My appointment is 75% Vegetable Extension Specialist and 25% research in vegetable physiology and cultural practices located at the Coastal Research and Education Center in Charleston. As an extension specialist in vegetable crop production (75%), I have statewide responsibility for interaction with and advising vegetable growers on all aspects of producing marketable vegetable crops. This audience includes farm managers, greenhouse growers, and harvesting crews as well as owners and operators of each farm operation. I am also involved in working with the extension staff in teaching and educating our agents to deal also with the above clientele.

My research program (25%) deals with cultural practices of traditional and alternative vegetable crops in South Carolina (SC1786). The major crops involved are: watermelon, cantaloupe, tomato, fall and winter lettuce, leeks, winter and spring strawberries, and medicinal herbs.  
 

Specific Objectives of Research

1. Link seed development, maturation, and aging to quality and vigor of seeded and seedless lots of melons, focusing a seedling establishment under stress conditions.
2. Determine the influence of cultural and management practices (raised bed, transplant characteristics, irrigation methods, fertilizer practices) on using lettuce and leeks.
3. Identify high-yielding, quality cultivars and ideal planting dates for lettuce and leeks through field tests involving genotype x environment interaction analysis.  

Oct - Dec 2002 Established a lettuce demonstration plot involving romaine, red leaf, green leaf lettuce at Boone Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant. This was a three-acre plot with plantings in October, November, and December. The grower will be marketing the lettuce through their roadside stand, and learning the value of a new crop.

March - June 2002 Assisted the herb team in setting up a demonstration plot of feverfew, cone flower and valerian on Double D Farms, (Harry DuRant) in Manning. This was a half-acre plot to look at herbs as an alternative to tobacco.

Spring 2002 & 2001 Established celery demonstration plots, Clayton Rawl Farms Inc., Lexington. Plots consisted of a half-acre. J. Powell Smith, Lexington County Extension Agent, assisted in this effort. This was a two-year effort looking at several cultivars for the Carolina area.

Oct 2001- Dec 2002 Established a lettuce demonstration plot involving romaine, red leaf, green leaf lettuce at two grower locations Bamberg county: Williams Farms and Cockrell Farms. Each grower has 60 acres each of lettuce. This is the first major commercial field planting for lettuce production by two excellent growers.

March- July 2001 Set up watermelon cultivar demonstration plots on three grower farms: Coosaw Farms, Fairfax; Still Farms, Barnwell; Sandifer Farms, Bamberg. Gilbert Miller (Bamberg Extension Agent) and Joe Varn (Barnwell Extension Agent) assisted in this effort. Evaluated thirteen promising cultivars under standard grower practices and different environmental conditions.

March- July 2001 Established a cantaloupe variety demonstration plot at Hutto Farms, Bamberg. Gilbert Miller and Joe Varn assisted in this effort. Evaluated 17 cultivars for interested growers in both North & South Carolina.

Spring 2001 Established a sweet corn cultivar demonstration plot at James Seese Farms, Lexington. Plots consisted of 10 cultivars covering five acres. A number of growers in the area indicated this might be a future crop for them at their roadside stands. J. Powell Smith, Lexington County Extension Agent, assisted in this effort.

Spring 2001 Established a collard cultivar demonstration plots, Clayton Rawl Farms Inc., Lexington. Plots consisted of one acre each of six advanced breeding lines. J. Powell Smith assisted in this effort. This is part of a multi-year research effort for selecting cultivars that are resistant to fusarium yellows and black rot. This was a cooperative effort between Dr. Mark Farnham, USDA vegetable breeder and Dr. Anthony P. Keinath, plant pathologist Clemson CREC.

Sept 2000 - Feb 2001 Established a lettuce demonstration plot involving romaine, red leaf, green leaf, boston, endive, and escarole at Morgan Farms Inc., Springfield. Plots consisted of one acre each of six consecutive plantings. J. Powell Smith assisted in this effort. Growers from several counties helped in evaluating these plantings.

Sept - Feb 2000 Established romaine lettuce demonstration plots, Clayton Rawl Farms Inc., Lexington. Plots consisted of one acre each of six consecutive plantings. J. Powell Smith assisted in this effort.

September 1999 Established leek demonstration plots, Clayton Rawl Farms, Inc. in Lexington, SC. Plots consisted of six acres involving seven cultivars. J. Powell Smith, Lexington County Extension agent assisted in the effort. This is part of a three year research project that I intend on publishing the results in Hort Technology after the third year.

Sept - Dec 1999 Established Romaine lettuce demonstration plots, Clayton Rawl Farms Inc., Lexington, SC. Plots consisted of one acre each of six consecutive plantings. J. Powell Smith, Lexington County Extension Agent, assisted in this effort. This is part of a three-year research project that I intend on publishing the results in Hort Technology after the third year.

Sept - Nov 1999 Established a South Carolina Vegetable Newsletter, Commercial Vegetable Notes, with two issues published in 1999. Mailed to all county agricultural agents and cluster directors. In the year 2000 the newsletter will be on the Coastal web page. Roger Frances, Charleston County Agent, assisted in the newsletter effort.

