Harvesting Growers’ Field Trials
In the second set of growers’ trials, eight growers in four west coast counties (Lee, Franklin, Levy, Wakulla) received oyster seed (2500 diploids – 2N and 2500 triploids – 3N, 21-26 mm in shell height) during March through April 2017 (see March 2017 news article). Growers employed various culture methods, which allowed for evaluation of site and gear interactions with ploidy type. Once oysters were placed in culture units (bags or baskets) at final densities, growers were asked to maintain three replicate bags or baskets for each ploidy type similarly as their other oysters but not to sort, grade, or