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Post by templeton on Aug 11, 2015 7:32:45 GMT -5
I've just harvested the pods for my seed crop of Jupiter purple snow pea. A bit of disease began to spread, and with a pretty cool and damp winter (for a change!) was a bit worried that all the pods would get infected. Most of the bracts have shivelled, but most of the pods are still a bit juicy. Hoping the seeds inside are mature enough - I'm hoping to sell packets this spring. One disappointment - went to my fav restaurant in town, and the waiter remarked that i must have been in recently, since he had seen purple snow peas on the chef's salad plate - funny, I thought to myself, I haven't been in for 6 weeks...seems the commercial farmer I showed last years batch to - seeking encouragement for my fragile breeder's ego - has sourced some seed from overseas suppliers after finding out that they existed after i showed them to him - drat! Wow, this plant breeding is a cut throat business, lucky I've got a real job  .. drying pods, about one third of the crop  T |
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Post by keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.) on Aug 11, 2015 17:35:56 GMT -5
Well, first of all congrats on the progress. Looking good.
Second, while i'm not surprised another famer tried to beat you at your own game, i am surprised he was able to source a well bred purple pea even from over seas. There is still a good chance his variety is closer to a shelling pea, which you could still breed a better sweet tasting non fiberous variety. And therefore convince the chef to like yours better.
If he got Shiraz i personally think the variety is utter crap. Not a good snow pea, and barely better than the purple podded shelling pea it was bred from. If he got blauwschokker then it is very fiberous and not sweet. If he got Sugar Magnolia snap then he got a good one. These are really the only available options right now as far as i know.
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Post by templeton on Aug 11, 2015 18:45:09 GMT -5
keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.), I have been wondering what he's got. I will pay him another visit. My preferred grower, a friend of a friend who does organic veges, has had a couple of invites to come and have look, but is yet to show much interest. Pity, I was going to trade him the seed for some tomatoes in summer... I might send him a final email. T
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Post by philagardener on Aug 11, 2015 20:27:08 GMT -5
Those pods do look nice. Sorry it has been such a battle with diseases.
On the other front . . . I thought it was really difficult to import seed into Australia . . . .
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Post by steev on Aug 11, 2015 20:34:29 GMT -5
It's a dog-eat-snowpeas world out there; could that be why Corporations want patents? I think if a small breeder wants to develop something, when he hasn't a stable of lawyers, he has a dog's chance of much profit, these internet days.
In my own efforts, trying to farm in ranch-land, I really think I'll have only two profit-streams: first, I'll have food for me and mine (no small benefit, satisfaction-wise), and second, I'll be able to demonstrate the practicality of organic, sustainable agriculture to the local community, which is remarkably dependent on "meat and potatoes". They're good folks, but really, they should eat a leaf more often.
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Post by templeton on Aug 12, 2015 3:03:10 GMT -5
Those pods do look nice. Sorry it has been such a battle with diseases. On the other front . . . I thought it was really difficult to import seed into Australia . . . . The disease is not too much of a problem -there is insurance seed in the fridge,and this lets me select a bit - or at least assess - for disease resistance. As for seed imports, there are a range of restrictions, from no problem bring it in (properly labelled), through phytosanitary certificate from supplier - couple a hundred bucks, through to quarantine growout and assessment - rather expensive, depending on the crop - tho some stuff is totally restricted - Cannabis, for example. Pisum sp seed from the USofA requires a phytosanitary cert - unless from washington or idaho where further certification and testing is required - and importer covers the cost of customs inspection in Australia. I just don't bother after the 'properly labelled' requirement, but I can imagine a big grower can amortise the phytosanitary certificate costs over a big consignment with little effect on the bottom line. And this guy, who does sprouts and herbs in little pots in thousands per week buys a lot of seed from o/s. I might have some seed for sale in a month or so - but 'over there' members might be better off waiting to see if Holly's crop this NH fall is productive (psst, just quietly, she got a more productive selection than this batch...she got the original best selection, which I subsequently temporarily lost so i had to sow the siblings - then i found the original packet, too late!  ) T |
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Post by imgrimmer on Aug 12, 2015 5:29:13 GMT -5
this is a little bit OT, but as Shiraz is mentioned here: I found some sweet pods between my Shiraz plants. I grew it again this year, I just throw it in the ground in anticipation of a failure. It turned out the pods are again sweet and tender.
Could it be that this strain is "quasi stable" as F2 or is it just luck?
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Post by templeton on Aug 12, 2015 16:55:25 GMT -5
this is a little bit OT, but as Shiraz is mentioned here: I found some sweet pods between my Shiraz plants. I grew it again this year, I just throw it in the ground in anticipation of a failure. It turned out the pods are again sweet and tender. Could it be that this strain is "quasi stable" as F2 or is it just luck? I remember when Shiraz was released a few years ago that they reported it had been a decade in development - long enough for commercial breeders to have got it homozygous at most loci, I would have thought. - But sweetness is not that straightforward, in my experience. There is seed sweetness, and I reckon there is also pod sweetness - I can't remember reading about the genetics of pod sweetness - maybe I've just forgotten. You could have a spontaneous mutation - it happens, and in some characteristics, not infrequently. But I've never grown Shiraz, so can't comment with any authority. T |
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Post by imgrimmer on Aug 13, 2015 14:29:26 GMT -5
Thanks for explanation. it is pod sweetness in this case. the pods are less blue than normal shiraz and there is some green on the edge of the pods.
This is the second year I had sweet pods I will see what happened next year.
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Post by 12540dumont on Aug 14, 2015 0:38:29 GMT -5
So, I have the plot ready to plant, I'm waiting for the 95 F weather on Saturday to pass, and then if it looks good, I'll plant half of my Jupiter peas and save the rest for spring. Remember, I have to dig in baskets against the wiley e. gopher
Peas Peas Peas, I want peas.
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Post by galina on Aug 14, 2015 16:49:47 GMT -5
Templeton congratulations on getting there. Yes they do look nice. Wish you good success with the seed launch. Sorry about the various hitches and problems and good luck!
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Post by raymondo on Aug 16, 2015 16:02:39 GMT -5
Let me know when they're ready for sale T.
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Post by templeton on Aug 16, 2015 20:27:52 GMT -5
Let me know when they're ready for sale T. Ray, I'll keep you posted. T |
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Post by raymondo on Aug 17, 2015 5:42:05 GMT -5
I noticed the other day that Mr Fothergill's in Australia is offering a purple snow called Shiras [sic]. The picture looks like a green pod dusted with purple here and there, not a solid purple colour.
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Post by templeton on Aug 17, 2015 7:02:33 GMT -5
They must have imported some of the seed, Ray. Heard a whisper that someone was bringing them in. They would have needed a phytosanitary, which only a big house could really afford.
T
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