Vernema
1. Vernema is a 96 plant synthetic variety resulting from selection of 16 plants each from WAS3, WJS1, WPS1, WTS1; 11 plants from WES3 and 5 plants from WBS3. Germplasm sources were Team, Saranac, Nevada Syn EE, Apalachee, DuPuits, Nevada Syn WW and Dawson, respectively. Selection was from a 3-year-old field planting which had been subjected to stem nematodes and a disease condition later identified as Verticillium wilt. Each of the 7 populations had been subjected to 1 or 3 cycles of recurrent phenotypic selection for stem nematode resistance.
2. Vernema is moderately winter hardy and adapted and intended for use in the Pacific Northwest for hay production. It has been tested near Prosser, Washington for forage yield.
3. Flowers are light purple to purple with less than 10 percent variegated and a trace of yellow.
4. Vernema has resistance to stem nematode and has moderate resistance to Verticillium wilt and bacterial wilt. It has a low resistance to Phytophthora root rot. It has not been adequately tested for resistance to pea aphid, Anthracnose or spotted aphid.
5. Sufficient breeder seed (Syn 2) for the expected life of the variety was produced in an isolated field. Certified seed may be produced from either breeder or foundation seed. One generation each of breeder, foundation and certified seed classes is recognized. A maximum of 4 harvest years are permitted on foundation fields and 6 harvest years on certified fields. Foundation seed fields are restricted to the area north of the 40th. parallel. No restrictions are placed on certified seed fields.
6. Certified seed will be available in the spring of 1983.
7. Application for protection under Plant Variety Protection will not be made.