South Dakota State University Extension has announced the event of its zinnia variety tribulation in easterly South Dakota .
Kristine Lang , helper professor and SDSU Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist , managed the enquiry trials . Over two years , Lang and her team supervise the increase and quality of four popular zinnia varieties : Zinderella Peach , Oklahoma Ivory , Queen Red Lime and Benary ’s Giant Purple .
Lang tell there is limited data on how pop cut flower varieties sightly in the Midwest , and forte producers in South Dakota are eager for local data point .
" A lot of cut flower breeding happens on the coasts or outside of the Midwest , so it ’s helpful to see how bloom execute in our visionary , humid environment that has a long 24-hour interval length in the summer , " Lang order . " I ’d love to pick up from James Leonard Farmer about whether these findings coordinate with what they ’ve seen . "
The study record flower diameter , number of stems , length of stems , length of grow season , dirt ball damage , and how unbent or curved flower stems were for each motley . The complete results were published in the HortTechnology journal in Volume 34 , Issue 5 .
During the trials , Oklahoma Ivory bring out the most marketable root word , or flowers , but had some of the humble blooms . Benary ’s Giant Purple , on the other hand , produced the fewest stem but had the largest blooming .
Queen Red Lime make the second - largest number of flush , with the tenacious stems . Zinderella Peach demonstrate the most worm damage , but also offered unique , curved prow .
Lang said which multifariousness performed " good " depends on what producers want . She suppose Benary ’s Giant Purple is a good prospect for Midwestern flower farmers who want long stem and turgid , defect - detached blooms that can stand up against worm .
Queen Red Lime is a good selection for farmers who want true , sturdy stems and a medium - sized bloom . And for farmers who desire the most stems with humble blooms , there is Oklahoma Ivory . Farmers who are looking for a unique salmagundi of zinnia and like curved stems might like Zinderella Peach .
Queen Red Lime
Ellie Fitzpatrick , a Brookings aboriginal , was the lead undergraduate research assistant on the project and co - authored the published article . She graduate in the outpouring of 2024 with majors in scientific agriculture and horticulture and minors in soil wellness direction , crop protection , and Spanish . As her honor ’s student enquiry project , the work with thinned flowers taught her about every step of a inquiry task , from idea to execution .
" I ’m so glad that I had the chance to work on this project , and I know this research experience will set a strong foundation for me in alumnus school , " she said .
Alexis Barnes and Hannah Voye also assisted with the trials .
To see the complete clause and enquiry event , bring down the SDSU Extension Horticulture Research page orhttps://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH05452-24 .
author : South Dakota State University
