit with spreading basal branches without terminal vines. Pods are straight to slightly curved, approximately 6 inches long, and are produced level 'Professor, Department of Horticulture with or above the foliage. Pod color ranges from green with a tinge of purple to solid purple when at the mature green stage. Seeds are small, globose in shape and very easily shelled from the pod. The dry seedcoat color matches light olive (10 y 5/5) in the Nickerson color chart. Machine harvest tests conducted cooperatively with a processor indicate that 'Freezegreen' is adapted to being harvested by green pea combine. Shellout was good and color of the machine-shelled peas was uniformly green and rated excellent. Observation of the growth habit and other plant characteristics of'Freezegreen' indicates that the green seedcoat character is due to the mutation of a single gene (1) and that other characters of the original line, Ala. 963.8, remain unchanged. Field screening tests indicate that 'Freezegreen' has the same level of cowpea curculio resistance as Ala. 963.8. The plant maintains its foliage throughout the growing season indicating tolerance to most of the disease pests that are of serious concern. Ala. 963.8 has been shown to have Cercospora leaf spot resistance (2) and observation indicates 'Freezegreen' is also resistant. Neither Fusariumnor other root rot diseases appear to cause serious problems on 'Freezegreen' although it has not been screened for resistance to these organisms. However, field observations indicate that it is susceptible to root knot nematodes. 'Freezegreen' has one serious disease problem. It is highly susceptible to a severe strain of mosaic virus, thought to be either bean yellow mosaic or blackeye cowpea mosaic. This should not pose a serious problem for commercial producers who grow the crop in the spring on extensive acreage and usually follow stringent insect vector control measures. It would, however, be a more serious problem for fall production. YIELD DATA 'Freezegreen' is productive and has a good potential for producing a product with the quality of a cream type southernpea. Shelled yields of approximately 1,800 to 3,300 pounds per acre in multiple harvest trials at Auburn approximates yields of the best commercial cultivars and are better than most cultivars. Yield in once over harvest trials ranged from approximately 1,500 to 2,700 pounds per acre and this compared well with other breeding lines and cultivars in the trial, see table. The release of this green seedcoat cultivar will [4] benefit not only the frozen vegetable industry and other processors, but also home gardeners. It is thought to be less desirable for the fresh market due to a very short shelf life at the mature green stage. Many of its characteristics appeal to gardeners. It is a 'Lady' type with a purple hull. It is easy to hand harvest. Unlike 'Lady' it is very easy to shell and produces a somewhat larger seed. The enhanced green color should have appeal on the table. It produces over a long period of time and may be harvested repeatedly. YIELD OF ADVANCED BREEDING LINES AND VARIETIES OF SOUTHERNPEAS, Breeding line or variety 1972 Ala. 963.8G1-4 (Freezegreen) ane hav 1972-77 Yield (lb/acre) In-pod shelled Shell-out Days to No. of Days (Pct.) harvest harvests harvested Multiple harvest 5,866 2,874 49 71 6 18 Av. of Southern Cooperative rep licated trial at Auburn 3,549 1,987 56 65 7 17 Once-over Ala. 963.8G1-4 (Freezegreen) Av. of Southern Cooperative replicated trial at Auburn 1973 Multiple Harvest Ala. 963.8G1-4 (obser.) (Freezegreen) Av. of Southern Cooperative replicated trial, Southwide Av. of Southern Cooperative replicated trial, at Auburn 5,387 2,478 46 60 5 15 3,999 1,799 45 83 1 1 2,434 1,217 50 70 1 1 4,225 2,408 57 62 5 13 6,010 3,005 50 61 5 15 Once-over Ala. 963.8G1-4 (obser.) (Freezegreen) Av. of Southern Cooperative replicated trial, Auburn and 4 locations in Arkansas Av. of Southern Cooperative replicated trial, at Auburn 3,453 2,003 58 71 1 1 4,928 2,654 54 68 1 1 4,130 2,561 62 68 1 1 (Continued) [5] YIELD OF ADVANCED BREEDING LINES AND VARIETIES OF SOUTHERNPEAS, (Continued) Breeding line or variety 1974 Multiple harvest Ala. 963.8G1-4 (Freezegreen) Mississippi Silver Av. of Southern Cooperative replicated trial, Southwide Av. of Southern Cooperative replicated trial, Auburn 5,584 6,354 1972-77 Yield (lb/acre) In-pod shelled Days Shell-out Days to No. of harvest harvests harvested (Pct.) 3,350 3,749 60 59 67 67 12 12 4,660 2,330 50 62 4 14 6,537 3,007 46 62 5 17 Once-over Ala. 963.8G1-4 (Freezegreen) Mississippi Silver Av. of Southern Cooperative replicated trial, Auburn and 4 locations in Arkansas Av. of Southern Cooperative replicated trial, Auburn 1976 Multiple harvest Ala. 963.8G1-4 (Freezegreen) Mississippi Silver Pinkeye Purple Hull Av. of Southern Cooperative replicated trial, Southwide Av. of Southern Cooperative replicated trial, Auburn 4,562 6,014 6,096 2,281 3,308 2,926 50 55 48 75 73 73 18 21 20 4,166 5,036 2,708 3,576 65 71 73 72 4,437 2,029 46 68 1 1 4,743 2,846 60 70 1 1 4,318 2,461 57 71 5 17 5,030 2,515 50 71 9 23 Once-over Ala. 963.8G 1-4 (Freezegreen) Mississippi Silver Pinkeye Purple Hull 3,329 4,153 4,748 1,498 2,616 2,611 45 63 55 80 79 77 (Continued) [6] YIELD OF ADVANCED BREEDING LINES AND VARIETIES OF SOUTHERNPEAS, (Continued) Breeding line or variety Av. of Southern Cooperative replicated trial, Ala., Ark., La., Tex. Av. of Southern Cooperative replicated trial, Auburn 1977 Multiple harvest Ala. 963.8G1-4 (Freezegreen) Mississippi Silver Pinkeye Purple Hull Av. of Southern Cooperative replicated trial, Southwide Av. of Southern Cooperative replicated trial, Auburn Ala. 963.8G1-4 (Freezegreen) Mississippi Silver Pinkeye Purple Hull Av. of Southern Cooperative replicated trial, Ala., Ark., Tex. Av. of Southern Cooperative replicated trial, Auburn 3,575 5,565 4,287 1972-77 Yield (lb/acre) In-pod shelled Shell-out Days to No. of Days (Pet.) harvest harvests harvested 2,526 1,238 49 72 1 1 2,693 1,320 49 77 1 1 1,859 2,226 2,144 52 40 50 63 59 54 12 15 20 3,291 1,909 58 57 4 14 4,117 2,100 51 56 7 18 Once-over 4,250 4,449 2,931 1,998 2,981 1,407 47 67 48 69 67 62 3,039 1,702 56 68 1 1 3,373 1,855 55 64 1 1 SEED AVAILABILITY Seed should be available from wholesale seed dealers in Alabama no later than 1980. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The assistance of Harrison M. Bryce, in evaluation and seed increases is gratefully acknowledged. [7] LITERATURE CITED (1) Chambliss, 0. L. 1974. Green Seedcoat: A Mutant in Southernpea of Value to the Processing Industry. HortScience 9:126. (2) Fery, R. L., P. D. Dukes, and F. P. Cuthbert, Jr. 1976. The Inheritance of Cercospora Leaf Spot Resistance in the Southernpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.). J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 101:148-149.