Summer 1999 Cooperated with Dr. Randy Gardner, tomato breeder with NC State University in evaluating fifty tomato entries at three grower locations. Results indicate that two lines will be released in the year 2000 to the South Carolina Tomato Association. Cooperated with Gilbert Miller, Bamberg county extension agent, in setting up watermelon drip irrigation and fertigation demonstration plots located on a grower's farm within his county. This has yielded a major shift in grower practices to a majority now using drip irrigation and trends toward wiser use of fertilizer practices. Gilbert Miller and I intend on publishing these results in Hort Science after the third year.

Fall 1999 Cooperated with Dr. Jim Ballington, strawberry breeder at NC State University in establishing five grower observation trials throughout the state with six entries at each location. I am also still cooperating with Dr. Ballington and Dr. Robert J. Dufault on a possible fall production of fresh strawberries for South Carolina. This has yielded a growing interest with numerous small plots with several grower's plots. One grower (Bob Hall, York, South Carolina) has a one acre strawberry patch producing over 80 gallons of winter berries.

January 19-20, 1999 Conducted a Sustainable Greenhouse Vegetable Transplant Production Inservice Training. This involved four Coastal REC faculty representing expertise in all areas of transplant production. Twenty-eight attended which included several non-Clemson participants.

Cultivar & Cultural Trials

1999 Growing Season Conducted the following cultivar trials: 1. Watermelons - 35 Triploid Entries 31 Diploid Entries 2. Cantaloupe - 18 Cultivars Entries 3. SE Sweet Corn - 20 Entries

1998 - 2002 Cooperated with Dr. Randy Gardner, tomato breeder with North Carolina State University in evaluating tomato entries at three grower locations. Results indicate two lines, one hot set line and one pear shaped line having the most promise. The pear shaped line has been released and is called "Plum Crimson". It is offered through Harris-Moran Seed Company. The hot set line will be named and released in the year 2003, specifically for South Carolina. We also evaluated several new lines of tomatoes that carry the resistant gene for Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus.

2000 - 2002 Cooperated with Dr. Jim Ballington, strawberry breeder at North Carolina State University in a regional cultivar trial evaluating 14 cultivars. I am currently involved in a transplant aging study in conjunction with these same cultivars. I am currently cooperating with Dr. Ballington and Dr. Robert J. Dufault on fall production of fresh strawberries for South Carolina.

March - Oct. 2002 Assisted Gilbert Miller in conducting extension research at the Edisto Station in Blackville, South Carolina. Evaluated over thirty watermelon cultivars and assisted in two field days, July and September.

SC 1786 Enhancing cultual practices of traditional and alternative vegetable crops in South Carolina.
Hatch 136 (Ohio) Development of new potato clones for environmental and economical sustainability in the North East.
State 444 (Ohio) Cultivar evaluations of promising breeding lines for the North East.
Hatch 852 (Ohio) Quality of seedlings establishment of processing vegetables and ornamentals.
      

Plans/Future Research Direction
1. Cultivar improvement evaluation on established crops: Watermelon (seedless and seeded), cantaloupe, collard, kale, mustard, turnip, green onion, and tomato.
2. Cultivar improvement evaluation on non traditional crops: medicinal plants, lettuce, leek, herb.
3. Genotype interactions with established crops: Watermelon (seedless and seeded) and cantaloupe.
4. Cultivar enhancements through cultural practices, bio-technology, and insect and disease management.

Plans/Future Extension Direction
1. Develop stronger links between researchers, extension agents, and vegetable growers.
2. Utilize and disseminate usable information through the use of world wide communication.
3. Disseminate useful information more efficient through the use of satellite communications and video technology.
 

Outside Cooperators

Dr. Randy Gardner, Tomato Breeder, North Carolina State University
 

Publications

• Hassell, R. H. and D.W. Kretchman. 1997. The effect of umbel order, soaking and scarification on germination inhibiting substances in Petroselinum Crispum L. and other Apiaceae seeds. HortScience 32:1227-1230.
• Hassell, R.H. and D.W. Kretchman. Influence of seeding rates, irrigation, spacing and soil type on stand establishment of parsley Petroselinum Crispum L. HortTechnology (in review). 1997.
• Contributing Author: Midwestern Vegetable Variety Trial. Purdue Ag. Exp. Stn. Bulletin 718 J. E. Simon, Editor. 1995.
• Contributing Author: National Potato Germplasm Evaluation & Enhancement Report. Kathleen G. Haynes. 1995.
• Contributing Author: Performance Evaluation of Potato Clones & Varieties in Northeastern States. Maine Agr. Exp. Station. Greg Porter, Editor. 1995.
• Contributing Author: Midwestern Vegetable Variety Trial. Report for 1996. Purdue Ag. Exp. Stn. Bulletin Bull. 737 J. E. Simon, Editor.
• Contributing Author: National Potato Germplasm Evaluation & Enhancement Report. Kathleen G. Haynes, Editor. 1996 .
• Contributing Author: Performance Evaluation of Potato Clones & Varieties in Northeastern States. Maine Agr. Exp. Station. Greg Porter, Editor. 1996,.
• Contributing Author: National Potato Germplasm Evaluation & Enhancement Report. Kathleen G. Haynes, Editor. 1997.
• Contributing Author: Performance Evaluation of Potato Clones & Varieties in Northeastern States. Maine Agr. Exp. Station. Greg Porter, Editor. 1997.

Extension Publications

Horticulture and Crop Science Publications

Joint Projects Plant Pathology