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2015 CCE ENYCHP Pumpkin Variety Trial

Chuck Bornt, Team Leader, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture

March 17, 2016

2015 CCE ENYCHP Pumpkin Variety Trial
Chuck Bornt and Annie Mills, CCE ENYCHP

I know it's late and most of you probably have all or most of your seed already ordered, but I thought I would share our Pumpkin Variety Trial information with you just in case you are intrigued by some of these varieties and would like to try them this year. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our host grower, Rich Wertman of Wertman Farm and Greenhouses located in Melrose, NY which is in Rensselaer County about 10 miles north of Troy (just to give you some reference points). Rich and his family grow about 60 acres of pumpkins, ranging from pies types to Jack-O-Lanterns. I would also like to thank the seed companies that provided seed and feedback for this trial (Table 1).

Trial Particulars: The trial was direct seeded June 11, 2015. Two seeds were planted in six hills in side by side rows (12 hills per plot per replication) spaced on 6 foot centers: in-row spacing was determined based on seed company recommendations square footage per plant and converted to be as close as possible based on our 6 foot row center spacing and can be found also in Table 1. Each variety was replicated twice for a total of 24 hills per variety. Rows were marked and 400 lbs of 19-19-19 fertilizer was placed in the rows with a Monosem 2 row planter and seeds were then jabbed in by hand using a jab planter. After planting, Sandea (halosulfuron) at 0.5 ounces per acre plus Dual Magnum (metolachlor) at 1.0 pints per acre plus Command ME (clomazone) at 1.0 pint per acre was applied for weed control. In mid-July, an additional sidesdress of 150 pounds Urea per acre was applied. Starting the last week in July, the first fungicide application for Powdery Mildew as applied. A total of 5 fungicide applications were made weekly using these products in this sequence plus chlorothalonil: Quintec, Torino, Procure, Vivando and a second application of Quintec.

Results: Plots were harvested October 6, 2015. The per acre total number of marketable fruit, marketable fruit weight and average fruit size can be found in Table 2. Also in Table 2 you can find the calculated number of bins (24" tall) based on an average bin weighing 600 pounds and the average number of pumpkins per bin based on the average fruit size. During data collection, we weigh each individual marketable fruit and record it. We do this so we can get an idea of how uniform the fruit size is for each variety and Table 3 is the percentage of fruit based on 5 pound increments. For example, if you look at Racer Plus you will find that 44% of the total marketable fruit are between 5 and 10 pounds, 50% are between 10 and 15 pounds while 6% are 15 to 20 pounds. And finally Table 4 gives you a brief description of each variety.

Summary: The information presented in this report I feel is a very strong representation of how these varieties will perform on most farms with similar care and conditions. However, each farm is different so I suggest that if you decide to try any of these varieties, trial them on a limited scale the first year to see how they actually perform on your farm and your cultural practices. With that said, there are several varieties that stood out in the trial and I would highly recommend. Under pie pumpkins, Early Abundance and Jack Sprat were very attractive and excellent yielding. If you are looking for a novelty type in the pie size, Toad was very unique with its nice orange color, tear drop shape and numerous "warts". This variety I think would be a great choice for retail sales but because of the warts, may be more sensitive to bruising in boxes during delivery. If you have been looking for a larger "munchkin" type then Orangita would be a great choice with it's deep ribbed or scalloped, bright orange fruit. And another novelty type to look at would be WeeeeeOne which looks like a large Jack-O-Lantern that has been shrunk to 1/2 pound.

For small to medium sized Jack-O-Lanterns, those of you that have tried Racer and liked it, might want to look at Racer Plus which is an improved Racer with Powdery Mildew disease tolerance added - uniform, blocky upright round fruit shape with dark orange color and moderate ribbing. If you are looking for another novelty variety, Warty Goblin would be one to certainly look at for retail sales. The orange and green coloring with numerous, large warts really makes it stand out in a crowd of pumpkins.

And finally for large to extra large Jack-O-Lanterns, the one variety that stole the show was a new release from Harris Seeds called Kratos. This variety was uniform, averaging between 20 and 25 pounds with a great dark orange color, medium ribbing and a strong upright round blocky shape with a strong, well anchored handle that seemed to hold its dark green/black color. Rhea, the smaller sister to Cronus also did well in the 20-25 pound category. Another new release from Harris called Zeus should also make the short list especially if your market is looking for that 15-18 pound consistent fruit size. Zeus also has in addition to its Powdery Mildew tolerance, virus tolerance (Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus). And by far the largest Jack-O-Lanterns were produced by Cronus, which produces some huge, very attractive fruit (30 pounds plus). However, this variety also requires lots of space as it is a full vining variety. Harris recommends 10 foot centers with 3 - 5 feet in row. 

