All America Selections Vegetables for 2002 and 2003

Transcription

1 All America Selections Vegetables for 2002 and 2003 Richard Durham, Department of Horticulture Introduction Recent All America Selections (AAS) winners are promoted through a nationwide display garden program. The association of this author with the display garden program was discussed previously (Durham and Dutton, 200). Display gardens have been grown at both the University of Kentucky Lexington- Fayette County Urban Government Arboretum (hereafter, the Arboretum), the Horticultural Research Farm in Lexington, and at either the Robinson Station in Quicksand or the Research and Education Center at Princeton, in the year of these centers biennial field days. The purpose of this report is to highlight AAS vegetable winners that were not discussed in the previous report. Descriptions of previous AAS vegetable winners, as well as seed source information can be obtained from the AAS Web site at Materials and Methods Transplant production and garden establishment was essentially as described previously (Durham and Dutton, 200). However, the Fayette County Master Gardeners assumed responsibility for growing several of the varieties at the arboretum and incorporated these plants into their ongoing vegetable trial garden. Results and Discussion 2002 Winners Basil Magical Michael Both an ornamental and edible sweet basil, Magical Michael produces compact plants with a mounded habit reaching a height and spread of about 5 in. Size uniformity is one thing that sets this variety apart from other sweet basil plants. Plants flower about 80 to 90 days from seed. The flowers make the plants attractive as an ornamental and may also be used as a garnish or added to salads. No pest issues were noted. Cucumber Diva This cucumber combines sweet flavor, disease resistance, and high yield. The fruit are sweet and non-bitter when harvested at 4 to 5 in. long. Normally seedless, a few seeds may grow if pollinated by other cucumber plants. Diva produces all female flowers and will set fruit parthenocarpically (without need of pollination). High yields and season-long vigor result from this exclusive production of female flowers and lack of seed production. Pumpkin F Orange Smoothie Orange Smoothie is a medium-sized pumpkin with fruit weighing around 5 to 8 pounds. It is promoted as an ideal pumpkin for holiday crafts since it has dark orange, smooth skin (ideal for painting), and a strong, long peduncle (handle). Orange Smoothie pumpkins mature in about 90 days from sowing seed. The semi-determinate habit makes vine growth more compact, thus requiring less space. The meat is also sweet and can be used for cooking. Pumpkin F Sorcerer Sorcerer is a full-sized pumpkin, weighing 5 to 22 lb, produced on a compact vine reaching only 0 ft. The dark orange pumpkins are round, sporting strong, long peduncles (handles). Sorcerer pumpkins mature in about 00 days from sowing. The pumpkins can be used for carving and cooking. Winter Squash Cornell s Bush Delicata This squash produces very high-quality fruit. The orange flesh indicates it is rich in vitamin A. The sweet flesh is fine textured without coarse strings. The squash have a long shelf life, meaning you can store them into the winter months. This squash matures about 00 days from sowing, and plants remain compact with the mature bush sending out 4- to 6-ft. runners later in the season Winners Melon F Angel An early Mediterranean-type melon, Angel has a mild flavor, and the crisp flesh is very sweet. The 2- to 3-lb melons have a white interior. The lightly netted skin turns creamy yellow when mature, about 60 days from transplanting to the garden. Angel vines will spread 6 to 7 ft. Squash F Papaya Pear This is the first summer squash with a shape similar to a papaya fruit. The bright yellow squash looks like a light bulb with the widest section near the blossom end. Papaya Pear is a very early variety, so fruit can be harvested in about 40 days from sowing. Yields per plant are not extremely high; however, the semi-bush plant requires less garden space Acknowledgments Thanks to Dr. Win Dunwell for transplanting and caring for the vegetable garden at the Research and Education Center at Princeton in 2002, and Dr. Terry Jones who did the same at the Robinson Station for Thanks also to April Santanek and Darrell Sloan for helping with the garden at the Horticultural Research Farm and to the Fayette County Master Gardeners who helped with the garden at the Arboretum. References All America Selections, 3 Butterfield Road, Suite 30, Downers Grove, IL Durham, R. and S. Dutton. 200 All America Selections Vegetable Display Gardens Fruit and Vegetable Crops Research Report. Department of Horticulture, University of Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Publication PR

2 Introduction VEGETABLES Observation of Specialty and Colored Potatoes from Early and Late Harvests April Satanek, Brent Rowell, and Darrell Slone, Department of Horticulture Blue, red, and yellow potatoes have been grown for many years but recently have caught the attention of gourmet chefs and consumers. Very small, or creamer, specialty potatoes are highly demanded in larger cities but may not be sought in smaller markets. Baby reds, or small red potatoes, are gaining popularity with restaurants. Plastic clamshell cartons of mixed color and type potatoes are sold in many stores for premium prices. The yellow potato, Yukon Gold, is an example of a specialty potato that has become mainstream and is now grown on a large scale. This observation trial was conducted to evaluate the quality and yield characteristics of 8 potato varieties, harvested as early and late potatoes. The varieties Kennebec, Dark Red Norland, and Yukon Gold were included as checks. Materials and Methods Most seed potatoes were cut on 4 April into small seed pieces containing at least one eye. Small seed potatoes were planted whole. The true seeds of the variety Catalina were sown into 72-cell trays in the greenhouse on 3 April and transplanted into the field on 5 May. On 7 April three white, one russet, four yellow, eight red, and two blue