HELP SEACHING FOR VARITEIES!!!

[americangardener]

HEY GUYS...

I am looking for varieties that came out of KERR E. VINELAND RESEARCH STATION back in the 70's and 80's. The reason i'm asking for em is cause i'm planning on doing more growouts of Dr. Kerrs varieites next season. I'd love to have a more complete collection and i know he developed hundreds of varieties. If anyone would like to help me find some of those varieties i'll put a list up here for the ones i'd most like to find.

LMK if anyone is interested in helping. You may already have some of em that you're growing yourself. I'd be glad to trade if anyone has any of em.

Dave

[Alan]

I'll do some research and see what I can find out for you. Surely we can find some more stuff that your after if we work together.

-alan

[kctomato]

This is a listing of active material E. Kerr (station) donated to the USDA

here is another link to that listing www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/cno_acc.pl?74207

that doesnt mean he developed all these just that E Kerr station donated them. Generally the narratives will say something like "from Switzerland...donated be E. Kerr" Also there is one corn accession listed.

You might try looking into The Kerr Research station publications/release notes if they have them. Universities generally do have that info but it depends on the insititution.

TGRC doesnt have a way to search for the contributor but I have seen Kerr come up with accession searches as the donor. Here is one such example I found by cross referencing a citation from papers in TGC to a gene from that work to a listing in TGC for that gene: LA 2457
tgrc.ucdavis.edu/Data/Acc/AccDetail.aspx?AccessionNum=LA2457

Try contacting Tim Wills at TGRC. let him know what you are doing and see if there isnt a way he could search the database and possible give you a listing of Dr Kerr lines he contributed. Tim can be emailed at [e-mail]
That would be much faster if it could be done. It may take awhile for him or someone else to sit down and do that.

This is an older address TGRC has for him when he worked at Stokes that might help in locating info/contact. Otherwise try the Vineland or Simcoe stations (other addresses I came up with always listed Simcoe)

Colleague: Kerr, Ernie, A.
Institution: Stokes Seed Ltd.
Address: Director of Research
Address: 39 James Street, Box 10
City: St. Catherines
State: Ontario
PostCode: L2R 6R6
Country: Canada
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Last updated: Sep 28, 1993
Status: Active


There is a Bill Kerr (often William or Kerr, W.) cited too. I wonder if that is his son. His name comes up as contributor from the E Kerr station.

Colleague: Kerr, Bill
Institution: Alpha Seed
Address: PO Box 114
City: Henley on Klip
PostCode: 1962
Country: South Africa
Email: [e-mail]
Last updated: Nov 07, 2000
Status: Active

here is info from Seeds of Diversity (which should also be searched)

Ontario Agricultural Experimental Station, Simcoe

This tomato breeding program released many canning and processing varieties in the 1970’s and 80’s: Veemore, Veeroma, Basketvee, Veepro, Crimsonvee, Bonnyvee, Harvestvee, Rubyvee, Veeking, Wondervee, Veeset, Veepick.

Dr. Ernie Kerr worked as a tomato breeder at both the Vineland and Simcoe stations. then he went on to work for Stokes Seeds where he probably also did tomato breeding.

Dr. Kerr also had a large tomato collection from all over the world. The following were probably bred in Ontario but I don’t know anything about their origin.

Searching TGC is another way to track down info but it would be laborious since in one year alone he published something like 12 seperate research notes (involving linkages and chromosome locations for certain genes).

[tatermater]

I am looking for varieties that came out of KERR E. VINELAND RESEARCH STATION back in the 70's and 80's. The reason i'm asking for em is cause i'm planning on doing more growouts of Dr. Kerrs varieites next season. I'd love to have a more complete collection and i know he developed hundreds of varieties. If anyone would like to help me find some of those varieties i'll put a list up here for the ones i'd most like to find.

Interesting that there is interest in Ernie's work now.

I was an avid collector of anything out of Kerr's work and other breeders in the Ontario area during the 70's and early 80's.

I requested mostly experimental numbers, especially those that were yet to be named like HarvestVee which I think, without looking at ancient personal records was either Ont 777H or another.

At one time or another I had collected 50 or more strains. Many of the lines were bred into my lines for introgression purposes. My all time favorite of that era was Ont 781, which in my mind was the cream of the crop.

I sent hybrids up to Canada in the late 70's until about 1981. One research report (if I can find it) listed one of my hybrids having the earliest and highest yield for a red cherry.

To find all that seed and even lists of the seed I obtained would take me a few years to locate. Most would not be viable. Since I was doing wholesale introgression studies, most of what I have is in lines like Jiarg Wine, an early Brandywine.

Keith listed many lines that I sampled, but I generally went with experimentals of those programs feeling like "Newer is Better" in my breeding work. A caveat to all of this is that Stokes Seed listed many of the best lines coming out of Ontario, and who needed another breeder of red tomatoes?

Quick, how many red tomatoes have you grown out of my Tater Mater Seed days of the 80's? Probably none, my point, indeed!

Tom Wagner

[Alan]

Thanks for the information and qick response KCtomato and Tom. Very interesting information and background on a plant breeder that hearto I had heard nothing of, though it's now time to do some research it looks like.

