Plant varieties and selections trials including day neutral
On this section of the project we are carrying out a report with scoring criteria where ten known varieties are analysed and measured for plant health, plant vigour, yield potential stalk size and colour against a controlled variety.
We have also produced clonal selection for six out of these ten varieties where clones are compared and analysed for differences in yield, stalk size and colour against the mother plant.
The clones selected are commercial varieties for the market.
The controlled variety chosen to be measured against is Timperley Early.
On a scale from 1 to 5 will measure Plant health, Potential Yield, stalk size, stalk colour.
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Stalk size

Length (1 – very short stalk; 5 – very long stalk)
Thickness (1 – very thin stalk; 5 – very thick stalk)
Comparing and analysing rhubarb varieties on stalk size we can observe that Goliath has shorter stalks than Timperley Early and excepting Holsteiner Blut and Victoria the other varieties have longer stems.
We have scored stalk colour comparing the other varieties to Timperley Early.
We measured stalk colour starting from 1 – green to 5 - dark red.
Timperley Early stalks are red at the base rising to green to the tip and we have scored with 3. Compare to Timperley Early, Holsteiner Blut, Sutton Seedless, Victoria and Fenton’s Special has similar colour characteristics.
Champagne, Stockbridge Arrow, and Livingstone have red stalks which hold colour better than Timperley Early. Raspberry Red is the variety with highest quality of deep red stalks.
In order to analyse the potential Yield, we have compared rhubarb varieties with the information gathered from the past years. These figures could vary from season to season and in different areas. The average rhubarb yield is 50 tonnes per hectare.
Considering that we have scored potential yield from 1 to 5, where 1 is less than 40t/ha and 5 is 60 t/ha over.
Timperley Early produces an average yield, just over 50t/ha, being scored with 3.
Compared with Timperley Early, Raspberry Red, Victoria, and Stockbridge Arrow produce less and Goliath, Fenton with Livingstone produce higher yields.
Variety overview

As a result of scoring criteria we have identified that Sutton Seedless, Stockbridge Arrow, and Livingstone are the varieties that get very close to the maximum of marked quality criteria in terms of size, colour and yield.