Resource Information |
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Vegetable Cultivar Trials in Hawaii | ||
By: Hector Valenzuela, Joe DeFrank, Steven Fukuda, Randy
Hamasaki, Ronald Mau, and Dwight Sato
HITAHR, University of Hawaii at Manoa
This summary lists results from experiments on different
vegetable cultivars
TSWV
Resistant Tomato Lines
Eggplant Cultivar Trials
Pepper Cultivar Trials
Cabbage Cultivar Trials
High
Elevation Chinese
TOMATO
SPOTTED WILT VIRUS RESISTANT TOMATO LINES
By: Hector Valenzuela, HITAHR, Univ. Hawaii at Manoa
Introduction
A tomato trial was conducted at UH Waimanalo Station in late
Spring '93 to evaluate horticultural traits of several Peto Seed
tomato lines resistant to TSWV as compared to 'Celebrity', the
industry standard but susceptible to this important viral
disease. Also tested were 'Healani' and old UH cultivar popular
locally because of its flavor as well as two large fruited
cultivars from the continental U.S.
Methods
Seeds were sown on 12 February 1993 in the Magoon Greenhouse and
seedlings transplanted in the field on 11 March. Spacing was 6
feet between rows and 4 ft between plants (density of about 1,815
plants per acre). Cultivar plots were 30 feet long and were
replicated 4 times arranged in the field in a completely
randomized design. The crop was drip irrigated as needed and
received two split applications of 750 lbs/Acre of 10-20-20. Soil
analysis conducted before planting determined a soil pH of 6.2,
and electric conductivity of EC=0.089 mmo/cm, organic matter
content= 0.18% and nutrient levels of P=424, K=865, Ca=5060 and
Mg=1520 ppm. Three weekly harvests were conducted on 19 May, 26
May, and on 3 June. Fruit was picked at the pink-turning stage
and graded as follows: 1) Grade A; 2) Grade B plus off-grade; and
3) Unmarketable. To obtain an estimate on foliage growth plant
height and canopy diameter were determined about 35 days after
transplanting (Table 2). To obtain an estimate of postharvest
shelf-life a representative sample of 3 Grade A fruits were kept
per cultivar at room temperature for 7 days for determination of
fruit diameter, percent sugar contents, and firmness (Table 2).
All cultivars tested were determinate or semi-determinate.
Table 1. Yields and fruit number per plant for tomato cultivars
in Waimanalo Station, Spring 1993.
Cultivar Name | Fruit No.Gr. A | Fruit Wt. Gr. A (lbs) | Fruit No. Gr. B& Off | Fruit Wt. Gr. B& Off (lbs) | Fruit Wt. (Total) (lbs) | % Grade A (by wt.) |
P-55789 | 25.7 | 9.8 | 7.8 | 2.2 | 13.2 | 67.1 |
P-55689 | 24.2 | 9.8 | 10.8 | 3.0 | 14.5 | 58.2 |
P-55389 | 23.59 | 9.5 | 8.9 | 2.6 | 13.6 | 60.8 |
P-56289 | 17.81 | 8.1 | 4.25 | 1.92 | 11.0 | 69.9 |
P-55289 | 20.9 | 9.2 | 6.9 | 2.1 | 13.1 | 63.7 |
Pik-Rite | 18.6 | 9.2 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 13.3 | 66.4 |
Celebrity | 22.3 | 9.1 | 5.7 | 1.7 | 13.2 | 56.7 |
Spring | ||||||
Flavor #500 | 25.9 | 11.1 | 5.0 | 1.7 | 14.4 | 66.2 |
Healani | 0.75 | 0.03 | 67.1 | 12.5 | 13.3 | 0.02 |
Significance | ** | ** | ** | ** | NS | ** |
Seed Sources: P-lines= PetoSeed; Pik-Rite= Harris-Moran;
Celebrity= PetoSeed; Sumer Flavor= Abbott; Healani= Univ. Hawaii.
All variables were significant at the 0.05 level except total
weight (no significance detected on total fruit weight,
marketable plus unmarketable, on cultivars tested).
Table 2. Plant height, plant width, estimated canopy
"volume", fruit diameter, fruit % sugar content and
fruit firmness of tomatoes grown in Waimanalo, Spring '93.
