Vegetable Improvement Newsletter No. 16, February 1974

Compiled by H.M. Munger, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

1. Breeding Pole Beans Resistant to Rhizoctonia and With High Temperature Pod Set

M. LeRon Robbins

Clemson University Truck Experiment Station, Charleston, S.C.

A land variety of pole bean with resistance to Rhizoctonia and with the ability to set pods in hot weather was discovered. Crosses with several cultivars have been accomplished in an attempt to incorporate heat tolerance and root rot resistance into a cultivar with acceptable pod type.

2. Breeding Turnips Resistant to Aphids

M. LeRon Robbins and Frank Cuthbert

Clemson University Truck Experiment Station, Charleston, SC and USDA- ARS Vegetable Insect Research Laboratory, Charleston, SC respectively

Turnip aphid resistance has been incorporated into foliage type and 'Purple Top White Globe' root type turnips. The foliage type is more cold tolerant than 'Shogoin' and is also less subject to bolting. Resistance seems to be due to non-preference and possible antibiosis and tolerance. 'Purple Top White Globe', 'Raab Salad' and 'Shogoin' were parents.

3. Gynoecious Stability of Cucumber Hybrids

B.F. George

H.J. Heinz Co., Bowling Green, Ohio 43402

I've been concerned about the gynoecious stability of our cucumber hybrids. We had a bad lot of peat moss this fall which gave us high soluble salts and resulting poor growth. This led us to look at the effect of soil media on sex expression among other things. We seeded in December after our fall crop was out and used a commercial greenhouse potting soil, a Cornell soil mix (with the high salt peat moss) and Jiffy-Mix. Seedlings of a highly inbred gynoecious line (H3216) were transplanted into eighty pots of each soil media at the end of December. They were divided into 2 blocks, the north and south sides of the greenhouse, and randomized as 5 pot plots. No supplemental lighting was used. Since each pot contained 2 plants, data was taken in late February on approximately the first 5 nodes of 40 plants for each soil type in each block.

The results indicate that both locations in the greenhouse and the salt stress in the soil mix affected sex expression (Table 1). Location and soil mix effects were highly significant and there was no significant interaction.

Table 1. Effect of soil media and greenhouse location on the % of female nodes on H3216

In the field this line had been almost 100% gynoecious. However, in the greenhouse, sex expression had been variable. For this purpose any node with a female bud or flower was considered a female node. The greenhouse location effect was probably one of light intensity.

I think this area of environmental influence on sex expression is still important and needs further work so that selection can be done under the proper conditions to produce stable gynoecious lines.

4. Yield Performance of Dwarf Slicing Cucumbers

H.M. Munger

Department of Plant Breeding, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. 14850

In 1973 we had our first yield trial of dwarf slicing cucumbers. Three replicates of a single row plots 14 feet long were planted in rows 6 feet apart with 2 feet between hills. The starting point for all six dwarf lines was a progeny received from D.W. Denna with the parentage (Hardin's PG57 x Tablegreen) x Tablegreen. Either two or three backcrosses were then made to Tablegreen 65, the former being in F6 generation and the latter in F3 following the last backcross.

When picking began on August 1, all six dwarfs had decidedly smaller plants than any of the standard varieties and there was not much difference within the group. However, by August 13, the 3 lines described as indeterminate had filled the 6-foot rows and by casual observation did not look much different from standards. The determinate dwarfs remained distinctively small throughout the season and never occupied more than 2/3 of the row width. One would guess that planting in rows 4 feet apart would increase their yields.

Average number of Marketable Fruits per Row Cumulative through:

In the first 10 days of picking the determinate dwarfs gave yields comparable to gynoecious hybrids and far outyielded Tablegreen 65 which they most resemble in background genotype. Later their yields did not keep abreast of the hybrids, mainly because they produced many cull fruits. We had expected from observing the indeterminate dwarfs that they would sustain the production and give higher yields for the season than the determinates, but this did not prove to be the case in 1973. Their early yield was lower and their total yield was no greater than the determinates.

