November 2021 - 29

SEED SHOWCASE
New varieties dot the roster for Rispens Seeds
Entering our 94th year as a familyowned
business, we at Rispens Seeds Inc.
is excited to offer plenty of new vegetable
varieties from the world's most elite seed
producers for the 2022 growing season.
These new items continue to bring forward
improved genetics providing increased
disease resistance, improved field
performance and more product diversity
for those growers looking to supplement
their current production.
The variety of shapes and colors
available in the specialty fall decorative
pumpkin and squash segment continues
to grow. There are several more
available for 2022, one of which being
Moon Stacker, a white maxima-type
" pumpkin. " Moon Stacker has a true,
flattened, stacking-pumpkin shape and
averages 10-15 lbs. in weight. The fruit
are deeply ribbed and do not crack or
show netting like some other white
stackers can. Yield potential is high, and
fruit hold up well over time.
Another specialty fall decorator,
Fireball, is a new pumpkin with a novel
cream-colored rind and orange stripe/
fleck pattern, contrasting well with a true,
dark green pumpkin handle. The 7-7.5 lbs.
fruit are uniform, round and occasionally
warted with slight ribbing. Fireball has a
full-vine plant habit, a mid- to late-season
maturity and works well when used in
mixed specialty type bins.
Many areas throughout the Midwest have
strong demand for watermelons with a very
dark green or " black " rind. Dark Knight
is a new seedless Black Diamond or Sugar
Baby rind- type, similar to Sweet Gem,
with improvements such as a stronger vine,
less tendency to hollow heart and larger
fruit size. Fruit are globe-shaped, average
14-17 lbs. and have dark red, medium firm
interiors. Dark Knight performed very well
in many different growing areas in 2021.
FIREBALL
EL CAPITAN
El Capitan is a new main-season triploid
watermelon with an attractive, darker
Crimson Sweet rind pattern that makes
for a very distinct and eye-appealing look.
This variety has shown excellent yield
potential for growers, as well as extended
shipping and field-holding ability.
Uniform, blocky-shaped fruit on vigorous
vines also feature numerous consumer
benefits including deep red, firm flesh,
small pip size and excellent flavor. Fruit
size tends to make for mostly 36- and
45-count bins.
Those growing beets that have had issues
with Rhizomania may consider the new
hybrid Grenade, which has high resistance
to this pathogen. It is mid-maturing with
a round shape, deep red color and strong
foliage with a medium to thin attachment.
Grenade has particularly shown promise in
trials and production in Michigan.
Sweet corn is often the foundation of
many vegetable growers' operations. There
are several new hybrids available in 2022
from which to choose. Advancements
continue to be made in the areas of disease
resistance and eating quality in varying
maturities. Rispens Seeds handles well
SKYRAY
DARK KNIGHT
over 50 different sweet corn hybrids, so we
can help you find the ideal hybrid for your
needs. A few of the new offerings include
Icon XR, Tempo XR and Skyray.
Icon XR is a 73-day yellow supersweet
with remarkable tenderness and sweetness.
It is a yellow version of the bicolor hybrid,
Signature XR, which is quickly gaining
a reputation for quality and strong field
performance. Icon XR has high resistance
to common rust and strong tip fill.
Growers familiar with Vision MXR should
give Icon XR a look.
Tempo XR is a 76-day bicolor
supersweet that has excellent husk
protection and consistent tip fill across
varying environmental conditions. Tempo
XR is resistant to common rust (RpG),
and has a great ear size for mid-season
roadside and fresh markets.
Skyray is a 78-day bicolor supersweet
with outstanding husk cover protection for
those growers experiencing ear damage
caused by birds. High resistance to
common rust and intermediate resistance
to Northern corn leaf blight makes it a
good choice for main- to late- season
production. Skyray has eating quality
suitable either for wholesale markets or
roadside sales.
Rispens Seeds customers can expect to
see these new varieties, among others, in
their 2022 catalog which should arrive in
mid- to late November. VGN
VGN | NOVEMBER 2021 | 29
November 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2021
