Eight new wheat germplasm lines offer resistance to the Hessian fly--even though all the new lines were developed in part from a commercial hard red winter wheat called Newton that's susceptible to Hessian fly attacks. Scientists with ARS and Purdue University developed the new resistant lines by transferring eight different genes for Hessian fly resistance individually into Newton. In seeding tests, the lines proved resistant to one or more of four Hessian fly biotypes. All of the lines are similar to Newton, but can be up to 4 days later in heading and from 4 inches shorter to 3 inches taller than Newton. The new lines--Carol, Erin, Flynn, Iris, Joy, Karen, Lola and Molly--have adequate winter hardiness for testing in many areas of the United States and for determining the value of the individual genes in providing resistance to local populations of the Hessian fly. The lines also provide genes for use in breeding resistant cultivars and genetic studies. Seed can be obtained now from Purdue University and next year through the ARS National Small Grains Collection, Aberdeen, ID.
Crop Production and Pest Control Research, West Lafayette, IN
Roger Ratcliffe, (317) 494-4606, roger_ratcliffe@entm.purdue.edu

An improved linden viburnum called 'Catskill' offers gardeners a colorful, slow-growing shrub ideal for limited space. Developed by ARS scientists from seed obtained in Japan, Viburnum dilatatum'Catskill' takes about 15 years to reach a height of 5 feet and an 8-foot spread. Covered with small, creamy-white flowers in mid-May, it has small round leaves that are dark green throughout summer and turn yellow, orange, and red in autumn. 'Catskill's' dark red berries persist until mid-winter. The shrub is easy to grow and well adapted to USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5b to 8. It grows best in a moist, slightly acid soil. Planting in full sun will produce more flowering and fruiting, but in hotter areas of Zone 8, 'Catskill' should be planted in partial shade. It is available commercially. The U.S. National Arboretum has one of the world's few viburnum breeding programs.
Floral and Nursery Plants Research, U.S. National Arboretum, Washington, D.C.
Ruth L. Dix, (202) 245-4762, rdix@asrr.arsusda.gov

Six dry bean germplasm lines representing new sources of resistance to white mold have been released by ARS and university scientists. White mold, the most economically important dry bean disease in the United States, causes more than $50 million in annual yield loss. Fungicides that cost from $10 to $15 per acre provide only partial control of the disease, but still are applied to an estimated 300,000 acres each year. The new lines—I9365-1, I9365-3, I9365-5, I9365-19, I9365-31 and 92BG-7—were developed at the Tropical Agriculture Research Station in Mayaguez, PR, with cooperation from breeders and plant pathologists in Colorado, Michigan, Nebraska, and North Dakota. They have high yield potential in both tropical and temperate environments. All six lines have various combinations and levels of resistance to common bacterial blight, rust, bean common mosaic virus, Fusarium wilt, Fusarium root rot, and ashy stem blight, as well as white mold. A limited quantity of seed from these lines is available for research and variety development. New varieties are expected to be available in about 5 years.
Vegetable and Forage Crop Production, Prosser, WA
Phillip Miklas, (509) 786-9258, pmiklas@beta.tricity.wsu.edu

Plump, sweet Autumn Royal grapes should give shoppers a new and delicious dark grape for late fall and early winter. The large, oval-shaped Autumn Royal berries have purple-black skin with a whitish bloom. Inside, the firm, crisp flesh is an attractive, translucent green-yellow. Vines ripen in the first half of October, but fruit can be marketed into December because Autumn Royal stores so well. ARS researchers put Autumn Royal through approximately a decade of vineyard analysis and laboratory tests. The scientists made cuttings available to growers, and the new variety is showing up in markets. Autumn Royal is the newest grape from the ARS laboratory that also launched Flame Seedless, America's favorite red seedless grape.
Horticultural Crops Research Lab, Fresno, CA
David W. Ramming, (209) 453-3061, dramm@qnis.net

A "royal family" of June peaches and nectarines from ARS offers flavorful and vigorous new alternatives to growers in the Southeast. The new fruits are Rubyprince and Southern Pearl peaches and Juneprincess and Blazeprince nectarines. All measure 2 to 3 inches in diameter. Rubyprince, a firm but good textured and flavored peach, is adapted to the Southeast and ripens in early June. It has moderate resistance to bacterial spot, as does Southern Pearl. Southern Pearl, a firm, white-fleshed peach with good eating qualities, ripens in mid-June. The princess of nectarines, Juneprincess, is a more reliable producer and less susceptible to cracking and brown rot than other mid-June nectarines. Juneprincess has yellow flesh and good texture and flavor. Blazeprince peach ripens in late June. The fruit has yellow flesh and hangs well on the tree when approaching maturity, an advantage for harvesting. A limited number of trees of the new varieties will be available from nurseries in Tennessee this winter. Virus-indexed budwood is available from the IR-2 program in Prosser, WA. Small amounts of nonindexed wood are available from W.R. Okie.
Fruit and Tree Nut Research Lab, Byron, GA
William R. Okie, (912) 956-6405, a03dokie@attmail.com