skin varieties were planted in double rows 2 ft. long with 42 in. between rows. Each plot of two rows consisted of 6 hills per row, with 9 in. between hills. Four spacer hills consisting of Kennebec or Red Pontiac were planted to mark the end and beginning of each plot. A preplant application of nitrogen as ammonium nitrate was applied at a rate of 23 lb N/A. Admire 2F was applied to the seed potatoes as they were planted. Sprays of Quadris and Bravo were applied alternately between 22 March and 3 June. Two sprays of Pounce were applied for insect control. One of the two rows of each variety was hand dug on 23 June. The tubers were then washed and sorted, according to diameter, into grade A (> 2 /4 in.), grade B ( 3/4 to 2 /4 in.), grade C or creamers ( to 3/4 in.) and culls. C grade potatoes are also called new potatoes. The two fingerling varieties were sorted into four categories: short (< 2 in.), medium length (2 to 3 /2 in.), long (> 3 /2 in.), and cull. These are market grades, distinct from USDA grades. All tubers of every variety were set out on tables; color, shape, and size characteristics were rated. Before harvesting the late potatoes, the vines, which had been dead for more than a month, were mowed. On 4 October the second of the two rows was dug with a middle buster plow mounted on a tractor. The varieties were then washed and sorted into same categories used for the 23 June harvest. As before, varieties were rated for color, shape, and size. Visual ratings. Potatoes were rated for uniformity of shape and size using a scale of to 5, with indicating least uniform and 5 indicating completely uniform. Overall appearance was rated on a scale of to 9, with meaning least attractive and 9 meaning most attractive. Interior and exterior colors were noted, and general observations were recorded. Results and Discussion Yield data were calculated as lb/a, based on only one 2 ft. row of potatoes; as this trial was not replicated, these yields should only be considered as relative guides not scientific measurements. Early harvest. Potatoes harvested before maturity are called new potatoes. As expected, the early harvest produced small tubers and low yields (Table ). In this trial the Table. Early harvest skin color, yield distribution, and estimated yield for colored and fingerling potatoes, Lexington, Kentucky. Cultivar Seed Source Skin Color Grade C 2 (%) Grade B 3 (%) Grade A 4 (%) Lb/A (cwt) Red Gold JS red Reddale TS red Cranberry Red TS red Rose Gold TS pink Red Pontiac SO red All Red JS dk red Red Cloud TS red Dk. Red Norland JS red Corola TS yellow Yukon Gold JS yellow Superior JS white Butte TS russet Kennebec SO white Catalina PA white Caribe TS dk blue All Blue JS violet Fingerlings % Short 5 % Medium 6 % Long 7 Lb/A (cwt) Swedish Peanut TS yellow Russian Banana JS yellow Exterior color; dk = dark 2 Grade C = potatoes with diameters between in. and ¾ in., often called creamers. 3 Grade B = potatoes with diameters between ¾ in. and 2¼ in. 4 Grade A = potatoes with diameters larger than 2¼ in. 5 Short = potatoes less than 2 in. long. 6 Medium = potatoes between 2 in. and 3½ in. in length. 7 Long = potatoes longer than 3½ in. 47

3 potato vines were not killed before digging the early potatoes. During the harvesting and washing processes, Reddale, Dark Red Norland, and Caribe suffered extensive skin loss, exposing the potato flesh and diminishing the exterior color. All varieties had some skin loss, but loss of skin was less noticeable for the varieties with same flesh and skin color, like All Blue, Cranberry Red, and All Red. Rose Gold, All Red, and Butte scored the best in overall appearance for the early harvest (Table 2). Cultivars like Kennebec, All Red, and Red Cloud had significant growth cracks. Late harvest. Larger and higher numbers of potatoes were expected from the later harvest and, on the whole, that is what was recorded. Butte and Russian Banana had very small percentages of the larger grades (Table 3). Probably due to the postponed late harvest, some cultivars lost the intensity of skin color, but Dark Red Norland, Cranberry Red, Red Cloud, and All Red maintained excellent red skin. Red Gold, Rose Gold, and Caribe exhibited skin color fading and had very dark eyes. Because the vines were dead, all the late potatoes withstood the digging and washing process with skins intact. At the late harvest, Russian Banana had a lot of little knobby growths on its tubers, while Swedish Peanut had none. Butte, Dark Red Norland, and All Blue scored the highest overall appearance rating, and All Blue was rated as having a very uniform shape (Table 4). Of the white flesh, brown skin potatoes, Butte, a russet, was very attractive and uniform in both harvests but was uncharacteristically small in the late harvest. Catalina, the potato grown from true seed, had small tubers and low yields in both harvests (Tables and 3). Pontiac Red and Cranberry Red had deep eyes, which interfere with cleaning and peeling. Of the fingerling varieties, Swedish Peanut was a bit thicker than Russian Banana, which had many peanut-shaped tubers. Swedish Peanut has a much darker yellow flesh than that of Russian Banana. When growing specialty or colored potatoes, it is prudent to grow small quantities until a profitable market is established. Specialty or niche markets can be easily oversupplied. Most of the potatoes in the trial are suitable for grower trial. For a small, white flesh, russet-like potato, Butte is an excellent variety because Table 2. Flesh color and appearance ratings of the colored and fingerling potato early harvest, Lexington, Kentucky. Cultivar Flesh Color Shape Uniformity (-5) Size Uniformity (-5) 2 Overall Appearance (-9) 3 Red Gold lt yellow Reddale white Cranberry Red pink Rose Gold lt yellow Red Pontiac white All Red pink Red Cloud white Dk. Red Norland white Corola lt yellow Yukon Gold lt yellow Superior white Butte white Kennebec white Catalina white Caribe white All Blue violet Fingerlings Swedish Peanut yellow Russian Banana yellow Shape uniformity: = least uniform, most variable, 5 = completely uniform. 2 Size uniformity: = least uniform, most variable, 5 = completely uniform. 