Come See New Research for Gardens, Landscapes and Horticulture

Fruit and Vegetable Laboratories and Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit

Beltsville Agricultural Research Center

Agricultural Research Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Beltsville, MD

Tuesday, September 27

1:30-4:30 pm

Presentations and Q & A with scientists

Tour the pepper field and do some taste testing

RSVP and details: Kim Kaplan

301-504-1637; Kaplan@ars.usda.gov

New Ornamental and Edible Peppers

- Introducing Black Pearl

A striking black-leafed ornamental red pepper, 2006 All American Selection

- Dual purpose peppersÂornamental and edible in one plant

The perfect combination for urban gardeners with limited gardening space

- Other new pepper varieties in the pipeline

Peppers for high value holiday markets: Candy Corn, Jack OÂLantern, Holiday Lights; miniatures for fresh salad and pickling specialty markets

Strawberries

- New varieties for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic

Could the Mid-Atlantic have a six- to ten-month fresh strawberry season?

- Earliglow  Still the gold standard for taste

An ARS variety that made a name for itself in the pick-your-own business

- Strawberry varieties are still really wild plantsÂthe Fruit Lab has the living history

- Genetic markers will make for better breeding

Tomatoes

- Improving the nutrients in tomatoes

Higher vitamin A cherry tomatoes and high-lycopene tomatoes

- New biocontrols for Fusarium and Verticillium wilt

How understanding the biology will improve control of these tomato diseases

Red, Red Crape Myrtles

-Cheyenne and Arapaho - The reddest flowering crape myrtles yet

-Unique hybrids of three crape myrtle species

-Extremely mildew resistant, perfect for Texas to Maryland