Search Results
In 1993, then OSU President John Byrne declared that: “All Extension Service faculty, county agents as well as specialists, will be assigned academic colleges, and will have an academic appointment in the appropriate college.” The selection of the academic home would involve a mutual agreement between the individual and the department and would take into consideration the faculty member's academic training, experience, and work assignment. The implementation of this decision was completed by July 1995. In the College of Agricultural Sciences, this assignment of faculty to academic homes was accommodated by adding county agents to the faculty of existing departments. The Dept. of Horticulture faculty numbers nearly doubled, with an increase from 34 to 58. The department head is now very involved in the annual review and salary administration of extension field faculty. Campus-based faculty are now involved in all of the hiring, promotion, and tenure decisions for extension field faculty and vice versa. Field faculty participate in departmental decision making. The change in the number and diversity of faculty in the department is a unique effort to unify programmatic focus for extension, research, and teaching at OSU. As a work in progress, many issues are being addressed including full faculty participation in the decision-making process, communication, evaluation of scholarship, and building departmental community. Successes, pitfalls, and challenges ahead will be discussed and illustrated.
Abstract
Sweet corn (Zea mays L.) was evaluated for sensory quality and carbohydrate composition at harvest and after storage at 0° or 10°C for 2 weeks. Total sugar (reducing sugar plus sucrose) declined more quickly during storage at 10° than at 0° in all cultivars, but the relative changes in sucrose and reducing sugars during storage were often complex. Hedonic (like/dislike) and sweetness scores awarded by taste panelists were significantly correlated with each other and with reducing sugar, sucrose, and total sugar concentrations only after storage. The highest correlations were between sucrose concentration and hedonic taste scores (r = 0.76, P < 0.01) and between sucrose concentration and sensory sweetness scores (r = 0.73, P < 0.01). Starch concentration varied with cultivar, but was not correlated with sensory quality. Water-soluble polysaccharide concentration varied with cultivar, storage time, and storage temperature, but did not correlate with sensory quality.
Abstract
The influence of gene B on various growth parameters in 3 genetic backgrounds of Cucurbita pepo L. cultivars ‘Early Prolific’, ‘Small Sugar’, and ‘Fordhook Zucchini’ is reported. While fruit size is smaller in the presence of B in all 3 backgrounds, ‘Early Prolific’ was affected the least. Rind hardness also was lower when B was present in ‘Fordhook Zucchini’ and ‘Small Sugar’ but was not affected in ‘Early Prolific’. Percentage of dry weight of the pigmented rind was unaffected by B in the ‘Early Prolific’ background but was lower due to B in the ‘Fordhook Zucchini’ background. The inconsistent influences of B in these 3 genetic backgrounds are discussed in terms of chloroplast contribution to fruit growth and development.
Tomatoes have been associated with numerous outbreaks of salmonellosis in recent years. Trace-backs suggest tomato fruits may become contaminated during preharvest. The objective of this study was to determine the potential for Salmonella enterica serotype Newport to be internalized into the roots, stems, leaves, and fruit of red round tomato plants through contaminated irrigation water at various stages of plant development. Tomato plants were irrigated with 250 or 350 mL (depending on growth stage) of 7 log CFU·mL−1 S. Newport-contaminated irrigation water every 7 days. Roots, stems, leaves, and two tomato fruit from plants irrigated with S. Newport or water (negative control) were sampled for contamination at five stages of growth. Twenty-five of the 92 total samples taken from plants irrigated with S. Newport were confirmed positive (serovar specificity was not evaluated). Sixty-five percent of confirmed samples were roots, 40% were stems, 10% were leaves, and 6% were fruit. There was a significant difference in the presence of S. enterica according to tissue sampled (roots > stems > leaves, and fruit) (P < 0.05) and no association between growth stage and contamination (P > 0.05). Contamination of tomato fruit with S. Newport introduced through irrigation water is low because a high level of persistent contamination of a plant in the agricultural setting is unlikely.