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Nineteen interspecific hybrid breeding lines were tested for resistance to a TSWV isolate using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to check for presence of the virus after inoculation. These lines were all BC1F6 lines derived from L. esculentum crosses with seven L. chilense accessions. All of these lines had been selected for high tolerance/resistance to tomato mottle virus (ToMoV), a geminivirus [Scott et al., Bemisia 1995: Taxonomy, Biology, Damage Control and Management 30: 357–367 (1996)]. The initial TSWV screening indicated that eight of the 19 original lines had “possible” TSWV resistance. Seed from these selected eight lines were then planted and inoculated with TSWV ≈3 weeks after emergence. Three weeks later, ELISA results indicated that all plants from all lines were infected with TSWV. However, none of the plants from Y118 (derived from the LA 1938 cross) showed visual TSWV symptoms. The Y118-derived plants were allowed to grow for several months, and at no time developed significant visual symptoms of the virus. The consistent lack of TSWV symptoms prompted a second ELISA test on the Y118 plants, and the results indicated the plants were completely free of TSWV. Further tests were then initiated with F2 (L. esculentum × Y118) seed, and results indicate a single dominant gene is responsible for TSWV resistance. Data from this segregating population, including a molecular marker study which screened 800 randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers, will be presented. Approximately two to five RAPD primers are possibly linked to TSWV resistance.
Over-fertilization (i.e., the application of fertilizer nitrogen (N) in excess of the tree or vine capacity to use it for optimum productivity) is associated with high levels of residual nitrate in the soil, which potentially contribute to groundwater and atmospheric pollution as a result of leaching, denitrification, etc. Overfert-ilization also may adversely affect productivity and fruit quality because of both direct (i.e., N) and indirect (i.e., shading) effects on flowering, fruit set, and fruit growth resulting from vegetative vigor. Pathological and physiological disorders as well as susceptibility to disease and insect pests also are influenced by the rate of applied N. Over-fertilization appears to be more serious in orchard crops than in many other crop species. The perennial growth habit of deciduous trees and vines is associated with an increased likelihood of fertilizer N application (and losses) during the dormant period. The large woody biomass increases the difficulty in assessing the kinetics and magnitude of annual N requirement. In mature trees, the N content of the harvested fruit appears to represent a large percentage of annual N uptake. Overfertilization is supported by a) the lack of integration of fertilizer and irrigation management, b) failure to consider nonfertilizer sources of plant-available N in the accounting of fertilizer needs, c) failure to conduct annual diagnosis of the N status, and d) the insensitivity of leaf analysis to over-fertilization. The diversity of orchard sites (with climatic, soil type, and management variables) precludes the general applicability of specific fertilization recommendations. The lack of regulatory and economic penalties encourage excessive application of fertilizer N, and it appears unlikely that the majority of growers will embrace recommended fertilizer management strategies voluntarily.
An F2 population of an interspecific hybrid between a homozygous (Sw-5) TSWV resistant Lycopersicon esculentum cultivar and the susceptible L. pennellii LA 716 accession was tested repeatedly for resistance to TSWV. The ratio was three resistant to one susceptible. Previous research with isozymes and phenotypic markes suggested that Sw-5 was not on chromosome one, four, eleven or twelve; and that it was possibly on seven. However, preliminary RFLP analysis using telomeric probes indicated that the resistance gene is found somewhere near TG 623 and CT 101 on chromosome five. Over 450 ten-base random primers have been used on homozygous TSWV resistant and susceptible L. esculentum lines to find RAPD markers to aid in isolating Sw-5. Several polymorphisms have been identified; however, none have been identified to segregate with the Sw-5.
In arid and semiarid areas, wine grapes are frequently managed using regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) to control vegetative growth. To understand the distribution of soil moisture using RDI in a drip-irrigated vineyard, we collected soil samples after several irrigation events around six drip emitters in two ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ and two ‘Merlot’ vineyards from late July through Mar. 2002 and 2005. The March sampling depicts soil moisture status before budbreak after winter precipitation. Soil samples were collected in four depth increments at 16 locations in a half-circle radius from immediately below the emitter to a depth of 60 cm. Both gravimetric and volumetric soil moisture content were determined. Soil moisture varied by depth, distance from the emitter, and sampling time. During late-season irrigation events, 50% to 75% of the sampled area contained plant-available water, which was less than expected. When calculated as plant-available soil moisture, regardless of time of sampling, soil sampled across a 0- to 45-cm depth provided the most representative indication of soil moisture status. Additionally, sampling directly under the emitter or directly under the drip line could result in skewed measurements compared with the sampled area. The data suggest that collecting soil samples within a 20- to 40-cm radius, either diagonal or perpendicular to the drip line emitter position, will best reflect the amount of plant-available soil water. Additionally, monitoring should be conducted on both sides of the row around each emitter selected and then averaged to avoid any patterns from hilling or disruption in water flow patterns.
