Vegetable Press 

Vol. 01 No. 9
September 5, 2001

2002 All-America Selections Winners

Dr. Rick Snyder
Vegetable Specialist

All-America Selections Winners for 2002 have just been announced. The Truck Crops Experiment Station in Crystal Springs, MS is one of only 26 testing grounds in North America for new vegetable varieties. First, a little background on this nonprofit organization.

All-America Selections was founded in 1932, with the following goals:

To foster the development, production and distribution of new and better horticultural and agricultural varieties, species, strains and kinds in and for North America.

To foster the establishment and maintenance of trial grounds, test and demonstrations gardens in the United States of America and in Canada and in other locations, for the purpose of testing, judging, rating and demonstrating new and undisseminated varieties, species, strains and kinds and acquainting the people with the most worthy varieties, species, strains and kinds and their uses, as and when they are ready for introduction.

To award, recommend and publicize new varieties, species, strains and kinds of sufficiently high standards, according to their general or sectional adaptation, use and perfection, as found in the All-America Selections trial grounds and test gardens.

More information about AAS can be found on their web site, http://www.all-americaselections.org.

Following are the new AAS Vegetable Winners for 2002:

Basil
'Magical Michael'

An ornamental, edible sweet basil with a clearly refined plant size and shape, 'Magical Michael' plants are uniform and reliably 15 inches tall and 16-17 inches wide. This uniformity is rare in sweet basil plants. The lush aromatic, green leaves can be harvested within 30 days of transplanting and are rich in essential oils for cooking. Plants may flower when mature in about 80 to 90 days from seed. The small flowers are a curiosity since the calices (sepals) are purple and corollas (petals) white. They are attractive for use as a garnish, adding color to any salad.

Cucumber
'Diva'

Sweet flavor and high yield describe the improved qualities of 'Diva.' The fruit will be sweet, non-bitter with a crisp texture when harvested at 4 to 5 inches. Normally seedless, a few seeds may grow if pollinated by other cuke plants. 'Diva' produces all female flowers and does not require pollen to set fruit. These traits result in high yields. Expect mature cukes in about 58 days from sowing seed in warm soil. Plants are resistant to scab and tolerant to powdery and downy mildews. 'Diva' is the only slicing cucumber you need to grow in your garden.

Pumpkin F1
'Orange Smoothie'

Children will be infatuated with 'Orange Smoothie' pumpkins. The dark orange, smooth skin is ideal for painting Halloween faces. The size is desirable for young hands, weighing 5 to 8 pounds with a strong, long handle. 'Orange Smoothie' pumpkins will mature early, in about 90 days from sowing seed. Another benefit is the semi-determinate habit requiring less space in the garden. Easy-to-grow from seed or started plants, 'Orange Smoothie' is an all-around great pumpkin for carving, painting, decorating and even the meat is sweet for homemade pumpkin pie.

Pumpkin F1
'Sorcerer'

'Sorcerer' is a full sized pumpkin, weighing 15 to 22 pounds but produced on a compact vine reaching only 10 feet. The dark orange pumpkins are a deep round shape sporting strong, long handles. 'Sorcerer' pumpkins will mature in about 100 days from sowing seed. Good crown set can be expected with overall high yielding plants. 'Sorcerer' can be grown using normal pumpkin culture. Pumpkins can be carved, painted or used for pie filling.

Winter Squash
'Cornell's Bush Delicata'

If you have never eaten a Delicata squash, this is the one to grow to eat. The orange flesh color indicates it is rich in Vitamin A. The sweet flesh is fine textured without coarse strings. Butter and brown sugar are optional when eating 'Cornell's Bush Delicata' squash because it is so sweet. The squash have a long shelf life, meaning you can enjoy eating the squash into the winter months. About 100 days from sowing to harvest, the tolerance to powdery mildew will increase overall yield. The compact habit requires less garden space. The mature bush will send out 4 to 6 foot runners later in the season.

Ornamental Pepper F1
'Chilly Chili'

Although this variety was given one of the 2002 Flower awards, I am including it here because, although the pepper is highly ornamental, it is still a vegetable.

The first family-friendly ornamental pepper with exceptional garden performance. 'Chilly Chili,' as the name implies, has non-pungent fruit. The "heat" was bred out of the peppers, which is perfect for households with children who like to explore their environment. The fruit changes color from yellow to orange and matures at red. Extremely heat tolerant, 'Chilly Chili' will provide garden color during southern summers. Pepper plants can grow about a foot tall and spread 6-10 inches. The petite 2 inch peppers can be used as clever ornamental garnishes on salads or with ethnic entrees.

 

Fire Ant Control in Gardens

Dr. J. Pat Harris
Extension Entomologist

Fire ants are a nuisance and sometimes a very painful pest to farmers and gardeners in Mississippi. It is unlikely we will eradicate this pest any time soon, but we can remove the problem associated with them with good management. This involves reducing their populations to tolerable levels by using safe and effective methods of control.

An application of diazinon granular or liquid, broadcast and soil incorporated in early spring prior to planting will be a big step in managing these pests for gardeners. An early spring application is ideal, because it controls newly developed queens before they leave on their nuptial flights and establish new colonies. A follow-up application in midsummer and another one in the fall is generally necessary. These applications may involve an insecticide drench using diazinon or sevin. Generally, it takes 1 to 2 gallons of water to effectively drench a fire ant mount. A midmorning drench treatment is best when the sun starts warming up the colony.

