Vegetable Lab News

June 2001

New Potato Variety 'Amey' Released

The USDA/ARS, The Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station, The Agricultural Experiment Stations of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Virginia, and The North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, announce the release of the 'Amey' potato cultivar.

'Amey' is a late-maturing (120-130 day), russet-skinned,white-fleshed potato cultivar that yields better than 'Russet Burbank' in most eastern United States potato production areas. Tubers of 'Amey' are mostly oblong occasionally long, with an even, heavily russeted skin. Tubers of 'Amey' are smoother, more attractive and have a much lower incidence of external defects than 'Russet Burbank'. The specific gravity of 'Amey' is equal to or greater than the specific gravity of 'Russet Burbank'. French fries produced from 'Amey' are lighter than or equal in color to those produced from 'Russet Burbank', however, tubers are frequently not long enough to satisfy the french fry industry. Chips from 'Amey' are amber-colored and may be suitable for producing an amber colored chip for specialty markets. Baking and taste quality of 'Amey' are excellent and it has potential as a fresh market potato. 'Amey', is resistant to race A of the golden nematode, Verticillium wilt, powdery scab, and common scab. It is susceptible to potato leafroll virus, late blight, and early blight. Seed is available from New York and Maine. For further information contact Dr. Kathleen Haynes.

Beltsville Area Research Highlights features 4 Vegetable Lab Scientists

Agricultural Research magazine's Beltsville Area Research Highlights 2000 contains 4 reports about vegetable lab scientists. Here are the titles and links to the story from the ARS News and Information web site:

Dr. Aref Abdul-Baki (lab member until the 2000 reorganization): Dates Go Undercover January 2000 issue.
Dr. Joseph Dickens (lab member until the 2000 reorganization): The Nose Knows: How Pests Zero-in on Their Favorite Crops. February 2000.
Dr. Autar Mattoo: Transgenics for a Better Tomato September 2000.
Dr. Robert Goth (Retired) A Unique Potato Virus Collection March 2000

New scientist hired

Dr. Leslie Wanner, the lab's new Research Plant Pathologist began work in June. She most recently worked as a Research Scientist in the Norwegian Crop Research Institute Plant Protection Centre in Ås, Norway. The goal of her research in the vegetable lab is to increase the understanding of broad spectrum and durable disease resistance in potato, which can be used in breeding disease-resistant cultivars.

Lab gains two, loses two scientists in reorganization

Last year's BARC Reorganization has affected the vegetable lab considerably.

Dr. Aref Abdul-Baki was transferred from the vegetable lab to the Sustainable Agricultural Systems Lab.
Dr. Joseph Dickens was transferred to the Chemicals Affecting Insect Behavior Laboratory.

The vegetable lab has also gained two scientists:

Dr. Marcial A "Talo" Pastor-Corrales was moved from the Molecular Plant Pathology Lab. In the Vegetable lab, he will work on the pathology of common beans.
Dr. Deborah Fravel was transferred from the Biocontrol of Plant Diseases lab, which was dissolved.