Cultivar | Plant Height (cm) | Plant width (cm) | Plant canopy volume (cm3) | Fruit diameter (inch) | Sugar Content (%) | Fruit Firmness (kg/cm2) |
P-55789 | 47.6 | 58.79 | 129,293 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.4 |
P-55689 | 45.7 | 66.5 | 158,487 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 7.8 |
P-55389 | 47.0 | 61.4 | 138,881 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.7 |
P-56289 | 44.2 | 52 | 93,880 | |||
P-55289 | 44.5 | 60.5 | 128,200 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 4.1 |
Pik-Rite | 44.2 | 61.0 | 129,300 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 2.7 |
Celebrity | 50.2 | 57.2 | 129,144 | 3.5 | 2.4 | 2.7 |
Spring | ||||||
Flavor #500 | 46.6 | 61.5 | 138,445 | 3 | 4.0 | 2.4 |
Healani | 43.6 | 58.7 | 117,579 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 1.9 |
Note: All variables significant at the 0.05 level. Plant
dimensions (height and width) determined 35 days after
transplanting. Plant canopy "volume" estimated using
the volume formula for a cylinder based on height and width
determinations. For fruit determinations (sugar content and
firmness) plants were left at room temperature for 7 days after
picking before measurements were taken to get an estimate of
shelf-life. Firmness was determined with a penetrometer. Fruit
diameter is based on diameter of a standard Grade A fruit within
the cultivar tested.
Conclusions
All PetoSeed TSWV lines yielded similarly to the TSWV-susceptible
industry standard 'Celebrity' under the low-elevation conditions
found in Waimanalo. The other mainland cultivars 'Pik-Rite' and
'Spring-Flavor #500' also yielded similarly or better but showed
TSWV susceptibility even though the field suffered little disease
pressure from spotted wilt. Both of these cultivars produced
large fruit (see table 1) of about 0.5 lbs each for Grade A and
diameter > 3 inches (Table 2). 'Healani' was very prolific,
producing mostly Grade B sized fruits which would make more of an
ideal crop for home-garden use. Top growth also was similar
between the cultivars tested. The calculated index of canopy
'volume' (Table 2) was found to be linearly correlated to total
fruit fresh weight (Y= 16,028.78X - 83,759.27; R2= 0.84,
P<0.001). Sugar content was higher for the newer PetoSeed
lines than for Celebrity but the sample numbers were small so
this data should be treated with caution. Firmness, an indication
of how well the fruit will sustain shipping and increased shelf
life was also greater for the newer PetoSeed lines as compared to
Celebrity. Healani matured very quickly which was observed by
rapid ripening under room temperature and by the rapid decline in
fruit firmness after harvest (Table 2), once again indicating
that it would be a better crop for home-gardeners. Problems in
the field included tomato pinworm early in the season and
leafminers and sweetpotato whitefly later in the season. Early
leafminer populations were especially high on plants of
'Peto-55689', 'Celebrity', and 'Healani'. Radial cracking was
only a problem initially but decreased after irrigation frequency
was increased. On-farm trials conducted by Randy Hamasaki in 1992
and 1993 in Oahu have corroborated the comparable or greater
productivity of the newer PetoSeed lines to yields obtained with
other standard cultivars under low elevations in Hawaii.
Crop Value
Retail prices at time of these harvests (late May to early June)
were about $2/lb for Grade A tomatoes and about $1.50/lb for
off-grade tomatoes. Retail sales per plant for the 3 harvests in
late May and early June would thus have been >$20 per plant
(about $40,000 per acre retail value from 3 picks). Honolulu
wholesale values for tomatoes on 2 June 1993 were about $1 for
Hilo greenhouse tomatoes and a range of $1-1.40/lb for
extra-large fruit from California ($0.90-1.20 for medium-sized
fruit).
EGGPLANT CULTIVAR TRIALS
By: Hector Valenzuela, Randy Hamasaki, and Joe DeFrank
HITAHR, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Introduction and Methods
An eggplant cultivar trial was conducted at UH Waimanalo Station
in late Spring '93 to evaluate horticultural characteristics of
several long-type of pickle-type eggplants to UH-lines grown
locally. Seeds were sown in the Magoon Greenhouse on 12 February
and transplanted at the UH Waimanalo Research Station on 24
March. Spacing was 5 ft between rows and 4 ft between plants for
an estimated population of 2,178 plants per acre. A 3 ft
'weed-mat' was placed in the rows prior to transplanting. A 7 gr
slow-release fertilizer pellet (14-3-3 with micronutrients) was
placed by the root systems at planting time. Cultivar plots were
25 ft long and replicated four times in the field arranged in a
completely randomized design. The crop was drip irrigated as
needed and received two split applications of 750 lbs/Acre of
10-20-20. Soil analysis conducted before planting determined a
soil pH of 6.2, and electric conductivity of EC=0.089 mmo/cm,
organic matter content= 0.18% and nutrient levels of P=424,
K=865, Ca=5060 and Mg=1520 ppm. Three weekly harvests were
conducted on 19 May, 25 May, and on 2 June. Picked fruit was
divided as 1) Grade A; 2) Grade B plus off-grade; and 3)
Un-marketable, numbered and fresh weight was determined.
