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Indiana ranks seventh in the nation for watermelon production and fifth in the nation in muskmelon production. Both of these crops are intensively managed and cultivation using plastic mulches is the industry standard in the area. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of plastic mulches of various colors and breakdown properties on the yield and earliness of eastern muskmelons in southwestern Indiana in 2002 and 2003. In 2002, eight colors were used, black, clear, brown, green, olive, grey, blue, and red. In 2003, five colors were used, grey, black, blue, clear, and olive. A bare ground treatment was also included in 2003. Temperature information was also collected both above and below these plastics in attempt to relate that back to performance of the crop. In 2002, green and clear mulches produced more melon numbers and higher melon weights compared to other mulch colors, however this was not significantly different than the black control mulch. In 2003, olive mulch produced significantly higher melon number and weight than clear mulches. In 2003, early-breakdown clear mulches, designed to last only until canopy fill, produced significantly lower yields than early-breakdown black mulch. This appears to be due primarily to weed production initiated early under the clear mulch and subsequent weed growth after mulch was broken down. The effect of plastic mulch type and earliness to crop maturity is also explored.

Physiological disorders affect both the appearance and nutritional quality of processing tomatoes intended for whole-peel and diced products. The cause of color disorders, such as yellow shoulder disorder (YSD), involves an interaction between plant genotype and the environment. Soil factors that correlate with the incidence of YSD are soil K, K:Mg ratios, organic matter, and phosphorus. Fields with an organic matter above 3.5% have a lower incidence of YSD. Progress in developing an integrated crop management system that growers and processors can use to profitably improve quality and nutritional value while reducing color disorders of tomato has been made. Decision tools for managing color disorders have been developed. Varieties of tomato differ in their susceptibility to color disorders; thus, variety use may offer growers a strategy to manage fields with low potassium, phosphorus, or low organic matter. Soil K application through drip irrigation was effective when applied at full bloom when the plants were most actively growing. Trials conducted in Indiana and Ohio during the 2003 and 2004 growing seasons demonstrated that weekly K application as a batch injection or solid application improved fruit color and reduced internal whitening. The effect of K addition is toward improved hue and L (lower values), but that trend is not always statistically significant and variety-specific responses are observed. Environmental factors for this response are explored. Managing this complex color disorder will entail minimizing risk of incidence, rather than preventative or curative applications.

Tuber tissue calcium has been linked to several potato quality characteristics, including internal defects and the susceptibility of tubers to decay by soft rotting Erwinia species. We were particularly interested in studying the relationship between supplemental calcium fertilization during the seed tuber production cycle to raise the seed piece calcium concentration and the impact on crop performance the following season. The role of seed tuber tissue calcium level on seed piece decay, growth, development, and performance of the plant was evaluated for cultivars Russet Burbank, Dark Red Norland, Atlantic, Superior, and Snowden. This study was performed over four growing seasons. Seed tubers were raised with varying calcium and the following season, individual tubers (over 3,000 total for 4 years of study) were sampled for calcium and hand planted in the field. They were evaluated for seed piece decay and total tuber yield during the growing season. Seed tubers raised with supplemental calcium resulted in significantly higher mean calcium content than the control tubers. In general, calcium-raised seed tubers tended to produce a more vigorous main sprout and higher tuber yield. We also found that there are significant differences among these cultivars for the characteristics measured. Consistently, in all three years, `Atlantic' responded to test conditions with the lowest decay values, and `Dark Red Norland' consistently showed the highest decay values. This suggests that there may be a genetic component involved in these two responses and these genotypic differences could be exploited to improve cultivated potatoes.

Yellow shoulder disorder (YSD) is a physiological disorder of processing tomato that affects both the appearance and nutritional quality of the fruit. This disorder reduces the suitability of fruit intended for the whole-peeled and diced product markets. The YSD involves an interaction between plant genotype and the environment. A number of soil factors have been related to the incidence of YSD, including organic matter, phosphorous, K/Mg ratios, and soil K. Varieties of tomatoes differ in their susceptibility to color disorders, thus variety selection offers growers one strategy to manage this color disorder. The use of supplemental K application at a time when plants are blooming and actively growing offers a second strategy for management of YSD. To this end, a field study was conducted at the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Program in southwestern Indiana to study the effects of different sources of K on the color and quality of tomato fruit. Potassium chloride, potassium nitrate, and potassium sulfate were applied at first flowering in a solid, broadcast application. Appropriate controls were used to balance the nutrients supplied in addition to K. Supplemental K, regardless of source, improved fruit hue, though the trend was not always statistically significant between treatments. Variety specific effects were observed. This is a complex disorder and its management will entail minimizing risk of incidence through careful selection of variety and field location.