3 Overall appearance: = worst, 9 = best. Table 3. Late harvest skin color, yield distribution, and estimated yield for colored and fingerling potatoes, Lexington, Kentucky. Grade Cultivar Seed Source Skin Color Grade C 2 (%) B 3 (%) Grade A 4 (%) Lb/A (cwt) Cranberry Red TS dk red Reddale TS md red Red Gold JS red All Red JS lt red Rose Gold TS lt pink Red Pontiac SO lt red Red Cloud TS md red Dk. Red Norland JS md red Corola TS yl/brown Yukon Gold JS yl/brown Butte TS russet Kennebec SO wh/brown Superior JS yl/brown Catalina PA lt brown Caribe TS lt violet All Blue JS dk violet Fingerlings % Short 5 % Medium 6 % Long 7 Lb/A (cwt) Swedish Peanut TS yl/brown Russian Banana JS lt yellow Exterior color; dk = dark, lt = light, md = medium, yl = yellow, wh = white. 2 US grade C = potatoes with diameters between in. and ¾ in., sometimes called creamers. 3 US grade B = potatoes with diameters between ¾ in. and 2¼ in. 4 US grade A = potatoes with diameters larger than 2¼ in. 5 Short = potatoes less than 2 in. long. 6 Medium = potatoes between 2 in. and 3½ in. in length. 7 Long = potatoes longer than 3½ in. 48

4 of its size and uniformity. Of the two fingerling varieties, Swedish Peanut was more attractive, an important trait when introducing new types of produce to consumers. Cranberry Red, a red skin and red flesh potato, and Reddale, a red skin potato, performed well in yield and appearance. Red Gold and Rose Gold combine red skin with a yellow flesh, an attractive combination. All Blue, Cranberry Red, and All Red, colored fleshed varieties, are all quality potatoes, but their flesh may be quite striking to a consumer who has eaten only white potatoes. When an early harvest of new potatoes is planned, vines should be killed well before harvest so that processing of the potatoes does not remove the skin. Potatoes dug early will not store well and will bruise easily, and these factors should be a consideration in marketing. Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank the following persons for their hard work and assistance in the successful completion of this trial: Dave Lowry, Phillip Bush, Larry Blandford, Derek Law, Audrey Horrall, Barry Duncil, Courtney Bobrowski, Curtis Gregory, Justin Clark, John C. Clark, Dave Spalding, Selvaprasanna Sanjeevijulian, Ashok Swaminathon, Saravanna Kannan, Kalyan Tangirala, Teerasak Tiamdao (Oa), Tanasit Laosomboon (Koh), and Spencer Helsabeck. Table 4. Flesh color and appearance ratings of the colored and fingerling late potato harvest, Lexington, Kentucky. Shape Size Overall Flesh Uniformity Uniformity Appearance Cultivar Color (-5) (-5) 2 (-9) 3 Cranberry Red pink Reddale white Red Gold lt yellow All Red pink Rose Gold yellow Red Pontiac white Red Cloud white Dk. Red Norland white Corola lt yellow Yukon Gold yellow Butte white Kennebec white Superior white Catalina white Caribe white All Blue violet Fingerlings Swedish Peanut yellow Russian Banana lt yellow Shape uniformity: = least uniform, most variable, 5 = completely uniform. 2 Size uniformity: = least uniform, most variable, 5 = completely uniform. 3 Overall appearance: = worst, 9 = best. Gourmet Potato RACE Trial, 2003 R. Terry Jones and Charles T. Back, Department of Horticulture, Robinson Station Introduction Farmers markets and roadside sales are a significant outlet for Kentucky s vegetable production. Consumers look for new or unique potatoes at these markets. Small, mixed color potato packs are now a hot item at some of Kentucky s urban farmers markets. Growers who can offer new or novelty potatoes are able to increase their overall sales. An observation trial was established to evaluate 8 potato cultivars harvested as early and late potatoes for their potential production in Kentucky. The potato cultivars Kennebec, Dark Red Norland, and Yukon Gold were used as checks. Materials and Methods Based on the soil test results (Table ), 50 lb of N and 00 lb K 2 O/A were applied preplant. One sidedressing of 50 lb N/A was applied just prior to hilling when the plants were 2 to 4 in. tall. Eighteen potato cultivars were planted (Table 2). The cultivar Cranberry Red, sometimes called All Red, was purchased from two different seed sources and tested as separate cultivars. The potatoes were planted April. Varieties were grouped by type and color. Each plot consisted of two rows per cultivar with 42 in. between rows and 9 in. between hills. Plots and rows were 2 ft. long, with 20 hills per row (40 hills per plot). Guard rows were single rows. To separate cultivars, we used spacer hills (3 ft. long) between cultivars. We used Red Pontiac between plots planted with white or light skin cultivars and Kennebec between plots planted with red skin cultivars. Catalina, grown from true seed, was transplanted 0 May. Admire 2E was applied on 25 April for early season Colorado potato beetle control. Dual Magnum II at a rate of 2 pt/a was also applied for weed control at that time. Two insecticide sprays (Pounce 3.2EC) were made for Colorado potato beetle control. The potatoes were cultivated twice for weed control in May and hilled once in early June. One row in each plot was harvested early for new potatoes, while the other row was left for harvest at maturity. One row of each cultivar was harvested on 6 July. The tubers were then graded and sorted according to size and U.S. No. standards. The late harvest was 3 September, and tubers were sorted and graded. Wet weather delayed this harvest. Table. Results for soil tests, gourmet potato RACE trial, for Eastern and Central Kentucky, Buffer PH ph P K Ca Mg Zn

