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- Author or Editor: Phillip L. Chapman x
This study was carried out to determine the influences of planting date (June, July) and soil applications of Trichoderma harzianum (strain T-95) and a fungicide containing ethazole + thiophanate (BanrotR) on flower production of standard carnation cvs. Improved White and Tanga. The one-year production data showed that the fungicide treatment increased flower yield by 7.3% (33.5 flowers/m2) and 4.8% (23.3 flowers/m2) in Improved White and Tanga, respectively, for June planting. Improved White produced more flowers and fancy grades when planted in July as compared to June planting. Planting date did not influence either the yield or the flower quality in Tanga. The effectiveness of Trichoderma as a biological control agent on flower yield and quality was not evident. The patterns of weekly flower production for the two cultivars were determined and graphically illustrated.
The primary goal of this study was to determine the optimum number of substrate moisture sensors needed to accurately determine substrate water content for 10 tree species in a containerized nursery. We examined variation in volumetric water content (VWC, m3·m−3) within containers, within species, among species, and over time. Across time, differences among species were not significant (P = 0.14). However, differences among time periods and the interaction effect between species and time periods were significant (P < 0.001). Seasonal differences in within-species variation were also evident in nine of the 10 species. In an attempt to understand species-specific mechanistic factors that influence within-species variation in VWC, we accounted for physiological and morphological differences affecting transpiration with a spatially explicit mechanistic model, MAESTRA. Neither estimated transpiration rate per whole crown or m2 of leaf area could explain variation in VWC. Based on our results, we recommend species-specific sensor deployment and report sensor quantities that estimate the mean substrate VWC of each species within a confidence interval of ± 5% VWC. Given the economic value of water and its control on biomass production, we conclude that nursery managers can maintain optimal substrate moisture with minimal sensor deployment.