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Silver reflective plastic mulches were compared with conventional bare ground culture for the reduction of aphids, and mosaic virus diseases as follows: Cucumber Mosaic, Watermelon Mosaic I and II, Zucchini Yellows Mosaic, and Squash Mosaic. Silver plastic mulch produced higher marketable yields than the bare ground treatments. Other colors (white, yellow, and black plastic with yellow edges) of plastic mulch treatments were intermediate in their effects on aphid population and virus disease reduction. Silver reflective mulch alone and silver reflective mulch with insecticide were superior to other colors of plastic mulch in reducing aphid populations. Silver reflective plastic mulch, with or without insecticide, resulted in 10-13 days delay in the onset of the above mentioned mosaic disease.
In 1995 a study was conducted in split-split-plot design to determine the effect of single, double, and equilateral planting configurations with a single and double recommended rate of fertilizer (NPK), would have on the yield of four sweetpotato cultivars. TU-1892, Jewel, TU-82-155, and Georgia Jet were planted on a raised shaped bed 2 ft wide. Fertilizer was banded in the center of the bed and plants were then placed 6 inches away on both sides of this band for the double and equilateral configurations and on one side for the single configuration. Plants were spaced 12 inches apart within rows and the rate of fertilizer used for both single and double rows was the recommended rate for single rows. All plots were side dressed with an additional 80 lbs/acre of K at the time of flowering. Marketable yield data showed that by doubling the recommended rate of fertilizer yield increased for all cultivars which ranged from 26%-41% for single, 35%-88% for double, and 64%-104% for equilateral configurations, respectively. The results also indicated that net returns for TU-1892 was 217%, Jewel 136%, TU-82-155 203%, and Georgia-Jet 171%, for double and equilateral configurations, respectively, when the rate of fertilizer was doubled.
In 1994, a study was conducted in split-plot design to determine the effect single- and double-row plantings would have on the yield of five sweetpotato cultivars. `TU-1892', `Carver', `Jewel', `TU-82-155', and `Georgia Jet' were planted on a raised shaped bed 2 feet wide. All recommended fertilizers were banded in the center of the bed and plants then were placed 6 inches away on both sides of this band for the double rows; single rows consisted of plants placed only on one side of the fertilizer band. Plants were spaced 12 inches apart within rows, and the rate of fertilizer used for single and double rows was the recommended rate for single rows. All plots were sidedressed with an additional 80 lbs/acre of K at the time of flowering. Marketable yield data showed that double-row planting of `Jewel', `TU-82-155', and `TU-1892' resulted in 36%, 38%, and 33% significant increase in yield, respectively, compared to single-row plantings. Double-row planting also significantly increased the yield of U.S. no. 1 `TU-82-155', `Jewel', and `Carver' sweetpotatoes by 40%, 43%, and 19%, respectively. All cultivars used in the study showed a significant increase in canners yield when planted in double vs. single rows. The results also indicated that `TU-1892', `Jewel', and `TU-82-155' may be more efficient in fertilizer use because higher yields were obtained in double-row plantings at the single-row fertilizer rates without the additional application of fertilizers.
Effects of planting methods and rowcover on the production of yellow crookneck squash, Cucurbita pepo L. var. melopepo Alef., were evaluated over 2 years at the E.V. Smith Research Center, Shorter, Ala. Summer squash was direct-seeded or transplanted in the field with or without black plastic mulch and grown with or without rowcover. Yield of transplanted squash was significantly increased over the same squash direct-seeded. Neither plastic mulch nor rowcover had an effect on summer squash production. Transplants matured 8 to 10 days earlier than the direct-seeded plants.
Yellow crookneck `Dixie' hybrid summer squash, Cucurbita pepo L. var. melopeop Alef., was evaluated at E.V. Smith Research Center, Shorter, Alabama. Summer squash was grown in single rows spaced 6 feet apart. Plants were seeded 18 inches apart within 20-foot row plots. Treatments were: 1) black plastic mulch (BPM), 2) yellow painted plastic mulch (YPM), 3) white plastic mulch (WPM), 4) bare soil (BS), 5) aluminum painted plastic mulch (APM) and 6) bare soil with Diazinon insecticide (BSI). Aphid traps caught more aphids in BS or BPM plots than those from APM or YPM plots. The onset of mosaic disease incidence of squash infected with the two viruses identified as zucchini yellow mosaic and cucumber mosaic was delayed by as much as three weeks when compared to BSI or BS. Summer squash planted in APM, WPM, YPM and BPM produced 96%, 98%, 75% and 21%, respectively, more total squash yield than that produced on bare soil (control). A higher percentage of green squash (virus infected) was produced from plants grown over BPM (72%), BSI (68%), BS (59%), YPM (57%) or WPM (57%) than from APM (39%)
Golf facilities account for 2.3 million acres in the United States. Numerous turfgrass species are managed on US golf facilities, but golf facilities may change turfgrasses depending on numerous variables. Knowing which turfgrasses are grown and how turfgrass selection has changed would provide important information to scientists, turfgrass managers, and policymakers. The objective of this survey was to measure turfgrass use on US golf facilities in 2021 and to determine whether changes in turfgrass selection have occurred since 2005. A survey was developed and distributed via e-mail to 13,938 US golf facilities, with 1861 responding. From 2005 to 2021, the total projected area of maintained turfgrass on US golf facilities decreased by 14.2%, which was likely a result of course closures and maintenance operations. Nationally, bermudagrass (Cynodon sp.) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) remained the most common warm- and cool-season turfgrasses, respectively. The area of winter-overseeded turfgrass declined by 60% between 2005 and 2021. The percentage of golf facilities that used zoysiagrass (Zoysia sp.) and seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum) increased depending on region and specific playing surface, albeit a pragmatically minor increase. In general, turfgrass selection on golf facilities in northern climates did not change, whereas turfgrass selection in southern climates favored a change from cool- to warm-season species, depending on the playing surface. Whether in historically cool-season or warm-season regions, it appears that many golf facilities are exploring alternatives to their traditional turfgrass species.