5 Table 2. Potato varieties evaluated in the 2003 "Gourmet" and new potato Race trial for Eastern and Central Kentucky and their skin and flesh colors, reported maturities and disease resistances, sources, tuber characteristics, and storability. Cultivar Skin Color Flesh Color Maturity (days) Maturity Class Disease Resistance Source 2 Tuber Size or Type Storability Superior White White NA 3 NA 3 NA 3 WCF NA 3 NA 3 Kennebec White White NA NA NA WCF NA NA Butte Russet White 0-35 Late none listed TR NA NA XP707 Corola Gold Gold 90-0 Mid none listed TR Good Yukon Gold Yellowish Lt. Yellow Early R-leaf roll, JS Med-Lg Excellent potato virus Swedish Peanut Gold/Brown Gold Late none listed TR Fingerling Excellent Russian Banana Yellow Lt. Yellow NA Late R-scab, JS Fingerling Good T-late blight Dark Red Norland Red White NA Early R-scab, PVA, JS NA Good PVY, PLRV Red Dale Red White Early R-verticillium TR Large Good wilt Red Cloud Red White 90-0 Mid none listed TR NA Excellent Red Pontiac Red White NA NA WCF NA NA Red Yellow NA Early R- scab, virus JS Medium Fair-poor Red Gold Rose Gold Red Yellow 90-0 Mid none listed TR NA Fair All Red Red Pink NA Mid none listed JS NA NA (Cranberry Rd) Cranberry Red Red Red Early none listed TR NA Good (All Red) All Blue Blue Blue NA Mid-Late none listed JS Medium Good Caribe Blue White V.Early none listed TR Good Catalina Brown white Early NA Bejo Flat NA R = resistant; T = tolerant; PVA = Potato Virus A; PVY = Potato virus Y; PLRV = Potato leaf roll virus. 2 Sources listed at the end of the 2003 Research Report. 3 NA = not available or not reported. Results Each potato cultivar varies in the number of eyes produced on its tubers. Small tubers of a particular cultivar have the same number of eyes as large tubers. The number of eyes on a seed piece determines the number of stems/hill. Stem number determines the number of potatoes produced/hill. Thus, yield and tuber size in a hill are related to the eye number on the potato seed piece used to plant that hill. The ideal size of a potato seed piece is ½ to 2½ oz. Results show that most of the 7 potato cultivars had a high percentage of B, or split seed pieces (Table 3). Red Pontiac seed was very large, with 52% of the seed requiring a 4-cut to produce 2-oz seed pieces. For the early harvest, the highest yielding cultivars were Dark Red Norland, All Red, Red Dale, Caribe, Butte, Red Gold, and Superior (Table 4). Five of these cultivars have red skin. The seven cultivars with the highest overall appearance were Butte, Superior, Yukon Gold, Dark Red Norland, Caribe, Red Gold, and Rose Gold. Five of the cultivars tested were in both groups: Dark Red Norland, Caribe, Butte, Red Gold, and Superior. For the late harvest, the seven highest yielding cultivars were Red Cloud, Red Pontiac, Rose Gold, Red Dale, Dark Red Norland, Red Gold, and Butte (Table 5). Those cultivars with the best overall appearance were Butte, Red Dale, Red Cloud, Rose Gold, Red Gold, Caribe, and Dark Red Norland. Cultivars that were in both the high yield and best appearance groups included Red Cloud, Rose Gold, Red Dale, Dark Red Norland, Red Gold, and Butte. Table 3. Quantity and percentage of seed in each size class for the 2003 "Gourmet" and new potato Race trial for Eastern and Central Kentucky. Seed Planted Percentage of: Cultivar (lb) B-size 2-cut 4-cut Superior Kennebec Butte XP707 Corola Yukon Gold Swedish Peanut Russian Banana Dark Red Norland Red Dale Red Cloud Red Pontiac Red Gold Rose Gold All Red (Cranberry Red) Cranberry Red (All Red) All Blue Caribe

6 Table 4. Yield of small medium, large, US # and cull potatoes, and ratings of tuber appearance for the first new potato harvest (6 July), 2003 "Gourmet," and new potato race trial for Eastern and Central Kentucky. Variety Small < 7/8 in. Medium > 7/8 in. Large >2 /4 in. US # (no./a) (lb/a) (no./a) (lb/a) (no./a) (lb/a) Potatoes (cwt/a) Culls (lb) Tuber Appearance Skin Flesh Color 2 Color 2 Shape 3 Size 3 Appearance 4 Comments/Taste Superior W W nice white potato Kennebec W W very variable in size, poor shape with a lot of knobs Butte W/R W 4 3 ½ 8-9 very attractive long white XP707 Corola W Y ½ fairly attractive, nice looking potato Yukon Gold W Y/W nice looking potato Dark Red R W some growth cracks or splits; Norland deep eyes, nice looking Red Dale R W some huge potatoes, nice looking but size variable Red Cloud R W a lot of growth cracks & knobs, fair Red Pontiac R W fairly nice Red Gold R Y/W attractive, could be redder Rose Gold R/W Y white skin with pink especially near eyes, nice All Red (Cranberry Red) Cranberry Red (All Red) R W/R fair shape and size quite variable R W 4 2 ½ 8 dark red attractive potato All Blue P P/W rough skin, Rhizoctonia infection(?), alligator skin, poor Caribe P/R W purplish red skin color, fairly attractive potato, nice Catalina W W poor yield, very uneven size distribution, no good Marketable yield is all medium and large tubers free from defects. W = White; R = Red; P = Pink; Y = Yellow. Scale of to 5: = least uniform, most variable; 5 = completely uniform. Scale of to 9: = worst, 9 = best. 5

7 Table 5. Yield of small medium, large, US #, and cull potatoes and ratings of tuber appearance for the second new potato harvest (3 September), 2003 "Gourmet," and new potato race trial for Eastern and Central Kentucky. Variety Small < 7/8 in. Medium > 7/8 in. Large >2 /4 in. US # (no./a) (lb/a) (no./a) (lb/a) (no./a) (lb/a) Potatoes (cwt/a) Culls (lb) Tuber Appearance Skin Flesh Color 2 Color 2 Shape 3 Size 3 Appearance 4 Comments/Taste Superior W W Kennebec W W some growth cracks Butte W W attractive potato XP707 Corola W Y/W Yukon Gold W W nice potato Dark Red ] 0.3 R W/Y nice potato Norland Red Dale R W Red Cloud R W nice looking smooth skin Red Pontiac R W secondary growth knob on some tubers Red Gold R W Rose Gold R Y/W not a bad potato All Red Purple W/P small size, elongated flesh (Cranberry w/purple tint Red) Cranberry Red R W/R poor yield, lots of growth (All Red) cracks All Blue R W/R nice white with red tint Caribe R/P W nice Catalina W W poor yield and size Marketable yield is all medium and large tubers free from defects. W = White; R = Red; P = Pink; Y = Yellow. Scale of to 5: = least uniform, most variable; 5 = completely uniform. Scale of to 9: = worst, 9 = best. 52

