Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions for North America – Turnip

Lists 1-27 Combined

Edited by Irwin Goldman

Department of Horticulture
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI 53706

All Top (ACR 3102) – Breeder: Sakata. Vendor: Abbott and Cobb. Characteristics: F1 hybrid, fast growing and high yielding vegetable or foliage crop, multiple harvests possible. Similar: Seven Top, Shogoin. Adaptation: wide.

Charlestowne – Breeder: Clemson University Expt. Sta. and Agric. Research Serv., USDA, Charleston, South Carolina. Parentage: Raah Salad, Purple Top White Globe, Shogoin. Characteristics: open pollinated, aphid resistant, bolt resistant, cold tolerant foliage turnip with small white roots and elliptical, glabrous, dark green leaves. Resistance: turnip aphid (Hyadaphis erysiimi), premature bolting. Similar: Shogoin. 1980.

De Milan – Characteristics: deep rose colored shoulders and white bottoms, early maturity.

Fortress – Breeder: University of Arkansas. Characteristics: for greens production, tolerance to white spot and bolting, deep color, leaves have short petioles, fully upright habit, excellent field holding ability.

Hakurei – Characteristics: white salad turnip, flat-round smooth white roots, early-maturing, good flavor.

Just Right – Characteristics: large white globe, cold tolerant, best for fall and winter crops, root and leaf crop.

Market Express – Breeder: Sakata. Characteristics: F1 hybrid, small pure white root, globe shape, mild and sweet, very early maturity, multipurpose turnip.

Presto – Breeder: Sakata. Characteristics: open pollinated, small white root.

Purple Top White Globe – Characteristics: round smooth root with bright purple crown, mild flavor, sweet, widely grown, open pollinated.

Roots – Breeder: Clemson University Expt. Sta. and Agric. Research Serv., USDA, Charleston, South Carolina. Parentage: Raab Salad, Purple Top White Globe, and Shogoin. Characteristics: open pollinated, large roots, dark-purple tops and white globes; aphid resistant, pinnately cleft, dark green glabrous leaves; plants have a single growing point and foliage remains erect and off the soil. Resistance: Turnip aphid (Hyadaphis erysiimi). Similar: Purple Top White Globe. 1980.

Royal Crest – Characteristics: F1 hybrid, second generation Purple Top White Globe type, taller and deeper green tops than Purple Top White Globe and Royal Crown, intense purple coloration on crown, high yield.

Royal Crown – Breeder: T. Sakata. Vendor: Northrup King and Co. Characteristics: F1 hybrid, vigorous, produces semi-flat-shaped root, lower portion of root white with attractive purple top, uniform with good hybrid vigor. Similar: Purple Top White Globe. Adaptation: United States. 1978.

Royal Crown II – Breeder: Sakata. Characteristics: F1 hybrid version of Purple Top White Globe, improved uniformity, semi globe shape, shoulders. Similar: Purple Top White Globe.

Royal Globe (ACR 3105) – Breeder and Vendor: Abbott and Cobb. Characteristics: F1 hybrid, uniform size, shape and color, faster growing than open pollinated. types. Similar: Purple Top and White Globe. Adaptation: wide. 1978.

Royal Globe II (ACR 3106) – Breeder and Vendor: Abbott and Cobb. Vendor: Abbott and Cobb and Otis Twilley. Characteristics: F1 hybrid, dark green foliage; broader and less cut-leaved than Royal Globe. Similar: Royal Globe. Adaptation: wide. 1980.

Sakata Foliage – Breeder: Sakata. Characteristics: open pollinated, large root, used as a foliage crop.

Savanna – Breeder: Sakata. Characteristics: hybrid of Early Tendergreen and Black-leafed Tendergreen, uniform and vigorous, upright habit, large round and shiny leaves. Resistance: cold-tolerant and bolting better than Tendergreen.

Seven Top – Characteristics: for greens, very dark green, flesh not edible, stock feed.

Shogoin – Characteristics: open pollinated, for foliage crop, roots white and flattened on top, tender and mild tasting leaves.

Shortop – Breeder and Vendor: Bill Wahlert Seeds. Characteristics: open pollinated, early, short tops (10-12″). Similar: Purple Top White Globe. 1978.

Show Top (ACR 3101) – Breeder and Vendor: Abbott and Cobb. Characteristics: F1 hybrid, dark green, vigorous tops, very uniform white roots. Similar: Just Rite. Adaptation: wide. 1979.

Spring Cutie – Breeder: Sakata. Characteristics: slow bolting, small size, leaves have thick petioles, semi globe shape, can overwinter in the field at temperatures of -3° C and above.

STG 6903 – Breeder: Sakata Seed. Vendor: Siegers Seed. Parentage: Hybrid. Characteristics: Tall hybrid turnip with heavyweight leaves that display very rapid and early regrowth. Its heavy leaves are very dark green, glossy, and smooth. It matures early with small short roots, and has good bolt resistance.

Tokyo Cross – Characteristics: F1 hybrid, very early, white globe shape.

Tokyo Market Second Early – Breeder: Sakata. Characteristics: open pollinated, slightly larger than Tokyo Market Early.

Tokyo Top – Breeder: Sakata. Characteristics: leaves larger and thicker roots than Market Express, later maturity than Market Express. Resistance: virus, downy mildew, bolting.

Top Star (STP 9901) – Breeder and vendor: Sakata Seed America. Parentage: F1 hybrid. Characteristics: excellent for turnip green production. 1998.

Topper – Characteristics: Hybrid Seven Top type with aphid and downy mildew resistance, leaves are non-pubescent, good cold tolerance, dark color. Resistance: aphids, downy mildew, tolerance to cold.

Tornado (Forage Star) – Breeder: Sakata. Characteristics: F1 hybrid, for foliage crop, thick fleshed leaves, deep green, tops usable in 60°. Resistance: tolerance to cold and downy mildew. Similar: Seven Top, with broader leaves.

White Count – Breeder: Sakata. Characteristics: F1 hybrid, semi-globe shape, slightly upright habit, early bolter. Resistance: virus, black spot, downy mildew, tolerance to cold. Similar: White Knight.

White Egg – Characteristics: egg shape, white with green-white tinted crown, crisp sweet flesh.

White Knight (52-1) – Breeder: T. Sakata. Vendor: Northrup King and Co. Characteristics: F1 hybrid, large rooted, upright habit, globe shape, becomes pithy when past maturity, early bolter, all white mild with excellent flavor; smooth texture, heavy tops and foliage, holds up well. Resistance: virus, black spot, downy mildew. Similar: Just Rite. Adaptation: wide. 1978.

White Lady – Breeder: Sakata. Characteristics: F1 hybrid, medium size root, good bolting tolerance and heat tolerance, erect habit, tender leaves, pure white skinned roots.

Yorii Spring – Characteristics: early maturing, all white, sweet.