The smooth, soft, durable fabrics woven from pima cotton make high-quality, long-lasting clothing, as well as luxurious sheets, towels, and other cotton goods. Thanks to work by ARS scientists, tomorrow’s pima plants may endure blistering desert heat better than today’s varieties and produce higher yields. About a decade ago, ARS and University of California—Los Angeles scientists discovered that some pima plants keep leaf pores—called stomates—open longer than others. That’s unusual among desert plants, which typically close their stomates as the day gets hotter. Yields of these cooler plants were higher than those from many other pima types tested. Now, a research team at New Mexico State University has built on that work. They pinpointed genetic markers that may in turn lead to genes which control the cooling-off trait. Once that happens, those genes could be shuttled into plants lacking the trait. That would give pima plants a new, natural means of producing high yields in spite of blazing-hot summer days. The 1999 pima crop, produced in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, was worth about $273 million to growers.

Western Cotton Research Laboratory, Maricopa, AZ
Richard G. Percy, (602) 379-4221, rpercy@ag.arizona.edu

Crop Genetics and Production Research Unit, Stoneville, MS
Mauricio Ulloa, (662) 686-5464, mulloa@ag.gov

Popular Latin American and Caribbean beans may offer new opportunities for U.S. bean growers, thanks to a collaboration between ARS and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, or CIAT, in Cali, Colombia. CIAT develops breeding materials for farmers in member countries. ARS researchers evaluated much of CIAT’s germplasm to find breeding lines suitable for U.S. growers. Researchers at Colorado State University-Fort Collins and the University of Idaho-Kimberly also collaborated on the project. The team found germplasm in at least nine market classes that shows promise for this country’s cooler climates and longer day lengths. Some are practically ready to plant now. With others, breeders would have to develop domestic varieties that could better withstand U.S. environmental conditions. Most of the beans would be exported, but the domestic market could benefit, too. Consumers may already enjoy farofa, a dish with beans and cassava flour found at a few Brazilian restaurants. A soup, frijoles garras, is on the menu at some national beef restaurant chains. And nearly all Mexican restaurants serve refried beans. The foreign germplasm might also help breeders improve market classes grown here, such as by incorporating heat resistance from a Latin American bean into domestic kidney bean varieties.

Vegetable and Forage Crop Research Unit, Prosser, WA
Philip Miklas, (509) 786-9258, pmiklas@tricity.wsu.edu

A potato virus collection serves as a “411 directory” for plant pathologists, breeders, geneticists, and growers. The ARS Schultz Potato Virus Collection maintained by the Vegetable Laboratory in Beltsville, MD, includes 17 distinct viruses. They include mild mosaic, apical leafroll, calico mosaic, Aucuba mosaic, leaf rolling mosaic, latent virus, rugose mosaic, spindle tuber viroid, yellow dwarf, and yellow spot. Researchers throughout the world have compared their infected plants with those maintained in the Schultz collection, started in 1916 at Aroostook State Farm at Presque Isle, ME. After more than 80 years, the collection still contains progeny from the original infected plants. Viruses are maintained in insect-proof cages to avoid both contamination by aphid-transmitted diseases and loss of original viruses. Each year the viruses are grown out in small, screened-in cages in the field to keep the collection going for future use. The researchers save four tubers from each cage for replanting at Aroostook Farm the following year and send the remaining tubers to Beltsville for further use and study. All of the collection’s viruses are among the most prevalent in the United States, Canada, and Europe. A new Carla virus, isolated from the potato variety Red Lasoda in 1992, was named potato latent virus in 1998. It was added to the collection last year. Researchers can request samples of any virus for study.

Vegetable Laboratory, Beltsville, MD
Autar Mattoo, (301) 504-7380, amattoo@asrr.arsusda.gov

A record-breaking 90,100 bees and other pollinating insects from around the globe were identified by entomologists at ARS’ bee museum in Logan, UT, last year. The museum is part of the ARS Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory. Museum scientists help other researchers—as well as seed growers, beekeepers, farm advisers, homeowners, and agricultural inspectors at airline terminals or shipping ports—identify bees found in fields, orchards, homes, or cargo, for example. Year-round, the scientists receive a steady stream of requests for help. Last year’s detective work included determining the identity of 15,100 specimens sent in from the United States and abroad, as well as another 75,000 specimens netted in investigations by the museum team itself or by ARS colleagues at the laboratory. The bee museum, officially known as the U.S. Pollinating Insects Collection, is one of the world’s 10 most important bee collections. It houses nearly 1 million specimens from the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Spain, and several other countries.

Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory, Logan UT
Terry L. Griswold, (435) 797-2524, tgris@cc.usu.edu

Gulfprince, a new peach ideal for shipping and canning, makes its premier debut this season in nurseries. This early-season fruit will be just peachy for consumers, because it packs more flavor and aroma. This is owing to Gulfprince’s unique slow-softening, nonmelting type of flesh. This characteristic allows growers to leave Gulfprince on the tree longer to continue ripening, while still retaining sufficient firmness for shipping. Because the peach industry is powered by aroma, this new variety—with its tree-ripened scent—should be a hit. Gulfprince is the first nonmelting-flesh cultivar released from the joint regional breeding program—including USDA, the Universities of Georgia and Florida—based at UGA's Attapulgus Research Farm near Bainbridge, GA. Gulfprince ripens in early June just as Georgia peaches swing into production. This large, vigorous fruit has good sweetness and doesn't brown easily when bruised—a plus, because browning spoils the appearance of the fruit when cut or processed. Gulfprince will also make a wonderful addition to peach orchards in mid-February, when its showy pink flowers are in bloom. The scientists have filed for a joint plant protection patent.

Fruit and Tree Nut Research Lab, Byron, GA
Thomas G. Beckman, (912) 956-6436, tbeckman@byronresearch.net