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Tomato trials with black plastic mulch, drip irrigation, and fertigation were conducted on a Lily sandy loam soil of medium fertility at Crossville, TN in 1990 and 1991. 'Mountain Pride' tomatoes were fertilized with a broadcast preplant application of 1120 kg ha–1 of 10-4.4-8.3 fertilizer with and without combinations of black plastic mulch and weekly applications of 0.64 cm of water for 12 weeks through drip irrigation. Three black plastic mulch and drip irrigation treatments supplied additional nitrogen and potassium fertilizer through the drip irrigation system. Yields were increased by use of black plastic mulch and by trickle irrigation in 1991. However, additions of fertilizer through drip irrigation had no effect on yields.
`Merit' and `Silver Queen' sweet corn plants were treated with nicosulfuron and primisulfuron herbicides at rates of 0.035 and 0.039 kg ai ha-1, respectively. These herbicides were applied either over the top postemergence or directed post emergence. Over the top postemergence applications killed all of the `Merit' plants, but did not injure `Silver Queen' plants. All treatments provided greater than 90 % control of johnson grass and fall panicum.
In a separate experiment, `Silver Queen', `Incredible', `How Sweet It Is', `Pinnacle', `Sweetie 76', and `Landmark' showed slight injury, while `Silverado' showed moderate injury 2 weeks after application of a postemergence treatment of either nicosulfuron or primisulfuron. However, the plants soon outgrew this injury and yields were not reduced due to herbicide treatments.
`Blue Ridge' snap beans were planted with no fertilizer or banded rates of 560 kg ha-1 of a 10-4.4-8.3 fertilizer on soils with medium fertility in 1990 and 1991. Foliar applications of water soluble fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were made at early bloom and in split applications at early bloom and repeated 10 days later. No response to fertilizer banded at planting or to foliar nutrient applications was found in snap bean yields or pod quality. Most fertilizer applications at planting increased plant size and lodging in 1990, but not in 1991. With the use of a rotation schedule and winter cover crops, snap beans showed no response to fertilization on soils of medium fertility.
Nine size controlling apple rootstock were evaluated in trials initiated at the Plateau Experiment Station, Crossville, TN in 1981 using `Starkspur Supreme Delicious' as the scion cultivar. Tree survival was poor with M.9 EMLA, Ottawa 3, M.27 EMLA, and Mark rootstock. Trees on M.27 EMLA and Mark were extremely low in vigor and yields. Root suckering was severe with MAC 24 and M.7 EMLA. Trees on M.26 EMLA were the most productive over six fruiting years. Fruit from trees on Ottawa 3 tended to be firmer and have more red color than fruit from trees on the other rootstock when harvested on the same date. Fruit size did not vary due to rootstock over the six fruiting years.
Abstract
A 3 year (1976-1978) tillage study was conducted with snap beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and lima beans (P. lunatus L.). Treatments included 2 no-till systems where furrows were opened with a fluted coulter or a vibratory unit, 2 reduced tillage methods with seedbeds prepared with a disk or a powered harrow, and conventional tillage. Tillage method did not affect soil pH at sampled depths. Soil P levels were higher at the 10−15 cm depth with conventional compared to tillage with vibratory unit. Soil K levels were higher at the 5−10 and 10−15 cm depths with conventional tillage. Tillage method did not affect petiole N, K, and Ca concentrations. Petiole P concentrations were lowest with conventional tillage. Petiole Mg concentrations were lowest with the no-till treatments using fluted coulter for snap beans and the vibratory unit for lima beans. Snap bean stand was highest with no-till using the vibratory unit. Tillage method did not affect mean snap bean yield or lima bean stand. Mean lima bean yield was highest with conventional tillage.
Studies were initiated in 1989 to characterize phonological events with corresponding growth and development phenomena of `Eagle' and `Provider' snap beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Ten plantings at approximately 15 day intervals were made at Knoxville, TN from April 17 through July 27. Days to reach growth stages V0 thru R7 were recorded for each cultivar for each planting date. Air temperature, total radiant energy, wind speed and relative humidity were recorded hourly throughout the 171 day test period. Growing degree days (GDD) computed by 8 methods and growing degree hours (GDH) computed by 2 methods were regressed against plant developmental stages. GDD and GDH, along with pod size and pod fiber content, will be discussed as possible indices for predicting harvest maturity. With the methods used to calculate heat summation in this study, GDD and GDH from planting to pod maturity ranged from approximately 550 to 975 and 9,700 to 20,000, respectively.
Abstract
Elemental sulfur (S) and aluminum sulfate (AS), each at four rates, were used to acidify a Lily sandy loam soil of pH 6.2 and to assess effects on early growth of rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei Reade) transplants. In addition, sawdust was incorporated into the soil at rates of 0%, 20%, 40%, and 60% by volume. Soils treated with AS had higher levels of extractable A1 and plants had less growth compared to plants grown in soils treated with elemental S. Plants grown in soils not amended with sawdust exhibited poor growth, regardless of the rate of either S or AS. Percent weight gain generally increased with increasing rate of sawdust addition.
Production of witloof chicory (Cichorium intybus) roots for chicons or for inulin is typically a northern U. S. or European enterprise. Although chicons (Belgian endive) command a high market price, nearly all are imported from Europe. If appropriate cultivars and optimum summer growing conditions can be identified, Tennessee's mild winters may permit relatively low cost forcing techniques. Studies with these objectives were initiated in 1992 at two locations using six cultivars, two planting dates and two within row plant densities. Root yields varied from 13 to 40 Mg·ha-1 between locations and among cultivars. Incidence of bolting was greater than 50% for the earliest maturing cultivar, `Daliva', but less than 5% for the late maturing cultivar, `Rinof', at the warmer experimental site (Knoxville, elev. 251m). No bolting of any cultivar occurred at the cooler experimental site (Crossville, elev. 549m). Data on yield and quality of forced chicons and nitrate content of edible leaf tissue will be presented.
Tomatoes and sweet corn grew and produced equally well under no-tillage and conventional tillage methods in 1989. Simulated rainfall was applied through an overhead irrigation system four times during the growing period with 2.8 cm of water applied during each event. Total solids in collected runoff water were higher with conventional tillage than with no-tillage. Residue levels of atrazine, metolachlor, mancozeb, esfenvalerate, metribuzin, and metalaxyl and concentrations of N, P, and K in runoff water were determined and varied with runoff event, pesticide, nutrient, crop, and tillage method.
`Silver Queen', `Incredible', and `Challenger' sweet corn (Zea mays L.) cultivars were evaluated at different nitrogen (N) fertilization rates at Springfield, Tenn., in 1993, 1994, and 1995. `Incredible' was more productive than `Silver Queen' and `Challenger'. Of the three cultivars, `Silver Queen' had the tallest plants, longest ears, and most attractive ears. Nitrogen fertilization rates were 0, 50, 100, and 150 (100 lb/acre at planting and 50 lb/acre sidedressed) lb/acre (0,56, 112, and 168 kg·ha-1). The 100 lb/acre rate of N applied at planting appeared to be sufficient for producing sweet corn in soils with an annual cropping frequency. Height of plants and ear diameters were larger at the higher fertilization rates, but differences among treatments were not great and were usually not significant. The cultivars of different genetic types did not differ in response to N fertilization rates. Cultivar × year interactions were significant for most factors evaluated, but most other interactions were not significant.