Jack-O-Lanterns

The quest for the perfect pumpkin each fall doesn’t start at the local patch. In fact, it starts up to 10 years prior for researchers like University of Georgia plant geneticist Cecilia McGregor. McGregor leads breeding efforts in the selective pumpkin variety called the ‘Orange Bulldog.’ “This variety is not the typical jack-o-lantern, appearing more like a large gourd, ranging in color from salmon to burnt orange,” explained McGregor. “The ‘Orange Bulldog’, however, reigns supreme in its disease-resistance.” As a result, the ‘Orange Bulldog’ provides a less labor-intensive crop for Georgia’s farmers. The quest continues for the perfect pumpkin, however, so McGregor and her team plan to continue selecting desired traits from ‘Orange Bulldog’ with the hopes of creating more standardized fruit characteristics. Pumpkin Challenges Pumpkins, it turns out, are not a crop for the faint of heart, especially in Georgia. From the more common downy and powdery mildews to plectosporium blight, disease affects many pumpkins. Add the humidity and heat of Georgia’s summers and disease pressures only increase for these already vulnerable plants. Arguably, the most challenging part of pumpkin producing is fighting seasonality. Despite the increased pressures from summer heat, the majority of the pumpkin growth cycle occurs during the summer so they can be harvested in time for autumn celebrations. “On Nov. 1, a jack-o’-lantern pumpkin isn’t worth much, so we aim to harvest in late September to early October,” explains UGA Cooperative Extension vegetable specialist Tim Coolong. “That means we have to plant pumpkins in the ...