8 The yields of the late harvested potatoes were lower than those of the early harvest because some of the tubers decayed when left in the ground for several months after reaching maturity. The early harvest on 6 July was actually near the time of maturity. Ideally the early harvest should have been the last week of June to the first of July, but rainy weather delayed the harvest. Yields of two fingerling potatoes were low (Table 6). They did not store well in the ground after maturity, as can be seen by the lower yields at the time of the late harvest. When harvested at maturity, Russian Banana was the better looking potato, but at the late harvest date Swedish Peanut looked nicer. Six of the potato cultivars were evaluated for culinary characteristics by the Family and Consumer Sciences agents in the Quicksand Area (Table 7). The two highest rated baking potatoes were Russian Banana and Superior, and the best-rated boiled potatoes were Kennebec and Superior. Potato cultivars that had good yields and appearance, regardless of harvest date, include Dark Red Norland, Butte, and Red Gold. Production of crops for specialty markets is a high risk-reward business. With any unusual or novelty item, growers should limit their production until they are sure that they have an established market. Table 6. Yield by length size classes, total yield, and cull weight and ratings of tuber appearance for the first (6 July) and second harvest of fingerling potatoes, 2003 "Gourmet," and new potato Race trial for Eastern and Central Kentucky. Tuber Appearance Tuber Size Class < 2 in. long 2-3½ in. long >3½ in. long Comments/taste Skin Flesh Color 2 Color 2 Shape 3 Size 3 Appearance 4 Culls (lb) Total Yield (cwt/a) (no./a) (lb/a) (no./a) (lb/a) (no./a) (lb/a) Cultivar Harvested 6 July 2003 Swedish W Y variable, curved shape Peanut Russian W W or 6.5 Banana Harvested 3 September 2003 Swedish W Y/W Peanut Russian W Y/W 5.5 Banana Marketable yield is all tubers free from defects. W = White; Y = Yellow. Scale of to 5: = least uniform, most variable; 5 = completely uniform. Scale of to 9: = worst, 9 = best

9 Table 7. Culinary evaluation of six selected cultivars grown in the 2003 "Gourmet" and new potato Race trial for Eastern and Central Kentucky. Method of Preparation Baked Boiled Cultivar Rating Comments Rating Comments Russian Banana 4 Yellow flesh, good flavor when baked, a little mealy 3 Skin is bitter, flesh is OK, good texture, better baked Dark Red Norland 2 Good potato flavor, poor texture (too firm) 3.5 Good texture boiled, firm bite, bitter skin Superior 4.5 Buttery yellow flesh, good 4 Good flavor, good texture baked potato Yukon Gold 3.5 Yellow flesh, great visual color 3 Buttery yellow flesh, good flavor Red Dale.5 Mushy texture, watery flavor 2.5 Watery flavor, sticky Kennebec 3 Firm texture 4.5 Very good boiled, good potato flavor Potatoes tested 4 August Evaluations were conducted by Martha Yount and Sarah Brandl, Family and Consumer Sciences Agents. Evaluation panel was composed of Family and Consumer Sciences Agents from the Quicksand Area. Yields and Gross Returns from New Slicing Cucumber Varieties April Satanek, Brent Rowell, Darrell Slone, and John C. Snyder, Department of Horticulture Introduction Early cucumbers bring the best prices, and every grower plans for the best returns, but weather usually dictates field activities. The 2003 growing season clearly demonstrated the importance of timing in planting spring slicing cucumber crops. Early slicing cucumbers continue to be profitable for growers in Central and Western Kentucky especially early in the season, when the market price is high. This is the second year of a fresh market slicing cucumber trial that compares new slicing cucumber varieties yields and visual characteristics. Methods and Materials Fifteen slicing cucumber varieties were compared for yield, potential returns, and overall appearance in the spring of 2003 at the Horticultural Research Farm in Lexington. Dasher II was included as a standard (check) variety, as it is one of the most popular hybrids in the region. All the varieties were gynoecious F hybrids with approximately 2% pollinators. All varieties are reported to have disease resistance, although our trial did not evaluate disease. Cucumbers were seeded in 72-cell flats in the greenhouse on 7 May 2003 and transplanted to the field on 0 June. Most cultural practices followed current commercial recommendations for Kentucky. A total of 60 lb N/A was applied prior to transplanting; an additional 0 lb N/A from ammonium nitrate was fertigated in four weekly doses. All P and K was applied preplant according to recommendations based on soil tests. The insecticide Capture 2 EC was used for cucumber beetles on the seedlings while they were hardening off. For insect control, Platinum was applied as a post-transplant drench one day after transplanting. Two applications of Pounce were applied after 24 June for cucumber beetle control. A fungicide regiment of Bravo, Quadris, and Nu Cop was applied throughout harvest. Plots consisted of 8 ft. long beds with black plastic and drip irrigation. Bed centers were 8 ft. apart. Single plants were spaced 2 in. apart within double rows (two rows/bed) with approximately 5 in. between double rows (6 plants/plot). Plots were replicated four times in a randomized complete block design. Cucumbers were harvested three times a week between July and August for a total of 0 harvests. After grading into either marketable fruit or culls, fruits were counted and weighed. Marketable fruits were sorted according to USDA grades U.S. Fancy, U.S. No., U.S. No. Large, U.S. No. Small, and U.S. No. 2. Yields and gross returns. Average yields of each USDA grade were compared using Waller-Duncan s LSD (k-ratio t- tests, P = 0.05) following an analysis of variance. Although yields for these grades are important, we have presented the data in a way that we think is practical for the grower. Making planting decisions based on total yield data alone is not recommended and could lead to disastrous results. Raw data were converted by multiplying the yield of each grade by that grade s actual price for that harvest date. Yields in lb/acre were first converted to boxes/acre by dividing yield by the average weight of one /9 bushel box of slicing cucumbers (55 lb). Box yields were multiplied by actual average weekly wholesale prices received by a Kentucky cooperative, less box costs, packing charges, and commissions. The resulting single variable gross return provides a better indicator of a variety s overall performance, taking into account yields of the different grades and their price differentials Trellising. All plots were trained on a simple trellis consisting of tomato stakes placed every 4 ft. of row, and tomato twine was wrapped around each stake to create a fence on both sides of the bed. Plants were then hung over the strings. The trellis consisted of four or five strings placed about 6 to 8 in. apart. 54

