October 18, 2002

Harris Moran Seed Company recently premiered its newest disease-resistant vegetable varieties at field trials in Michigan, including Ambra, a fresh market snap bean that's outpaced the competition in yield, earliness, and field holding ability.

For two days at Benton Harbor, the fruits of Harris Moran research efforts were on display as 75 people inspected an array of vegetables across many species. Customers from the U.S. and Canada poked, smelled, and tasted fresh market beans, squash, corn, bell pepper, cucumber, and tomatoes -- up-close-and-personal.

"The number of species illustrates the depth and progress of our product development and overall research effort for this area," said Bob Hamilton, Harris Moran's sales representative for the Midwest. "Local grower needs are our priority. These new varieties are tested in their own backyards, under local conditions. The result is usually a good match."

Staged at the Michigan State University Research Station, the annual trial featured 120 varieties, including 45 experimental, close-to-commercial varieties.

Generating attention was Ambra, formerly HMX 0104, a fresh market snap bean. In trial after trial, Ambra has bested the competition, providing good yields and excellent quality. This consistent performer grows straight, smooth pods, the kind the market demands.

In the corn rows, Shooting Star (HMX 8343) and Polaris (HMX 8344), drew the most attention. An SH2 bi-color main season, Polaris has it all including moderate resistance to rust, MDMV, Stewart's Wilt and moderate susceptibility to SMUT and NLB. Along with a strong disease package, its bright kernel color contrasts with its good husk cover. It has good fill, good shipping, and is very sweet ? good eating quality.

Shooting Star, also an SH2, main, is performing well in the bicolor shipper market, all the way from Southern Florida to New York and Michigan. It features good rowing and kernel color with an attractive husk. It's an easy hand pick and an excellent shipper. It has multiple resistance to Rust, NLB, MDMV, and Stewart's Wilt.

In bell peppers, Conquest, a blocky bell green-to-red, has consistently yielded among the tops in trials with the leading commercial varieties for high quality marketable fruit. It's resistant to TMV, PMMV, PVY, and PEMV, and tolerant to CMV.

Patriot, (HMX 0640) another green-to-red blocky bell, is an early maturing pepper with a concentrated fruit set. This high-yielder develops blocky, thick walls. It's resistant to BLS 1,2,3,5, and PVY.

In slicer cucumbers, Stonewall (HMX 8416) stood out. It has out-performed the competition in: the highest number of No. 1 fancy fruit, fruit quality, fruit shape, size, and storage ability.

In nearby squash rows, visitors inspected Lioness (HMX 0709), a yellow, green-stemmed straightneck with tolerance to the main four viruses that affect squash production areas.

Another innovative solution from Harris Moran came in the form of HMX 0800, a new choice for tomato growers in TSWV-plagued areas. It combines an armor-like disease package along with high fruit quality and high yields.

In summing up the trials, Ian Jenkins, Harris Moran's product development representative, said "We're not just breeding vegetables, we're breeding solutions for growers. This latest crop of new varieties is a testament to our commitment here."

Harris Moran Seed Company is part of the largest independently owned seed company in the world. It is owned by Groupe Limagrain, a French cooperative owned, run, and operated by French farmers.
Harris Moran breeds innovative vegetable varieties designed to boost yield, reduce chemical inputs, and increase freshness, flavor and fruit quality from plow to plate. The Modesto, CA-based company breeds vegetables for markets in more than 65 countries.