The determinate dwarfs are monoecious but with a far higher percentage of female flowers than typical, which probably accounts for their high early yield. Only occasional males are produced after female flowering begins. It remains to be determined whether there are enough males for good seed production or even for production of market cucumbers if grown in a solid planting. There is some indication from both greenhouse and field plantings that these determinate dwarfs have considerable parthenocarpic tendency. 72-196, which we distributed for trial in 1973, had many selfed fruits in the field but gave a very disappointing amount of seed. Selfed fruits in 1972 on the other hand gave normal amounts of seed. This line was probably the best of the dwarfs in our replicated trial and we received so many favorable comments on it that we would be considering its release as a variety as soon as possible were it not for the question about its producing enough males.

5. Status of Backcross-Modified Poinsett Cucumber Lines and Their Hybrids

H.M. Munger

Department of Plant Breeding, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850

We have been attempting to add scab resistance and uniform fruit color to Poinsett by parallel backcross programs. These had progressed to 7th and 6th backcrosses respectively by the summer of 1973, and crosses were made between them with the idea of releasing a version of Poinsett with both scab resistance and uniform fruit color as soon as these characters are made homozygous.

Meanwhile we have been testing the uniform Poinsett as a parent for hybrids in combination with Tablegreen 68 and Marketmore 70F (sampled in 1973 as Hybrids TuP and MuP). We have received some favorable comments on the hybrids, and our own results from a 3 replicate test were as follows:

Marketable fruits per row through:

These results can be considered only as preliminary but do suggest a possible advantage in earliness for the 2 new hybrids over either Gemini 7 or Marketmore 70. Fruit color and shape seem to be fairly comparable in all four. Mosaic was severe in this planting and the two new hybrids showed more foliar symptoms than Gemini 7, but in spite of this marketable yields were higher.

Seedsmen interested in using uniform Poinsett as a hybrid parent are requested to:

1. Ask for seed of subline 73-404 which had more uniformly long fruit than the composite sent out for trial in 1973 as lot 72-1.
2. Consult me about naming the hybrids of Tablegreen 68 or Marketmore 70F x uniform Poinsett should anyone desire to produce either of these combinations.
3. Report to Cornell, upon request, the amount of hybrid seed in which this line may have been used as a parent.

6. Preliminary Results in Testing for Onion Maggot Resistance

H.M. Munger and R.F. Plage

Department of Plant Breeding, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850

In 1972 all available plant introductions of onion were screened for possible resistance to maggot by planting 2 replicates on muck soil near Elba, NY Plots were located on the Mortellaro farm in a field where Kenneth Stone had observed severe maggot damage in previous years and were not treated with any insecticide. Out of 224 entries, 24 were selected as having far less visual damage and stand reduction during the period of maggot activity than Downing Yellow Globe planted in one row of every group of 20.

In 1973 the best P.I.'s were compared with a few U.S. varieties in 2 replicates at the Mortellaro farm and 2 replicates at the Grinnell farm about a mile away. 1973 data on survival represent the plants counted on July 3 expressed as a percentage of those counted on May 29. % maggots represents plants with maggots which were counted and removed on seven dates from May 29 to July 3.

A red onion from Orange County, Makoi, and Downing Yellow Globe (from Harris) were included as two entries with subscripts of 1 and 2; the seed being from the same packet for both entries. Trapp's #6 and DYG were included because in a Michigan experiment they were the most and least resistant entries, respectively. The Orange County red onion was included as a check because a high proportion of the P.I.'s that were rated most resistant in 1972 were red.

In the table below the entries are in order from most to least resistant as determined by a combination of percentage survival and percentage of maggots. For some plant introductions only old seed was available and stands were poor. Hence the results for such entries is not so reliable as for others with better stands.

*Non-bulbing.

**Allium fistulosum, non-bulbing.

In 1972 several plant introductions seemed to be free of plants that were attacked by maggots. In 1973, on the contrary, maggots were observed in all entries, even the non-bulbing Allium fistulosum. In 1973 none of the P.I.'s had a clear superiority over certain commercial onion, and come which had looked best in 1972 were among the poorest in 1973. All these facts are rather discouraging.

