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Deer Park, WI

In this, the age of information, we have become data-driven gluttons. And this gluttony has seemingly transcended our beloved hobby, much to the satisfaction of armchair analysts (myself included) who evaluate, scrutinize, and over-think the numbers game relative to growing big pumpkins.

It is with this insatiable appetite for information that I offer a line of thinking for consideration by my peers on this site:

I frequently find myself wondering how large of a pumpkin the pollinator of a cross produced at the end of a season. With a little bit of legwork, the information can be ascertained. But what if that information was readily disclosed in the traditional nomenclature used for describing seed genetics? What if we added the weight of the pollinating pumpkin to our crosses?

If this information is deemed useful by the general populace, shall we consider revising the way in which we describe our crosses?

Here's an example for demonstration purposes: 1422 Ailts: 1140 Stevens x 1091 Foss [1349]

Where the number in brackets represents the weight of the fruit produced by the pollinator of the 1422lber.

Dear Reader, I ask you, would you find this information useful? Useful enough to consider modifying the way we describe genetics? Please chime in with your thoughts, as well as suggestions you may have for simply and effectively conveying the relevant information.

11/28/2010 2:58:57 PM

Willamette Valley, Oregon

I second that. One could also add DMG or EST or UOW etc in the [] too.

11/28/2010 3:07:23 PM

Colorado

great stuff Joe. I love the idea. I think it would be worth adding a name in brackets as well, as many growers share pollen. For example:

319 Mohr: 1288 Wallace x 1421 Stelts [1204.5 Scherber]

11/28/2010 3:13:59 PM

Kentucky, U.S.A.

As a beginner(off my reservation) I'm sure the paper pushers, anilitical prognosticators could use a little more information to determine what is going to be the next producer of the worlds largest pumpkin. I thank you'll for the work and study that has gone into the genetics, really great stuff! My goal for 2011 will be to figure out that OTT measuring stuff, Oh yeah maybe I'll have a pumpkin to measure on, too! Keep up the good work!
BSD,David

11/28/2010 4:13:35 PM

Northern California Foothills

Sounds like a great idea to me. Maybe even going a step further by putting what percent heavy or light it went.

11/28/2010 6:44:24 PM

Long Island,New York

Every pumpkin has a story...a story that cannot be told solely by the number. Perhaps this is just another step towards the impersonalization of the hobby? Call the grower, hear the story, make a friend.

11/29/2010 8:16:29 AM

Rhode Island

knowing what a seeds pollinator plant grew is alwaysa a consideration . very good article.....pap

11/29/2010 8:25:26 AM

Nekoosa, Wisconsin

Great idea Joe. Pollinator weight is very important in assessing a seeds potential.

11/29/2010 11:26:47 AM

[email protected]

I've been doing the exact same thing in my personal notes for about 3 years now. It works for me.

11/29/2010 1:13:15 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Sweet Idea...but, as I know I am computer dumb, Will this put too much pressure on those who collect awl the data? How many data points, can they collect, and deliver to us? W/out being overwhelmed w/ data? Once again, I have to give Kudo's to LI!!! Peace, Wayne

11/30/2010 2:56:46 AM

Wallingford,CT

Joe, at first glance yours seems like a fine idea but I need to toss out a dissenting opinion. For me it all comes down to using ‘name space’ for names instead of other data. This year I grew a 1385Jutras clone from Matt DeBacco’s ’09 plant. While I grew it primarily for pollen I did let it set a fruit on one of its 2 vines. This fruit leaves me with a dilemma when it comes to listing the cross of this fruit. The female is not 1183DeBacco09 because I didn’t plant that seed. It’s also not a 1385Jutras for the same reason. If we were to call it a 1385Jutras then one day it could seem as if there were thousands of seeds from that pumpkin (not a good plan). I propose to call the female 1385Jutras [1183DeBacco09] thus using your [] space in this way. Just an alternate opinion for the use of [].

11/30/2010 5:36:13 PM

Joliet, IL

i like it joe. the aggc has that info now already when you hit the hierarchy tree. in red letters and parathesis under the pollinator plant is the weight of the pumpkin it produced. i think the info would definately be beneficial. it beats writing out "the pollintor produced" and so on. efficient and useful for a fellow number cruncher. for the past couple of years i have been making posts on bp.com with pumpkins having the "power on both sides". too many this year to add up by myself, but i believe the 1605 and 1725 sweet both have the top "power on both sides" in 2010 of 3330 lbs which i believe is correct. close behind is the 1810.5 and 1468.5 stevens crosses in 2010. all time is still the 1725 x self for power on both sides if i got my gazintas right. "Four gazintas 8 two times Uncle Jed"...quoted by jethro from the beverly hillbillies calling arithmetic "gazintas") so know i call cruching numbers as doing my "gazintas" lol.


here are some of my posts on this subject from the past couple of years. anyone with the time to put a "power on both sides" list for this past year, have at it.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=19&p=322549

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=19&p=281148

11/30/2010 6:55:04 PM

Annapolis Valley Nova Scotia

I hate to be a real boring idiot, but why complicate things? The way things are all the info can be found eleswhere,

11/30/2010 7:46:25 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

Glenn, Good point..... and JoZe I like this too...seed coinZ have two sideZ...one can use another lable to put extra info on the back side too...Easy to do......cross pics, heavy info...letZ us use all the space we can......ShaZzzy....you go boy...I can see Jed doing the hill billy mud stomp....lol ......ICeMAN....take note....

11/30/2010 8:04:54 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Shazzy nailed it for me, that info is already there on the AGGC.

It is a nice thing to know what the pollinator produced and more important in helping many growers decisions when it comes to planting time.

11/30/2010 9:59:12 PM

Deer Park, WI

Plenty of good contributions here, thank you to those who spoke up and thank you for the absence of hijacking!

G- your suggestion and mine need not be mutually exclusive.

Wayne- the suggestion is not intended to be imposing. Rather, I propose a system by which growers can choose to convey this information in a mutally agreed upon format that will be recognizable by all.

Considerations- not everyone has access to AGGC. Not everyone has access to a grower's phone number. Sometimes an internet connection is not readily available when a decision needs to be made and information is sought. There's plenty of white space on most seed pack labels.

12/1/2010 9:22:51 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

Joze, Kudo's for yer post's lately!!! You seem to be a gold mine of info for young & old, experienced & newbies!!! Quick ? is here, I guess??? "WHO"? "The perfect system, that is?" Peace, Wayne

12/1/2010 8:57:02 PM

Joliet, IL

wayne, i agree with you whole heartedly about joe's posts as of late. refreshing. one of the true reasons i got bit so hard by the "bug" early on in this hobby was due to joe. as a second year newbie i followed joe's 2003 season in his bp.com diary and his success growing the 501 beachy and breaking the 4 digits mark for the first time. i still remember the cartoon drawings of him doing cartwheels once he hit the 366 ott mark. thanks joe for help creating a monster. frankenshazzy lol. or maybe shazacula. thanks again joe for being there for many many questions on posts in the early 2000s and yes, it's great to see your input as always. and thanks for sharing that entire 2003 season here on bp.com...it was a fun ride!!!!!!

12/2/2010 8:25:57 PM