Currently 65 rose cultivars are being evaluated for disease resistance, growth habit and bloom quality. Roses are being grown without fungicides to determine which lines maybe suitable for a low maintenance program. These will be evaluated for three years and poorer performing lines will be replaced with newer cultivars to continue to selecting roses for low maintenance.

Fruits

Selected cultivars of Oriental persimmons were planted in 2003 to evaluate these plants for plant growth characters, fruit yield, fruit quality, disease and insect resistance. Cultivars selected included astringent and non-astringent types.

Selected cultivars of Asian and Oriental hybrid pears were planted in 2003 to be evaluated for disease resistance, fruit quality and fruit yield. Several locally adapted cultivars which are not available in the nursery trade were grafted in 2003 and will be added to the evaluation in 2004. The locally adapted lines have never been compared to known cultivars.

Tung

Thirty-five lines of tung are being maintained for future breeding efforts. These include all of the commonly grown cultivars and a large collection of late blooming breeding lines that should be valuable when breeding program is started.