• Corpus ID: 211530001

ADVISORY COMMITTEE CHAIRS OF STANDING COMMITTEES

@inproceedings{Preece2018ADVISORYCC,
  title={ADVISORY COMMITTEE CHAIRS OF STANDING COMMITTEES},
  author={John E. Preece},
  year={2018}
}

• J. Preece
• Published 2018

This study examined 52 cultivars of pawpaw (Asimina triloba) grown at three locations in southwestern Ohio, of which 24 fit into previously identified genetic groups based on simple sequence repeat markers, harvested from 2005-2012. The harvest duration ranged from 31 days in 2005 to 74 days in 2010, and most of the fruit was harvested in Sept. A frequency analysis of average FW conducted for all cultivars revealed that average FW was normally distributed. The average FW ranged from 10 g (‘Cullman Late’) to 244 g (‘Davis’), but of the more prolific cultivars the average FW ranged from 72 g (‘Rappahannock’) to 172 g (‘NC-1’). Average FW and total number of fruit collected were negatively correlated (r = -0.21, p < 0.001). FW was not affected by location. Genetically similar cultivars were compared based on previously identified groupings. Cultivars assigned to the Susquehanna and Overleese genetic groups had significantly higher average FW and harvest length than other genetic groups. Results of this study expand research on pawpaw production and allow growers to select cultivars with market potential based on factors such as fruit size, yield, and harvest duration. The pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is the largest fruit native to North America. It has a vast native growing range that spans 26 states corresponding to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant hardiness zones 5-8 (Galli et al., 2007). The family Annonaceae, to which pawpaw belongs, contains over 2,400 species, all of which are tropical or subtropical except for pawpaw, making the temperate-growing fruit unique. Moreover, pawpaw trees are exclusive in that they are the only species of the 10 in the genus Asimina to produce a commercially viable fruit. Pawpaw trees are shrub-like, understory trees that can grow up to 12 meters tall. They have long membranous leaves and maroon flowers that produce clusters of up to nine fruit in late summer to early fall (Geneve et al., 2003; Pomper and Layne, 2005). However, pawpaw flowers are likely self-unfruitful, making pollination an important factor that could limit commercial possibilities (Layne, 1996; Willson and Schemske, 1980). In addition, the normal bloom period of pawpaw flowers can last up to 4 weeks, resulting in an elongated harvest period in the fall which requires more labor and time intensive harvesting techniques (Pomper et al., 2008a). In the early 1900s, the pawpaw was considered for increased commercialization efforts as a native, North American cash crop, but these efforts did not materialize (Pomper and Layne, 2005). Over the next 60 years, over four dozen pawpaw cultivars were named. However, because of neglect or abandonment only a few of these remain, which potentially could have eroded the genetic base of current pawpaw cultivars. Since then, breeders and hobbyists have increased efforts to domesticate the pawpaw. One result of this effort has been the establishment of the official Asimina satellite repository of the USDA National Clonal Germplasm Repository (Corvallis, OR) at Kentucky State University and the development of the Pawpaw Regional Variety Trial (Pomper et al., 2008b; 2