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Abstract
High storage humidities, wax, and polyethylene film as bin-liners were compared for minimizing loss in storage life and preventing fruit shrivel during storage prior to packaging for market of pear (Pyrus communis L. cv. d’Anjou). Lining the sides and covering the top of bins with 1.25-mil polyethylene film was the most beneficial in preventing fruit shrivel without adversely delaying cooling. Enclosing pears in film bin bags also controlled moisture loss but was detrimental to rapid removal of field heat. Waxing the fruit or covering only the top of bins with film did not reduce the cooling rate but were ineffective in preventing excessive moisture loss. Introduction of water vapor to maintain high humidity markedly reduced moisture loss but caused ice formation on the fruit and storage room floor.
Roots of greenhouse-grown mint plants and in-vitro-grown shoot cultures were inoculated with Verticillium dahliae Kleb. conidial suspensions to study wilt symptom development and detection and elimination of the fungus. There were significant differences in the symptom expression between control and infected shoot cultures at all conidia concentrations for the four mints tested. Disease-symptom ratings were proportional to the V. dahliae inoculum density. Infected shoot cultures were stunted when inoculated with ≥ 103 conidia/mL. Verticillium dahliae was re-isolated from infected shoot cultures at all levels of inoculum, but not from any control cultures. Verticillium infections were easily detected by plating mint stems on potato dextrose agar. Shoot tips (0.5 to 15 mm) from infected in-vitro- and greenhouse-grown plants were isolated and screened for fungus. The most effective shoot length for fungus elimination was 3-5 mm. Shoot tips isolated from in vitro spearmint cultivars infected at 102 and 103 conidia/mL were 100% Verticillium free, but only 42% of `Black Mitcham' and 54% of `Todd's Mitcham' peppermints were free of the disease. Shoot tips from infected greenhouse plants produced Verticillium-free cultures from 79% of `Black Mitcham' and 90% of `Todd's Mitcham' plants. These results indicate the utility of testing for Verticillium and the safety of micropropagated mint shoots for certified planting stock programs.
Colonization and sporulation of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus Link on intact and injured seed was evaluated for a selection of almond [Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb] cultivars. Barriers to fungal development were identified at the intact seedcoat and at the seed cotyledon tissue. The seedcoat barrier was expressed as a delay in fungal colonization for up to 3 days following the inoculation of intact seed. Seedcoat resistance was uniformly high for all cultivars tested. Cotyledon resistance, which was expressed as a lower rate of disease development was identified only in the cultivars Ne Plus Ultra, Ruby, and Carrion.
Uniconazole and paclobutrazol were tested for their effects on greenhouse production of four foliage species. Soil drenches of uniconazole retarded shoot and petiole elongation of Brassaia actinophylla Endl. Paclobutrazol reduced shoot elongation, but required higher doses than uniconazole and did not reduce petiole growth. Foliar sprays with either retardant at 12.5 mg·liter-1 resulted in short stems on lateral shoots of Codiaeum variegatum (L.) Blume `Karen' after pinching, but soil drenches at low rates were less effective. Soil drenches of uniconazole or paclobutrazol were equally effective in reducing stem growth of Syngonium podophyllum Schott `White Butterfly' and increasing leaf width, but had no effect on the rate of leaf production or blade length. Both retardants induced short petioles in this species. Severe growth reduction occured on Plectranthus australis R. Br. even at the lowest rates of uniconazole and paclobutrazol (0.025 and 0.20 mg/pot, respectively) as soil drenches. Production of lateral shoots was inhibited for P. australis by both retardants. Chemical names used: (E)-1-(p-chlorophenyl)-4,4-dimethy1-2-(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-1-penten-3-ol (uniconazole); (2RS,3RS)-1-(4-chlorophenyl)-2-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-(H-1,2,4-triazol-l-Yl-)Dentan-3-ol (paclobutrazol).
