Mark Hutton

Five hundred muskmelon accessions were evaluated for germinability at 15$\sp\circ$C and classified as cold germinable (CG) or non-cold germinable (NCG). Accessions meeting the following criteria were classified as CG: germination $>$80%, EI $\leq$ 240, HI $\leq$ 265, and CI $\leq$ 290. EI, HI, and CI are mean hours to emergence, hypocotyl elongation and cotyledon expansion respectively. Only 5% of the accessions examined were considered as CG. Seedling growth of CG (PI 126156, PI 126197, and 'Persia 202') and NCG ('Delicious 51', 'Minnesota Midget', 'Old Time Tennessee', Russian 4141) muskmelon genotypes was compared. Seedlings were grown to 30$\sp\circ$C to the second leaf stage then transferred to either 15$\sp\circ$ or 30$\sp\circ$ treatment. Rate of leaf initiation over 16 days, leaf area ratio, specific leaf area, RGR (relative growth rate), dry matter partitioning and EI were determined. Leaf initiation rate and RGR most clearly separated dif...

This study evaluated two composts, leaf and yard waste (LY) and biosolids (BS) as soil amendments at three application rates on sweet corn production in an Agawam fine sandy loam during the 2010 and 2011 growing seasons. In 2010, 80 lbs. of P2O5was broadcasted as recommended by soil tests. No additional fertilizer was added in either year. BC 0805 sweet corn (82 days), was planted on 34” rows with a plant population of approximately 28,000 plants per acre. Composts were hand applied at the rates of 0, 10, 20, and 40 tons per acre and incorporated with a Perfecta harrow in three replicated plots. A cover crop of oats was planted in August of 2010 after harvest over the entire research area. In 2011, each plot was split in half. One half received the same treatment as in 2010. The second half did not receive any additional compost or fertilizer. Conventional herbicide weed control was implemented each year. Preside-dress Soil Nitrate Test (PSNT) values were used to evaluate the potent...

Twenty-seven green bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) cultivars were evaluated over three growing seasons in Maine. Each year, plants started in a greenhouse were transplanted into double rows on raised beds covered with black plastic mulch. Overall yields were low compared with similar experiments in other regions of North America and varied considerably from year to year. ‘Ace’ and ‘New Ace’ consistently produced the largest crops by both weight and number of fruit. However, both of these cultivars had undesirable characteristics of small fruit size (<150 g), few lobes (two-three), and thin fruit walls (<6 mm), limiting their commercial market potential. Other cultivars, including ‘Vivaldi’, ‘Patriot’, and ‘Socrates’, had significantly better fruit quality but very low or inconsistent yield. The results of this study demonstrate the current limitations for growing economically viable crops of bell peppers in regions such as Maine that have short growing seasons and a wide range o...

Corn earworm [CEW (Helicoverpa zea)] is one of the most important pests of sweet corn (Zea mays) in New England. Conventional management of this pest is achieved through repeated applications of chemical insecticides through the silking period. Organic growers, however, have few alternatives to prevent CEW infestation. Technology first developed in the 1930s and 1940s, using applications of mineral oil directly into the silk channel with an eyedropper, has been further researched in recent years using vegetable oils with and without pesticides, but pollination problems associated with these treatments have been observed. Several materials were evaluated for efficacy in controlling CEW populations and for phytotoxicity to the developing ear. Materials evaluated were corn oil, soy oil, carrageenan, corn oil mixed with Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. kurstaki (Bt), soy oil mixed with Bt, and carrageenan mixed with Bt. All treatments were compared with an untreated control. Treatments provi...

Intensive tillage degrades soil structure, decreases soil organic matter, and can cause soil compaction and erosion over time. Organic vegetable farmers are often dependent on tillage to incorporate crop residue, control weeds, and prepare seedbeds. Black, impermeable, polyethylene tarps applied on the soil surface and removed at planting can help suppress weeds before planting and reduce farmers’ reliance on tillage. However, little is known about how black tarps affect planting conditions and how they can be used to advance reduced tillage production systems. This study investigated the effects of tarp use and tarp duration on the soil environment, surface cover crop residue, and weed suppression to assess the efficacy of using tarps to improve reduced- and no-till practices for organic vegetable production. Experiments were conducted at three sites in the northeastern United States (Freeville, NY; Riverhead, NY; and Monmouth, ME) for 2 years. Following the termination of an oat c...

