Participate in Variety Trials
You are invited to be part of our mission to make the seed system more transparent and resilient by signing up to participate in collaborative variety trials on SeedLinked! Jump ahead to collaborative variety trial sign up!
Taking part in collaborative variety trials is a great way to:
What am I committing to when I sign up to be part of a collaborative variety trial on SeedLinked?
Check out what trials are available below. Note that this page is updated frequently, so check back often to sign up for more trials.
Nothing beats a crisp and refreshing salad on a summer day, but growing lettuce during the heat of summer is always a challenge. See how tried-and-true varieties stack up against newcomers for production during summer. The 2023 summer lettuce Trial features 12 new varieties from some of the industry’s most innovative breeders, such as Fedco, Sativa and Frank Morton.
Growers will receive a subset of 3 varieties, and are asked to plant at least 10 individuals of each variety in the same conditions, either by transplanting or by overseeding and thinning to 10 plants at your standard head lettuce spacing (or 12″). Plant the trial during your last spring or summer planting, or by July 10th if you’re a lettuce afficionado who plants all summer long. Seed will be shipped in April.
Winter squash varieties have been anecdotally reported to perform very differently in full vs reduced tillage systems. In this trial we are testing 7 specialty moschata types, from exciting new releases to underappreciated heirlooms. This trial includes Lodi, Koginut, Autumn Frost, Long Island Cheese, Black Futsu, Autumn Crown, Seminole, Doran Round, and Gouda Winter Squash varieties (all either untreated or certified organic). Everyone loves butternut, but specialty Cucurbita moschata squash can be even more delicious than usual butternuts, and their unique shapes make them a perfect decorative piece on a kitchen or farmers market table. Growers will receive a subset of 4 varieties, 10 seeds each, and are asked to plant at least 4 individuals of each type in the same setting. In this trial we are especially interested in comparing standard tillage vs reduced tillage systems, so be sure to fill out the management survey at the end of the trial, and plant in no-till (AKA no-dig) beds if you have them available.
Updated 27/1/23