Table 3. Yields and fruit number per plant for eggplant cultivars
in Waimanalo Station, Spring 1993.
Cultivar Name | Fruit No.Gr. A | Fruit Wt. Gr. A (lbs) | Fruit No. Gr. B& Off | Fruit Wt. Gr. B& Off (lbs) | Fruit Wt. (Total) (lbs) | % Grade A (by wt.) |
Long (Japanese) Type | ||||||
Green type | 6.8 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 1.6 | 5.4 | 49.7 |
Nitta X | ||||||
Waimanalo | 7.1 | 2.7 | 1.9 | 0.76 | 3.8 | 68.5 |
Farmers Long | 9.3 | 1.9 | 7.3 | 1.4 | 3.7 | 45.2 |
Nitta | 5.7 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 0.95 | 3.5 | 58.6 |
Oval/Pickling Type | ||||||
Millionaire | 10.2 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 1.4 | 6.8 | 53.7 |
Sanshi Long | 8.2 | 3.2 | 4.5 | 1.4 | 6.2 | 50.7 |
Nun-0679 | 10.1 | 4.5 | 1.9 | .63 | 5.2 | 84.1 |
Black Shine | 9.5 | 3.6 | 7.0 | 2.1 | 7.1 | 51.5 |
Suzukuro | 9.3 | 3.6 | 6.4 | 1.7 | 6.9 | 48.6 |
Significance | NS | NS | ** | NS | ** | ** |
Seed Sources: Sanshi Long= Johnny's; Farmers Long= Know-you;
Suzukuro= Kyowa; Black Shine and Millionaire= Takii;
Nunhems-0679= Nunhems; Nitta x Waimanala and Nitta= UH and Green
Type= UH. Significance at 0.05 level detected for Grade B fruit
No., Total fruit weight (marketable plus unmarketable) and for
Percent No. .
Table 4. Plant height, plant width, estimated canopy
"volume", fruit diameter, fruit length and fruit
firmness of tomatoes grown in Waimanalo, Spring '93.
Cultivar | Plant Height (cm) | Plant width (cm) | Plant canopy volume (cm3) | Fruit diameter (inch) | Fruit Length (inch) | Fruit Firmness (kg/cm2) |
Long (Japanese) Type | ||||||
Green Type | 24.3 | 49.85 | 48,389 | 2.2 | 14.2 | 1.8 |
Nitta X | ||||||
Waimanalo | 21.0 | 43.0 | 30,572 | 2.1 | 12.5 | 2.2 |
Farmers Long | 16.2 | 44 | 24,635 | 1.2 | 10.9 | 1.9 |
Nitta | 22.6 | 53.0 | 50,007 | 2.0 | 10.7 | 2.2 |
Oval/Pickling Type | ||||||
Millionaire | 31.8 | 42.6 | 45,387 | 2.1 | 9.0 | 2.7 |
Sanshi Long | 29.8 | 40.85 | 39,042 | 2.3 | 8.1 | 2.6 |
Nun-0679 | 27.9 | 48.67 | 51,928 | 2.7 | 7.4 | 2.4 |
Black Shine | 34.2 | 47.6 | 60,938 | 2.2 | 8.0 | 2.9 |
Suzukuro | 32.9 | 47.2 | 57,706 | 2.3 | 6.7 | 2.8 |
Significance | ** | ** | NA | NA | NA | ** |
Note: Plant dimensions (height and width) determined 30 days
after transplanting. Plant canopy "volume" estimated
using the volume formula for a cylinder based on height and width
determinations. For fruit determinations (firmness) 3 to 4 fruits
per cultivar were left at room temperature for 5 days after
picking before measurements were taken to get an estimate of
shelf-life. Firmness was determined with a penetrometer, 3
determinations per fruit for a total of 9 to 12 total
determinations per cultivar. Fruit dimensions are based on means
of 3-4 representative Grade A fruits for the cultivar tested.
Conclusions
In Hawaii consumers prefer long eggplants > 10 inches. Of the
cultivars tested none were superior to the Nitta line of
eggplants in terms of fruit size. The green type has not yet been
accepted in the market, because of the color, but its total fruit
yields were greater than the Nitta line eggplants. Both the Green
eggplant and Farmer longs had a high percentage of either Grade B
or Unmarketable compared to the Nitta line eggplants. The Green
type eggplant was susceptible to an unidentified fruit rot.
