Update on 2011 High Mowing Organic Seeds Breeding Projects
Our breeding program began in 2004 and has been going strong ever since. To date we have released:
- an OP black zucchini (Midnight Lightning),
- an OP pumpkin (Jack Straw),
- an OP butternut squash (Nutterbutter), and
- an OP tomato (Bing Cherry).
- In the next two years we are slated to release a hybrid medium green zucchini (Cha-Ching F1), an OP colored pepper (Iko-Iko), an OP spineless green zucchini (name TBA), and an OP slicer tomato (name TBA).
- the OP pepper King Crimson (with Cornell University),
- the hybrid sweet corns Sugaree F1 and Goldfinger F1 (to be released in 2013),
- and there are several others in the pipeline.
- We still have a spineless zucchini in the pipeline, but other than that we’re closing out completed zucchini projects.
- In summer squash, we’re selecting hard for powdery mildew tolerance and the precocious gene (a gene that makes the fruit completely yellow), and also selecting for smoothness of the fruit.
- We continue our butternut breeding program, selecting primarily for high quality (high dry matter and high brix (sugar content)) together with early maturity. We are also looking at powdery mildew tolerance, and plan to develop a PMT line with the same high quality indicators.
- New to our winter squash breeding program is a set of vining kabocha lines, from which we’ve made test crosses and are evaluating a range of traits.
- We have a series of pumpkin lines in our breeding plot. We’re looking for powdery mildew tolerance together with dark color, ribbing, and good thick flesh.
- We’re also working on a separate set of smooth painter-type pumpkins, and
- are also evaluating a suite of white pumpkins.
- We’re again looking at orange cherry lines to see if we have any material that might warrant releasing an OP “sungold-type.” So far we haven’t found a line that fits the bill, but we keep trying.
- We’ve also got a set of really nice lines for red slicer tomatoes that have been selected hard especially for flavor, but also for low cracking and good yields. We’re hopeful the release from this project will work well both in the greenhouse and the field, and will be consistently sweet with a good balance of tart and other complex flavors.
- We’ve got a set of mini bell peppers we’re looking at, together with a colored bell selection.
- We’re looking at a processing sweet corn and two popcorns, to see what kind of material we might gather from this collection.
3 Comments
Search
Recent Posts
Categories
- About High Mowing Organic Seeds
- Articles by Farmer Paul Betz
- Articles by Megen Hall
- Ask The Expert
- Beginner Gardeners' Guide
- Breeding / Research Program
- Commercial Growing
- Contests
- Covid-19 Updates
- Crop Talk
- Events
- Farm Ethics
- Farmer Authors
- GMOs
- Greenhouses
- Growing Tips
- Health and Wellness
- Kids and Gardening
- Philosophy
- Plant Diseases
- Plant Pests
- Recipes
- Seed Bin Article - 2011
- Seed Saving and Production
- Soil Health
- Story of a Seed
- Trials
- Uncategorized
- Variety Highlights
- Winter Growing
Archives
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- January 2008
Recent Comments
- Janet Kellar on Our Garden Starter Giveaway!
- vivorn sophamisay on Our Garden Starter Giveaway!
- vivorn sophamisay on Our Garden Starter Giveaway!
- vivorn sophamisay on Our Garden Starter Giveaway!
- Roseanna LaCourse on Our Garden Starter Giveaway!
My Wish Lists
Please, never ever call this variety "lightEning" again (as you do in the photo caption.) It is "lightning," as in "lightning and thunder," not as in "I'm lightening my load." Pet peeve, sorry.