10 Fruit appearance ratings. All fruits of each variety harvested from all four replications were graded and laid out on tables for careful examination and appearance ratings on 28 July. Fruits were visually assessed for shape, extent of yellow color, and overall appearance. Appearance ratings took into account, in order of importance, overall attractiveness, shape, shape uniformity, and color. Results and Discussion Yields and returns. Varieties are ranked from highest to lowest yield of a combination grade of U.S. Fancy plus U.S. No. fruits in Table. This combination corresponds to the trade designation Superselect. The U.S. No. 2 grade corresponds to the Select category, while fruits of the U.S. No. large grade are usually packed as 24 count (24 fruits/box). Like last year s study, Daytona, Dasher II, SRQ 2983, and Indy were in the seven highest cultivars in this trial, along with General Lee, Greensleeves, and Turbo (Table ). None of the yields were significantly different from the others. Daytona, Greensleeves, General Lee, Turbo, Indy, and Stonewall all had average percentages of Superselect (Fancy and No. ) equal to or higher than 80, although all the varieties had average percentages above 70 (Table ). Incomes for all varieties were not significantly different except that Daytona earned significantly more than Stonewall, the lowest earning variety. Dasher II, General Lee, SRQ 2983, SXQ 2387, Speedway, and Slice More received the best ratings for uniformity of shape. Daytona, Dasher II, General Lee Thunder, and Panther received the best ratings for degree of yellowing on fruit. The best overall appearance ratings were given to Dasher II, General Lee, Turbo, Indy, and Thunder. Dasher II and General Lee were attractive fruit, receiving some of the best scores in all three appearance rating categories (Table 2). Although no one variety significantly outperformed the others, this trial illustrates the importance of planning a crop for optimal return. In this case, rain delayed the planting, thus delaying the first harvest until July, after the prices started to decrease (Table 3). Daytona, Dasher II, General Lee, Turbo, Indy, Speedway, and Panther remain on the list of suggested slicing cucumber varieties for Kentucky growers. SRQ 2983, Greensleeves, Cobra, and SXQ 2387 are good for grower trial. Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank the following persons for their hard work and assistance in the successful completion of this trial: Dave Lowry, Phillip Bush, Larry Blandford, Derek Law, Audrey Horrall, Barry Duncil, Courtney Bobrowski, Curtis Gregory, Justin Clark, John C. Clark, Dave Spalding, Selvaprasanna Sanjeevijulian, Ashok Swaminathon, Saravanna Kannan, Kalyan Tangirala, Teerasak Tiamdao (Oa), Tanasit Laosomboon (Koh), and Spencer Helsabeck. Table. Marketable yields and gross returns of slicing cucumber varieties and advanced breeding lines; data are averages from four replications at Lexington, Kentucky, Entries ranked from highest to lowest yield of US Fancy plus US No. grade fruits. US Fancy+ Marketable Yields Gross Seed US No. % Fancy+ US No. 2 US No. large Returns 2 Overall Entry Source (tons/acre) No. (%) tons/acre ($/acre) Appear. Daytona SW Dasher II SW General Lee SW SRQ 2983 SS Greensleeves HM Turbo RU Indy SW Cobra UA SXQ 2387 SS Speedway RU Stonewall SW Thunder SW Panther SW Slice More SW SXQ 2389 SS Waller-Duncan LSD (P = 0.05) The combined yields of USDA grades Fancy and US No. are equivalent to the Superselect marketing category, while US No. 2 grade is equivalent to Select; yields of US No. Large are equivalent to yields of cucumbers used in 24-count packs. 2 Gross returns are calculated for each entry by multiplying yields of each marketing category (Superselect, Select, and 24-count) by its appropriate price for a given harvest date (nine harvests). Prices used were actual average weekly prices received by a Kentucky cooperative from June 22 August 0, Higher returns may reflect earlier yields and/or higher yields of Superselect cucumbers. Prices are shown in Table 3. 55

11 Table 2. Fruit shape, color, and overall appearance assessments for slicing cucumber varieties; scores are averages for all fruits of each variety from four replications harvested on 28 July 2003; varieties are listed from highest to lowest US Fancy + US No. yields. Entry Shape Yellowing 2 Rating 3 Fruit Appear. Daytona Dasher II General Lee SRQ Greensleeves Turbo Indy Cobra SXQ Speedway Stonewall Thunder Panther Slice More SXQ Shape ratings: = worst (large percentage of misshapen fruits) to 5 = best (most fruits uniform, long, straight, cylindrical). 2 Extent of yellowing: = worst (large percentage of fruit surface yellow on most fruits), 5 = best (no yellow color on most fruits). 3 Appearance ratings: = worst; 9 = best, taking into account, in order of importance, shape, shape uniformity, and color. Table 3. Average weekly wholesale prices received for slicing cucumbers during the period from 29 June-27 July The first trial harvest was July. Prices are before packing charge and marketing commissions are subtracted. Prices are dollars per standard /9 bu (55 lb) carton. Market Grade Superselect+ Week Ending Select Small June July July July July Market grades correspond to the following USDA grades: Superselect = US Fancy + US No. ; Select = US No. 2; Small = US No. Small. Trellised Slicing Cucumbers in Western Kentucky Nathan Howard, Department of Horticulture Introduction Fresh market slicing cucumbers have been grown in Western Kentucky for the West Kentucky Growers Cooperative for the last four years. Growers want varieties that produce many long, straight, dark green cucumbers with very little yellowing because they are most