Pumpkin Variety Trial Photos (pdf; 6280KB)

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Upcoming Events

Urban and Small-Scale Growers Meeting

April 5, 2024 : Urban and Small-Scale Growers Meeting
Buffalo, NY

This event is an opportunity for small-scale growers, urban growers, community garden leaders and ag service providers to build community, engage in production-focused workshops, and share resources. Topics include building soil productivity, insect and disease management, growing vegetables, berries, and tree fruits, and more.

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED! We met the space limitation for this event.

View Urban and Small-Scale Growers Meeting Details

2024 DEC Special Permit Handler Training -- Wayne County

April 9, 2024
Newark, NY

Special Permits (SP) will relieve the certified pesticide applicator from "on-site within voice contact" supervision of non-certified pesticide applicators when they are handling federally-restricted-use pesticides for which they hold a Special Permit. The 8 specific labels covered: Endigo ZCX, Warrior II with Zeon Technology, Agri-Mek SC, Beseige, Leverage 360, Danitol 2.4EC, Mustang Maxx, and Lannate LV. 

View 2024 DEC Special Permit Handler Training -- Wayne County Details

2024 DEC Special Permit Handler Training -- Orleans County

April 10, 2024
Albion, NY

Special Permits (SP) will relieve the certified pesticide applicator from "on-site within voice contact" supervision of non-certified pesticide applicators when they are handling federally-restricted-use pesticides for which they hold a Special Permit. The 8 specific labels covered: Endigo ZCX, Warrior II with Zeon Technology, Agri-Mek SC, Beseige, Leverage 360, Danitol 2.4EC, Mustang Maxx, and Lannate LV. 

View 2024 DEC Special Permit Handler Training -- Orleans County Details

Announcements

JOB POSTING: Onion Crop Scout

Be a Vital Part of New York Onion Production!

We are looking for someone who appreciates agriculture to scout commercial onion fields in Oswego Co. and/or Wayne Co. for 13 weeks during the summer, maximum 19 hours/week, who would return to the seasonal position annually.

As an Onion Crop Scout for the Cornell Vegetable Program (CVP), you will independently scout 11 commercial onion fields collecting data on insect pests, diseases, weeds and crop stage/quality. Scouting data will be summarized into a preliminary report which is finalized by Cornell's Onion Specialist. Growers use the scouting reports to inform their spray decisions, which enables an integrated approach to pest management. Your hard work will ensure grower engagement, implementation of research-based recommendations, and early detection of emerging issues. It is the "beating heart" of CVP's onion program.

Pay: $18.50/hr. No benefits. Personal mileage will be reimbursed at the federal rate.

Key Qualifications & Skills:
  • High School diploma and 6 months experience in an agriculture setting, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Must be able to meet the travel requirements of the position and have reliable transportation as well as have and maintain a valid and unrestricted New York State driver's license.
  • Visual concentration and attention to detail are required to detect pests and pest damage.
  • Able to work independently in collecting and summarizing data.
  • Must be able to work outdoors in all types of weather.
  • Proven experience in communicating effectively, both written and oral.
  • Preferred: Experience working with plants, plant disease and other pest identification.
Training will include being accompanied by a veteran onion scout for the first season with the intention of scouting independently in the second year, and ideally for several more years after.

Flexible on start and end dates, day(s) of week you work, and whether Oswego or Wayne or both counties are scouted. Our priority is finding someone who will return to the position annually.

Read details about the Onion Crop Scout position.

To apply (resume and cover letter): http://tiny.cc/Onion_Scout_WDR_00043345

Management Practices for High Organic Matter Soils

We are exploring management practices for vegetable farmers with high organic matter soils. These soils are usually found in urban growing areas as urban farmers typically grow in imported soil mixtures that have been constructed over time and in high tunnels where leaching events are limited. In both cases, we see that soil pH and calcium levels can increase due to alkaline irrigation water and with grower inputs such as high levels of compost and/or fertilizer. We commonly see limited plant nutrient uptake due to high soil pH. We have produced four "Management Practices for Urban Soil Health" case studies sharing project updates in our urban cover crop, pH adjustment, and bulk density adjustment work. In each case study, we are looking at the effect of the management practice on soil and crop health. 

Management Practices for Urban Soil Health: Cover Cropping
Management Practices for Urban Soil Health: pH Adjustment
Management Practices for Urban Soil Health: pH Adjustment in NYC
Management Practices for Urban Soil Health: Correcting Nutrient Test Results for Soils with High Organic Matter

2023 Year in Review and 2024 Preview

As the Cornell Vegetable Program reflects on 2023, we want to thank you for your partnership and continued support of our team and the work we do to address issues impacting the commercial vegetable industry in the western and central portion of NYS. Our 2023 Year in Review and 2024 Preview report highlights of some of the many research and outreach programs led by our team members over the last year plus a look ahead to some of our plans for 2024.
  • Use of Ground Barriers as a New Strategy for Swede Midge in Brassicas for Small Organic and Urban Farms
  • Cornell Vegetable Program Responds to Late Blight in 2023
  • Working Groups Help to Improve the Western NY Food System
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