The Solanum aethiopicum variety trial design map.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
‘Morro Redondo’ from Thresh Seed Co.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
‘Simeon’s White’ from North Circle Seeds.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
‘Comprido Verde Claro’ from Thresh Seed Co.
Image by Laura Reusche.
‘Zebra’ from North Circle Seeds.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Trays filled with Black Gold are prepared for sowing seeds. Image by Sarah Dyer.
Prepped and waiting for seeds.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Trays for each variety of Solanum aethiopicum were prepared and coded tags were created to mark them.
Image by Laura Reusche.
Aaron Valva and Laura Reusche sow eggplant seeds.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Seeds waiting to emerge…
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Germination!
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Readings on soil moisture and temperature.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
7 days post-sowing.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
A tiny forest of eggplant seedlings.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
‘Morro Redondo’ had irregular germination.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Mice damage on seedlings of ‘Comprido Verde Claro’.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Seedlings were lifted off the planting tables in the greenhouse to prevent mouse damage.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Oonaugh Foster-Bill measures the height of a seedling from its base to the apical meristem.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Emmerson Gregorio, Aaron Valva, and Oonaugh Foster-Bill repot seedlings in the heated greenhouse.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Emmerson Gregorio, Aaron Valva, and Oonaugh Foster-Bill collect the first round of vigor data in the heated greenhouse.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Emmerson Gregorio repots seedlings after Aaron Valva records data.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Aaron Valva prepares to measure a Solanum aethiopicum seedling.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
It became clear quickly that we would need prepared data collection documents.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Prepared Vigor Data Collection Sheet dated and categorized by variety.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Sarah Dyer and Emmerson Gregorio prepare to repot Solanum aethiopicum seedlings into larger pots.
Image by Oonaugh Foster-Bill.
Oonaugh Foster-Bill repots seedlings into numbered 2.5-inch pots.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Sarah Dyer repots the ‘Simeon’s White’ variety into 2.5-inch pots.
Image by Oonaugh Foster-Bill.
Solanum aethiopicum seedlings after repotting.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Leaf curling on some eggplant seedlings was initially thought to be a pathogen, but quickly showed itself to be aphid damage.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
APHIDS!
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Safer soap was used to treat the eggplants for aphids in the greenhouse.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Safer soap was applied with a pump sprayer.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
‘Comprido Verde Claro’ exhibiting early signs of aphid damage.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
‘Simeon’s White’ displaying some leaf deformation we attributed to aphid damage.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Control variety, ‘Orient Express’.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Beautiful eggplants in the heated greenhouse.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Oonaugh Foster-Bill, Aaron Valva, Laura Reusche, Emmerson Gregorio, and Sarah Dyer.
Image by Aria Larsen.
Microna lime was applied to the field and spaded in at a depth of 6 inches.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Aaron Valva, Emmerson Gregorio, Oonaugh Foster-Bill, and Laura Reusche square the field before measuring beds for the trial plot.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Oonaugh Foster Bill, Laura Reusche, Emmerson Gregorio, and Aaron Valva work on measuring beds for the trial. Image by Sarah Dyer.
Beds were measured to 32 inches, with 24-inch paths. Image by Sarah Dyer.
Sarah Dyer, Aaron Valva, Laura Reusche, and Emmerson Gregorio discuss next steps in establishing the field trial. Paths and beds are measured.
Image by Oonaugh Foster-Bill.
Emmerson Gregorio, Sarah Dyer, Aaron Valva, Laura Reusche, and Harry Daniels meet to discuss plans for summer quarter.
Image by Oonaugh Foster-Bill.
Sarah Dyer, Aaron Valva, Laura Reusche, and Harry Daniels meet to discuss plans for summer quarter.
Image by Oonaugh Foster-Bill.
Irrigation is connected to a timer, allowing for controlled watering for 90 minutes twice a week.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Laura Reusche attaches a piece of drip tape to the main water line at the head of the field.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Laura Reusche and Aaron Valva working on irrigation. Image by Sarah Dyer.
Aaron Valva connects an adapter to the main irrigation line, in preparation to install a line of drip tape.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Sarah Dyer, Garrison Rodrigues, Prof. Ben Hunsdorfer, and Laura Reusche repair an irrigation leak before laying black poly mulch.
Image by Oonaugh Foster-Bill.
Measuring tapes were utilized to ensure that the dimensions of the design were carefully applied.
Image by Oonaugh Foster-Bill.
Holes are placed every 18-inches in each plot.
Image by Oonaugh Foster-Bill.
1/4 cup of kelp meal was added to each planting hole. Image by Sarah Dyer.
Seedlings are planted in randomly assigned plots in the fields and marked with coded flags.
Image by Sarah Dyer.
Field Trial, Week 1 of summer quarter.
Image by Emmerson Gregorio.
‘Simeon’s White’ produces first fruits of the trial.
Image by Emmerson Gregorio.
Aria Larsen in the field.
Image by Emmerson Gregorio.
Finn Parent-Gobel weeding the trial.
Image by Emmerson Gregorio.
Flea Beetle damage in the field.
Image by Emmerson Gregorio.
The crew at work harvesting eggplants and recording yield for each succession.
Image by Aria Larsen.
The trial was treated with Kaolin clay, and the first level of basket weave trellising was applied in week 1 of summer quarter.
Image by Emmerson Gregorio.
Aria Larsen and Emmerson Gregorio work on research and WordPress in Evergreen’s library.
Image by Aria Larsen.
‘Orient Express’.
Image by Emmerson Gregorio.
‘Orient Express’ leaf underside.
Image by Emmerson Gregorio.
Flower of ‘Orient Express’.
Image by Emmerson Gregorio.
A cluster of ‘Orient Express’ flowers.
Image by Emmerson Gregorio.
The logo for the Solanum aethiopicum gilo variety trials. Image by Emmerson Gregorio.
Aria Larsen builds the base of the field trial signage.
Image by Emmerson Gregorio.
Aria Larsen applies a base coat of paint on the field signage. Image by Emmerson Gregorio.
Emmerson Gregorio pants a base coat onto the proposed field signage for the trial.
Image by Aria Larsen.
Field signage at the halfway point!
Image by Aria Larsen.
Beneficial nematodes were applied farm wide, including the trial site.
Image by Laura Reusche.
Perti dishes for the germination chamber experiment being conducted Summer 2024.
Image by Laura Reusche.
A specimen of ‘Zebra’ growing in a secondary location.
Image by Laura Reusche.
‘Simeon’s White’.
Image by Aria Larsen.
‘Zebra’.
Image by Aria Larsen.
‘Simeon’s White’.
Image by Emmerson Gregorio.
‘Orient Express’: our control variety.
Image by Emmerson Gregorio.
The season’s first recorded harvest! ‘Simeon’s White’, ‘Zebra’, and the control variety ‘Orient Express’.
Image by Emmerson Gregorio.
Laura Reusche records yield data at the first harvest.
Image by Emmerson Gregorio.
Beetle visitor in the field.
Image by Emmerson Gregorio.
Drone image of the Solanum aethiopicum gilo variety trial.
Image by Ben Hunsdorfer.
Drone image of the Solanum aethiopicum gilo variety trial.
Image by Ben Hunsdorfer.
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