From Deseret News archives:
The dirt on new plant varieties
So where do these new varieties come from?
To get a little more information, I talked with Jim Nau, who manages the Ball Seed Gardens in West Chicago, Ill. He is a world authority on seeds and new varieties, and helps his company test and select the best varieties to sell to more than 8,000 growers in North America. So even though you probably have never heard of him, he has a hand in your garden.
In addition to Nau's work with new varieties, he is the author of "The Ball Culture Guide," which is the authoritative guide on propagating annuals from seed, and "The Ball Perennial Manual," which is the companion volume for perennials. Both books are used by local growers.
Becoming a world-famous expert on new varieties was not in his plans. "I grew up on a farm and went to Iowa State," Nau said. "I planned to go into Extension, but my adviser said we bought seeds from Ball and I should try interviewing with them. That was 24 years ago and I have been doing the trials ever since."
Since that time, he has traveled the world speaking on and seeking out new varieties. He is a judge for both the All-America Selections, which selects new varieties from seed, and Florastar, the vegetative counterpart of the AAS award trials.
When he speaks to groups, he asks the audience how many plants, annual and perennial flowers, herbs and vegetables they think are introduced from seed each year.
"Most in the audience guess two or three dozen, and they are astounded to learn that it is usually between 500 to 700," Nau said.
"I then ask what happens to all of those new varieties."
Most are quickly dropped; some are sleepers, meaning a few people start growing and promoting them, and they finally become popular. "But they take time to come along," Nau said.
Like movies, books and other products, promotion is critical to getting gardeners to grow new varieties, Nau explained. "Being recognized as an award winner is critical."
Many states do trials and release recommended varieties. The oldest, most prestigious program, of course, is the All-America Selections, which selects great varieties and then works hard to market and promote them, Nau said.