Abstract
The mode of inheritance of carboxylation efficiency (CE) of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) was studied using parents, F1, BCP1, BCP2, and F2 progeny from the crosses Ottawa 67 (067) × VF 145-7879 (7879) and 067 × LA959. The inheritance of chlorophyll content was studied with the cross 067 × LA959. The difference in CE between 067 and 7879 is controlled by a single gene with high CE apparently conditioned by the high pigment (hp) gene from 067. The differences in CE and chlorophyll content between 067 and LA959 are under digenic control. The differences appear to be controlled by hp from 067 and lurida (lur) from LA959. A causal relationship between chlorophyll content and CE may not exist, but the evidence presented indicates the two characteristics are closely related.
Abstract
The relative growth rates for tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) genotypes differing in carboxylation efficiency (CE) were similar. Manapal (dg), which had a high CE, had a more rapid vegetative phase growth rate and LA 1098 (low CE) was slower growing. Specific leaf dry weight was greater in high CE genotypes indicating that it may be a useful selection criterion. Leaf thickness was greater in the high CE genotypes (Manapal (dg) and 067) than in the intermediate CE cultivars. Manapal (dg) and 067 (high CE) has much greater percent air space in the palisade tissue and much longer palisade cells than 7879 and VF 36 (intermediate CE). Conversely the number of palisade cells cm−2 was much less in the high CE genotypes. These results indicate that differences in gaseous diffusion potential may in part account for genotypic differences in CE. Differences in CE at 21 and 2% O2 indicated that genotypic differences for photorespiration rate was not an important contributor to the variation in CE.
Three methods to inoculate Lycopersicon esculentum 'VF Pink' seedlings with tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) were compared. Treatments were 1) two inoculations by hand (rubbing leaves with a sterile cotton swab), 2) a single inoculation using a paint sprayer at 3.56 × 105 N· m-2, and 3) two spray inoculations. All three methods were effective (>95% infection) under moderate temperatures in the spring, but hand inoculation was not effective under hot conditions in the summer. In another experiment, spray inoculation was used to compare effects of light intensity and the leaf inoculated on susceptibility of L.. hirsutum PI 127826, L. pimpinellifoliom LA 1580 and `VF Pink' to TSWV isolate 85-9. All three genotypes were susceptible under full sun and 60% shade cloth in the greenhouse. Inoculation of youngest leaves produced the highest virus titer. Background optical density for noninoculated plants differed between lower and upper leaves in the ELISA assay.
Seedlings of eight accessions of L. hirsutum and susceptible L. esculentum `VF Pink' controls were spray inoculated twice in the greenhouse with tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) Arkansas 85-9. Plants lacking symptoms were reinoculated, then evaluated for TSWV by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Controls were consistently infected; sixty noninfected L. hirsutum were propagated by cuttings and inoculated with TSWV isolates T2 (lettuce), G-87 (gloxinia), 87-34 (tomato) and a mixture of the four isolates. All selections became infected in at least one test, but systemic infection was often delayed. Additional wild Lycopersicon species and numbers of accessions evaluated for resistance to TSWV include L. cheesmanii (9), L. chmielewskii (17), L. hirsutum (24), L. hirsutum f. glabratum (17), L. parviflorum (4) and L. pennellii (44). No new sources of strong resistance have been identified yet. Evaluation of additional species and accessions is continuing.
The ability to monitor plant nutrient status of high value horticultural crops and to adjust seasonal nutrient supply via fertilizer application has economic and environmental benefits. Recent technological advances may enable growers and field consultants to conduct this type of monitoring nondestructively in the future. Using the perennial crop apple (Malus domestica) and the annual crop potato (Solanum tuberosum), a hand-held leaf reflectance meter was used to evaluate leaf nitrogen (N) status throughout the growing season. In potato, this meter showed good correlation with leaf blade N content. Both time of day and time of season influenced leaf meter measurement, but leaf position did not. In apple, three different leaf meters were compared: the leaf spectral reflectance meter and two leaf greenness meters. Correlation with both N rate and leaf N content were strongest for the leaf reflectance meter early in the season but nonsignificant late in the season, whereas the leaf greenness meters gave weak but significant correlations throughout the growing season. The tapering off of leaf reflectance values found with the hand-held meter is consistent with normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values calculated from satellite images from the same plots. Overall, the use of leaf spectral reflectance shows promise as a tool for nondestructive monitoring of plant leaf status and would enable multiple georeferenced measurements throughout a field for differential N management.