[kctomato]

some pedigree info
(Ill just post as I find things)

not all on the following pages are Kerr's
tgc.ifas.ufl.edu/vol31/VOL31/html/Vol3_44.htm
tgc.ifas.ufl.edu/vol31/VOL31/html/Vol3_45.htm
tgc.ifas.ufl.edu/vol31/VOL31/html/Vol3_46.htm

[tatermater]

HarvestVee was Ont 778 yet when I received seed

BonnyVee was Ont 777H or just Ont 777 at my request.

I remember these complex pedigrees better now that you posted the info. Thanks Keith for doing that.

I used the og (crimson) genes in many of my crosses. Most of these crosses and recoms have never seen any release venues.

Tom Wagner

[americangardener]

WOW...

I'm overwhelmed by the reponses. I really appreciate all the help guys.

Now i can see it'll be alot of work to track down some more varieties that came out of the station and Dr. kerrs collections. I did find quite a list of varieties that were released during that time period. All i gotta do now is find em.

Tom or Keith or anyone else for that matter; has any one of you ever heard of a variety named "Birdsnest"? It's one of the names off the list that i've never heard of before. But from the records that i read about it.. it would be a real nice addition to my trials next season. That one and several others.

Anyone have any ideas on how to find some of these? Besides the ones in grin. I got a list of about 200 varieties with names. Most of em aren't exactly real common names nowadays. I only found a few of the ones from the list in grin.. sub artic delight being another i hadn't heard of before. That's another one i'm gonna get to add to the rest of the sub artic group that i already have... i hope that's the only one i'm missing.

Anyways.. thank you guys for all your help..


Dave

[grungy]

Dave,
You have our private email addies. Send us a list and I will go through my 1700 odd varieties collection and see if we have any you are looking for. I am sorry but I don't have Birdsnest.
Cheers,
Val (grungy) or Dan (grunt)

[americangardener]

Thanks alot Dan or Val..

I'll do that.. i think i'll check out your lists again first just to see if i can find some of these myself and i'll let ya know. That might make it a little easier for you. Then if there are any other really interesting ones on my list i can't find i'll ask ya if you got any.


Thanks again for everyone's help.. you guys are awesome..

Dave

[kctomato]

tatermater said:

HarvestVee was Ont 778 yet when I received seed

BonnyVee was Ont 777H or just Ont 777 at my request.

I remember these complex pedigrees better now that you posted the info. Thanks Keith for doing that.

I used the og (crimson) genes in many of my crosses. Most of these crosses and recoms have never seen any release venues.

Tom Wagner

It was your comment on "___vee" lines that gave me a search term that didnt produce just research papers about genes.

[kctomato]

Kerr, E. A. and F. 1. Cook, 1983. Veeking Tomato.
Can. J. Plant Science 63.

VEEKING (7915, Ont C43CAA-2)
Pedigree: Lafayette/Cal-j.

Characteristics:

Fruit: red, round, 121 g, unifom ripening (u),
excellent flavor, good firmness and crack resistance,
jointless (j-2).


Plants: a, vigorous with good foliage cover and good
concentration of maturity. Resistant to Verticillium
(Ve) and Fsarium (1) wilts and metribuzin herbicide.

Utility and Maturity: Whole pack, juice and catsup.
Late, just after Campbell 37.

Kerr, E. A. and F. I. Cook, 1983. Wondervee Tomato.
Can. J. Plant Science 63.

WONDERVEE (ONT.773)

Pedigree:

Hardin's Miniature/3/Cal. VFN8//Chico/Heinz 1350//
Campbell KC109/3/Genetic marker br wt n sp i f /4/
Potentate/5/Red Currant 6-02-M6. Campbell KC109
came from Burgess Crackproof/Wisconsin 55.

Characteristics:

Fruit: red, uniform ripening (u), 131 g, smooth, deep
globe to heart shaped, firm with good shelf life.


Plants: vigorous determinate (sp), rather prostrate and
open plant habit. Resistant to Verticj.lliuni wilt
(Ve) and good tolerance to metribuzin herbicide.

Utility and Maturity: Fresh market and early processor.
Early, between HT318 and Campbell 28.


Kerr, E. A. and F. I. Cook, 1983. Ontario 7710 - a
tomato breeding line. with resistance to bacterial
speck Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato (Okabe) Can. J.
Plant Science 63.

ONTARIO 7710

Pedigree:

Viceroy/3/Pocomoke/Ace/3/Camdown/4/Farthest North/Glamour/5/
Early Baltimore/6/Pritchard/4/Pocomoke/3/Florida 407//
Glamour/5/Early Baltimore/6/Pritchard/4/Pocomoke/3/RoTra
VF/5/Heinz 1350/6/ High Crimson/4/High Crimson/5/Blitz.

Characteristics:

Fruit: red, uniform ripening (u) very smooth, glc)be to
plum shape with tiny stem and blossom-end scars, 52 g,
jointless (j-2), good resistance to cracking, carpel
walls rather thin but firm, color good.

