Search Results
Several growth hormone combinations and silver nitrate concentrations were examined for their effect on regeneration of different pepper genotypes. Primary leaf explants from in vitro seedlings were cultured on a revised Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with auxin, cytokinin and 1.6% glucose. Combinations of different concentrations of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), 0-5 mg/l, and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), 0-5 mg/l, were tested to determine the most effective medium for shoot primordium formation. Experiments with IAA and BAP did not result in a specific growth hormone combination appropriate for regeneration of all genotypes tested. Of the silver nitrate concentrations tested, 10 mg/l resulted in the best shoot and leaf differentiation and reduced callus formation. Differences in organogenic response of individual genotypes were evaluated on a single regeneration medium. Whole plants were regenerated from 11 of 63 genotypes examined. Based on these experiments, a reproducible regeneration system for pepper was developed with a total of 500 plants regenerated to date.
Several growth hormone combinations and silver nitrate concentrations were examined for their effect on regeneration of different pepper genotypes. Primary leaf explants from in vitro seedlings were cultured on a revised Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with auxin, cytokinin and 1.6% glucose. Combinations of different concentrations of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), 0-5 mg/l, and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), 0-5 mg/l, were tested to determine the most effective medium for shoot primordium formation. Experiments with IAA and BAP did not result in a specific growth hormone combination appropriate for regeneration of all genotypes tested. Of the silver nitrate concentrations tested, 10 mg/l resulted in the best shoot and leaf differentiation and reduced callus formation. Differences in organogenic response of individual genotypes were evaluated on a single regeneration medium. Whole plants were regenerated from 11 of 63 genotypes examined. Based on these experiments, a reproducible regeneration system for pepper was developed with a total of 500 plants regenerated to date.
`Flavortop' nectarines [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] were stored at -0.5C or 3C for 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks, after which the fruit was ripened at 15C. After ripening, fruit samples were tested daily or every second day for extractable juice, internal conductivity, and woolliness. The change in the percentage of extractable juice during ripening differed very little among the five storage periods. A rapid increase in internal conductivity occurred during ripening in fruit with or without cold storage, but the onset of the increase was advanced with longer cold-storage periods. No woolliness developed in fruit not placed in cold storage or in fruit cold-stored for 1 or 2 weeks at - 0.5C or 3C. Woolliness only developed during ripening of fruit cold-stored for 3 or 4 weeks at -0.5C or 3C. Incidence of woolliness increased to high levels during ripening and decreased thereafter to no woolly fruit by the 11th day. The lowest values for extractable juice coincided with the highest incidence of woolly fruit. Fruit stored for 4 weeks took longer to pass the woolliness stage. At the end of the ripening. period, cold-stored fruit were similar in appearance and juiciness to those ripened without cold storage. Nectarines stored at 3C generally developed woolliness earlier, had a lower incidence of woolliness, and took longer to overcome the problem than fruit stored at -0.5C. Incidence of browning of the mesocarp tissue was greater at 3C than at -0.5C.
Municipalities often restrict irrigation of urban landscapes, causing plants to experience drought stress. Few data are available regarding drought resistance of non-turfgrass landscape species. This study evaluated the performance of one turfgrass (Poa pratensis L. ‘Apollo’) and eight herbaceous landscape species (Achillea millifolium L., Ajuga reptans L. ‘Bronze Beauty’, Liriope muscari Decne., Pachysandra terminalis Siebold and Zucc., Sedum album L., Thymus serpyllum L., Vinca major L., and Vinca minor L.) during a severe drydown and subsequent recovery. This greenhouse study was conducted in the spring/summer and again in the fall of 2010. S. album performed the best, averaging 254 days to decline to a drought rating of 1 (1 to 9 scale, 1 = dead/dormant and 9 = best quality). L. muscari and P. terminalis also performed well, averaging 86 days to a drought rating of 1. V. minor and V. major declined faster than the previous species, averaging 63 days. A. millifolium, A. reptans, P. pratensis, and T. serpyllum declined the fastest to a drought rating of 1 (mean 52 days). Thereafter, the only species to recover after 60 days of resuming irrigation were P. pratensis [46% pot cover (PC)], S. album (38% PC), and V. major (35% PC) in the spring/summer study; no species recovered during the fall study. Results indicate S. album, L. muscari, and P. terminalis are the most drought-resistant among the species evaluated in landscapes where severe drought may occur. V. minor and V. major are good selections in less severe droughts as is P. pratensis if periods of dormancy are acceptable.
`Flavortop' nectarines [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] were either stored for 4 weeks at -0.5C or not subjected to cold storage before being ripened at 15C. The differences in extractable juice, woolliness, composition, and gelling characteristics of extracted pectins between the two treatments were determined during ripening. As ripening progressed, the extractable juice in both treatments decreased to low values after which it increased with further ripening. Woolliness only occurred in fruit that was cold stored. Nectarines became woolly from the 2nd day and peaked on the 6th day of ripening in fruit cold stored for 4 weeks. As fruit firmness decreased, the soluble pectin concentration increased to the same extent in both treatments at the expense of insoluble pectin. In cold-stored fruit, the viscosity of pectin increased gradually until the 6th day of ripening, while in noncold-stored fruit maximum viscosity was higher and occurred between the 4th and 6th day of ripening. From the 6th day, the viscosity decreased in both treatments to levels lower than the initial viscosity. The extractable juice was lowest when the viscosity of soluble pectins and percentage of woolly fruit were highest. Molecular mass distribution of soluble pectins decreased considerably during ripening at 15C.
The nursery industry produces and sells plants for landscape and environmental purposes and represents a major sector within the US agricultural industry. In recent years, the nursery industry has undergone rapid growth as a result of various factors, including increased demand from housing development and pandemic-fueled interest in home horticulture. As with any industry, the nursery industry must adapt to changes in societal trends to sustain growth. In the wake of unprecedented societal and supply chain issues stemming from the global coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the American Society for Horticultural Science Nursery Crops Professional Interest Group gathered experts in various disciplines to provide their opinions and insights into the future of the nursery industry, focusing specifically on the changes and challenges the nursery industry will face in the coming decade. Nursery crop specialists spanning the United States identified three primary areas that will steer the future momentum of the nursery industry: consumer trends, natural resources, and labor. Six experts were selected to represent these areas in a workshop held Jul 2022 at the American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference in Chicago, IL, USA. This article was developed to disseminate to the greater scientific community the discussions held and insight shared during that workshop.