An increase in calcium concentration of potato tuber tissue has been shown to reduce soft rot severity and the incidence of internal physiological defects. Higher tuber calcium also seems to increase sprout vigor and maintain apical dominance by reducing subapical necrosis and sprout tip death. Preemergent applications of calcium at a rate of 0 and 26.5 kg·ha^–1 from ammonium nitrate (PreAmNit), ammonium nitrate plus calcium nitrate (PreCaN), or calcium chloride plus calcium nitrate plus urea (PreCUC). A group of post-emergent split calcium nitrate plus calcium chloride plus urea (PostCUC) applications beginning with hilling and proceeding at 3, 6, and 8 weeks after hilling were also made at a rate of 56 kg·ha^–1 calcium at each application time. From visual ratings of stand quality taken 64 days after hilling, we found plants receiving a preemergent application of nutrients or PostCUC had higher stand ratings than paired control plots. Internal tuber quality ratings revealed less internal brown spot in the PostCUC application in 168–364-g tubers. Yield of 112–168-g tubers was greatest from plants treated with PreCaN or PreCUC followed by PostCUC. PreAmNit plots had higher culls than the PreCUC plots. The non-split ammonium nitrate control (all nitrogen by hilling) produced a higher number of B-sized tubers than the PostCUC treatment. Also the PreAmNit+PostCUC had more B-sized tubers than PreCaN+PostCUC. In general the PostCUC treatment produced fewer small tubers and more large tubers than other treatments. These results suggest application of a small amount of calcium prior to emergence but after the sprouts have begun to develop improves seed performance. Furthermore these data show that supplemental calcium application during the season may improve tuber grade.

Potato tuber tissue is calcium-deficient. Consequently, increasing Ca concentration is desirable to improve tuber quality. The purpose of the present study was to determine the influence of supplemental Ca and N fertilization on internal quality of potato. Three products (calcium nitrate, calcium chloride, and gypsum) were used to increase tuber calcium concentration. We tested combinations of both soluble sources of calcium and gypsum. Each treatment had five replications and received same total amount of N, supplied either from ammonium nitrate, liquid N (UAN: 50% urea + 50% ammonium nitrate) and calcium nitrate or combination of these sources (at rate of 225 kg·ha^–1). The total Ca was applied at the rate of 168 kg·ha^–1. Application of N at emergence and hilling (nonsplit) was compared to split application of N and Ca at hilling, 2, 4, and 6 weeks after hilling. At harvest, ≈100 tubers from each replication were cut in half along longitudinal axis and visually inspected for internal defect in both years. Application of Ca, especially in split schedule and from soluble sources, significantly increased tuber tissue Ca concentration. In 1998, the incidences of hollow heart (HH) and internal brown spots (IBS) were very low. The treatment containing calcium nitrate and calcium chloride combination produced the lowest total defects, whereas application of gypsum was not effective at reducing defects. In 1999, application of all Ca sources including gypsum, reduced HH and IBS. Data from these studies suggest that tuber calcium level is increased by field applications of moderate amount of Ca and tuber quality is impacted by N and Ca application. Furthermore, seasonal climatic variations appear to have dramatic influence on the incidence of internal defects in potato tubers.

The consumption of fresh muskmelons (Cucumis melo reticulatus L.) has been linked to severe illness outbreaks due to contamination with bacterial pathogens. Antimicrobial essential oils (EOs) were incorporated into wash water sprays and evaluated as potential agents for postharvest disinfection of ‘Athena’ muskmelons. Freshly harvested fruits were sprayed with 0.5% EOs from cinnamon leaf, thyme, or clove bud emulsified in a whey protein emulsion (WP) as potential washing disinfectants, together with deionized water, water with 200 µL·L⁻¹ free chlorine (pH 7, free turbidity), or oil-free WP as controls. Melons were treated, stored at 4 °C and then evaluated weekly for weight loss, rind color, mesocarp firmness and the compositional quality traits soluble solids content (SSC), pH, β-carotene content, and total ascorbic acid (AsA) for up to 21 days. Essential oil–treated melons were not different from controls in fruit quality and composition with the exception of fruits treated with thyme oil, which were statistically lower in SSC (0.8 °Brix) than those treated with water or cinnamon oil treatment. Internal carbon dioxide was statistically higher (≈0.1% higher in value, equal to a 25% increase) in muskmelons receiving whey protein–based treatments after storage for at least 7 days. Overall, our results suggest that EOs as disinfectants have little effect on quality or composition of muskmelon fruit.

