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Fall cole crops of exceptional quality and high market value are produced in Kentucky. Tobacco is an integral part of agriculture in the southeastern states and production of fall cole crops following tobacco may increase diversification and Potential profits. A float system was utilized for transplant production. Field plots were established with broccoli and cabbage grown conventionally, planted into killed sudex cover, cultivated tobacco stubble and directly into tobacco stubble. Data were collected on soil fertility, insect and weed populations, crop quality and yield. Periodically, foliar samples were analyzed for nitrate, total nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and calcium content. Fall cole crops grown conventionally or in killed sudex cover produced comparable results and head size. Insect pressures were reduced in killed sudex covers. Total yield and quality were reduced when seedlings where planted directly into tobacco stubble.
Cultivar and planting site are two factors that often receive minimal attention, but can have a significant impact on the quality of apple (Malus ×domestica) produced. A regional project, NE-183 The Multidisciplinary Evaluation of New Apple Cultivars, was initiated in 1995 to systematically evaluate 20 newer apple cultivars on Malling.9 (M.9) rootstock across 19 sites in North America. This paper describes the effect of cultivar and site on fruit quality and sensory attributes at a number of the planting sites for the 1998 through 2000 growing seasons. Fruit quality attributes measured included fruit weight, length: diameter ratio, soluble solids concentration (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), flesh firmness, red overcolor, and russet. Fruit sensory characteristics rated included crispness, sweetness, and juiciness, based on a unipolar intensity scale (where 1 = least and 5 = most), and acidity, flavor, attractiveness, and desirability based on a bipolar hedonic scale (where 1 = dislike and 5 = like extremely). All fruit quality and sensory variables measured were affected by cultivar. The two-way interaction of cultivar and planting site was significant for all response variables except SSC, TA, russet, crispness, and sweetness ratings. The SSC: TA ratio was strongly correlated with sweetness and acidity sensory rating, but was weakly correlated with flavor rating. The results demonstrate that no one cultivar is ideally suited for all planting sites and no planting site is ideal for maximizing the quality of all apple cultivars.