Farmers Long, however, fruited earlier than the other long
eggplants, was quite prolific and the fruits were skinny, long
(>10 in) and an attractive bright purple which may be of use
to chefs or to decorate salad bars. The oval/pickling type
eggplants were quite early (Suzukuro, Black Shine, Millionaire),
were more productive than the long-type eggplants in terms of
fruit number (average number of Grade A of 9.4 vs 7.2 for
long-type eggplant) and weight (average weight per plant of 3.7
lbs vs 2.5 lbs/plant for long-type eggplant). The oval types will
be the eggplants of choice for those looking for a
"meaty" type of eggplant in their cooking such as in
breakfast, baked or in some barbecued dishes. The oval type of
eggplants, however, were more susceptible to leafminer, tomato
pinworm, and thrips attack than either the Green type of Nitta
line eggplants. As a result with the exception of Nun-0679 the
average percent of Grade A fruits for the oval type eggplants was
51.1% compared to 63.5% for the Nitta line of eggplants. Nun-0679
was especially prolific and the fruits were large (0.4 lbs/fruit,
with a surprising 84% of fruits being recorded as Grade A, see
Table 4), meaty, and had a dark shiny black skin. One of the four
Nun-0679 plots, however, resulted in complete plant death,
perhaps due to Bacterial Wilt. Cultivars which showed an
incidence for fruit scars included 'Suzukuro', 'Millionaire' and
'Sanshi Long.' Eggplant fruits deteriorated a lot faster than the
tomato fruits when harvested in concurrent experiments and left
at room temperature after harvest. Overall the oval/pickling type
eggplants tended to have a greater fruit firmness than the
long-type eggplants (a mean value of 2.0 kg/cm2 for long-types
compared to 2.7 kg/cm2 for the oval types). Like with the tomato
trials a similar but less significant linear correlation was
found between canopy "volume" (table 4) and total fruit
fresh weight (table 3) (Y= 4.46-7.65x10-6X, R2=0.40, P<0.10).
The cultivars with the highest canopy 'volume' (Black Shine and
Suzukuro) also had the greatest fruit fresh weights, while the
ones with the smallest volume (Farmer's long) also had within the
smallest yield-range. Would canopy 'volume' be an efficient index
to identify high yielding improving Solanaceous lines for
breeders?
Crop Value
Retail prices at time of these harvests (late May to early June)
were about $3.40/lb for Grade A eggplants and about $1/lb for
off-grade eggplants (sold in 1.5 lb plastic bags). Retail sales
per plant for the 3 harvests in late Spring would thus have
ranged from $9-$10 for the Nitta line, and from $12-$15 per plant
for the oval-type eggplants (overall range of $19,000 to $33,000
retail value per acre). Honolulu wholesale values for eggplants
on 2 June 1993 were $1.15-1.25/ lb for Hilo- and Kauai-grown long
types (with steady to heavy supply including from Oahu) and
$0.75-1.10 for Maui-grown round-type eggplants (with lower to
moderate supplies).
PEPPER CULTIVAR TRIALS
By: Steven Fukuda and Hector Valenzuela
HITAHR, University of Hawaii
Introduction and Methods
A bell pepper cultivar trial was conducted by Steve Fukuda during
1992 to identify productive cultivars for Oahu vegetable growers.
Three week-old seedlings were transplanted to the field on 4
December 1991. Planting distance was 5 ft between rows and 1.5 ft
between plants (for a population of 5,808 plants per acre). Plots
consisted of 20 plants per cultivar replicated 3 times. The
plants were side-dressed every 3 weeks with a complete 16-16-16
fertilizer. The plots were harvested 28 times for 5 months
beginning 27 January until 25 June. Number of harvests per month
were Jan.= 1; Feb.= 8; Mar.= 6; Apr. = 5; May= 4; and Jun.= 4.
