He Sells Unusual Tuber And Root Crops

He Sells Unusual Tuber And Root Crops CROPS New Crops You can get unusual varieties of tubers and other root crops at Cultivariable com Specialty plant breeder Bill Whitson has everything from seed to rhizome and tuber starters for yacons Tartar bread plant mashua oca unusual potatoes and even edible dahlia the tubers not the flowers “I used to be in software development and started breeding plants as a hobby but it’s been a full-time job for the past 6 years ” says Whitson “I’ve probably sold to every state in the U S However most of what I sell is best suited for a maritime climate or regions such as the higher elevations of Appalachia and parts of Wisconsin and Michigan that are close to the Great Lakes ” Most of the plants Whitson grows on his land on the central coast of Washington state originated in the Andes Some of them are or were important food crops there but didn’t achieve the popularity of the potato For the most part they have not been adapted for mechanical cultivation or harvest He does breed potatoes but not the big white bakers “If you want a small oddly-shaped potato in a range of pretty colors and different flavors you’re in the right place ” says Whitson “If you think you would like to breed a weird and wonderful vegetable of your own you’re in good company In addition to my varieties I offer genetically diverse seeds that you can use in your own breeding projects and I provide a lot of information about the crops I work with ” In addition to an information-heavy website Whitson also maintains a Facebook page for people interested in plant breeding Whitson uses traditional non-genetic engineering techniques to develop his varieties In addition to hand pollination and selection he utilizes more than 250 raised beds on about an acre of land with overflow to several other acres a small greenhouse and a laboratory Generally he maintains around 12 000 plants as well as varietal tissue culture to ensure virus-free sources “I grow hundreds of varieties in small quantities ” says Whitson “I serve more as a sort of private gene bank ” Whitson concentrates most of his attention on 5 species: ulluco mashua yacon oca and Andean potato However he maintains an interest in another 25 or more species He warns followers that if they see a variety listed they like they should order it as it may not be available the following year “Most of what I do is experimental ” says Whitson “In the field I grow with minimal inputs just annual additions of compost no pesticides or herbicides I grow this way because I am breeding plants and subjecting them to pests Weed competition helps select the most resilient varieties “Consequently my varieties should perform well under organic conditions ” Most of his crops are clonally propagated from rhizomes or the plant tissue such as the eyes of potatoes While he sells seed as well in many cases it may not breed true That may be because he allows open pollination such as with sea kale In others like potatoes and edible dahlias every seedling is a unique variety “The only way to know if you have a good Dahlia is to taste it ” says Whitson “If your taste is similar to mine you might keep one in 30 seedlings With potato seed I may keep one in 500 seedlings ” Whitson is a member of the Open Seed Source Initiative an organization dedicated to open access to breeding material and ensuring availability to seed not restricted by plant patents and intellectual property rights Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Bill Whitson Cultivariable P O Box 111 Moclips Wash 98562 www cultivariable com

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