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- Author or Editor: Richard McAvoy x
In recent years, Catharanthus roseus has become a popular bedding plant, but at present there is little cultural information available for growers. This study examines the effects of four different temperature regimes and two light levels on three cultivars of Catharanthus. Average daily temperature regimes ranged from 15.3°C to 27.3°C; light intensities were 125 μmolm-2s-1 and 250 μmolm-2s-1. Plants were harvested as each successive pair of true leaves reached 1.5 cm in length, from the first true leaf stage until flowering. Measurements included internode length, leaf length, leaf area, dry weight of stem and leaves, and number and length of shoots. The plants grown at the lowest temperature regime took four times as long to flower as those grown at the highest temperature regime. Plants grown at the coolest temperature also exhibited chlorosis, stunting, and unusual flower formation. Information obtained from this study should assist growers in determining their planting schedule and the optimum greenhouse temperature for desired plant habit.
Abstract
Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cvs. Annette Hegg Supreme, V-10, and Brilliant Annette Hegg) were grown on heated benches and exposed to root zone temperatures between 18° and 29° C. Increasing media temperatures affected bract size and development, internode length, fresh and dry weight of stems, leaves, and bracts, as well as the number of axillary shoots of cultivars differentially. In general, plants grown at higher temperatures were shorter, had more prominent axillary shoots, and developed anthocyanin sooner than unheated controls.
As water resources become limited, agricultural producers must resort to alternative sources for irrigation, including municipal reclaimed water which may contain impurities such as salts that can adversely impact irrigation management practices and crop yield. To test the effects of salinity on plant growth and nutrient composition under greenhouse conditions, zinnia (Zinnia elegans) was produced under two different subirrigation management regimes and exposed to various concentrations of NaCl to simulate the crop production challenges associated with poor water quality. Plants received either short- or long-cycle subirrigation to achieve differing levels of potting medium saturation at each irrigation event. Plants under these two irrigation management regimes were challenged with NaCl at concentrations up to 1.5 g·L−1 or 3 dS·m−1 . Zinnia plants accumulated more Na in shoot tissues as salinity in the irrigation water increased from 0 to 1.5 g·L−1. The electrical conductivity (EC) in the potting medium also increased over time, and the rate of leaf area expansion decreased with increasing levels of salinity in the irrigation water. Short-cycle irrigation management has been shown to increase fertilizer and water use efficiency (WUE), thereby reducing the costs associated with these resources and also reducing the environmental impacts of agricultural crop production. In our study, the medium under short-cycle subirrigation management had lower gravimetric water content (GWC), both before and after irrigation, than the medium under long-cycle subirrigation, but the drier medium conditions did not increase susceptibility to salt injury. Furthermore, plants grown under short-cycle irrigation management for 4 to 6 weeks accumulated less Na in shoot tissue than plants grown under long-cycle irrigation management. Sodium accumulation in the shoot tissues was a product of both the amount of sodium in the irrigation solution and the amount of water used by the plant over time. Therefore, short-cycle subirrigation can be used as an effective water management technique even when raw water quality is poor as represented by elevated salinity. Our research indicates that zinnia can be irrigated with saline water up to 0.5 g·L−1 NaCl (an EC of 1 dS·m−1) in a 5-week production cycle without adverse effects on growth.
In this paper we review our research of light effects on tomato production. It was demonstrated that, during the production of greenhouse tomatoes, the total fruit yield, as well as time of harvest, was related to light. The date of harvest was inversely correlated with the amount of light the crop received during the seedling phase of growth, while fruit weight was positively correlated with light during the production phase. Additionally, we present information that shows that light was most effective in promoting fruit development between 15 and 45 days after flowering. Some of these relationships were quantified and used to develop a predictive model to help a grower plan a tomato crop to meet market demand. The concept of the Single-cluster Tomato Production System was developed, and the rewards of using our understanding of plant-environment interactions to control plant growth and, therefore maxim&profits were shown. Furthermore, the need to create a more dynamic model and the methods for doing so were discussed.
Omega-3 fatty acids (O3FA) are essential for normal human growth, development, and disease prevention. Purslane (Portulaca oleraceae L.) is an excellent source of the O3FA α-linolenic acid (LNA)—with higher concentrations than any green leafy-vegetable examined to date—and is being considered for cultivation (by USDA-ARS) in an effort to improve the balance of essential fatty acids in the western diet. Twenty-fi ve-day-old seedlings of both a green-leafed and a golden-leafed type of purslane were transplanted into a closed hydroponic system. Nitrogen, at 200 ppm, was provided as NO3 and NH4 forms to yield NO3: NH4 ratios of 1:0, 0.25:0.75, 0.5:0.5, and 0.75:0.25. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete-block design with five replications. The experiment was repeated. Young, fully expanded leaves were harvested 18 days after treatment initiation, frozen (–60°C), and then analyzed for fatty acids using gas chromatography. Although the two types of purslane did not differ in LNA concentration, the green-leafed purslane produced greater total dry mass than the golden-type. On a leaf dry mass basis, plants grown with a NO3:NH4 ratio of 0.5:0.5 produced 241% and 53% greater LNA than plants grown with NO3:NH4 ratios of 1:0 and 0.75:0.25, respectively. Plants grown with NO3:NH4 ratios of 1:0 and 0.25:0.75 produced similar leaf LNA concentrations. Total dry mass was not affected by the nitrogen treatments.