Results and Discussion
Cultivars which outperformed others included those which produced
> 11 Grade A fruits per plant, > 3 lbs of Grade A fruit per
plant; and > 4.6 lbs of marketable fruit per plant. These
indices amount to >63,000 fruit Grade A/Acre, and > 23,000
lbs/Acre of marketable fruit. The most outstanding cultivars in
this trials were Orobelle, Verdel, Zohar, Bell Tower and Zerto
(Table 5). In addition Galaxy had excellent fruit quality. Out of
this trials in Poamoho, Ted Hori, County Extension agent for Maui
selected several cultivars for trial in Kula, Maui during late
Spring and Summer 1993 to test for resistance to tomato spotted
wilt virus. Even though little TSWV resistance was experienced in
Kula, all varieties were shown to be susceptible to TSWV under
controlled greenhouse conditions. In the field Bell Tower, Cal
Wonder, and Galaxy showed no symptoms to TSWV even after the 7th
week of harvest. However pepper weevil damage was the main pest
of the peppers in Kula. The most productive cultivars in Kula
were Whopper Improved (2.5 fruits per plant produced and 1.02 lbs
of fruit/plant), Zohar (3.5 fruits per plant and 0.74 lbs/plant),
and Carlos (2.5 fruits/plant and 0.97 lbs/plant). The largest
fruits in Kula were produced by Whooper Improved (0.41
lbs/fruit), Carlos (0.38 lbs/fruit) and by Galaxy and Verdel
(0.35 lbs/fruit). A pepper trial was also run by Steve Fukuda at
the UH Waimanalo Research Station but crop failure resulted
primarily due to Phytophtora infestation in the soil.
Table 5. Fruit Number and Yields per plant for bell pepper
cultivars in University of Hawaii Poamoho Experiment Station (The
Seed Source follows the Cultivar Name).
Cultivar Name | Fruit No. Gr. A | Fruit No. Gr. B | Fruit No. Off-Gr. | Total No. Marketable Fruit |
Fruit Wt. Gr. A (lbs/plt) | Fruit Wt. Gr. B (lbs/plt) | Fruit Wt. Off-Gr. (lbs/plt) | Total Wt. Marketable (lbs/plt) | Wt./Fruit Gr. A (lbs/fruit) |
Orobel (4,3) | 12.88 | 11.48 | 3.08 | 27.44 | 4.20 | 2.94 | 0.60 | 7.74 | 0.33 |
Verdel (1) | 13.02 | 7.42 | 2.94 | 23.38 | 3.92 | 1.68 | 0.49 | 6.09 | 0.30 |
Zohar (9) |
14.14 | 11.20 | 4.20 | 29.54 | 2.94 | 1.68 | 0.38 | 5.00 | 0.21 |
Bell Tower 1,4 | 12.88 | 7.14 | 3.78 | 23.80 | 3.64 | 1.40 | 0.52 | 5.56 | 0.28 |
Zerto (6) |
12.18 | 5.18 | 1.96 | 19.32 | 3.64 | 1.23 | 0.43 | 5.31 | 0.30 |
Zico (6) |
10.22 | 7.14 | 4.06 | 21.42 | 2.80 | 1.40 | 0.64 | 4.84 | 0.27 |
Bomby (1) | 10.50 | 6.30 | 2.80 | 19.60 | 3.08 | 1.40 | 0.50 | 4.98 | 0.29 |
Carlos (6) | 11.48 | 4.20 | 2.10 | 17.78 | 3.36 | 0.87 | 0.45 | 4.68 | 0.29 |
Galaxy (1,4) | 13.30 | 4.62 | 1.68 | 19.60 | 4.20 | 1.15 | 0.36 | 5.71 | 0.32 |
Maor (9), OP | 12.60 | 5.60 | 2.38 | 20.58 | 3.36 | 1.15 | 0.32 | 4.83 | 0.27 |
P1288 | 11.06 | 4.48 | 1.68 | 17.22 | 3.64 | 1.16 | 0.29 | 5.10 | 0.33 |
P3187 | 13.86 | 5.32 | 1.68 | 20.86 | 4.20 | 1.08 | 0.32 | 5.60 | 0.30 |
Tambell-II, 5 |
7.00 | 5.88 | 5.32 | 18.20 | 2.10 | 1.23 | 0.80 | 4.13 | 0.30 |
Tenno | 10.64 | 4.76 | 2.24 | 17.64 | 3.22 | 1.05 | 0.45 | 4.72 | 0.30 |
Cadice | 5.46 | 2.24 | 0.98 | 8.68 | 1.40 | 0.45 | 1.40 | 3.25 | 0.26 |
Calif.Wond 1,2 |
3.64 | 2.24 | 0.85 | 6.73 | 0.97 | 0.45 | 0.14 | 1.55 | 0.27 |
Elisa (4) | 10.08 | 3.78 | 1.68 | 15.54 | 3.22 | 0.94 | 0.34 | 4.49 | 0.32 |
Florida VR2,5 | 9.24 | 6.16 | 3.64 | 19.04 | 2.52 | 1.36 | 0.57 | 4.45 | 0.27 |
N8510 | 9.94 | 4.06 | 1.54 | 15.54 | 2.94 | 0.97 | 0.27 | 4.17 | 0.30 |
Predi (7) |
4.20 | 1.82 | 0.70 | 6.72 | 1.34 | 0.41 | 0.14 | 1.89 | 0.32 |
Superset | 4.20 | 1.82 | 1.16 | 7.18 | 1.11 | 0.29 | 0.17 | 1.57 | 0.26 |
Super Sw (1) | 8.68 | 6.30 | 2.10 | 17.08 | 2.66 | 1.40 | 0.38 | 4.44 | 0.31 |
Valley Giant | 2.66 | 2.94 | 1.82 | 7.42 | 0.83 | 0.70 | 0.29 | 1.82 | 0.31 |
Vidi (3,7) | 9.80 | 3.78 | 2.10 | 15.68 | 3.36 | 0.83 | 0.41 | 4.59 | 0.34 |
Whopp Imp. 4 | 4.34 | 1.82 | 0.55 | 6.71 | 1.54 | 0.39 | 0.14 | 2.07 | 0.35 |
Seed Sources: 1. Abbott; 2. Asgrow; 3; Green Barn; 4. Rogers NK;
5. SunSeed; 6. Nunhems; 7. Vilmorin;
8. Siegers; 9. Hazera
Hybrid Bell Pepper Cultivar Descriptions.
