Site will serve as a repository for data from participating flower trials throughout North America
Allan Armitage, well known for the extensive trials he’s been running at UGA since 1982, had this to say about the database: “This project has been mulling around in my head for a long time because it is time for more collaboration among the trial grounds and breeders. The trial grounds do an excellent job, but for the breeders who support our trials, there needs to be a more complete side-by-side picture of how their plants perform all across North America.”
All-America Selections and the University of Georgia just announced the creation of a Web based National Plant Trials Database, www.PlantTrials.org that will serve as a repository for data from participating flower trials throughout North America initially—with options to expand globally.
The organizations mentioned above—along with Clarity Connect, a web technology firm in North Carolina—have collaborated to create this comprehensive plant trialing resource.
Allan Armitage, well known for the extensive trials he’s been running at UGA since 1982, had this to say about the database: “This project has been mulling around in my head for a long time because it is time for more collaboration among the trial grounds and breeders. The trial grounds do an excellent job, but for the breeders who support our trials, there needs to be a more complete side-by-side picture of how their plants perform all across North America.”
At press time, the following breeding companies have agreed to participate in this project:
There are currently 19 trial gardens (www.PlantTrials.org/TrialGardens) that have agreed to participate and use designated standard trial garden procedures.
Mike Murgiano, Syngenta’s senior market manager, seeds, offered this insight: “Syngenta feels this database is a good idea because there is a lot of valuable information that comes out of the private and university trials that test our products but it’s always been a challenge to utilize that information to its full potential because of the slightly different ways of scoring and providing feedback. Having standardized data in one single place will make it much easier to compile and share that information with our customers so they can make the decisions on what is best for their customers and the end consumer.”
Programming for the database is underway and the 2012 trial results will be the first ones in the database. Further refinements to the system will be made after the initial launch.
For more information about the National Plant Trials Database, contact Diane Blazek at dblazek@aas-ngb.org or Allan Armitage at amarmitage@earthlink.net.
