Search Results
You are looking at 21 - 30 of 105 items for
- Author or Editor: Daniel J. Cantliffe x
A physiological disorder, “Elephant's Foot”, can develop in greenhouse hydroponic sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). In a plant with this disorder, the base of the stem becomes swollen below the cotyledon level and wounds develop at the base of the stem's epidermis, what might predispose it to a localized rot and result in a sudden permanent plant wilt. Salt accumulation at the base of the stem could be a possible cause of the epidermis wounds. The effects of soilless media type (perlite, coconut coir, pine bark, and peat–perlite–vermiculate mix), transplant depth, and amount of nutrient solution applied per day were studied to evaluate the development of “Elephant's Foot” on a summer–fall sweet pepper greenhouse crop in Gainesville, Fla. Seedlings grown in polyethylene containers were transplanted 29 June 1999 into 11.4-L pots at three transplant depths: a) at half of the cell height, discarding only the bottom of the container (TOP); b) at the cotyledon level (LEVEL), and c) at the second stem node (DEEP). Plants were irrigated with 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, and 4 L/day per plant of solution. The percentage of plants with epidermis wounds at the base of the stem was highest (82.5%) on TOP plants, compared to LEVEL (5.8%) and DEEP plants (0%). TOP plants had higher values of electrical conductivity on the stem epidermis than LEVEL and DEEP plants. There was a positive linear relationship (r = 0.82) between the percentage of plants with epidermis wounds and the electrical conductivity. Early yield of extra large and large fruits was higher in DEEP (1.05 kg·m–2) than in TOP plants (0.82 kg·m–2). Transplanting sweet pepper with the cotyledonary node under the soilless media could minimize salt accumulation and epidermis damage at the base of the stem level.
Embryogenic callus of sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] disassociates in liquid medium to form a heterogeneous population of embryogenic and nonembryogenic cell aggregates of varying sizes. To improve embryo production, such cell aggregate populations were obtained by manually fragmenting calli 5 to 10 mm in size into liquid medium. The resulting suspensions were analyzed and the embryogenic fraction identified. The percentage of embryogenic aggregates and the percentage of aggregates forming embryos decreased with decreasing aggregate size. Thus, 76% of the 710- to 1000-μm-diameter aggregates but only 14% of the 180- to 250-μm aggregates had embryogenic potential. However, only 20% of the 710- to 1000-μm aggregates and only 2% of the 180- to 250-μm aggregates actually formed embryos. Conversely, embryogenic callus and embryo production per milligram of cultured embryogenic callus increased quadratically with decreasing aggregate size. Individual torpedo-stage embryos were produced from cell aggregates 180 to 250 μm in size.
`Verina' leek (AIlium porrum L.) seed germination is normally reduced at temperatures > 25C. Leek seeds were primed in aerated solutions (1.5 MPa, 10 days at 15C) of d-mannitol (mannitol), polyethylene glycol-8000 (PEG), KNO, and a nonaerated solution of PEG-8000 (PEG). At high temperatures mannitol, PEG, and PEG significantly enhanced germination percentage relative to KNO, or the control. At constant 30C, the mannitol, PEG, and PEG treatments increased final germination almost 10 times and the coefficient of velocity (COV) was improved compared to KNO, and the control. 10 growth chambers with alternating day/night temperatures (38 to 28C or 32 to 22C, 10 to 14 hours, respectively), primed seeds had significantly higher emergence and a larger COV than the control. In a greenhouse study under good conditions for germination, total emergence of primed and nonprimed seeds was similar; however, mannitol, PEG, and PEG led to a significantly higher COV than the control or KNO, treatments. These controlled-environment results demonstrate that priming leek seeds via mannitol, PEG, and PEG may promote early emergence at high temperature and improve stand uniformity for container transplant production.