On the other hand certain aspects of the results are mildly encouraging. Yellow onions did not show the general inferiority to red varieties that we suspected from the 1972 test. Trapps #6 and Makoi, which had previously shown less maggot damage than Downing Yellow Globe in Michigan and NY respectively, showed a similar advantage in 1973. (Makoi is the leading variety in Hungary and is noted for its high solids content, which we have confirmed). The magnitude of the advantage is not very great. Twelve rows of Makoi (3 entries x 2 locations x 2 reps) had an average of 62% as many plants on July 3 as on May 29. Twelve rows of DYG had 43% as many on July 3 as on May 29. Trapp's #6 had 79% of its stand left on July 3 but this figure is based on only 4 rows and is clearly less reliable than the others.

If there is some degree of maggot resistance in present commercial varieties, maybe it can be built up by breeding. In 1974 we hope to test some seed obtained from DYG bulbs selected from rows where maggots had eliminated 90% or more of the stand.

There appear to be some varietal differences in maggot damage in onion, but it remains to be seen whether a useful level of resistance exists.

7. Identification of High Protein Pea Lines

Alfred E. Slinkard

Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N OWO, Canada

Nineteen lines of peas were grown in short unreplicated rows at 6 locations in the US and Canada in 1973. Century and Trapper were included twice as check varieties. The 6-station average percent protein is presented in Table 1. Even though the protein content of all lines is high, including the low protein check varieties Century and Trapper, the high protein lines were consistently high at all locations. Unfortunately, true genetic differences are confounded with yield differences (not available) due to the negative correlation between yield and protein content. In any event, small amounts of seed are available upon request.

Table 1. Six station average protein content in 1973; based on unreplicated single row plots at each location

Entry means are ranked by Duncan's multiple range test at the .05 level.

8. Progress Report on Spinach Breeding

J.L. Bowers and M.J. Goode

Department of Horticulture and Forestry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701

The objective of the Arkansas spinach breeding program is to develop multidisease resistant, high quality cultivars. Blue mold (Peronospora effusa) and blight (cucumber mosaic virus) are presently being controlled through the use of resistance. We are attempting to maintain this resistance while incorporating resistance to white dust (Albugo occidentalis) and fusarium decline (Fusarium oxysporum f. spinaciae).

Approximately fifty plants were found in a grower's field of Hybrid 178 in January-February, 1972, which were practically free of white rust lesions. These plants were found in a planting that was destroyed by white rust. The plants were smooth leaved and rather flat or prostrate in growth habit. These exhibited a type of resistance in which the white rust fungus makes limited penetration in the leaves but does not sporulate or does so abortively. This material is one of the sources of resistance being used in our program and another is from material supplied by the United States Department of Agriculture (by Dr. R.E. Webb). Crosses between certain USDA lines and the local material have resulted in plants which showed a very high level of resistance in our Fall, 1973 planting.

Fusarium decline has taken a fairly heavy toll in growers' fields in recent years. A heavy infestation of F. oxysporum f. spinaciae in our breeding nursery in the fall of 1972 and 1973 permitted us to observe a good level of field tolerance in several cultivars, including Giant Thick Leaved (Nobel), Jiromaru and Hayo, two Japanese cultivars and several Japanese hybrids. Most of the local white rust resistant material was very susceptible to this soil borne fungus. However, F1 progenies of crosses between the local white rust resistant material and the fusarium decline resistant cultivars had about the same level of resistance to fusarium as possessed in the resistant cultivars, indicating resistance is dominant.

Plant responses during a severe white rust epidemic in the fall of 1973 led us to believe that resistance inheritance must involve several genes. The F1's of susceptibles crossed with resistant types had approximately as many lesions and as much sporulation as observed on the susceptible parent. The F1 plants, from crosses between USDA white rust resistant lines and the Station's local white rust resistant source, appeared to have a very high level of resistance to the disease.

Another phase of our spinach breeding program involves the handling of selections to obtain seed from certain matings. We have been more successful in transplanting the fully developed vegetative plants after growth has been checked by low temperatures. The plant selections from our field screening for fusarium and white rust are lifted and handled in a manner similar to the system used in transplanting a small evergreen. Plants are removed from the field during December and January and placed under a 14 hour day photo-period to promote the reproductive phase. By bringing the plants in flower in January through March, it enables the breeder to have the plants flowering while it is still easy to keep a cool greenhouse and provide a favorable environment for a good set.

