Planning your vegetable varieties for the upcoming season? Purdue University has maintained comprehensive records of vegetable variety trials throughout the Midwest since 1999. The Midwest Vegetable Trial Report series offers valuable applied research findings specifically relevant to vegetable and melon production in the Midwest region. Below, you’ll find abstracts from the most recent reports. For more extensive information, visit the Midwest Vegetable Trial Report webpage (https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/mwvtr/).
Evaluation of High Tunnel Tomato Cultivars for Yield and Quality (Wenjing Guan) https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/mwvtr/277/
Tomatoes are a highly popular crop in Indiana’s local food markets. They are most commonly grown in high tunnels to extend the harvest season and enhance yields. Beyond yield, fruit quality is a key factor for market success. This study evaluated the performance of eight determinant tomato cultivars grown in a high tunnel at the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center in 2023.
Colored Sweet Bell and Tapered Pepper Cultivar Evaluation for High Tunnel Production in West-Central Indiana, 2024 (Petrus Langenhoven and Sofia Catucuamba) https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/mwvtr/275/
Currently, comprehensive pepper variety performance data specific to Indiana has been limited. Recognizing this gap, we have initiated a systematic evaluation process. To date, we have conducted thorough assessments of 35 different pepper varieties, with each variety being carefully studied through two distinct production cycles. This research paper presents findings from five sweet bell pepper varieties and five tapered pepper varieties, which were grown and evaluated at the Purdue Student Farm in West Lafayette, Indiana.
2024 Standard-sized Seedless Watermelon Cultivar Evaluation in Indiana (Wenjing Guan) https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/mwvtr/274/
The annual watermelon cultivar evaluation trial is conducted at Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center (SWPAC) in Vincennes, Indiana. It evaluates yield, fruit quality, and overall plant performance of commercial watermelon cultivars and advanced breeding lines. Purdue Extension and seed companies financially support the trial. The 2024 standard-sized triploid watermelon cultivar trial evaluated 32 cultivars.
2024 Personal-sized Seedless Watermelon Cultivar Evaluation in Indiana (Wenjing Guan) https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/mwvtr/273/
The annual watermelon cultivar evaluation trial is conducted at Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center (SWPAC) in Vincennes, Indiana. It evaluates yield, fruit quality, and overall plant performance of commercial watermelon cultivars and advanced breeding lines. Purdue Extension and seed companies financially support the trial. The 2024 personal-sized triploid watermelon cultivar trial evaluated 18 cultivars.
2024 Seeded Watermelon Cultivar Evaluation in Indiana (Wenjing Guan) https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/mwvtr/272/
The annual watermelon cultivar evaluation trial is conducted at Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center (SWPAC) in Vincennes, Indiana. It evaluates yield, fruit quality, and overall plant performance of commercial watermelon cultivars and advanced breeding lines. Purdue Extension and seed companies financially support the trial. The 2024 seeded watermelon cultivar trial evaluated 15 cultivars.
Evaluation of Five Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin Cultivars in Southwest Michigan in 2024 (Ben Phillips) https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/mwvtr/271/
A jack-o-lantern pumpkin cultivar trial was planted at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center (42.081985, -86.354087, Benton Harbor, Michigan). Rupp (RP) seed company donated pumpkin seeds. Overall trial conditions were excellent, and the crop was harvested early due to the environmental conditions compounded with black plastic mulch pushing the plants to produce and ripen fruit early.
Evaluation of 18 Bell Pepper Cultivars in Southwest Michigan in 2024 (Ben Phillips) https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/mwvtr/270/
A bell pepper cultivar trial was planted at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center (42.081985, -86.354087, Benton Harbor, Michigan). Bejo (BJ), Clifton (CL), Enza Zaden (EZ), Sakata (SK), Seminis (SE), and United Genetics (UG) seed companies donated bell pepper cultivars for plastic-mulch bedded and trellised hand harvest. Overall trial conditions were excellent, however our pre-plant fertilizer mixing was outsourced this year, and a spreader was rented from the same company. Due to either a mixing error or a misapplication with a piece of unfamiliar or malfunctioning equipment, the plots received a toxic level of boron, which remained in plant tissues for the whole season.
Evaluation of 10 Specialty Pepper Cultivars in Southwest Michigan in 2024 (Ben Phillips) https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/mwvtr/268/
A specialty pepper cultivar trial was planted at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center (42.081985, -86.354087, Benton Harbor, Michigan). Tozer (TZ) and United Genetics (UG) seed companies donated specialty pepper cultivars for plastic-mulch bedded and trellised hand harvest. Overall trial conditions were excellent, however our pre-plant fertilizer mixing was outsourced this year, and a spreader was rented from the same company. Due to either a mixing error or a misapplication with a piece of unfamiliar or malfunctioning equipment, the plots received a toxic level of boron, which remained in plant tissues for the whole season.
Evaluation of 23 Pickling Cucumber Cultivars for Machine Harvest in Southwest Michigan in 2024 (Ben Phillips) https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/mwvtr/267/
A pickling cucumber cultivar trial was planted at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center (42.088261, -86.351980, Benton Harbor, Michigan). Bejo (BJ), Nunhems (NU), Rijk Zwaan (RZ), and US AgriSeed (UA) seed companies donated parthenocarpic (seedless) cultivars for mechanical once-over harvest. Overall, trial quality was good despite a droughty start, though picking could have started sooner.