Some Maine tomato growers use unheated greenhouses or high tunnels to extend the short growing season. But, what varieties should growers choose? The objective of this trial was to test varieties of greenhouse and open field tomatoes to identify the best performers in high tunnels in terms of yield, quality, disease, and taste. Results showed that both open field and greenhouse varieties produced similar and acceptable yields of high quality marketable fruit. Open field varieties showed more disease than greenhouse varieties. There were some significant differences between individual varieties. Betterboy scored highest in sensory analysis, but lowest in yield/quality. Brilliante scored poorly on marketable yields, but well in terms of premium yields, quality, disease and taste. It may be well suited for direct marketing to repeat customers (e.g., farmers' markets). For commercial production Jet Star, Brilliante, Cobra, and First Lady II appear to be good choices based on overall...

ABSTRACT Broccoli production on the east coast has been limited because the weather often causes developmental defects in the head that make the crop unsalable. As a result of the small market for seeds, there has been limited effort to develop varieties that have better tolerance of the growing conditions. As the initial step in a large new public-private breeding effort to develop such varieties, we conducted a regional trial across the East Coast in 2011 using existing commercial material. This trial was conduced in five locations representing a broad range of eastern climates (Southern Maine, Western New York, Piedmont Virginia, Mountain North Carolina, and Coastal South Carolina). At each site, the 32 entries were planted once when the weather was likely to be most favorable (to show potential), and once when the growing conditions are good but the chance of defects is too high for commercial production (to assess adaptation to the east). Evaluators used a common scale, and practiced calibration to evaluate eleven traits that have been quality limitations in eastern broccoli. These traits included bead (i.e. flower bud) uniformity, bead size, plot uniformity, head extension, head uniformity, holding ability, proportion of marketable heads, dome, color, days to maturity, and head firmness. The trials were conducted under confidentiality agreements that preclude revealing the identity of varieties in this context. The entries included standards selected by the public breeders as representing varieties commonly planted in the east. Participating seed companies (Bejo Seed, Seminis Vegetable Seed, and Syngenta Vegetable Seeds) were asked to complement with commercial material they felt might perform well. The commonly planted varieties performed similarly to those selected by the seed companies, indicating that growers are accessing the best currently available material. However, none of these varieties consistently produced marketable-quality product. Thus there is room for improvement. Several entries were in limited marketing as numbered material. These were among the strongest performers, indicating that there is notably better material in the pipeline. Principal Component Analysis showed that difficult traits, like high bead uniformity, were not negatively associated with essential traits like small bead size and domed head.

Glucosinolates (GS) are secondary metabolites in broccoli that break down into isothiocyanates (ITCs) with important anti-carcinogenic effects in human nutrition. As part of a USDA SCRI sponsored research project to improve the consistency and profitability of broccoli production in the eastern US, we evaluated GS content of broccoli cultigens grown in diverse environments. Three replications of six cultigens were grown in five locations (MA, NY, VA, NC and SC) at two different production times. Floret tissue was analyzed for GS content by HPLC and quantified by authenticated standards. The genetic by environment (GxE) interactions evaluated in similar experiments are often analyzed by evaluating averages across replications for a genotype in different environments and then analyzing the means. Analysis of data from this experiment using SAS Mixed Model Procedures revealed that cultigen, location, season and their interactions significantly affected GS content. One of our goals was ...

Current economic, social and scientific situations have made it attractive to establish a substantial and profitable broccoli industry in the eastern US, where several obstacles have prevented that from happening previously. Because many barriers must be overcome simultaneously, we assembled a transdisiplinary team of public and private sector participants in to ensure a well-coordinated effort. The project began with SCRI funding in the summer of 2010. The scientific breakthrough that made the effort possible was the development of broccoli breeding lines that continue to make uniform buds despite temperatures that normally arrest that process. The first component of the project is to move that trait into varieties sold by seed companies. In concert with Bejo Seed USA, Seminis Vegetable Seed, Syngenta Seeds and Johnny’s Selected Seeds, new crosses are being made to achieve this goal. Second, regional trials have been established across the east coast to assess wide and specific ada...

A large amount of phenotypic trait data are being generated in regional trials that are implemented as part of the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) project entitled “Establishing an Eastern Broccoli Industry”. These data are used to identify the best entries in the trials for inclusion in subsequent and more expansive evaluations. Hybrids entered into the trialing system that are grown in the first phase and then selected for advancement to the second phase are ultimately included in about 28 separate trials. The field tests are conducted at four eastern trial sites in South Carolina, North Carolina, New York and Maine during different planting seasons over a two year period. Experimental hybrids included in the trials are compared to a few standard check hybrids and evaluated for a number of heading characteristics including head shape, head smoothness, head color, bead size, bead uniformity, overall quality, and other attributes. Aside from assessing days to maturity, nea...