profitable. This trial repeats the 2002 study. The objective of the two-year study was to determine if trellising would produce better quality, higher yielding fruit that would pay for the cost of trellising. Materials and Methods The cucumber variety chosen for this trial was Speedway, a reliable variety for the cooperative. The trial plots were set up in the field of one of the cooperators/growers in McLean County. The grower assisted with this trial by irrigating the plot and controlling pests and diseases. Plants were started in 242-cell trays and transplanted to the field on 5 May into raised beds set up with black plastic mulch and drip irrigation. The trial was arranged as a randomized complete block design with four replications. Each plot had 50 plants in 8-in. wide double rows with 5 in. between plants within the rows. A pre-plant phosphorus and potassium fertilizer was added according to soil test results. One-half of the 00 lb N/A was applied prior to planting with the remainder applied weekly through drip irrigation at 5 lb N/A per application. The herbicide Devrinol was used for preemergence weed control. Plots were scouted twice weekly to monitor pests and diseases. The insecticide Pounce was used as needed. Bravo, Kocide, and Maneb fungicides were used alternately throughout the season. An outbreak of anthracnose occurred the last week of June, but the disease was controlled with Quadris, which allowed continued cucumber harvesting. The treatments used in this trial were ) no trellis, 2) singlestranded trellis, and 3) double-stranded trellis. The trellis treatments were wrapped in five stringings. Plots were harvested 0 times between 20 June and 22 July. Single- and double-stranded trellises. In either trellis system, tobacco sticks (52 in.) were driven 9 in. into the raised beds directly in the plant row. One stake was placed every five plants (about 6 ft. apart). Since there were two rows of cucumbers per bed, there were also two rows of stakes on each bed. Two stakes were also set every 25 plants on each row to serve as support for the trellis structure and to allow for a gap to pass harvest buckets across rows. Staked tomato twine was used in stringing. The twine was wrapped around a stake once and then 56

12 moved to the next stake. Stringing the twine was repeated five times at different positions, beginning at 6 in. above the plastic and ending at the top of the stick. When finished, the trellis looked similar to a five-strand fence. The double-strand trellis type was set up exactly the same as the single-strand trellis but with two strings. Twice before the first harvest, vines were manually trained onto the twine in order to ensure the trellises were fully supporting them. New tobacco sticks cost $0.5 each. This cost can be amortized over two years resulting in an annual cost of $0.07/stick. Approximately 2,070 sticks are required per acre, so stake cost was about $45 per acre. The estimated labor cost for trellising and removal at the end of the season was estimated at $400 per acre. Total material and labor costs for trellising cucumbers were about $600/acre. Cucumber sale prices are FOB less $.40 box/packing charge and less 6% marketing commissions. Prices are dollars per standard /9 bu (55 lb) carton. Results and Discussion The growing season was wet with cool temperatures, which slowed cucumber growth. Yields were somewhat lower than those of 2002, but higher prices generally offset this difference. Table lists the prices per box for super-select, select, and 24-count sizes at various harvest dates. Several trends are important. Generally, yield differences were minimal among the three treatments in each cucumber grade (Table 2). The trellised treatment seemed to yield a few more super-select boxes per acre than the non-trellised treatment. The double-strand treatment did not support the fruit load any better than the single-strand treatment. In addition, its yield was lower overall than that for the single-strand treatment. Therefore, using a double strand was not justified according to this experiment. Cucumbers from trellised vines were more uniform in color due to their better exposure to sunlight, compared to cucumbers from untrellised vines. The trellised cucumbers could have been picked for one more week, but the yields at that point were low, which would not justify the cost of picking. Costs and returns. Single-strand trellised cucumbers returned the highest yield per acre. When adjusted to an acre basis, the gross dollar return obtained with this treatment was $,627/acre. When cost of labor and materials were factored in, net return for the single-strand trellis was $,025/acre. Yields of the non-trellised plot were lower overall than the trellised treatments. Because there were no trellising costs, net returns were $,078/acre. In this experiment the additional cost of trellising cucumbers was justified but not by a lot. The 2002 research showed more of a difference in profit. An important factor to consider when trellising cucumber is spray coverage. Spray coverage is generally better with less dense foliage, and cucumbers raised on the ground had fewer disease symptoms during the period when anthracnose was a problem. This would result in fewer culled fruits and increase the grower s net profit. The grower was very pleased with his trellised cucumbers because of the ease of harvest when compared to non-trellised cucumbers. In conclusion, considering the overall yield and materials cost, this experiment demonstrated that trellising was slightly more profitable than not trellising. The main advantage of trellising was associated with ease of harvest. Table. Average weekly wholesale prices for slicing cucumbers from 20 June-22 July Price per Box Week Ending on Superselect Select 24-Count 28 Jun $3.32 $8.0 $ Jul $5.6 $9.27 $ Jul $4.46 $5.44 $ Jul $ 3.30 $5.35 $ Jul $0.9 $.63 $4.84 Market grades correspond to the following USDA grades: Superselect = U.S. Fancy + U.S.No.; Select = U.S. No.2; Small = U.S. No. Small; 24-count = U.S. No. Large. Table 2. Yields of market grades of Speedway slicing cucumbers from trellised and non-trellised plots in McLean County, Kentucky, Number of Boxes Market Grade No Trellis Single-Strand Trellis Double-Strand Trellis Superselect Select count Culls Total boxes,455,497,449 Income/acre $,078 $,025 $0,387 $ Income/acre is minus cost of trellising. 57

