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The use of the recently developed fully-enclosed seepage subirrigation system for fresh market tomato production has demonstrated an improved ability to maintain a water table at a desired level (when compared to conventional ditch-conveyed seepage subirrigation) by means of more precisely controlled application and a greater uniformity throughout the field. This is achieved through use of microirrigation tubing rather than open ditches to convey water to raise the water table to desired levels. When manually controlled, the system has shown to save 30-40% in irrigation amounts primarily due to almost total elimination of surface runoff. An automated control system was designed and evaluated with respect to practicality, durability, and performance of various designs of level-sensing switches. The advantages and limitations of the designs in relation to water table control for tomato production will be presented.
More than 60 new poinsettia cultivars have been introduced in the past 3 years, and many of these have nontraditional bract color or plant form. About 75% of all poinsettias sold are red and `Freedom' represents more than 50% of the red poinsettia market in the United States In Fall 1999, 212 individuals were surveyed and asked to indicate their favorite 10 cultivars out of the 89 in a cultivar trial. The top choices were `Plum Pudding', `Winter Rose Dark Red', `Cranberry Punch', and `Monet Twilight', which were selected by 48%; 38%; 32%, and 31% of the participants, respectively. These cultivars are all nontraditional in appearance. The top red cultivars were `Freedom', `Orion', and `Red Velvet', which were selected by 27%, 26%, and 23%, respectively. The participants were then asked to rate on a 1 to 10 (most favorable) scale 15 plants that represented different poinsettia forms and colors. Five of these plants were cultivars with different shades of red that the industry easily separates. However, the participants' ratings of these were not significantly different, which indicates the shade of red in bract color may be more important to the industry than it is to the public. These results also indicate that there are strong differences in individual preferences for poinsettias. Each of the 15 plants received both high and low ratings. Also, of the participants that included `Freedom Red' in their top 10 selection, only 13% of those selected `Plum Pudding', which has purple bracts, and only 11% selected `Winter Rose Dark Red', which has a nontraditional plant form.
Salvia (Salvia splendens F.), vinca (Catharanthus roseus L.), and pansy (Viola × wittrockiana Gams.) were examined to determine efficacy of growth retardants for inhibiting stem elongation of seedlings in the plug stage and after transplanting to 10-cm pots. Studies on salvia showed plugs sprayed with single applications of ancymidol at 10 or 20 ppm, paclobutrazol at 30 or 60 ppm, or daminozide/chlormequat tank mix at 2500/1500 ppm inhibited plug elongation by 17% to 22%. Pansy plugs were sprayed either once or twice with ancymidol at 5, 10, or 15 ppm. Number of applications was statistically significant with two applications reducing elongation by an average of 35%, whereas a single application resulted in a 23% average reduction. Ancymidol concentration was significant in reducing stem elongation with increasing rates in pansy; however, the concentration and application time interaction was not significant. In both pansy and salvia, plant size at flowering was similar to controls after transplanting. Vinca plugs were sprayed with ancymidol at 5, 10, or 15 ppm either the 3rd week, 4th week, or both weeks after sowing. As ancymidol concentrations increased, plug height decreased, and the concentration effect was greater week 3 than at week 4. Two applications of ancymidol was most effective in retarding stem elongation (36%) followed by one spray the 3rd week (29%) and one spray during week 4 (20%).
Sweet potato virus disease (SPVD) is the most devastating disease of sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] globally. It is caused by the co-infection of plants with a potyvirus, sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV), and a crinivirus, sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV). In this study we report the use of cDNA microarrays, containing 2765 features from sweetpotato leaf and storage root libraries, in an effort to assess the effect of this disease and its individual viral components on the gene expression profile of I. batatas cv. Beauregard. Expression analysis revealed that the number of differentially expressed genes (P < 0.05) in plants infected with SPFMV alone and SPCSV alone compared to virus-tested (VT) plants was only 3 and 14, respectively. However, these findings are in contrast with SPVD-affected plants where more than 200 genes were found to be differentially expressed. SPVD-responsive genes are involved in a variety of cellular processes including several that were identified as pathogenesis- or stress-induced.
Sweetpotato is an important staple food crop in Sub-Saharan Africa, with production being concentrated in East Africa, particularly around Lake Victoria. Productivity of the crop is greatly constrained by viral diseases. Four main viruses have consistently been detected from various surveys done in the region viz. sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV), sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV), sweet potato mild mottle virus (SPMMV), and sweet potato chlorotic fleck virus (SPCFV). Sweet potato caulimo-like virus (SPCaLV), sweet potato latent virus (SPLV), and cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) have also been detected though only in isolated cases. The most severe symptoms have been caused by co-infection with SPCSV and SPFMV, resulting in the synergistic Sweet potato virus disease (SPVD). Yield reductions due to virus infections have been estimated to be >90% in very severe cases. Virus detection has mainly been limited to the use of serological methods. Some plants have been observed with symptoms resembling those caused by viruses, but do not react with available antisera, indicating that the plants could be infected with viruses that have not been described, or not tested in the region. Use of other detection techniques such as PCR may result in identification of more viruses in the region. This report gives a summary of our research efforts towards detection of other viruses present in the region, and identification of resistant germplasm.
