Source: AgAnswers, an Ohio State University and Purdue Extension Partnership

Vegetable producers throughout the Midwest have access to a valuable tool to help them decide what vegetable varieties to plant, thanks to efforts at Purdue and seven other universities.

The "Midwest Vegetable Variety Trial Report for 2004" details how well specific varieties of vegetables did in performance trials throughout the Midwest, said Chris Gunter, a Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service horticulture specialist and coordinator of the effort.

A bound copy is available for $15 by calling Purdue Extension toll-free at (888) 398-4636 (EXT-INFO) or by visiting the Purdue Extension Education Store online at https://secure.agriculture.purdue.edu/store/ . The product number is B-824. The report also is available online for free from the Purdue Fruit and Vegetable Connection at http://www.hort.purdue.edu/fruitveg/reports.shtml .

"The book is a wonderful resource for vegetable producers across the Midwest as they choose varieties appropriate for local growing conditions," Gunter said. "Appropriate variety selection can make all the difference when you're trying to maximize production and minimize inputs."

Gunter said the book also is a resource for vegetable industry professionals, like seed company personnel who use the book to compare how their products stack up to their competitors' varieties.

"The information in this report is an unbiased reference for making variety selection decisions," Gunter said.

The report has been compiled for the past 16 years and more than 40 vegetable trials.

Additional fruit and vegetable research information from Purdue, including past reports, are available online at http://www.hort.purdue.edu/fruitveg/reports.shtml .

Ohio State University, Iowa State University, Michigan State University, North Dakota State University, and the universities of Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri teamed with Purdue on the report.