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SPINACH BREEDING PROGRAM
Dr. T. E. Morelock
Department of Horticulture
University of Arkansas
morelock@uark.edu
 
The Spinach Breeding Program at the University of Arkansas started thirty-five years ago to fill the need for a white rust resistance breeding program and today is the only public sector spinach breeding program in the United States. The present disease screening nursery was established at the Kibler station in 1974, and has been planted to spinach at least one crop per year ever since that time. This heavy use has allowed high levels of pressure for white rust and other diseases to develop in this nursery. This extreme disease pressure has allowed the U of A breeding program to develop well-adapted varieties with high levels of multiple disease resistance. Arkansas developed varieties such as Fallgreen and F380 have been highly successful, and in fact it can be said that seed company hybrids with white rust resistance all have some Arkansas "blood."

GREENS BREEDING PROGRAM
Dr. T. E. Morelock
Department of Horticulture
University of Arkansas
morelock@uark.edu

The greens breeding program at the University of Arkansas has been carried on at the Vegetable Substation for at least forty years. During that period, turnip and mustard varieties have been released and some of them have been widely grown by the vegetable processing industry in the region. Currently, the major emphasis is Collards, and a Collard variety will probably be released in the future when seed production problems are worked out. The Collard material is very upright and has much better color than the varieties presently being grown for processing in the area. Both of these traits would allow local processors to pack a higher quality product.

SOUTHERNPEA BREEDING PROGRAM
Dr. T. E. Morelock
Department of Horticulture
University of Arkansas
morelock@uark.edu

The Southernpea (cowpea) breeding program at the University of Arkansas started approximately fifty years ago. During this period, at least twelve varieties have been released and some of the releases have been very useful to the processing industry and some have been widely grown by home gardeners. The breeding program has emphasized improved plant architecture, earliness, concentrated flowering and fruiting as well as improved yield and processing quality. Presently an early generation breeding nursery is grown at Fayetteville and the advanced line nursery is grown at Kibler. The Kibler site is critical since it is located in the heart of the commercial production area.

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University of Arkansas
Division of Agriculture
All rights reserved.
Last Date Modified 01/4/2006
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