W.B. Evans. Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center

Muck Crops Branch, Willard, OH 44890

The 1998 leek trial consisted of four plots each of 11 cultivars grown at the O.A.R.D.C. Muck Crops Branch in Willard, OH on a Linwood muck. Each plot contained 3 rows, 20 ft. long and 19 in. apart. Plots were spring plowed and fertilized with 700 lb. 16-8-26. Plugs raised in MetroMix 360 were transplanted on May 28 after 8 weeks in the greenhouse. Plots were sidedressed June 23 with 53 lb. N as calcium nitrate. Manganese (4 lb./acre) was sprayed on the foliage July 28. This difficult season was characterized by dry, moderately warm weather broken up every 30-40 days by flooding rains of 2-7 inches in 1-2 days. Despite this, little foliar disease was seen.

Each plot was harvested when most plants had reached marketable size. Twenty plants from the center row were weighed, graded, trimmed, and reweighed. The width (data not shown) and length of the white portion (shank) of 10 plants was recorded. Leaf color and angle were described qualitatively from photographs taken after trimming.

The best performing cultivars were Leekwik, Arkansas RS, and Tadorna (Table 1). Alora, the local, early standard, was indeed early and of good quality, but only produced 72% marketable plants. Tadorna is the later, local standard. Arkansas RS produced large plants with quite succulent, easily damaged foliage during warm weather. Its foliage was firmer and more tolerant of handling when the slowest maturing replicate was harvested in the cooler weather of early September. Leekwik matured late and had fairly short shanks. Enza 15505 had quite a narrow leaf angle. Enza 15504 produced a greener, less blue foliage than other cultivars in this trial. The percentage of marketable plants produced by a cultivar was somewhat correlated with uniformity of the marketable plants.

Table 1. Leek cultivar characteristics at harvest.