By George Boyhan
University of Georgia

The days are finally getting shorter, Labor Day is behind us and
we’ve had a few cool mornings. With fall coming on and Halloween
just around the corner, folks will soon be looking for the
perfect pumpkin.

In south Georgia, unfortunately, most of these pumpkins will have
to be imported from other regions. That limits the supply
shoppers will be able to find. This may change, however, in the
near future.

Most pumpkins are highly susceptible to diseases, particularly
insect-transmitted viruses. This has left farmers unable to grow
pumpkins on a large scale in south Georgia. During late summer
and early fall, populations of the insects that transmit these
viruses are at their peak. They almost guarantee that pumpkins
will be infected.

University of Georgia researchers, though, have been working for
years to develop a pumpkin with increased tolerance to viral
diseases.

Brazil beginnings

This new pumpkin is from a related species to regular pumpkin,
but with increased virus resistance. The seed for the new variety
originally came from Brazil. Over years, the scientists made
selections from these original seed for a jack-o’-lantern shape
with a bright orange rind.

We’ve been testing the new variety against standard commercial
pumpkins with favorable results. It has consistently tested with
lower levels of disease and consistently produces fruit during
late summer and early fall, when disease pressure is at its
highest.

This new pumpkin won’t be available for this Halloween. But we
hope to have it available for Georgia’s growers for the 2006
season.

When we do, this new pumpkin will be a win-win situation for
south Georgia. It will be a new crop for growers and a new source
of income. For the rest of us, it will be a great local product
for decorating, cooking and carving.

(George Boyhan is a Cooperative Extension horticulturist with
the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences.)