9. Availability of TMV Resistant Parental Lines of Tomato

H.M. Munger and RE Wilkinson

Department of Plant Breeding and Dept. of Plant Pathology, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. 14850

Three tomato lines with resistance to tobacco mosaic virus have been developed by backcrossing the linked genes Tm-2 nv into Manapal, Floralou, and Floradel, which have been used for greenhouse production in New York State and for which TMV has been a fairly serious problem at times. The number of backcrosses to these varieties is 9,8, and 7, respectively. The resulting homozygous lines cannot be evaluated or utilized directly because the netted virescent gene causes light green foliage and slow growth. Therefore, they can be used only in hybrid combination. IN experimental combinations we have symbolized them as M2, L2, and D2. When each one is crossed to its respective commercial parent, the resulting F1's which have little heterozygosity except for the TM-2 NV loci, have been very comparable to the commercial parents in yield and fruit size in 2 years of replicated testing.

When the Tm-2a gene with its resistance to more strains of TMV became available, we began to incorporate it into the same 3 Florida varieties. The thought was that hybrids between one parent carrying TM-2 NV and the second carrying Tm-2a would provide the safest type of resistance, as suggested by workers at the Glasshouse Crops Research Institute in England. So far we have not been able to obtain homozygous Tm-2a lines with as good fruit size as the commercial parents, and hybrids involving Manapal carrying Tm-2a have not generally given the fruit size desired either in our own or in grower trials, although results have not been entirely consistent. However, there are now several varieties from the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center which are homozygous Tm-2a, and VT Manapal from Dr. Paul Smith is also. These appear to have larger fruit size than our Tm-2a lines and may offer more promise in combination with M2, L2, and D2.

While hybrids carrying Tm-2a/TM-2 NV would be preferable from the standpoint of resistance, the combinations which have attracted the greatest interest from growers have been standard varieties, possibly carrying the Tm-1 gene, crossed with M2, L2, or D2 carrying TM-2 NV Vendor has given particularly good results in hybrids, designated for trial as V+/M2 and V+D/2. Yields have been high, plant vigor a desirable intermediate between Vendor and Manapal, and fruit qualities good.

It should be recognized that strains of TMV which are fully virulent on plants carrying the TM-2 gene are known in the world and can arise again. Where this happens, the value of the gene obviously is lost. For this reason, an effort should be made not to subject plants with only TM-2 NV to heavy inoculum pressure, such as would occur in mixed plantings with susceptible plants.

We can supply seed of the 3 lines described above to breeders and other research workers who desire them.

10. Uncatalogued Vegetable Varieties Available for Trial in 1972

This list is aimed at facilitating the exchange of information about potential new varieties, or new varieties which have not yet appeared in catalogues. Persons conducting vegetable variety trials who wish seed of items on this list should request samples from the sources indicated.

It is the responsibility of the person sending out seed to specify that it is for trial only, or any other restriction he may want to place on its use.

Crops are listed alphabetically. For each entry the following information is given: Designation, source of trial samples, outstanding characteristics, variety suggested for comparison (not given separately if mentioned in description), status of variety (preliminary trial, advanced trial, to be released, or released) and contributor of information if different from source of trial samples. Where several samples are listed consecutively from one source, the address is given only for the first.

