Dr. David Groff to speak on speak on squash Saturday

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August 21, 2012

Dr. David Groff to speak on speak on squash Saturday

Special to The Gazette CNHI The Tifton Gazette Tue Aug 21, 2012, 08:36 AM EDT

TIFTON — Ever want to develop your own variety of vegetable? Avid gardeners will not want to miss the next talk at the Wiregrass Farmers Market (located behind the Country Store at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture) this coming Saturday, August 25 at 10 a.m. Local plant breeder Dr. David Groff will be presenting information on how to develop new varieties of squash and related vine crops.

Dr. Groff earned his B.S. and M.S. from Penn State and then went on to the University of Arizona in Tucson for his Ph.D. in horticulture. His career spanned over 30 years with Asgrow Seed Company, which through mergers is now a part of Monsanto. He worked primarily with “cucurbits,” which includes squash and cucumbers. He found cucurbits ideal vegetables to work on, because they produce 3 generations per year. Also, techniques are known that allow regulating the gender of the plant flowers, which allows for more controlled cross pollination.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Dr. Groff opened up a branch breeding laboratory for Asgrow in Tifton in the 1988 in order to develop squash and cucumber varieties resistant to the viruses that plagued fall crops in the coastal plain. When he arrived in the coastal plain, it was not uncommon for local farmers to lose 80 percent of their squash crop to viral disease. Now, using some of the resistant varieties developed by Dr. Groff, local farmers are able to successfully raise fall squash crops, which in turn helps to drive the local agriculture-based economy.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Groff has developed more than 75 new varieties of vegetables. He is especially proud of his introduction of “Thunder” cucumber, which has been extensively grown in the Tifton area to supply produce markets around the nation. Now in retirement, he still experiments with plant breeding, concentrating now on developing interesting and attractive ornamental gourd varieties.

Dr. Groff’s presentation is free and open to the general public. The talk will take place in the peanut museum conference room from 10-11:00 a.m. The Wiregrass Farmers Market is open from 9:00 a.m. until noon every Saturday through October and offers items such as homegrown seasonal produce, artisan breads, handcrafted soaps, local honey, nuts, jams and jellies and herbal remedies. A free children’s activity is also offered every Saturday at 10:00 a.m. in the market’s garden area.

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