Aug 29, 2016

Johnny’s breeder wins AAS Breeder’s Cup

Johnny’s Selected Seeds plant breeder Janika Eckert was awarded the All-America Selections (AAS) Breeder’s Cup at the annual summit held in Madison. Eckert has produced four AAS-winning varieties: ‘Diva‘ spineless sweet cucumber, in 2002; ‘Carmen,’ an early sweet red Italian pepper, in 2006; ‘Escamillo,’ an early sweet golden Italian pepper, in 2016; and ‘Cornito Giallo,’ a half-size sweet golden Italian pepper, in 2016.

“In the case of the three peppers, my goal has been to breed flavorful and attractive peppers in different colors, for eating either fresh or cooked,” Eckert said. “I also have aimed for peppers that are easy to grow in a wide variety of growing conditions and locations, which mature early, and which have a plant architecture that helps keep the fruits healthy.

“With ‘Diva,’ we were aiming for a nonhybrid, Beit-Alpha (Mideastern type that is thin-skinned and sweet) cucumber that was gynoecious (all-female flowers) and parthenocarpic (sets fruit without pollination). I worked closely with Rob Johnston on this project, which started before my employment at Johnny’s.”

To learn more about Eckert, visit the Johnny’s Selected Seeds website.