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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Poplarville, Mississippi » Southern Horticultural Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #220081
Title: No Spray' Rose Cultivars for the Mid South

Author
item MYNES, JAMES - UNIV OF TENNESSEE
item WINDHAM, MARK - UNIV OF TENNESSEE
item WINDHAM, ALAN - UNIV OF TENNESSEE
item LI, YONHAO - UNIV OF TENNESSEE
item Spiers, James
item Copes, Warren

Submitted to: Southern Nursery Association Research Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/15/2007
Publication Date: 3/1/2008
Citation: Mynes, J., Windham, M.T., Windham, A., Li, Y., Spiers, J.M., Copes, W.E. 2008. No Spray' Rose Cultivars for the Mid South. Southern Nursery Association Research Conference 52:16-19.

Interpretive Summary: Sixty cultivars of roses, most having disease resistance claims associated with their descriptions in rose catalogs were planted in Tennessee. Many rose cultivars with disease resistance claims in industry catalogs were susceptibe to black spot, Cercospora leaf spot or both. In this study, 14 rose cultivars were found with acceptable levels of resistance to both black spot and Cercospora leaf spot. Resistance claims in catalogs of companies selling roses were not substantiated for many rose cultivars. This information will be benefit consumers who purchase roses and Extension specialists who educate the public about plant selection.

Technical Abstract: Sixty cultivars of roses, most having disease resistance claims associated with their descriptions in rose catalogs were planted in Tennessee. Plants were evaluated every two weeks from planting until frost for susceptibility to black spot and Cercospora leaf spot using the following scale: 0 = no symptoms, 1 = < 2% of foliage diseased; 2 = < 10% of foliage diseased; 3 = < 25% of foliage diseased; 4 = < 50% of foliage diseased; 5 = > 50% , but <100% of foliage diseased; and 6 = 100% of diseased foliage. Many rose cultivars with disease resistance claims in industry catalogs were susceptibe to black spot, Cercospora leaf spot or both. Cultivars ‘Baby Love’, ‘Belinda’s Dream’, ‘Carefree Sunshine’, ‘Fourth of July’, ‘Hansa’, ‘Homerun’, ‘Linda Campbell’, ‘Palmengarten Farnkfurt’, ‘Pink Knock Out’, ‘Red Knock Out’, ‘Sunsprite’, ‘Topaz Jewel’, ‘Wild Spice’, and ‘Wildberry Breeze’ were resistant to both diseases. Resistance claims in catalogs of companies selling roses were not substantiated for many rose cultivars. Caution should be used in purchasing roses based on these claims.