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- Author or Editor: Ellen T. Paparozzi x
Abstract
Rooted cuttings of Pilea cadierei Gagnep. & Guillaum., Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. cv. Giant #4 Indianapolis White, Hedera helix L. cv. Thorndale, Pachysandra terminalis Siebold & Zucc. and young plants of Juniperus chinensis L. cv. Mint Julep and Ligustrum X vicaryi were exposed for 3 weeks to either water mist or mist to which a complete all soluble fertilizer (23N-8P-14K) was added; roots and root medium were protected from the mist. The N, P and usually K content of all plants increased after foliar application of nutrients. Pilea, pachysandra and Hedera increased in height, dry weight, and number of lateral breaks; privet increased in height and overall greening of the foliage occurred. The optimum concentration of foliar-applied nutrients was 600 ppm for Pilea, 750 ppm for Hedera and pachysandra and 300 ppm for Ligustrum; higher concentrations caused foliage injury. Injury occurred to chrysanthemum and juniper at all concentrations studied. Cuticle thickness and plant tolerance to foliar nutrition were not correlated.
Hydrangeas are sold as a potted florist plant during the spring, usually around Mothers Day and Easter. They are considered “heavy feeders” because of their high requirement for nitrogen. Two experiments were conducted to determine if the addition of sulfur (S) would allow lower rates of nitrogen (N) to be applied without sacrificing plant color and quality. Hydrangea macrophylla `Blue Danube' were fertilized with four levels of N (50, 100, 200, and 450 ppm) in combination with six levels of S (0, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 96 ppm) during a typical forcing program. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with a complete factorial treatment design. Data collected included visual observations (using the Royal Horticultural Society Color Chart) on leaf color and uniformity of flower color as well as flower shape. Quantitative data included flower diameter, floret diameter, height, and N an S leaf concentrations. Soil pH was monitored throoughout the experiment and remained fairly constant (range of 5.0–6.0). Additional sulfur seemed to have no effect on leaf color at the higher levels of N. Lower concentrations of N produced more true blue flower color. Also, at lower N concentrations, higher S resulted in larger flowers with larger florets.
Common swedish ivy plants when exposed to nitrogen (N) stress display typical nitrogen deficiency symptoms such as reddening of stems and petioles and yellowing of leaves. When N levels are restored, leaves of swedish ivy plants will re-green without leaf loss. An experiment was conducted to determine how proteins change when leaves were re-greened after N deficiency. Cuttings of Plectranthus australis were rooted under mist and allowed to yellow. Plants were then potted up and fertilized with one of two treatments: complete nutrients with N at 150 ppm or complete nutrients with 0.8 ppm N. The experimental design was a randomized complete-block design with six blocks. Each block had the two N treatments and six plants per treatment. After 3–4 weeks, all plants in the 150-ppm N treatment had re-greened and leaf samples for protein analysis were taken. Plants in four of the six blocks were then switched to the other treatment. After leaves had re-greened once again, leaf samples were taken and the experiment was terminated. Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to compare the treatments. No obvious differences in protein absence or presence were noted. However, Rubisco appeared to be differentially expressed between the two treatments. 2-D gel analysis with subsequent Western blots showed that for most of the leaf samples, the large subunit of Rubisco (56kD) was quantitatively about 1.3 times more concentrated in the N-deficient plants and possibly modified. The small subunit (12kD) was not reliably detectable. Additional protein results for repeated leaf re-greening and the role Rubsico may play in leaf re-greening will be discussed.
Three cultivars of poinsettia, Freedom Red, Lilo and Red Sails, were grown in a peat:perlite:vermiculite mix according to a commercial production schedule. Twelve selected nitrogen–sulfur fertilizer combinations were applied (125, 150, 175 ppm N with either 12.5, 25, or 37.5 ppm S, 225 and 275 ppm N with either 37.5 or 75 ppm S). The experimental design was a split plot with cultivars as the whole plot and fertilizer levels as the split-plot factor. Mix samples were taken initially, at production week 7 and at the end of the experiment. Nitrate-nitrogen, sulfate-sulfur and total nitrogen were determined. Data were analyzed using SAS PROC MIXED. Visually all cultivars responded similarly to all treatments and were salable. Thus, levels of N as low as 125 or 150 with 12.5 ppm S produced quality plants. Sulfate-S tended to accumulate in the mix while nitrate-N and total N did not. Both nitrate-N and sulfate-S concentrations were affected by an interaction between the cultivar and the amount of S applied with `Freedom' better able to utilize available sulfur. `Lilo' removed more nitrate-N and total N from the mix than `Freedom' which removed more than `Red Sails', but only at specific levels of sulfur. There was no cultivar by nitrogen interaction for any variable measured.