Poor emergence and low seedling vigor are characteristics of many supersweet sweet corn (Zea mays L.) cultivars carrying the shrunken-2 (sh2) gene. Four sh2 sweet corn cultivar seeds [`How Sweet It Is' (HSII), `Crisp N' Sweet 711' (CNS-711), `Sweet Belle' (SB), and `Dazzle' (DZ)] were solid-matrix-primed (SMP), SMP with sodium hypochlorite (SMPcl), treated with a fungicide combination (F) (Imazalil + Captan + Apron + Thiram), or primed with the aforementioned fungicides (SMPf). The seed treatments were tested in the laboratory and the field. Seed imbibition and leachate electrical conductivity were lower in SMP seeds than in nonprimed seeds. In the field, emergence percentage and rate of CNS-711 and SB (high-vigor seeds) were not improved by the seed treatments compared to the nontreated seeds. Emergence percentage and rate of HSII and DZ (considered low-vigor seeds) were improved as a result of SMPcl, SMPf, or F treatments compared to nonprimed seeds. Compared to the F treatment, the SMPcl presowing treatment increased DZ seedling emergence rate and percentage. The combined SMP and seed disinfection via NaOCl seems to be a promising fungicide seed-treatment substitute that improves the stand establishment and seedling vigor of sh2 sweet corn cultivars. Chemical names used: 1-[2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-(2-propenyloxy)ethyl]-1 H imidazole (Imazalil); N-[(trichloromethyl)thio]-4-cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboximide(Captan); N- (2,6-dimethylphenyl)- N -(methoxyacetyl)alanine methyl ester (Apron); tetramethylthiuram disulfide (Thiram).
`South Bay' lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) seedlings were grown in a greenhouse during winter, spring, and fall to investigate the effect of cell size and medium compression on transplant quality and yield. Four Speedling planter flats (1.9-, 10.9-, 19.3-, 39.7-cm3 cells) and two medium compression levels [noncompressed and compressed (1.5 times in weight)] were tested. The two larger cell sizes and compression of the medium led to increased plant shoot growth. Conversely, root weight ratio [RWR = (final root dry weight ÷ final total dry weight + initial root dry weight ÷ initial total dry weight) ÷ 2] was highest with the smaller cells without medium compression. Lettuce transplants were field-grown on sand and muck soils. The larger cells delayed harvest by >2 weeks for plants grown on muck soil, but yield was unaffected. When grown on sandy soil, earliness was enhanced from plants grown in 19- and 40-cm3 cells, but head weights were not affected in the spring planting. In fall, heads were heavier for plants grown in 11-, 19-, or 40-cm3 cells compared with those from 2-cm3 cells. On sandy soil, harvest was delayed 13 days in spring and 16 days in fall for plants grown in the smallest cell size. Using the two smaller cell sizes saved medium and space in the greenhouse and increased the root growth ratio, but it led to reduced plant growth compared to using the bigger cells. Yield and earliness were more related to season and soil type than to transplant quality. On sandy soil, plants grown in 2- and 11-cm3 cells matured later, and yield was significantly decreased (8.6%) in fall by using plants from the 2-cm3 cells compared to the other sizes. From our results, compressing the medium in the cells was not justified because it is more costly and did not benefit yield in the field.
Generally, sweet corn cultivars (Zea mays L.) carrying the shrunken-2 (sh2) gene have lower germination and seedling vigor than normal or sugary (su) cultivars. Seeds of sh2 `How Sweet It Is' (HSII) and `Crisp N'Sweet 711' (CNS-711) were imbibed for 6 hours. Rapid water uptake, higher seed leakage, and fungal infection were found in HSII, the lower germinating cultivar. Imbibition rate and leakage conductivity were reduced in both cultivars during the first 5 hours at 5C as compared with 25C. Sodium hypochlorite was an effective seed disinfectant. When the seeds were primed with sodium hypochlorite via solid matrix priming (SMP), germination under stressful conditions (soilcold test) was significantly improved in both cultivars. Primed seeds had significantly lower imbibitional rates and leakage conductivity than nonprimed seeds. The superior germination measured in primed and disinfected seeds was possibly due to the lower imbibitional rate and reduced seed fungal infection.