Three horticultural races of avocado (Persea americana Mill.) are known: Guatemalan, Mexican, and West Indian. Each race has unique characteristics and current commercial varieties have been selected from within the races or from interracial hybrids. Using 14 microsatellite loci we investigated the genetic variation among 224 accessions (394 plants) maintained at the National Germplasm Repository (NGR) in Miami, Fla., and a set of 34 clones from the University of California South Coast Field Station (SCFS) located in Irvine, Calif. The 14 microsatellite loci had an average of 18.8 alleles per locus and average unbiased genetic diversity was 0.83. The total propagation error in the collection, i.e., plants that had been incorrectly labeled or grafted, was estimated to be 7.0%. Although many unique alleles did exist, no useful race-specific markers were found. A general concordance between the horticultural race and the clusters obtained from molecular data was observed. Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCA) grouped the Guatemalan and Mexican races into two distinct clusters. The West Indian also grouped into a unique major cluster but with an outlying group. Using the PCA a change in the racial designation or interracial hybrid status for 50 accessions (19.7%) is proposed. The unbiased gene diversity estimate was highest in the Mexican and Guatemalan races and lower in the West Indian group. This demonstrates the need to collect more of the West Indian germplasm to broaden the genetic diversity and to emphasize the identification of individuals conferring resistance to Phytophthora Root Rot (PRR).
TU-155 and Georgia-Jet early, TU-1892 and Carver late maturing sweet-potato cultivars. were evaluated in the field to determine the effect of flower removal (FR) would have on marketable storage, root numbers and yield. Other parameters measured were leaf area and numbers, plant fresh and dry weight. Plants were sampled at 57 and 71 days after transplanting (DAT). All flowers were hand removed and the 1st harvest began 45 days DAT for the early and at 60 DAT for the late maturing cultivars. All flower harvests concluded 22 days after 1st harvest began and roots were harvested 120 DAT. There was significant differences among cultivars for total flower production with N-1892 and Georgia-Jet having the highest flower production. FR treatments for N-155 and Georgia-Jet showed significant increases for plant dry weight, leaf area and numbers 71 DAT while Carver and TU-1892 showed no significant differences for the same sample period. Marketable root numbers were not significantly affected by FR but marketable yields for all cultivars were. Overall, the cultivars showed variation both within and among maturity groups in their response to FR treatments, for example N-155 had a 39% compared to 3% increase for Georgia-let while Carver had a 15% increase in marketable yield compared to 5% for TU-1891.
An early planting (January) of 8 wks. old collards (Brassica oleracea (L) var. acephala `Georgia Collards') and subsequently followed by `Crimson Sweet' watermelon transplants (April) on clear and black polyethylene mulches and bare soil plus VisPore row cover (VCM, VBM, VBS), clear and black polyethylene mulches and bare soil (CM, BM, BS) in combination with drip irrigation were transplanted on the same plots. Marketable yield of collards (March) was significantly greater for mulched and row cover treatments than bare soil. Watermelon (harvested June 7th, 1990) total and marketable numbers and yield were significantly greater when grown on mulched treatments than bare soil. Mono-cropping of watermelon were profitable under VCM, VBM, CM and BM treatments and collards when grown as a mono-crop was not profitable under any system. By sharing the costs of production under a double-cropping system the profitability of watermelons increased when grown under VCM, VBM, CM, BM VBS and for collards under VCM and VBM treatments.
Agriplastic black mulch (BM), row cover (spunbonded) plus black mulch (RBM) and solarized soil treatments plus black mulch (SBM). row cover plus black mulch on solarized soil (RSBM) and row cover plus solar&d soil (RSBS) increased Floradade tomato yield from 56 to 285%. number of tomatoes and plant height compared to the non-solarized bare soil (BS). When comparing increased growth response (IGR) of the plants grown in the solarized soil with no row cover agriplastic treatments, there was no significant differences among them. When comparing the IGR parameters of tomato plants grown under SBS, BM, and RBS there were no significant differences among them. Spunbonded row cover treatments increased IGR of tomatoes over all treatments without row cover. A significant increase in plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) was observed in the rhizosphere soil of Floradade tomatoes grown in solarized soil alone and in those other agriplastic treatments compared to bare soil. There appear to be no differences in PGPR population among SBS and all agriplastic treatments.