Cuttings of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch `Dark Red Annette Hegg' were grown hydroponically in minus S Hoagland's solution modified to supply 0, 1, 2, 4, or 8 mg S/liter for 8 weeks. Nutrient solution changes; visual observations, sampling of tissue, and measurement of electrical conductivity and pH were done every 2 weeks. Deficiency symptoms appeared after 4 weeks of growth in treatments supplying 0 or 1 mg S/liter and occasionally in treatments supplying 2 mg S/liter. Symptoms included reddening of the petiole and main vein of new leaves followed by yellowing of these leaves. Leaf tissue S levels ranged from 700 to 3600 mg S/kg of plant. Deficient levels were identified as <2200 mg S/kg of plant. Suggested critical tissue levels of S would be 2300 to 3000 mg S/kg of plant leaf tissue.
Previous research on leaf lettuce has shown that altering the N:S ratio has an effect on plant color and N and S content. It appears that nitrogen rates can be decreased if known rates of sulfur are applied. The next step was to determine what effect altering the N:S ratio in lettuce had on consumer acceptance of the product.
`Grand Rapids' lettuce was grown hydroponically at six rates of S (0, 7.5, 15, 30, 60, 120 ppm) and four rates of N (30, 60, 120, 240 ppm). Sensory evaluation was performed on 20 of 24 treatments. The sensory panel was composed of 12 panelists who used the nonstructured hedonic scale to evaluate each lettuce treatment on appearance, color, texture, flavor, bitter flavor, and overall acceptability.
Results from the sensory evaluation indicate that differences in color, appearance, and bitter flavor were detected between treatments by the panel. Lettuce plants that received higher amounts of N in relation to S were considered less bitter in flavor and, over all, more acceptable than plants which received higher amounts of S in relation to N. These results indicate that altering the N:S ratio will affect consumer acceptance of leaf lettuce.
A key characteristic of scientific research is that the entire experiment (or series of experiments), including the data analyses, is reproducible. This aspect of science is increasingly emphasized. The Materials and Methods section of a scientific paper typically contains the necessary information for the research to be replicated and expanded on by other scientists. Important components are descriptions of the study design, data collection, and statistical analysis of those data, including the software used. In the Results section, statistical analyses are presented; these are usually best absorbed from figures. Model parameter estimates (including variances) and effect sizes should also be included in this section, not just results of significance tests, because they are needed for subsequent power and meta-analyses. In this article, we give key components to include in the descriptions of study design and analysis, and discuss data interpretation and presentation with examples from the horticultural sciences.
Response surface methods refer to a set of experimental design and analysis methods to study the effect of quantitative treatments on a response of interest. In theory, these methods have a broad range of applicability. While they have gained widespread acceptance and application in manufacturing and quality improvement research, they have never caught on in the agricultural sciences. We propose that this is because there has not been specific research demonstrating their usage. In this paper, two 34 factorial experiments were performed using 100 poinsettia plants (Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch) to measure nutrient element concentrations in leaves at three rates each of nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn). Three different methods of analysis were compared—the standard analysis of variance with no regression model, the quadratic regression model commonly assumed for most standard response surface methods and the Hoerl model regression, a nonlinear alternative to quadratic response. Actual nutrient element values were compared with the values predicted by each regression model and then also evaluated to see if the visual symptomology of yellowing related to those nutrient concentrations in leaves. The Hoerl model demonstrated better ability to detect biologically relevant nonlinear two-, three-, and four-way nutrient interactions. Though there was minimal replication this model characterized the treatment effects while keeping the size of the experiment manageable both in terms of time (labor) and cost of plant analyses. Additionally, it was shown that when S, Fe, and/or Mn were deficient along with N, their visual deficiency symptoms were masked by the overall yellowing associated with N deficiency. This model is recommended as the initial experiment in a series where scientists are looking to expand information already determined for two factors. Other treatment systems that this can be used with include: levels of irrigation, pesticides, and plant growth regulators.