Abstract
Priming has been used to circumvent thermodormancy in lettuce seeds, but results have sometimes varied according to cultivar and seed lot. Two- and 3-year-old seeds of ‘Montello’ and ‘Green Lakes’ lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) were aged at 41°C and 100% RH for 2, 3, or 5 days, dried, then primed for 20 hours at 15° in aerated 1% K3PO4 and redried at 7° and 45% RH. Germination at 25° was not affected by 2 and 3 days of accelerated aging or by priming of 2- and 3-year-old seeds. After 5 days of accelerated aging, germination decreased for both primed and nonprimed seeds. No germination occurred at 35° unless the seeds were primed. Natural aging led to a reduction in germination of primed ‘Green Lakes’ seeds at 35°. All accelerated aging treatments led to reduced germination of the primed seeds at 35°, regardless of cultivar. After prolonged accelerated aging (3 or 5 days), priming did not overcome thermodormancy. Accelerated aging greatly reduced germination rate at 25°. Priming for longer durations of 35 and 40 hours, after 3 days of accelerated aging, increased germination rates slightly at 25° but did not improve germination patterns at 35°. Only lettuce seeds of the highest quality could be effectively primed to overcome thermodormancy.
Abstract
Ethephon [(2-chloroethyl) phosphonic acid] increased the yield of red fruit and reduced green fruit and total yields on 5 cultivars of peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) in the greenhouse. The effectiveness of ethephon was dependent on its concentration, the number of sprays, and cultivar. The cultivar Shepherd was the most sensitive to ethephon. A 10-ppm spray applied twice to ‘Shepherd’ was more effective in promoting red fruit coloring than any of the single sprays. Double or single sprays were equally effective in ‘Sweet Hungarian’, ‘Cascabella,’ and, to a lesser degree, ‘Staddon’s Select’, but double sprays were more effective in ‘Vinedale.’ The higher single concentrations of ethephon caused more chlorosis, defoliation, and fruit abscission than repeated application at lower concentration, and total yields were substantially reduced.
In the field, 3 applications of 300 ppm ethephon significantly increased yield of red fruit and decreased green fruit in ‘Vinedale’, whereas all multiple applications were equally effective on ‘Shepherd.’ Only a single 750 ppm ethephon treatment significantly promoted fruit ripening in ‘Staddon’s Select.’ Ethephon effectively concentrated fruit maturity in the field for once-over harvest without reducing yield.
In a test to overcome poor seed germination and seedling vigor of sweet corn (Zea mays L.) seeds carrying the shrunken-2 (sh2) mutant endosperm, primed seeds of two sh2 sweet corn cultivars—Crisp N'Sweet 711 (CNS-711) and How Sweet It Is (HSII)—were redried at 15, 20, 30, or 40C and 25% relative humidity after solid matrix priming (SMP). The dehydration rate was significantly lower in `CNS-711' than `HSII' at all temperatures. In both cultivars, the drying temperature after SMP was critical for seed performance. Primed seeds with a higher dehydration rate (dried at 30 or 40C) had better seed vigor, greater field emergence and seedling vigor, lower leachate conductivity and imbibition rate, and a higher respiration rate and glutamic acid decarboxylase activity than primed seeds redried at the lower temperatures or control seeds. Increased incidence of pathogen growth was observed on seeds dried at 15 and 20C relative to those dried at 30 or 40C, probably as a consequence of greater leakage from the seeds at a lower redrying temperatures. Lack of tolerance to dehydration at 15 and 20C was another factor adversely affecting the seeds redried at low temperature. A more rapid dehydration rate at a higher temperature after priming sh2 sweet corn improved many of the physiological characteristics used to measure seed quality and the subsequent emergence and vigor of the seedlings under field conditions.