Two new nectarines from ARS breeders in California make a healthful, low-calorie snack or tasty addition to salads or desserts. Crimson Baby nectarine has flavorful yellow flesh. Its smooth yellow skin is nearly covered by a red blush dusted with light-colored speckles. An early-season variety, Crimson Baby is ready to harvest about the last week of May. It resulted from embryo rescue, a laboratory technique that extracts undersized embryos from pits and grows them in nutrient gel to become viable seedlings. These tiny embryos typically result from crossing early season parents and usually would not survive without the rescue technique. Crimson Baby trees yield large, round fruit, about 2-1/2 inches in diameter. September Free nectarine, harvest-ready in late August to early September, is a firm, top-quality freestone. Most other commercial nectarines that ripen at that time are clingstones, with flesh that clings stubbornly to the pit. For eating out-of-hand or slicing, most people prefer freestone fruit, with flesh that releases easily from the stone. Scientists have already made cuttings of both nectarine varieties available to growers; fruit might be in the marketplace in about 5 years.
Horticultural Crops Research Lab, Fresno, CA
David W. Ramming, (209) 453-3061, dramm@qnis.net

Grant, a new soft winter wheat, offers high yields, improved disease resistance and better cold-weather hardiness. Grant also has improved resistance to Hessian flies, among the worst wheat pests in this country. Developed by ARS scientists in cooperation with Purdue University, Grant performed well in test plots across Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio. Grant is a cross of the Caldwell, Beau, and Kavkaz wheat lines. Kavkaz provided Grant's resistance to leaf rust and powdery mildew. Kavkaz and Beau supplied increased kernel size, and Caldwell contributed milling and baking qualities and early maturity. In 8 years of testing, Grant outyielded Caldwell by 4,630 pounds per acre. It starts grain formation 1 to 2 days later and has shorter, stronger straw. In addition to leaf rust and powdery mildew, Grant resists wheat soilborne mosaic, wheat spindle streak mosaic and take-all diseases.
Crop Production and Pest Control Research, West Lafayette, IN
Roger H. Ratcliffe, (756) 494-4606, roger-ratcliffe@entm.purdue.edu

Blush and Burgundy, two new Chinese witch hazels that feature bright pink flowers, are now available at garden centers. These medium-size, low-growing, shade-loving evergreen shrubs are ideally suited for the home landscape. ARS scientists selected the new varieties from germplasm they obtained from nurseries in Japan. The shrubs reach about 5 five feet in height and width within 5 years. They can be sheared to form hedges or retrained as small trees reaching heights of 10 feet. Flowering in late winter to early spring, both shrubs are selections of Loropetalum chinense, a southern witch hazel. The species generally has creamy white to light green flowers and dark green leaves. Blush, however, has clusters of red-purple flowers, while Burgundy's flowers match its name. Young leaves are rose-colored on Blush; they mature to an olive green. Burgundy's young leaves are dark red and mature to yellow-green. Both grow best in well drained, loamy, slightly acid soils in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 7 to 9. They are largely free of insects and disease pests.
U.S. National Arboretum, Washington, D.C.
Tom Elias, (202) 245-4539, telias@ars.grin.gov

Plant breeders can now use six new germplasm lines of guayule to improve this native U.S. rubber- producing crop. Guayule, a perennial plant, could provide additional income for farmers in the arid and semiarid Southwest. ARS scientists selected the new lines for high yield and uniformity, two important traits that current varieties lack. The six guayule lines (named AZ-1 through AZ-6) are from earlier selections by University of Arizona researchers. Each conveys important traits. At 2 years old, for example, AZ-2 is twice the size of some current varieties when they are 3 years old. Others of the new lines yield twice as much guayule rubber as older varieties. Guayule has the potential to become a domestic source of natural rubber, for which there is ever-increasing demand. In addition, earlier studies by ARS in collaboration with medical researchers have shown that guayule latex does not contain allergenic proteins known to be in latex from the tropical Hevea rubber plant.
U.S. Water Conservation Lab, Phoenix, AZ
David A. Dierig, (602) 379-4356, ddierig@uswcl.ars.ag.gov

Last Updated: October 23, 1997
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