2021 University of Minnesota variety crop trial results available now
The Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES) and the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) have published the 2021 Minnesota Field Crop Trials. Visit varietytrials.umn.edu/2021 to see variety trials for 10 different Minnesota crops.
NCROC's Top 10 Annual Flowers of 2022
Annual flower trials are hosted at the North Central Research and Outreach Center. This research is an extension of the flower trials occurring at the West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris, MN. Companies such as All-America Selections, Proven Winners, Syngenta, and many others trial their flower varieties here at the NCROC in the field, in hanging baskets, and containers. During flower evaluations we grade the plants based on criteria such as color, uniformity, uniqueness, plant health, hardiness in zone 3, and insect/disease resistance.
2022 Top 10 Annual Flowers
| Common Name | Cultivar |
|---|---|
| Salvia | Deep Purple 2023 |
| Dianthus interspecific | Chiba™ Improved Auricula Mix |
| Celosia | Asian Garden |
| Sunflower x hybrida | Concert Bell |
| Petunia | SuperCal® Premium Sunset Orange |
| Tradescantia | Proven Accents® Purple Queen |
| Verbena | Vanity |
| Coleus | Premium Sun Ruby Heart |
| Celosia plumosa | Arrabona Red - Bronze Leaf |
| Osteospermum | Bright Lights® Sunset |
Apples for Northern Minnesota
Professor Jim Luby provides insight on the best apples for north central Minnesota based on his over 20 years of experience with apple trials at the CFANS North Central Research and Outreach Center in Grand Rapids MN.
Explore the NCROC bog
Andrew David, Associate Professor - Department of Forest Resources, takes you through a virtual tour of the NCROC bog.
Local students help prepare native plants with Itasca Waters
NCROC was recently featured in a recent article on preparing native plants in the Grand Rapids Herald Review.
2020 NCROC Top 10 Annual Flower Picks
Each year the University of Minnesota North Central Research and Outreach Center’s horticulture program hosts annual flower trials and rates the top 10 flowers. These trials are an evaluation of specific flower varieties and how well they perform in a field environment, a hanging basket and/or a container. We grade each ornamental variety for such criteria as color, uniformity, uniqueness, how floriferous they are and insect/disease resistance.