13 Yield and Powdery Mildew Resistance of Fall-Harvested Summer Squash April Satanek, Brent Rowell, William Nesmith, Darrell Slone, and John C. Snyder, Departments of Horticulture and Plant Pathology Introduction Fungal and virus diseases are primary concerns in successfully producing and marketing a fall summer squash crop in Kentucky. Under certain conditions, virus can render a squash crop unmarketable by discoloring fruit and affecting plant growth. Infections of more than one virus commonly occur in fall-harvested summer squash in Kentucky. Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV, formerly WMV-2), zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV), squash mosaic virus (SqMV), cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), and papaya ringspot virus (PRSV, formerly WMV-) have all occurred in Kentucky at one time or another and in most other southeastern states. Many straight neck yellow squash have the precocious yellow (Py) gene that masks the greening effect in summer squash fruits produced on plants infected by CMV or WMV. Unfortunately, precocious yellow summer squash will show the greening effect when PRSV or ZYMV is present. Transgenic squash resistant to PRSV and ZYMV (TG-3+) are supposed to be resistant to all four viruses. This trial was planned to evaluate 34 squash cultivars in response to virus pressure in a fall planting. The low occurrence of virus disease in this year s trial allowed only one rating of virus damage. The cultivars were evaluated for powdery mildew (PM) resistance, yield, and appearance. Materials and Methods Thirty-four summer squash cultivars or advanced breeding lines (5 zucchini, straight neck summer squash, and eight crook or semi-crook neck) were evaluated at the University of Kentucky Horticultural Research Farm in Lexington in the late summer and fall of These included some of the best performing cultivars from the 2002 trial. Most cultural practices were according to current commercial recommendations for Kentucky. Seeds were sown in the greenhouse on 6 July in 72-cell plastic trays and transplanted to the field on August. Each plot consisted of eight plants spaced 8 in. apart in a single row on 6-in. high raised beds with black plastic mulch and drip irrigation. Beds were 8 ft. apart from center to center. All 34 entries were planted together in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Cultivars of each type (zucchinis, yellow straightneck, or yellow crookneck) were grouped together within each block. Blocks consisted of two long rows with 7 entries per row. Single rows of the disease-susceptible cultivar Dixie were planted on both sides of each block to enhance natural disease buildup and uniform spread throughout the trial. One hundred pounds N/A were applied prior to planting while an additional 27 lb N/A were applied in four applications for a total of 28 lb N/A. All P and K were applied preplant according to soil test recommendations. When cucumber beetle populations were high, Pounce was applied, and for disease control, Bravo and Nova were applied. The preemergent herbicide Curbit was applied between rows for weed control. Plots were harvested three days a week (MWF) from 29 August to October for a total of 3 harvests. A hard frost on 3 October damaged plants, preventing further harvests. After harvesting, fruits were counted and weighed after grading into either marketable fruit or culls. Marketable yield is expressed as the number of half-bushel boxes per acre by dividing the total weight of marketable fruit per acre by 2 lb. Following an analysis of variance, average yields and disease ratings were compared using Waller-Duncan s K-ratio T-test (P = 0.05). Fruit quality ratings All fruits of each trial entry harvested from all four replications were graded and laid out on tables for careful examination and quality rating on 5 September. Both the yellow squash and the zucchini squash color were evaluated for uniformity with a score of = highly variable to 5 = uniform, and scores were lowered for green tinted fruit. Appearance was rated on a to 9 scale with = worst and 9 = best, taking into account, in order of importance, overall attractiveness, shape, uniformity of shape, and color. Disease assessments. Because of a lack of virus symptoms and virus transmitting aphids early in the season, a few plants in all four replications were inoculated with leaves containing virus symptoms and aphids on 9 August. These insect and disease-infested leaves were taken from an infected field of cucurbits. Plants were visually assessed for the extent of PM symptoms on 8 September and assessed for virus symptoms on 3 October. In both cases, a subjective rating of 0 to 5 was used, 0 meaning no disease present and 5 indicating the highest level of disease. Results and Discussion The beginning of the fall growing season was marked by a low occurrence of virus diseases in the squash plots but with a significant occurrence of powdery mildew. The season was rainy, and an early frost severely injured most plants. Yellow straightnecks. Of the yellow straightneck varieties, Conqueror III, a transgenic variety, yielded significantly more than the other straightneck varieties and also received a very low virus score (Table ). In last year s trial, Conqueror III was one of the lowest yielding under very low virus pressure. Precious II, Cougar, Lioness, and Multipick were the next highest yielding varieties, although not significantly lower than Conqueror III. They earned low virus scores. Lioness received the lowest PM rating among straightneck squash, as well as low rating for virus symptoms. Conqueror III and Precious II had low virus scores but had average PM scores. XPT 832, a transgenic variety with the precocious gene, along with Superpik, were lowest yielding in our trial. Cougar and Superpik had the most PM symptoms, and Seneca Supreme and Daisy 58