Interest and use of grafted tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in the United States continues to grow. Pioneered in Asia, herbaceous grafting is a commonly used cultural practice to manage many soilborne pathogens. Bacterial wilt (BW), caused by the pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum, is an aggressive soilborne pathogen that affects tomato grown in the southeastern United States. Traditional fumigation methods have limited effectiveness in the management of this pathogen. The present study was conducted to compare the bacterial wilt resistance of three commercially available tomato rootstocks, which are purported to be resistant to bacterial wilt: ‘Cheong Gang’, ‘RST-04-106-T’, and ‘Shield’. The determinate hybrid tomato ‘Red Mountain’, which is susceptible to bacterial wilt, was used as the scion and nongrafted control. Three locations were used over 2 years in North Carolina: an on-farm site with a history of bacterial wilt and two North Carolina Department of Agriculture Research Stations with no recent history of bacterial wilt. No disease symptoms were observed in any of the three grafted treatments, whereas the nongrafted controls showed between 30% and 80% disease incidence at the on-farm location. The resultant rootstock-imparted resistance improved marketable yields by between 88% and 125% compared with the nongrafted plants. When grown in locations lacking BW there were no yield benefits to grafting with any of the three rootstocks.

At its most basic, grafting is the replacement of one root system with another containing more desirable traits. Grafting of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) onto disease-resistant rootstocks is an increasingly popular alternative for managing economically damaging soilborne diseases. Although certain rootstocks have demonstrated ancillary benefits in the form of improved tolerance to edaphic abiotic stress, the mechanisms behind the enhanced stress tolerance are not well understood. Specific traits within root system morphology (RSM), in both field crops and vegetables, can improve growth in conditions under abiotic stress. A greenhouse study was conducted to compare the RSM of 17 commercially available tomato rootstocks and one commercial field cultivar (Florida-47). Plants were grown in containers filled with a mixture of clay-based soil conditioner and pool filter sand (2:1 v/v) and harvested at 2, 3, or 4 weeks after emergence. At harvest, roots were cleaned, scanned, and analyzed with an image analysis system. Data collected included total root length (TRL), average root diameter, specific root length (SRL), and relative diameter class. The main effect of cultivar was significant (P ≤ 0.05) for all response variables and the main effect of harvest date was only significant (P ≤ 0.01) for TRL. ‘RST-106’ rootstock had the longest TRL, whereas ‘Beaufort’ had the shortest. ‘BHN-1088’ had the thickest average root diameter, which was 32% thicker than the thinnest, observed in ‘Beaufort’. SRL in ‘Beaufort’ was 60% larger than ‘BHN-1088’. This study demonstrated that gross differences exist in RSM of tomato rootstocks and that, when grown in a solid porous medium, these differences can be determined using an image analysis system.

A direct comparison was made of several commercially available calcium sources applied on two different schedules for their effectiveness in increasing tuber medullary and periderm tissue calcium concentrations in 170–284-g tubers of the cultivar Atlantic grown on a Plainfield sandy loam. Plots (6 x 3 m) were arranged in a CR design in 1993 and a RCBD in 1994 (eight replications). Paired measurements of tuber Ca concentration and internal quality (±hollow heart, ±internal brown spot) were made on individual tubers produced in plots with no additional or additional Ca (168 kg Ca/ha) supplied from either gypsum, liquid calcium nitrate, or NHIB. Two Ca and N application schedules were compared: 1) application at emergence and hilling (non-split), 2) application at emergence, hilling, and 4 and 8 weeks after hilling (split). All plots received 224 kg H/ha balanced with ammonium nitrate. In general, tuber yield and grade were unaffected by treatments in 1993 and 1994, but overall percent A-grade was lowest and percent B-grade highest in 1993 compared with 1994 data. In 1993, all treatments receiving Ca had greater mean tuber medullary and periderm tissue Ca concentration values and a greater percentage of tubers with an elevated Ca concentration compared with non-Ca-supplemented controls. The overall incidence of tuber internal defects was 5% in 1993. All split schedule treatments receiving Ca showed 0% internal defects. In contrast, nearly 8% of the tubers from control plots showed some defect. The medullary tissue Ca concentration of 65% of the tubers having either defect was below the median value of Ca concentration for the entire experiment in 1993. Similar evaluations are underway for the 1994 crop. These data suggest that tuber calcium concentration may be related to the incidence of these internal defects.