Sweet potato virus disease (SPVD) is a major constraint to sweetpotato production in East Africa. The disease is a result of co-infection with sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV) and sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV). Some local sweetpotato genotypes have been reported to recover from, or have localized distribution of SPVD, suggesting that the disease is not fully systemic. This has led to the suggestion that uninfected cuttings may be obtained from previously infected plants. Experiments were set to determine the possibility of obtaining cuttings long enough for propagation that are free from virus infection. This would form a basis for recommending to the local small-holder farmers of a way to reduce losses due to the disease. Field grown sweetpotato vines were cut into three pieces (15, 15 to 30, and >30 cm from the apex) and tested for SPCSV and SPFMV. Nine genotypes were selected from a group of 21 local clones and used for this study. The two viruses were equally present in all the three sections of infected vines, indicating that it is not easy to obtain a virus free cutting for field propagation from an infected vine.
Rabbiteye (Vaccinium ashei Reade) and southern highbush (mostly V. corymbosum L.) type blueberry selections were evaluated in regional trials at five locations. Entry × location interactions (E × L) were significant for all traits in the rabbiteye type and all except plant productivity, plant volume, Julian date of 50% ripe fruit, and berry weight at harvest 3 in the southern highbush type. Despite the significant interactions, selection FL80-11 and `Gulfcoast' were the earliest flowering rabbiteye and southern highbush entry, respectively, at each location. Significant E × L for plant volume and yield suggests that adaptation to the local environment is important in the selection of potential cultivars. Fruit quality traits appear less affected by environment than fruit production traits for the entries tested.
Abstract
The effect of 5 rootstocks on chloride accumulation in ‘Cardinal’ and ‘Thompson Seedless’ scions was studied for 3 years in large sand cultures containing 12.5, 25, and 50 meq Cl-/liter of culture solution. Rootstock effects were unprecedentedly large. Scions on ‘Thompson Seedless’, ‘Dog Ridge’, 1613-3, and ‘Salt Creek’ roots consistently accumulated only one-half, one-third, one-tenth, and one-sixteenth as much chloride, respectively, on a leaf dry-weight basis as did scions on ‘Cardinal’ roots. Rootstock effects on chloride in canes and roots were similar to those in leaves, although differences were not as great. Leaves of ‘Cardinal’ scions accumulated more chloride than those of ‘Thompson Seedless’ on the 2 lower chloride treatments, apparently because of differential distribution of chloride between leaves and stems. Chloride accumulation tended to be proportional to substrate chloride concentrations for all rootstocks, and increases in chloride accumulation associated with advancing season and vine age also tended to be proportional. Because of extremely low chloride accumulation by vines on 1613-3 and ‘Salt Creek’ roots, the salt tolerance of grapevines on these roots would probably be limited by osmotic effects long before chloride accumulation reached toxic levels. Rootstock and chloride-treatment levels caused no other important nutritional or toxic effects.
Three vegetable irrigation systems, semi-closed subirrigation (seepage), fully enclosed subirrigation (seepage), and drip irrigation, were evaluated for use on sandy soils with naturally high water tables to determine comparative irrigation costs for tomato production. Investment, fixed (ownership), and variable (operating) costs were estimated for each irrigation system. The investment costs of the drip irrigation system were significantly greater than those for the semi-closed and fully enclosed irrigation systems. The variable costs, however, for the semi-closed system were considerably less than those for the fully enclosed and drip irrigation systems. The semi-closed irrigation system, therefore, was determined to be the least-cost tomato irrigation system under present fuel cost and nonlimiting water supply conditions.
Previous work by our group has detected the presence of a heterogeneous population of Ty1-copia-like reverse transcriptase retrotransposon sequences in the sweetpotato genome. Recently, we detected the presence of putatively active Ty1-copia-like reverse transcriptase sequences from a virus-infected `Beauregard' sweetpotato clone. In the current study, we report the differential detection of putatively stress-activated sequences in clones from seedling 91-189. The clones were infected with different combinations of virus isolates followed by extraction of leaf RNA samples at three sampling dates (weeks 2, 4, and 6) after inoculation. After repeated DNAse treatments to eliminate contaminating DNA, the RNA samples were subjected to first strand cDNA synthesis using random decamer primers followed by PCR analysis utilizing Ty1-copia reverse transcriptase-specific primers. Through this approach, we detected amplified fragments within the expected size range (280-300 bp) from clones infected with isolates of sweetpotato leaf curl (SPLC) and feathery mottle viruses (FMV) (week 2 and 6) and FMV (week 4). We were unable to detect PCR products from the noninfected clones or the other infected samples. The data suggests that specific viruses may be involved in the expression of these Ty1-copia-related reverse transcriptase sequences. It also appears that sampling at various dates is necessary to detect putative activity over time. This preliminary information is essential before proceeding to the construction and screening of cDNA libraries to isolate and fully characterize the putatively active sweetpotato Ty1-copia-like retrotransposon sequences. Through the partial or complete characterization of sweetpotato Ty1-copia elements, sequences that correspond to cis-regulatory element(s) can be identified and further studied for their roles in responding to specific stress factors.