Plants: sp, compact growth habit but rather open
foliage, good concentration of maturity. Resistant to
bacterial speck (Pto), Verticillium wilt (Ve) and
Fusarium wilt (1).

Utility and Maturity: Whole pack or juice processing.
Early, with Heinz 2653.

Kerr, E. A. and F. I. Cook, 1983. Rubyvee Tomato.
Can. J. Plant Science 63.

RUBYVEE (Ont 744-3)

Pedigree:
Roma VF/3/Hl350/4/High Crimson//Blitz/3/high
Crimson-14/Florida 1339D3

Characteristics:

Fruit: Crimson (og^c ) square or oblong, 89 g, uniform
ripening (u) jointless (j-2), firm, smooth, crack
resistant with good vine storage, generally similar to
Veepro but superior for whole pack.

Plants: sp with good foliage cover, concentrated maturity,
resistant to Fusarium race I (1).

Utility and Maturity: Whole pack, juice and catsup.
Maturity between Heinz 2653 and Campbell 37.

[kctomato]

Kerr, E. A. and F. I. Cook. 1981.
Sci. 61: 769- 770.
VEEPICK (V716)
Veepick Tomato. Can. J. Plant
Pedigree:
H1350/3/V641//V641/3/Morden Yellow/Rolla VF
V641=Campbell Kql09/genetic line br £E f wt i nt//
Potentate /3/sel 6-02-M6 (Andrus, USDA).
Characteristics:
Fruit: Red, long oval, 91g., u, exterior color pale and
dull but internal color excellent, fairly firm and
resilient. Suitable processing quality.
Plants: £E, prostrate growth habit, good foliage cover
resistant to F(I) and Ve.
Mid-season maturity between Heinz 1706 and Roma VF.
Suitable for paste but not for whole-pack.

Kerr, E. A. and F. I. Cook. 1981.
Sci. 61: 771- 772.
VEEBRITE (V686E)
Veebritc Tomato. Can. J. Plant
Pedigree:
Campbell 1402 // Coldset/Coldset // Heinz 1350.
Characteristics:
Fruit: Red, heart-shaped to oblate as season progresses,
u, firm, smooth, crack-resistant, good vine storage'and
shelf life. Processing qualities good to excellent.
Plants: £E, vigorous somewhat open vines. Resistant to Ve
and metribuzin herbicide.
Maturity between New Yorker and Campbell 28.
Processing except coreless pack.

Kerr, E. A. and F. I. Cook. 1981. Veeroma Tomato.
Can. J. Plant Sci. 61:773-775.
VEEROMA (V727)
Pedigree:
Roma VF/Chico
Characteristics:
Fruit: Red, pear-shaped, 53g., u, internal color and flavor
superior to Roma VF. Crack resistance, firmness and wall
structure similar to Roma VF.
Plants: ~, upright growth habit, rugose foliage, good
foliage cover but not as dense as Roma VF. Resistant
to F(l) and Ve. Late maturity.
Used as pear-type whole pack and strained products as
processed quality is good to excellent.

Kerr, E. A. and F. I. Cook. 1981.
Sci. 61:777-778.
Veemore Tomato. Can. J. Plant
VEEMORE (V7l2)Pedigree:
Roma VF//Heinz l3S0/3/High Crimson/Glamour//Early Baltimore/
3/ Pritchard
Characteristics:
Fruit: Red, oblate and somewhat lobed, 96g., u, firm,
crack-resistant, good vine storage. Acidity, pH and
viscosity excellent, color acceptable.
Plants: ~, compact vine, curled leaves (wt), resistant to
F(I) and Ve. Susceptible to TMV.
Very early maturity.
Hand pick tomato for juice or ketchup.

[kctomato]

Follows two articles from Kerr I am throwing in:

Green flesh, gf
Kerr, E.A.

The fruit of a late-blight resistant tomato obtained from the Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, as Philippine #2 is much fasciated and, when ripe, is a dirty purplish brown color. This ripe fruit color is recessive in the F1 and gives monogenic F2 segregation ratios. The fruit color is caused by a failure of the chlorophyll to break down when the lycopene is formed. Hence both chlorofphyll and lycopene are present in the mature fruit. Since r r fruits do not form lycopene, fruits of r r gf gf genotype have a green color when mature. Preliminary tests indicate that gf may be linked with al in group VI and also with the type of fasciation found in Philippine #2.

**dirty purplish brown
cherokee chocolate like.
I got this when I crossed GZ to Black Cherry. I can post a picture at a later date if anyone is interested in seeing an example.

also, over in SSE I said Black Cherry was always a good parent - well this reminded me, not the F1 when crossed with Green Zebra. Those fruits were aweful. Later segregates are better than the F1's.

[kctomato]

Pigment genes of Webb Special
Kerr, E. A.

In TGC 5 it was proposed that the symbols dr and bs be used to designate the genes which determine the intense color of the Webb Special (Black Queen) tomato. Since then a paper has been published designating these same genes hp\1, and hp\2. The designations hp\1, and hp\2 - high pigment - should now be used as they are more descriptive than the ones proposed in TGS 5 and, in addition, have been published in a scientific journal.

RTGC Vol 6 1956