September/October 2022 - 1

Life lessons help Bailey
Farms succeed with
hot peppers
Fruit + Vegetable
FORTY
UNDER
8
1A
Annual awards
program recognizes the
next generation
of leaders
13
EXPO to highlight
issues facing vegetable
growers
September/October 2022 | Volume 56 |
Setting the sweet
potato standard
LSU breeder Don LaBonte has high bar
for new varieties to make the cut
By Vicky Boyd
Contributing Writer
With each new variety from the
Louisiana State University (LSU)
AgCenter sweet potato program, plant
breeder Don LaBonte raises the bar for
subsequent releases.
For an advanced line to be considered
for commercialization, it must perform
better in at least one category than
existing varieties.
" There are such good varieties out there
today, so it's really got to be better, " he
said. " You really have to slow down and
ask, 'Is there a problem with it?' That's
where we are with 18-100. It takes testing
again and again to make sure you aren't
missing something that might be a flaw. "
The advanced line known as LA 18-100
has light rose skin and deep orange flesh,
resembling Orleans and Beauregard. In
Mid-South field trials, it has produced
higher yields of mostly No. 1s than
Orleans, a widely grown LSU variety.
If LA 18-100 continues performing as
it has, he said he may consider releasing
it in 2023.
LSU has one of only two university
sweet potato breeding programs in the
U.S. (The other is at North Carolina
State University).
Without a local breeding program,
growers in California - the nation's
second-leading sweet potato producer
- rely on both universities' efforts,
said Scott Stoddard, a University of
California Cooperative Extension
vegetable crops farm advisor for Merced
and Madera counties.
" If we didn't have these guys, we'd just
be stuck in a terrible situation, " he said.
To develop new varieties, LaBonte
uses traditional breeding techniques
that involve crossbreeding lines with
desirable traits and then rating the
offspring. Of the thousands of crosses
he makes every year, only about 300
move onto the next evaluation step.
Typically, LaBonte said it takes at least
six years to develop a new variety.
A long wish list of traits
In addition to strong production
of mostly No. 1s, LaBonte looks for
yield stability, a consistent root shape,
See SWEETS, page 5
LSU AgCenter sweet potato breeder Don LaBonte shows off the university's latest
release, Vermillion, trialed as LA 13-81. Photo: LSU AgCenter
Issue 9 & 10
Sustainability key to Terranova's success
By Doug Ohlemeier
Assistant Editor
At Terranova Ranch, sustainability
and concern for the environment
fuel efficient growth of numerous
vegetables, winegrapes and nuts.
The San Joaquin Valley operation
of 9,000 acres, in Helm, California,
employs technology and new growing
practices to conserve water and power
to sustainably grow crops.
Healthy soil and sustainable
growing practices, including
groundwater recharge, whole orchard
recycling and native pollinator
hedgerows, are important for the
farm managed by Don Cameron, vice
president and general manager, a half
hour southwest of Fresno, California.
Terranova grows more than 25
crops, mostly on contracted acreage,
and performs custom farming for
other growers. Most crops are grown
for seed and include fresh and
processed onions and garlic, fresh
carrots, broccoli for seed, processing
tomatoes and cabbage, winegrapes
and nuts, including almonds,
pistachios and walnuts.
The company began farming in
1979. Cameron joined in 1981 as
vineyard manager. Six years later, he
took over management.
See TERRANOVA, page 6
Don Cameron of Terranova Ranch in front of
harvested carrots. Photos: Lindsay DaFonte
September/October 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September/October 2022
