Brassica field day

Hello, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. The Coastal Research and Education Center in Charleston had a Brassica field day recently. The genus and species Brassica oleracea has a many cultivars that are what we call greens – collards, mustards, turnips, kale, cabbages and more. Nationally, South Carolina is the top state for producing turnips greens and second in collards, kale and mustard greens. At that research station, they are prepared when a new disease or insect pest threatens these crops to find the safest and most cost effective ways of dealing with that problem. They keep genetic diversity with lots of cultivars as one way to be prepared for new challenges. In one field we saw several hundred different collard greens and another filled with mustard greens; some mild flavored but one so hot you wouldn’t need any pepper vinegar on it!