_ Orobelle (Rogers NK, Green Barn) is a strong, vigorous plant
with excellent coverage with maturity at 70-74 days. It is a high
yielding, early yellow variety. Fruit has four lobes and has 4.5
by 4.25 inch dimensions.
_ Jupiter (Rogers NK, Harris) was not tested in this trials but
is an OP variety which is grown from the Carolinas, to Florida to
the Imperial Valley in California, and it does well in Molokai as
well. It has high yields and produces large, blocky fruit of 4.5
by 4.25 inch, with maturity of 74-78 days.
_ Verdel (Abbott) produces consistent high yields of 4-lobed dark
green blocky fruits sized 4 by 3.5 inches, maturing in about 78
days. Produces a vigorous foliage.
_ Zohar (Hazera) produces a yellowish-green turning light green
fruit. It has excellent fruit setting even under hot conditions,
adapted to long harvesting seasons. The conical shaped 3-lobed
fruit has a thin fruit wall and has PVY resistance. Matures in
60-65 days. Fruit dimensions are 4.25 by 2.25 inches.
_ Bell Tower (Rogers NK, Abbott) produces large, deep-blocky
fruit sized 3.75 by 4 inches with maturity of 74-76 days. It is
high yielding and has a wide adaptability. Adapted to
cool-growing conditions.
_ Zerto (Nunhems) is adapted to both greenhouse and field growing
conditions. It is an early variety which turns red on ripening.
Produces short blocky fruits and the plant has a vigorous growth.
_ Zico (Nunhems) is adapted to both greenhouse and field growing
conditions, the fruits turn red on ripening, and it has higher
than average adaptability to growing conditions. Resistant to
PVY.
_ Galaxy (Rogers, Abbott) is a vigorous plant which yields large
4.75 by 4 inch thick-walled, deep green fruit early and
throughout the growing cycle. Matures in 74-78 days and is
adapted to cool growing conditions.
Industry Contributors:
Seed Sources
Abbott & Cobb, Inc.
POB F307
Feasterville, PA 19053-0307
Champion Seed (includes PetoSeed and Rogers NK)
529 Mercury Lane
Brea, CA 92621
Green Barn Seed Co. Inc.
18855 Park Ave.
Wayzata, MN 55391
Johnny's Selected Seeds
Foss Hill Rd.
Albion Maine 04910
Known-you seed Co., Ltd.
26, Chung Cheng 2nd Road
Kaohsiung
Taiwan
Kyowa Seed Co., Ltd
15-13 Nanpeidai
Shibuya-ku
Tokyo, Japan
Nunhems Seeds Corp.
P. O. Box 18
Lewisville, Idaho 83431
Harris Moran Seed Co.
POB 3091
Modesto CA 95353
Hazera Seed Limited
POB 1565
Haifa, Israel
Nunhems Seeds Corp.
P. O. Box 18
Lewisville, Idaho 83431
Rogers NK (Northrup & King)
POB 4188
Boise, ID 83711
Siegers Seed Co.
8265 Felch St.
Zeeland, MI 49464
Sunseeds Genetics, Inc.
P. O. Box 1480
2320 Technology Parkway
Hollister, CA 95024-1480
American Takii, Inc.
301 Natividad Rd
Salinas, CA 93906
Vilmorin, Inc.