• Bean
  • MSU 864. S. Honma, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824. Romano type, bush, with beany flavor. Cans and freezes well. Advanced trial (Idaho grown seeds).
• Broccoli
  • 73-507. Robert C. Tang, Dessert Seed Co., Inc., P.O. Box 181, El Centro, California 92243. Medium early maturity, compact head with dark green color, fine bud, free of leaves, no side shoots. Compare with Green Duke. F1 hybrid, for advanced trial.
  • 72-8630. Robert C Tang. F1 hybrid, early. Large head, very fine bud, good vigorous plant. Few side shoots. High quality. Compare with Green Comet. Advanced trial.
• Cabbage
  • Mercury. Ronald L. Engle, Dessert Seed Co., Inc., P.O. Box 9008, Brooks, Oregon 97305. Hybrid, uniform bluegreen, well wrapped, 2.5-3 lb. heads, resistant to cabbage yellows. Compare with Market Prize. Released.
  • Redman. Jill Wilson, Joseph Harris Co., Inc., Rochester, N.Y. 14624. Hybrid, uniform, round, mid-season red cabbage, with good vigor and yellows resistance. Compare with Red Head. Previously trialed as R1R2. (R.O. Wilkins).
• Carrot
  • MSU (872 x 5931) 5986. L.R. Baker, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824. Uniform, good color, tolerant to blight, more pointed root shape than Spartan Fancy, etc. Compare with Spartan Delite. Advanced trial.
  • MSU (5931 x 6000)1302. L.R. Baker, Michigan State University. Uniform, good color, good seed production. Compare with Spartan Fancy and rate for blight resistance. Advanced trial.
  • MSU (5931 x 5986) 1302. L.R. Baker. Uniform, good color, later maturity than most hybrids, good seed production. Compare with Spartan Delite and rate for blight resistance. Advanced trial.
  • MSU (5931 x 9541) 5986. L.R. Baker. Uniform, good color, more pointed root shape, more tolerant to blight than Spartansweet, Spartan Fancy and Spartan Delite. Compare with Spartan Delite and Imperator. Advanced trial.
  • MSU (5931 x 5986) 5988. L.R. Baker. F1 Nantes type with good color, uniformity, and resistant to rusty root. Compare with Nantes and rate for crack resistance. Advanced trial.
  • MSU (5931 x 5986) 5987. L.R. Baker, Michigan State University. F1 Nantes with good uniformity and color. Advanced trial.
• Cauliflower
  • Snow Crown. Jill Wilson, Joseph Harris Co., Inc., Rochester, NY 14624. A uniformly early hybrid with attractive domed large heads on a vigorous plant. Compare with Early Snowball. To be released. (R.D. Wilkins).
• Cucumber
  • Ark 72-19-1, Ark 72-57, Ark 14-17 Bulk. J.L. Bowers, Department of Hort. and Forestry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Ark. 72701. Excellent internal fruit characters, high level of anthracnose resistance. Compare with Chipper and Galaxy. Advanced trial.
• Lettuce
  • M545. E.J. Ryder, ARS-Western Region, Box 5098, Salinas, California 93901. Crisphead. Dark green; vigorous; excellent texture, interior color, taste. Resistant to LMV. Developed by backcrossing to Vanguard. Most suitable for late desert plantings and other areas where Vanguard will form heads. Compare with Vanguard. To be released; for trial only.
  • 67-345-7. E.J. Ryder. Crisphead, Dark green; highly uniform; vigorous; excellent texture, interior color, taste. Resistant to downy mildew (Western U.S. strains). Susceptible to LMV. May be subject to pink rib. Most likely to do well in irrigated mineral soil, relatively cool temperatures. Compare with Calmar and its relatives. Advanced line; for trial only.
  • Portage. E.J. Ryder. Crisphead. Medium green; early; good flavor; bolting resistant. Tipburn resistant. Susceptible to LMV and downy mildew. Subject to occasional rib discoloration. Previously tested as T-15; shows promise in Midwest and Northeast US and Eastern Canada. Compare to Fulton. Released December 1973 jointly by USDA and Wisconsin AES.
• Muskmelon
  • Kangold. Charles V. Hall, Department of Horticulture and Forestry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506. Hales type, resistant to alternaria, powdery mildew, etc., and low preference by cucumber beetles. Compare with Jumbo Hales. To be released.
  • PSX 6372. Colen Wyatt, Petoseed Co., Inc., Rt. 4, Box 1255, Woodland, California 95695. Hybrid dwarf cantaloupe, excellent net, good resistance to powdery mildew. Advanced trial.
