December 16, 2002

Lioness, the new Harris Moran green-stemmed straightneck squash that's breaking new ground with its disease package, is setting new standards in performance.

In recent trials, traditionally-bred Lioness out-performed the standard varieties in the industry, including a GMO entry.

Pioneering Lioness, formerly HMX 0709, is the first variety of its kind with resistance to ZYMV, WMV, PRSV, and CMV.
 
Trials were held at the Edisto Research and Education Center in South Carolina where Lioness went up against five top varieties.

In 10 pickings from Sept. 16 to Oct. 7, Lioness yielded 104 lbs, almost 20 lbs. more than the nearest competitor.

At 4840 plants per acre, Lioness could potentially yield nearly 20 percent more than the competitive varieties.

Rod Jorgensen, Harris Moran's product manager for squash, says that top performance is what happens when Harris Moran breeders develop varieties for specific disease-plagued growing regions.

"What you're seeing along with the quality of the variety are the effects of the disease package. In areas of high disease pressure, Lioness' disease package kicks in to produce -- not just an adequate crop -- but a crop that out-yields the most popular varieties on the market today," he said.

"Lioness' combination of disease resistance, fruit quality, and yield should please growers. And this latest development from our breeding program illustrates Harris Moran's commitment to this growing region."
 
Harris Moran is part of the largest independently owned seed company in the world. It is owned by Groupe Limagrain, a French cooperative owned, run, and operated by French farmers. Harris Moran breeds innovative vegetable varieties designed to boost yield, reduce chemical inputs, and increase freshness, flavor, and fruit quality from plow to plate. The Modesto-based company breeds vegetables for markets in more than 65 countries.