6104 Yorkshire Ter.
Bethedesa, Maryland 20814
CABBAGE CULTIVAR TRIALS
By: Hector Valenzuela and Ron Mau
HITAHR, University of Hawaii
Introduction
Based on initial discussions with commercial cabbage growers four
standard head cabbage cultivars were selected to evaluate their
tolerance to diamondback moth attack. These were Tastie (Rogers
NK), Harvester Queen (Sakata), Pacifica (Sakata), and Scorpio
(Sakata). The experiment was conducted in the Kula Agricultural
Park plots managed by technicians from the University of Hawaii
Kula Experiment Station. One-month old seedlings provided by
commercial growers were transplanted on 2 July 1993. Plot size
per cultivar was 40 feet by 6 feet (4 rows spaced 2 ft each).
Each plot (replication) per cultivar was replicated four times.
Cultural practices were followed as recommended for commercial
head cabbage production. Insect counts were conducted on 16 and
27 July and on 12 August, 1993. Procedure for insect number
determinations was destructive harvest of 6 randomly selected
plants per plot (border rows) and determination of: damage index
assessment; egg number; larvae instar 1-4 number; pupae number;
incidence of thrips, spiders, and imported cabbage worm; and
parasitized pupae number. The damage index assessment consisted
of 0= no damage; 1= very light, not very noticeable; 2= moderate;
3= heavy; and 4= severe, only veins on many of the leaves. On 8
August leaf samples were also collected for Nitrogen content
determinations. The plants were harvested on 27th August and
fresh weight of top growth as well as head fresh weight were
determined at that time. A field day was conducted on 27 August
to have the commercial growers evaluate for themselves the
experimental results. Individual growers also visited the
research plot throughout the experimental period.
Results and Discussion
As indicated in Table 6 and Figure 1, a tolerance range to the
diamondback moth was detected among the 4 cultivars tested. The
cultivar 'Harvester Queen' had the overall highest larvae number,
foliage damage index, and incidence of imported cabbage worm. At
the lowest spectrum the cultivar Scorpio had the lowest mean
larvae number, lowest damage index, and the highest harvest index
among all the cultivars tested. The cultivar 'Tastie' which is
preferred by growers and wholesalers alike had a higher
caterpillar number than 'Scorpio' but a lower number than
'Harvester Queen (Table 6, Figure 1).' It would therefore not be
recommended that 'Harvester Queen' be grown in areas with high
diamondback moth pressure. During the summer months were DBM
pressure is highest in Kula it is recommended that growers grow
cultivars such as 'Scorpio' with a higher tolerance than the
other cultivars. During the winter and spring months when DBM
pressure may not be as high, growers may be able to grow
'Tastie', the cultivar mostly preferred by growers and in the
marketplace. Nitrogen tissue content between cultivars does not
appear to have been a determining factor for DBM attack in this
experiment. Nitrogen tissue content for Scorpio was 5.2% and for
Tastie it was 5.3%. This experiment shows that diamondback moth
populations in Hawaii show feeding preference under field
situations among plants of the cabbage family.
Farmer Participation
Growers representing >80% of the cabbage acreage in the Kula
area participated in the planning stages of this trial as well as
in the evaluation stages during the field day on the final day of
the trial. This trial also formed part of a diamondback moth
workshop held in Kula by Dr. Ron Mau in which growers also
learned about other important management tools for control of
this important pest. For the 1993 Summer season many cabbage
growers were already planting the more tolerant cultivar
'Scorpio' taking in consideration the high population levels of
DBM expected at that time of the year.
Table 6. Effect of four head cabbage cultivars on mean incidence
of diamondback moth numbers and damage index assessment in Kula
in late Summer 1992.
Cultivar | DBM Larvae (no./plant) |
Damage(0-5) | ICW (%) | Yield of Head (lbs/Acre) |
Head Weight (lbs) | Harvest Index (Head/plant) |
Tastie | 4.1 | 2.2 | 38 | 63913c | 4.4 | 74 |
Pacifica | 4.37 | 2.3 | 23 | 53791ab | 3.7 | 68 |
Queen | 5.68 | 2.93 | 62 | 58273bc | 4 | 60 |
Scorpio | 3.33 | 1.77 | 23 | 48296.4a | 3.3 | 61 |
Significance | ** | ** | ** | ** | ** | ** |
Notes:
Damage Index, 0= no damage, and 5= maximum damage
ICW= imported cabbage worm, percent of plants which had ICW.
Yield of both marketable and unmarketable heads.