  • PSX 18372. Colen Wyatt. Hybrid Charentais. Compare with Oval Chaca. Advanced trial.
  • Hybrid MS335/PD23. H.M. Munger, Department of Plant Breeding, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. 14850. Combined resistance to CMV and powdery mildew (races 1 and 2), keeps vines healthy in the Northeast while fruit ripens. Well netted large fruit with good quality. Maturity slightly late. Advanced trial.
• Onion
  • Mucker. Ronald L. Engle, Dessert Seed Co., Inc., P.O. Box 9008, Brooks, Oregon 97305. High yielding long storage hybrid with golden brown, strong scales. Compare with Spartan Banner. Released.
  • Simco. Ronald L. Engle. Hybrid yellow globe for Northern mucks. Excellent storage onion. Compare with Nugget. Released.
  • Bullring. Ronald L. Engle. High yielding, good storage, Spanish x Yellow globe hybrid, with single centers. Compare with Fiesta. Released.
• Pepper
  • Lady Bell. Jill Wilson, Joseph Harris Co., Inc., Rochester, N.Y. 14624. A hybrid giving high early yields of large, blocky, heavy 3-4 lobed fruit; dark green turning red; sweet. Compare with Bell Boy, Pennbell. To be released. Previously trialed as Hybrid PS.
• Pumpkin
  • Funny Face. Colen Wyatt, Petoseed Co., Inc., Rt. 4, Box 1255, Woodland, California 95695. Hybrid pumpkin with small bush, good color, nice shape for Jack-O-Lantern. To be released.
• Southern Pea
  • Bush Purple Hull. John L. Bowers, Department of Horticulture & Forestry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701. Erect, non-vining type, earlier than Crimson, with excellent processing quality. Compare with Crimson and Pinkeye Purple Hull. Released May, 1973.
  • Ark 71-256, Ark 71-192. John L. Bowers. Erect, non-vining plants with good processing quality. Compare 71-256 with Texas Cream 40 and 71-192 with Crimson. Advanced trial.
• Squash (winter)
  • SME. Jill Wilson, Joseph Harris Co., Inc., 3670 Buffalo Rd., Rochester, N.Y. 14624. A hybrid Buttercup with small vines and good eating quality. Compare with Buttercup. Preliminary trial.
  • Cornell Hybrid A. H.M. Munger, Department of Plant Breeding, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850. Thick, dark orange flesh, distinctive flavor rated as high as or higher than Buttercup, higher yields than Buttercup. Compare with Delicious, Buttercup. To be released. Seed parent, 52-509 inbred, is available as a line segregating 50% male sterile plants whose male flowers neither shed pollen nor open, making it easy to rogue out fertiles. Both it and the fertile parent, 52-515, are high quality Green Delicious types. Both are available for use in this or other hybrid combinations.
• Sweet Corn
  • H181.71. W.H. Lachman, Plant & Soil Sciences Dept., Bowditch Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Mass. 01002. Fine appearance, very good quality. Compare with Butter & Sugar. Advanced trial.
  • 67-57. Jill Wilson, Joseph Harris Co., Inc., 3670 Buffalo Rd., Rochester, NY 14624. Excellent eating quality. Kernels are small to medium sized, tender and very sweet. They hold their sweetness nearly as well as Silver Queen. Compare with Stylepak season. Preliminary trial. (Wilbur Scott)
  • 67-SQ. Jill Wilson. Excellent eating quality. A yellow and white hybrid which is as sweet or sweeter than Silver Queen. Compare with Silver Queen season. Preliminary trial. (Wilbur Scott)
  • Heart of Dixie. Tom Kiely, Charter Research Inc., Box Y, Twin Falls, Idaho. Strongly two eared with tight and worm retarding husks, good sugar. For Kansas and southward. Compare with Iobelle. To be released. (Stuart N. Smith).
  • Mainliner. Tom Kiely. Strong stalks, deep roots, 9-1/2 inch cylindrical showy ears, very good tipfill and resistant to blanking under stress. Compare with Midway. To be released. (Stuart N, Smith).
  • Silvertreat. Tom Kiely. Very high flavor, tender, excellent husk cover in a middle early white. Compare with Golden Cross. To be released. (Stuart N. Smith)
  • Tendertreat. Tom Kiely. Excellent flavor and well retained tenderness. Brilliant sparkling gold with neat whole kernels for #10 or #303. Compare with Jubilee or Stylepak. To be released.
• Tomato
  • No. 1882A. Robert C. Tang, Dessert Seed Co., Inc., P.O. Box 181, El Centro, California 92243. F1 hybrid with large red fruit, medium maturity, VFN resistant, good foliage covering, prolific. Compare with Burpee's VF hybrid. Advanced trial.
