I acquired some "Hatch" seed last year and grew it out this year at home and at the Farm for a customer from New Mexico. Tonight she came by and bought 10 pounds of the peppers! She promised she would give a review of the pods and tell me how our northern California "Hatch" compare to the New Mexico grown peppers.

Josh

Also Central Market in Dallas and Austin.

Anybody know anything about NMSU developing GMO/GE versions of their NuMex chiles? Someone posted a video on another forum describing how the native American (and other) farmers were upset in 2008 that the state was going to fund R&D to develop a pepper that could be mechanically harvested. I know they've been having problems with curly top virus too and total acreage under production has gone down. I found this on NMSU's website saying they were "unlocking the genetic code" and were going to be breeding tastier chiles since flavor had gotten diluted with cross pollination but no mention of GE.

I know they did come out with some new Big Jim variety and a "Heritage" variety - any idea if those are traditional hybrid crosses or GE?

I don't think there are any GE seeds available to home gardeners now but I didn't know if NMSU had test fields of GE peppers, and/or had seeds available for growers to test or even commercial production by now.

Here is a link that might be useful: NMSU genetics research on chiles

I rather suspect that you know more about it than anyone here.

I can't tell what your opinion of genetic engineering is. Do you consider it something to avoid?

Dennis

From the article:Because this approach changes the chile peppers own DNA and does not introduce foreign DNA, the cultivars are not genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, and organic farmers should be able to grow the new cultivars.

In other words, they've mapped the genome, and are now able to see which DNA bits translate into what characteristics, which makes it a whole lot easier to breed and select plants for desired traits. More at the link.

Soon here - just north of New Mexico - we'll start to see the pickups loaded with the Hatch boxes way high over the cab, strapped down so they don't topple off, and you buy a 1.2 bushel box which for ~$20 and have them roasted. That smells pretty good. Then you put the bag of roasted chili in the car, get them home drooling all over your shirt, slip the skins and freeze them - except for the half-dozen you just ate rolled up in a burrito shell.

Here is a link that might be useful: DNA markers and plant breeding