Broadcast application or mound treatment with diazinon granules may be your best method of control when population densities reach an intolerable level. Granules may be picked up by foraging ants looking for food, taken back to the ant colony, passed through the food chain, and fed to queen ants. However, watering granules into the soil is preferred. Killing queens is the only way to eliminate fire ant colonies. Granules should be applied when ground temperatures are between 70 and 90 degrees F. For use in home gardens, the insect growth regulator, Extinguish, is available. Follow the instructions on the label.

Summer and fall applications should be applied in the afternoons when temperatures are cooler. Granules may rapidly degrade on hot, sunny days. By the time ants pick them up, heat may have broken down the product, losing its effectiveness. Mound drenches would be most effective and would give a quicker kill of adults and immatures.

When treating mounds with any insecticide, do not disturb mounds before treating. If you do, the colony will immediately take the queen or queens to safety, either deep down in the mound or by moving them laterally to establish satellite mounds.

Fire ant control programs are most effective when every neighbor within a community treats. Take a few minutes to use effective management techniques when controlling fire ants. In doing so, you may be able to spend several months or even a year not having to worry about them.

Save Those Honey Bees

Dr. J. Pat Harris
Extension Entomologist

Apply pesticides after 2:00 p.m. to help preserve our honey bee populations. Bee activity is less at this time. Sevin is one of the most toxic insecticides to honey bees.

Vegetable Disease Research For 2001

Dr. David M. Ingram
Extension Plant Pathologist
Central MS Research & Extension Center, Raymond, Mississippi

Extension specialists assist county agents and growers with solving production problems. This may involve field visits, field days, educational seminars, and special training sessions. Many specialists hold joint appointments with the MSU Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. This means that not only do specialists work in education, but some also have responsibility to conduct research as part of their overall job description. The following is a brief discussion of vegetable disease research projects planned for the 2001-2002 growing season.

One area deserving attention is greenhouse tomato root disease. Some of this work would also apply to field tomato production. Problems have been identified as being caused by a number of fungi. One of the most prevalent root disease problems in greenhouse tomatoes is Pythium root rot. A recent survey of greenhouse tomato operations in Mississippi determined that approximately 50% of the greenhouses have Pythium associated with tomato roots. More importantly, there is one species of Pythium present in all of the greenhouses surveyed. Work will be done this fall in the greenhouses at the Truck Crops Experiment Station in Crystal Springs to determine how much damage this Pythium is causing Mississippi greenhouse tomato growers. Plants will be inoculated with Pythium and growth and yield will be measured.

Another area needing desperate attention is the evaluation of new fungicides for the control of foliar and fruit diseases in greenhouse tomatoes. A new project is slated to begin this fall to evaluate the fungicide Elevate for the control of Botrytis blight (Gray Mold) in greenhouse tomatoes. This fungicide will be compared to the standard greenhouse fungicide, chlorothalonil (Exotherm termil). Plants will be inoculated with spores of the fungus after being treated with Elevate alone, Elevate in rotation with chlorothalonil, or chlorothalonil alone. Then, plants will be rated for the amount of disease present throughout the growing season. Yield data will also be recorded. Hopefully, this new fungicide chemistry can be labeled for use in greenhouse tomatoes in the next two years.

Since pumpkin season is almost upon us, I might as well mention a project on powdery mildew control. Two locations in Mississippi have already made applications of a product called CoRon. CoRon is a liquid foliar fertilizer consisting primarily of nitrogen. This product is being applied in conjunction with five fungicides to determine if the CoRon will enhance the efficacy of the fungicides. It is thought the spreader/sticker qualities of CoRon will improve the fungicide's activity. The study is in the beginning stage at this time, with ratings of powdery mildew control to be made in the next few weeks.

Southern blight is a serious problem in field tomato production in Mississippi. A study will be conducted in the greenhouse to determine the efficacy of several fungicides applied as a drench for southern blight control. Plants will be inoculated with sclerotia of the fungus following applications of several fungicides labeled for use in tomato production. Plants will be observed for disease incidence and severity over a period of time. Tomato plants infected with the southern blight fungus usually wilt rapidly and die as a result of the stem being girdled by the fungus just above the soil line. This study will identify the most effective fungicide as well as the rate for drenching following transplanting in the field. Field studies will be conducted next spring.

Finally, there is a new product out called Actigard. This material is reported to enhance the plant's natural defense mechanisms making it less susceptible to some diseases. A study will be initiated in the greenhouse on tomatoes where Actigard will be applied for two weeks prior to inoculation with the early blight fungus. Plants will be observed for disease occurrence. If results appear promising, Actigard will be tested in the field next spring.

Calendar of Coming Events

Dr. Rick Snyder
Vegetable Specialist

September 29 - North Mississippi Garden Expo, 8:00-3:00, at North Mississippi Research & Extension Center, Verona, MS.

October 12 & 13 - Fall Flower & Garden Fest; Truck Crops Experiment Station, Crystal Springs, MS. For information, see web site listed below, or call (601) 892-3731.

Dr. Richard G. Snyder
Vegetable Specialist
Truck Crops Research & Extension Center
Mississippi State University
P.O. Box 231
Crystal Springs, MS 39059

PHONE: (601) 892-3731
Fax: (601) 892-2056
Email: RickS@ext.msstate.edu

Web Pages:

Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/cmrec/

North Mississippi Research & Extension Center
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/nmrec/

Fall Flower & Garden Fest
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/cmrec/fallgardenday.htm

Greenhouse Tomato FAQ
http://www.msucares.com/crops/comhort/greenhouse.html

Vegetable Resource Page
http://www2.msstate.edu/~ricks/

Organic Fruit and Vegetable Web Page
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/cmrec/organic/

Greenhouse Tomato Short Course
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/cmrec/GHSC.htm

Vegetable Press Newsletter
http://www.msucares.com/newsletters/vegpress/index.html

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