Significance-- ** = significant at 0.05 level
HIGH
ELEVATION CHINESE CABBAGE CULTIVAR TRIALS
By: Hector Valenzuela and Dwight Sato
Summer 1993 Trials
A Chinese cabbage cultivar trial was conducted at the UH Volcano
Station in the Summer 1993. The station is located at 4000 ft
elevation, has volcanic ash soils, 150 in median annual rainfall,
and 50-60F temperature range. The soil is classified as an
immature Hydrol Humic Latosol. The surface consists of relatively
recent ash deposits (1886). Soil analysis prior to starting the
experiment showed a soil pH of 5.9, organic carbon content of
5.14%, and soil solution with EC of 0.049 mmho/cm, P= 87 ppm, K=
67 ppm, Ca= 1160 ppm, and Mg= 276 pm. One month old seedlings
were transplanted on 21 May, 1993. An earlier crop had to be
replanted due to cutworm damage. Of the 20 varieties evaluated
harvest data was collected only for the ones which developed
heads. Five varieties, typically grown in temperate areas, bolted
earlier and were not included in the analysis. Each replication
consisted of two 9 foot rows replicated 4 times. Planting
distance was 2 ft between rows and 1.5 ft in the row.
A SAS multiple comparisons statistical evaluation determined that
the low yielding varieties (1.1-1.24 lbs/head) were China
Express, WR-60, and WR Crusader. Mid yielding varieties
(1.36-1.65 lbs/head) were WR-55, Tempest, Takatoh, Chorus,
SCC-9206, China Flash, China Pride, Mini 1000, and Tango. The
high yielding ones (1.76-1.92 lbs/head) were Blues, Shunkei, and
Kasumi.
Local farmers in the Volcano area visited the experimental site
on several occasions and identified the following varieties as
having adequate growth and head shape: Takatoh, Chorus, WR-60,
China Pride, SCC 9206, Shunkei, Blues, Kasumi, WR-55, China
Flash, and Tango. A follow-up trial was thus established in late
Dec. 1993 to evaluate the varieties preferred by local growers
and to evaluate their growth during the winter (rainy) season.
Winter 1993 Trials
Six Chinese cabbage varieties were selected, based on preliminary
Spring trials and on grower acceptance. These were Chorus, China
Pride, SCC-9206, Takatoh, Tango, and WR-60. The crops were seeded
on 3 Dec. transplanted on 28 Dec. 1993, and harvested on 8 Mar.
1994. Each plot consisted of two 20 ft. rows. Spacing was 2 ft
between rows and 2 ft between plants. Each treatment was
replicated three times. Fertilization, and pest control practices
were followed as recommended for commercial production. Results
are presented below.
Cultivar | Yield (lbs/head) Spring '93 |
Yield (lbs/head) Winter '93 |
% Marketable |
Tango | 3.6a | 4.7a | 73 |
WR-60 | 2.5d | 4.5ab | 77 |
Chorus | 3.1ab | 4.3bc | 77 |
China Pride | 3.3ab | 4.2bc | 75 |
Takatoh | 3.1abc | 4.1bc | 60 |
SCC-9206 | 3.2ab | 4.1c | 47 |
Means within a column with the same letter are not significantly
different (P<0.05).
Results
Tango had the greatest yields in both Summer and Winter trials
(62,726 plants/Acre in Summer based on 17,424 plants per Acre,
and 37,363 lbs/Acre in Winter based on 10,890 plant/Acre and 27%
culls due to rotting in Winter). WR-60 was as productive as Tango
in the Winter but was the least productive, among these
varieties, in Summer trials. All varieties produced adequate
yields in the Summer with the exception of WR-60, which had
smaller heads. Both Takatoh and SCC-9206 had high rotting
incidence in the Winter resulting in yields of 26,789 and 20,985
lbs/Acre, respectively, which indicates lower adaptability during
the rainy/cooler months. Head weight was about 25% greater in the
winter due to the cooler weather and the wider plant spacing (2 x
2 instead of 2 x 1.5 ft spacing). This trials indicate the
potential for Chinese Cabbage production in the Volcano Area.
Important production factors will be incidence of diamondback
moth during the warmer summer months, and the greater incidence
of foliar and root diseases in the winter months. Cultural
practices such as plant spacing, fertilization, rotation,
sanitation, and cultivar selection can be adapted to minimize
potential crop losses due to pests and diseases for the
production of cole crops in Volcano.
Industry Cooperators:
Thank-you to Sakata, Mikado, Kyowa, Stokes, Takii, and Know-You
Seed Companies for providing seed samples.
Chemicals: United Horticultural Supplies, and HGP Inc. in Hilo.
We thank Mr. Gaillane Maehira and Volcano Station Staff for data
collection and field plot maintenance.