  • NFHF. Jill Wilson, Joseph Harris Co., Inc., 3670 Buffalo Rd., Rochester, NY 14624. Early mid-season, VF, very firm large fruit on compact plant. Preliminary trial. (C.H. Cadregari).
  • BIG SET. Paul Thomas, Petoseed Co., Inc., Rt. 4, Box 1255, Woodland, California 95695. Resistant to Verticillium, Fusarium wilts race 1 and 2, common strains of root knot nematode. Determinate vine, sets well under cool or higher temperatures, slightly larger fruit size than Walter and slightly earlier. To be released.
  • 73-199. S. Honma, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824. Cherry type with Verticillium and Fusarium resistance, jointless (j2) determinate. Advanced trial.
  • Hybrid 68-Y-108. Paul Prashar, Horticulture Dept., South Dakota State University, Brookings, S.D. 57006. An early hybrid with concentrated fruit set and resistance to Fusarium and Verticillium wilts and cracking. Red, global shaped fruit, averaging 5 oz. Compare with New Yorker, Jet Star, Spring Giant. To be released.
  • ST-19. J.G. Metcalf, Smithfield Experimental Farm, Agriculture Canada, PO Box 340, Trenton, Ontario K8V 5R5. Verticillium wilt resistant, mid season, firm with high yields and high crimson color. Compare with Moira. Advanced trial.
  • ST-23. J.G. Metcalf, Smithfield Experimental Farm. Early with high crimson fruit color, fairly firm with good flavor. Compare with New Yorker. Advanced trial.
  • VF Gardener. H.M. Munger, Department of Plant Breeding, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850. Verticillium and fusarium resistant, early as Fireball but less concentrated and fruit set not so good at low temperatures. Consistently rated high on flavor, relatively free of blotchy ripening, soft fruit. Indistinguishable from Gardener except for disease resistance. Soft fruit makes it useful only for home gardens and local market or as a parent. Released.
  • 68-845. H.M. Munger, Department of Plant Breeding, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850. Greatest freedom from blotchy ripening that we have observed under conditions where this defect is serious. Midseason maturity, very firm and crack resistant, fair flavor. Release as a variety will be considered after VF resistance is added. Meanwhile seed is offered for trial to get opinion on its potential as a variety and to make it available for use as a blotchy ripening resistant parent.
  • Ohio 2070. S. Berry, Horticulture Dept., Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, Ohio 44691. Wholepack quality, early concentrated vine and set. Compare with C28. Released.
  • Ohio 2170. S. Berry. Wholepack quality, early concentrated vine and set. Compare with C28. Released.
  • Ohio 2470. S. Berry. Wholepack quality, early concentrated vine and set. Compare with C28. Released..
  • Heinz 2134. B.F. George, Agricultural Research Dept., Heinz USA, 13737, Middleton Pike, Bowling Green, Ohio 43402. Determinate, very early, jointless, medium round fruits, crack resistant. Resistant to Verticillium and race 1 Fusarium. Adapted to Eastern USA and Canada. Released.
  • Heinz 1939. B.F. George. Very firm, crack resistant, excellent color and jointless. Resistant to Verticillium and race 1 Fusarium. Adapted to Eastern USA and Canada. Released.
  • Heinz 102. B.F. George. Determinate, very early, excellent ability for lower branching, concentrated flowering and maturity. Jointless, small core, crack resistant, and adaptable for machine harvest. Resistant to race 1 Fusarium. Adapted to Eastern USA and Canada. Released.

11. Stocks Desired

• In reviewing our work with sweet corn during the past forty years, I am impressed by the fact that so few outstanding really new and different inbred lines come to the surface. In our work with yellow inbred development, about seven truly outstanding lines have come into widespread use during the forty year span. It is interesting to note that of these seven, two traced heavily to flour corn and a third was from flour x dent sources. Perhaps we should be using flour corns more widely as an exotic material source in sweet corn improvement. Do you know of anyone who has maintained a good library of flour corn varieties?
  • Stuart N. Smith, Sweet Corn Genetic Service, 808 E. Lincoln Way, Ames, Iowa 50010