Subirrigation for production of potted ornamental plants reduces the waste of water and fertilizer inherent to conventional overhead watering systems used in greenhouses. Ebb and flow watering systems for flooded floors typically operate slowly so that the substrate takes up water to near effective water-holding capacity during each irrigation event. We used a system that rapidly delivered water to and removed water from the production surface to restrict the water provided to the plants. We examined several parameters that vary between this fast-cycle ebb and flow watering on a flooded floor compared with slow-cycle watering. Water and fertilizer use was reduced by 20% to 30% with fast- compared with slow-cycle watering. Biomass and stem height at bloom were also reduced by 10% to 20% under fast-cycle saturation. This watering method did not affect the rate of flower development or plant nutrient composition. Volumetric water content of the substrate was the only measure that was affected by location on the flooded floor. Despite the fast ebb and flow on pitched floors, none of the aspects of plant growth was affected by location on the floor. This method of watering shows promise as a means to produce uniform crops of container-grown plants while conserving water and fertilizer.
Abstract
Tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Laura), pruned to a single-flower truss, were exposed to 90 μmol·s−1·m−2 supplemental photosynthetic lighting (0400 to 2200 hr) during the developmental period: a) anthesis to initial fruit set, b) anthesis to mature-green fruit, or c) anthesis to red-ripe fruit. The yield response was compared to plants receiving d) no supplemental photosynthetic lighting after incipient anthesis. The greatest increase in average fruit weight was produced with continued supplemental lighting during the developmental-period initial fruit set to the mature-green stage. Net photosynthetic activity, μmol CO2/min per dm2, was the greatest in the canopy during early anthesis and then steadily declined as the canopy aged. Net whole plant photosynthetic activity, μmol CO2/min per plant, increased steadily after the early anthesis stage of development to a peak rate during the rapid fruit development stage. Net whole plant photosynthetic activity then declined as the plant approached the mature-green and then finally the red-ripe stage of fruit development.
Cytokinins play an important role in regulating plant growth and development. The cytokinin gene, isopentenyl transferase (ipt), was placed under the control of the ACC oxidase promoter from the LEACO1 gene from Lycopersicon esculentum and introduced into Nicotiana tabacum (cv. Havana) and chrysanthemum (Dendranthema × grandiflorum `Iridon'). Transformants were confirmed by PCR reaction and Southern blot and analyzed for phenotypical changes under both greenhouse and growth chamber conditions. With both species, LEACO1-ipt transgenic plants displayed a wide range of vegetative and generative phenotypes. With plants growing in the vegetative state, some LEACO1-ipt transgenic lines appeared similar to the non-transgenic wild-type cultivars while other lines showed excessive lateral branch development and short internodes. With plants grown under generative conditions, several LEACO1-ipt transgenic lines showed a 2 to 10-fold increase in the number of flower buds relative to the wild-type cultivars. With chrysanthemum, dramatic increases in bud count were observed on transgenic lines that otherwise displayed a morphology similar to the non-transgenic lines. Analysis of ipt expression indicated a marked change in gene expression between the most extreme phenotypes observed in this study. LEACO1-ipt lines that express normal vegetative development but increased flower bud counts appear to have great potential for ornamental crop improvement.
It has been reported that constitutive expression of the fatty acid desaturase enzyme increased the trienoic fatty acid content of thylakoid membranes in transgenic tobacco, allowing the membranes to remain fluid under cold conditions. While increased cold tolerance resulted from this genetic modification, plants with a constitutively expressed desaturase enzyme would not be particularly well suited for growth under warm temperatures. To increase the ability of plants to tolerate prolonged cold-storage and still perform under greenhouse production conditions (25 °C), a unique cold-inducible genetic construct was cloned and tested. The FAD7 gene, which encodes an omega-3-fatty acid desaturase enzyme, was put under the control of a cold-inducible promoter (cor15a) from Arabidopsis thaliana. Transgenic petunia plants (cv, Marco Polo Odyssey) harboring cor15a:FAD7 were established and conformed by PCR and Southern analysis. Therefore in our study, FAD7 gene expression was induced by exposure to cold temperatures and down regulated under normal growing conditions. RT-PCR indicated a marked increase in FAD7 expression between transgenic plants exposed to a short (3 days) cold treatment prior to long-term cold storage and those that did not receive a cold induction treatment. Transgenic and wild-type plants were induced in cold (3 °C) for 3 days, returned for normal greenhouse conditions for 5 days and then subjected 3 weeks of continuous cold storage. It was observed that two out of eight transgenic lines showed superior cold tolerance relative to wild-type petunia plants. Additionally, plants that showed cold tolerance completely recovered; growing and flowering normally when returned to the 25 °C greenhouse conditions.
The bacterial isopentenyl transferase (ipt) gene involved in cytokinin biosynthesis was fused with a promoter from the serine proteinase inhibiter (win3.12) gene of Populus x generosa and introduced into Nicotiana tabacum (cv. Havana). Transformants were confirmed by PCR reaction and Southern blot analysis, and then analyzed for phenotypic characteristics. RT-PCR analysis detected transcripts of the ipt gene following the wounding of win3.12:ipt transgenic plants. In win3.12: ipt transgenic plants, lateral shoot number and the diameter of lateral branches that developed following apical shoot removal increased relative to wild-type plants. However, the increase in cytokinin production following wounding appeared to be short lived. The potential utility of this construct in enhancing lateral branching in ornamental crops will be discussed.