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- Author or Editor: Christopher S. Cramer x
Fusarium basal rot (FBR), caused by Fusarium oxysporum Schlechtend.:Fr. f. sp. cepae (H.N. Hans.) W.C. Snyder & H.N. Hans, is a soilborne fungal disease that affects bulb onions (Allium cepa L.) worldwide. Short-day onion cultivars that are resistant to FBR are lacking. The goal of this project was to screen fall-sown onion germplasm for FBR resistance using a mature bulb field screening at harvest and after 4 weeks in storage. The project was conducted for 2 years, and in each year, 26 fall-sown onion lines were grown in a field known to produce a high incidence of fusarium-basal-rot-infected bulbs. When all the bulbs in a plot were mature, the basal plates of 20 bulbs were cut transversely and each plate was rated for disease severity on a scale of one (no diseased tissue) to nine (70% or more diseased). Bulbs were stored and rerated at 2 and 4 weeks after harvest. Disease severity and incidence were higher in the first year than in the second year. Both severity and incidence increased as bulbs were stored for 4 weeks. NMSU 00-25 exhibited the lowest disease severity and incidence in both years at harvest time and after storage. `Buffalo' and `Cardinal' exhibited the highest severities and incidences across both years and at harvest time and after storage. Other entries exhibited high or low disease severity and incidence but not consistently across years and between harvest time and after storage. In the development of FBR resistant cultivars, breeding lines should be evaluated over multiple years and bulbs should be stored for 4 weeks before being screened.
The relationships between fruit yield and yield components in several cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) populations were investigated as well as how those relationships changed with selection for improved fruit yield. In addition, the correlations between fruit yield and yield components were partitioned into partial regression coefficients (path coefficients and indirect effects). Eight genetically distinct pickling and slicing cucumber populations, differing in fruit yield and quality, were previously subjected to modified half-sib family recurrent selection. Eight families from three selection cycles (early, intermediate, late) of each population were evaluated for yield components and fruit number per plant in four replications in each of two testing methods, seasons, and years. Since no statistical test for comparing the magnitudes of two correlations was available, a correlation (r) of 0.7 to 1.0 or –0.7 to –1.0 (r 2 ≥ 0.49) was considered strong, while a correlation of –0.69 to 0.69 was considered weak. The number of branches per plant had a direct positive effect on, and was correlated (r = 0.7) with the number of total fruit per plant over all populations, cycles, seasons, years, plant densities, and replications. The number of nodes per branch, the percentage of pistillate nodes, and the percentage of fruit set were less correlated (r < |0.7|) with total fruit number per plant (fruit yield) than the number of branches per plant. Weak correlations between yield components and fruit yield often resulted from weak correlations among yield components. The correlations among fruit number traits were generally strong and positive (r ≥ 0.7). Recurrent selection for improved fruit number per plant maintained weak path coefficients and correlations between yield components and total fruit number per plant. Selection also maintained weak correlations among yield components. However, the correlations and path coefficients of branch number per plant on the total fruit number became more positive (r = 0.67, 0.75, and 0.82 for early, intermediate, and late cycles, respectively) with selection. Future breeding should focus on selecting for the number of branches per plant to improve total fruit number per plant.
Currently, both hybrid and inbred pickling cucumber cultivars are being grown commercially in the United States. Heterosis for yield in pickling cucumber has been previously reported. However, heterosis has not been repeatable in other studies. The objective of this study was to determine the existence of heterosis and inbreeding depression for yield in pickling cucumber. Six pickling cucumber inbreds (`Addis', `Clinton', M 12, M 20, `Tiny Dill', `Wisconsin SMR 18') were hybridized to form four F1 hybrid families (`Addis × M 20, `Addis' × `Wis. SMR 18', `Clinton' × M 12, M 20 × `Tiny Dill'). Within each family, F2, BC1A and BC1B generations were also formed. Thirty plants of each generation within each family were grown in 3.1-m plots for four replications in the spring and summer seasons of 1996 at the Horticultural Crops Research Station in Clinton, N.C. Data were collected at once-over harvest for total, marketable, and early yield in terms of number (1000 fruit/ha) and weight (Mg/ha). In addition to yield, a fruit shape rating was collected for each plot. High parent heterosis for yield (total and marketable fruit weight) was only observed for `Addis' × `SMR 18' grown in the summer season. The three other families did not exhibit heterosis for total, marketable, and early yield. Heterosis for shape rating was not observed for any family. `Addis' × `Wis. SMR 18' also exhibited inbreeding depression for total fruit weight, marketable fruit weight, early fruit number, and early fruit weight during the spring season and for marketable fruit number and marketable fruit weight during the summer season.
Onions grown in New Mexico are currently harvested manually at 80% tops down (TD). Mechanical harvesting is a matter of urgency for growers in order to remain competitive and to reduce their cost and time. The objective of this study was to find the effect of different harvest stages on bulb quality. Twelve different onion cultivars were sown in Feb. 2004 in Las Cruces, N.M. The experiment was laid out in split-plot design with four harvest treatments based on physiological maturity—20% TD, 80% TD, 1 week after 80% TD, and 2 weeks after 80% TD as whole plots, with cultivars as sub-plots. After curing, data on harvest date, bulb diameter, height, firmness, number of growing points, average center diameter, fleshy scale number, and scale thickness were collected. Maximum number of scales was observed when bulbs were harvested 2 weeks after 80% TD, while average scale thickness was greatest when bulbs were harvested 1 week after 80% TD. Significant treatment by cultivar interaction was observed for bulb firmness. Cultivars Cimarron, Sierra Blanca and NMSU 04-52-2 produced firmer bulbs in all treatments, while NuMex Casper, NuMex Jose Fernandez and NuMex Centric produced firmer bulbs than others, only at 20% TD. Maximum bulb firmness was observed in NMSU 04-28 and NMSU 03-52-1 than others, when harvested 1 or 2 weeks after 80% TD. Overall, bulbs harvested 1 to 2 weeks after 80% TD exhibited firmer bulbs with more scales and greater scale thickness.
Onions grown in New Mexico currently are hand-harvested. In order to remain competitive and to lower production costs, growers will need to harvest onions mechanically. The current recommendation for harvest time is when 80% of onion tops have fallen. The objective of this study was to measure several bulb quality traits when bulbs were harvested at four different stages. Twelve short- and intermediate-day onion cultivars of different maturities were sown during Sept. 2004 in Las Cruces, N.M. Bulbs were harvested at four stages of physiological maturity: 20% tops down (TD), 80% TD, 1 week after 80% TD, and 2 weeks after 80% TD. After curing, data on harvest date, bulb diameter, height, firmness, number of growing points, average center diameter, fleshy scale number, and thickness were collected. For most traits, no differences existed among the different treatments. For the earliest-maturing cultivars, the maximum bulb firmness and number of scales were observed when bulbs were harvested 2 weeks after 80% TD. For later-maturing cultivars, the maximum number of scales was observed 1 week after 80% TD, while the maximum bulb firmness was observed at 2 weeks after 80% TD. For latest-maturing cultivars, bulbs harvested at 1 week after 80% TD were firmer than bulbs harvested at other times. For later-maturing cultivars, average scale thickness was greatest when bulbs were harvested 2 weeks after 80% TD. From this work, a delayed harvest of 1 to 2 weeks after 80% TD resulted in firmer bulbs with more scales.