New Vegetable Varieties Coming Your Way
We asked vegetable breeders about which selections they are introducing to growers in 2018. Take a look at these unique options for your crop mix.
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Pepper: Mexican Sunrise F1 [Seeds by Design]
A Hungarian hot wax pepper, ‘Mexican Sunrise F1’ has smaller, compact plants with 6- to 7-inch fruit. These earlier maturing (65 to 70 days), conical, pendant-shaped peppers produce a thick-walled fruit that can be eaten at any stage. The pepper is resistant to tobacco mosaic virus and grows well in the Southeast, Mountain states, and Southwest.
SeedsByDesign.com -
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Pumpkin: Early Prince [Abbott & Cobb]
‘Early Prince,’ a dark-orange pumpkin with a thick, well-attached handle and nice, round shape, weighs in at 13 to 15 pounds at harvest, or 90 days after planting. It has intermediate resistance to powdery mildew Podosphaera xanthii (ex, Sphaerotheca fuliginea). It grows well in Northern U.S., West Coast, Mid-Atlantic, and Canada.
AbbottCobb.com -
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Pumpkin: Edison [Outstanding Seed Company]
With a medium fruit that averages 14 to 18 pounds, 'Edison' has excellent dark-orange color, large, thick, black handles, and good ribbing. It matures at 100 days, averages a 4,000 seed count, and has intermediate resistance to powdery mildew. The breeder recommends 18 square feet per semi-bush plant.
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Spaghetti Squash: Millionaire [Outstanding Seed Company]
With an average weight of 7 to 12 pounds, 'Millionaire' has a thick flesh that cooks to a unique vegetable spaghetti product. The fruit matures at 95 days, changing from white with green stripes to orange with gold stripes. It boasts a 3,900 average seed count, grows on a semi-bush plant, and has excellent rock hard handles. It has an intermediate resistance to powdery mildew, and Outstanding Seed Company recommends giving 18 square feet per plant.
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Sweet Corn: Affection [Seminis]
Seminis sweet corn breeder, Kendell Hellewell, developed this bicolor sweet corn, which is ideal for the Northeast and Southeast. It reaches maturity at 81 to 85 days, with 7- to 7.5-inch ears and a row count coming in at 16 to 18. It displays an intermediate resistance to Stewart's Wilt (Pantoea stewartii).
Seminis-US.com -
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Sweet Corn: Jubilation [Seminis]
Sweet corn breeder Kendell Hellewell introduced this sh2 yellow sweet corn variety. Its ears average 7.75 to 8 inches, and the average row count is 16 to 18. It is highly resistant to RpG, and has an intermediate resistance to Southern corn leaf blight (Bipolaris maydis), Northern leaf blight (Exserohilum turcicum), and Stewart’s wilt (Pantoea stewartii). Due to its strong disease package, it “may be slotted for some of the most challenging growing seasons” in the Northeast and Southeast. It matures in 80 days.
Seminis-US.com -
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Sweet Corn: Temptress [Crookham Company]
This Quad Sweet type of sweet corn from Crookham breeders Dustin Batt and George Crookham matures early (70 days) and has a solid disease package. It’s highly resistant to common rust (Puccinia sorghi) RpGDJ and maise dwarf mosaic virus. It also has an intermediate resistance to Northern corn leaf blight. Ideal for the Northeast, Midwest, Canada, and Northwest, ‘Temptress’ averages 8-inch ears with 16 rows on a 1.8-inch diameter cob. It is of the highest eating quality on a sturdy plant, which also emerges strong and exhibits good vigor.
Crookham.com -
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Watermelon: Eclipse [Sakata Seed America]
This ‘Sugar-Baby’-type triploid watermelon matures early (80 days from transplant), and weighs in at 10 to 12 pounds. Fruits are round with a narrow strip on black background, with excellent rind demarcation and good red flesh color. It has a unique flavor. It performs well in Canada and the Northeast.
SakataVegetables.com -
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Watermelon: Red Garnet [Enza Zaden]
‘Red Garnet’ is a prolific, dark-green crimson type seedless watermelon that has shown wide adaptability in trials in the Eastern U.S. and Texas. The strong vigorous plant produces uniform 16- to 20-pound oval fruit with deep red flesh in about 84 days.
EnzaZaden.com -
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Winter Squash: Waldo [Johnny’s Selected Seeds]
‘Waldo’ is a medium-large butternut (3 to 3.5 pounds) selected for exceptional flavor and long storage life. It also has yielded well compared to industry standards in multiple trial locations. Flesh is deep orange with a small-seed cavity. Intermediate tolerance to powdery mildew ensures a mature crop, which can be harvested at 100 days after planting.
JohnnysSeed.com -
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Zucchini: Cash Machine [Enza Zaden]
‘Cash Machine’ produces high-quality, medium-dark green zucchini with light flecking and a small blossom scar. ‘Cash Machine’ sets fruit prolifically on a compact-to-medium, upright, semi-open plant, and when combined with its excellent disease package, promises to deliver high yields of uniform fruit. It has an intermediate resistance to powdery mildew, zucchini yellow mosaic virus, watermelon mosaic virus, and papaya ringspot virus. It’s ideal for Eastern growers.
EnzaZaden.com
View all
Pepper: Mexican Sunrise F1 [Seeds by Design]
Pumpkin: Early Prince [Abbott & Cobb]
Pumpkin: Edison [Outstanding Seed Company]
Spaghetti Squash: Millionaire [Outstanding Seed Company]
Sweet Corn: Affection [Seminis]
Sweet Corn: Jubilation [Seminis]
Sweet Corn: Temptress [Crookham Company]
Watermelon: Eclipse [Sakata Seed America]
Watermelon: Red Garnet [Enza Zaden]
Winter Squash: Waldo [Johnny’s Selected Seeds]
Zucchini: Cash Machine [Enza Zaden]
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Carol Miller is Editor of American Vegetable Grower. See all author stories here.