Rooted cuttings of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch cv. Gutbier V-14 Glory were planted in 2-liter containers with growth media having 0% to 75% composted cotton burrs (CCB) in combination with sphagnum peat and/or composted pine bark. Leachates from media with 50% or more CCB had higher initial electrical conductance (EC) (3.7 to 4.0 dS·m-l) than that from media with 25% or no CCB (2.8 to 3.0 dS·m-l) 2 weeks after planting. The differences in leachate EC declined after an additional 9 weeks. Media containing CCB produced slightly shorter and narrower plants with 10% smaller inflorescences and less dry weight than plants grown in a medium consisting of equal volumes of peatmoss and bark. Number of branches and bracts, days to bloom, and plant grade after 30 days under 15 μmol·s-l· m-2 photosynthetic photon flux were unaffected by media.
The importance of folic acid in the human diet has been recognized in recent years by major increases in government recommended allowances. Red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is an important vegetable source of folic acid, however little is known about the extent of variation for native folic acid content in red beet germplasm. A total of 18 red beet entries, including 11 hybrids (F1) and seven open-pollinated cultivars (OP), were evaluated for free folic acid content (FFAC) in replicated field experiments during 1993 and 1994. Significant differences among entries were detected in all studies. FFAC ranged from 3.3 to 15.2 μg·g-1 on a dry mass basis. A significant entry × year interaction was detected. Changes in rank of entries between years were minimal among F1 hybrids, while the changes in rank among OP cultivars were large. These data demonstrate significant variability among cultivated red beet germplasm sources for FFAC. Entries with high FFAC may be useful for increasing levels of this vitamin in red beet.
Abstract
Treatment of ‘d'Anjou’ pears (Pyrus communis L.) with high CO2 atmosphere for a short period immediately following harvest prolonged storage life, retarded ethylene production, delayed the climacteric rise in respiration, reduced loss of malic acid, suppressed increase in protein N, retained firmness, quality and the capacity to ripen after long storage. Treatment with 12% CO2 for 2 or 4 weeks provided the best results without injury.
Rate of brown rot lesion development following inoculation with Monilinia fructicola (Wint.) honey varied within clingstone peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) germplasm evaluated in 1990 and 1991. High levels of resistance were identified in selections derived from the Brazilian clingstone peach cultivar Bolinha. Resistance appeared to be limited to the epidermal tissue. No relation was detected between brown rot resistance and concentration of phenolic compounds or polyphenol oxidase activity in the susceptible California germplasm. An inverse relation was observed between disease severity and rating for phenolic-related discoloration when `Bolinha' derived selections were analyzed. A moderate positive correlation was observed for all germplasm tested between genotype means for phenolic content and enzymatic browning. Any causal relationship, if it exists, between phenolic content and brown rot resistance is obscured by an array of physical and chemical changes in the maturing fruit.
Abstract
Growth retardants [ancymidol (0.1-1.0 mg·liter−1), chlormequat (0.5-500 mg·liter−1), and paclobutrazol (0.1-1.0 mg·liter−1)] reduced shoot extension, promoted root initiation, and increased root weight in apple seedlings (Malus domestica Borkh ‘York Imperial’). The induction of root formation and increase in root weight were accompanied by a considerable increase in polyamine levels. Daminozide (0.1-250.0 mg·liter−1) and dikegulac (0.25-500 mg·liter−1) also inhibited apple seedling growth; however, these compounds did not promote rooting. Chemical names used: α-cyclopropyl-α-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-pyrimidinemethanol (ancymidol); 2-chloro-N,N,N-trimethylethanaminium chloride (chlormequat chloride); butanedioic acid mono(2,2-dimethylhydrazide) (daminozide); 2,3:4,6-bis-O-(l-methylethylidene)-α-L-xylo-2-hexulofuranosonic acid (dikegulac); β-(4-chlorophenyl)methyl]-α-(l,l-dimethylethyl)-lH-1,2,4-triazole-l-ethanol (paclobutrazol).
Abstract
Continuous exposure of pears to 7.2°C (night) - 21.1°C (day) for 2 days or 10°C - 21.1°C for 9 days or 7.2°C - 26.7°C for 21 days induced the physiological disorder, premature ripening, during the month immediately preceding normal harvest. During the same period, premature ripening did not develop with temp exposures of 12.8°C - 21.1°C or with 7.2°C - 32.2°C. Cool temp 6 to 9 weeks prior to harvest may also cause premature ripening to occur but the fruit will recover to normal behavior if subsequent temp are above the threshold level.