Search Results
Abstract
Mepiquat chloride (MP-Cl) applied at the late prebloom stage or during bloom increased the set and yield of ‘Concord’ grape (Vitis labruscana Bailey) and restricted length of pre-existing but not yet fully expanded internodes, but not those formed subsequent to treatment. Unlike most growth retardants, MP-Cl appears to exert its effect directly on the developing flowers rather than via vegetative growth control.
Abstract
In an effort to improve grapevine micropropagation, shoot proliferation and rooting in response to explant preparation and incubation conditions were investigated. The explants were three- to four-node shoots (15 mm) of the Vitis hybrid ‘Remaily Seedless’ cultured in vitro. The factors considered were white light of diverse spectral irradiance distributions, blue light, red light, 10-hr light/14-hr dark and 16-hr light/8-hr dark photoperiods, and leaf and/or apex removal from the explant. In white light and short days, leaf and/or apex removal did not affect shoot production; however, more shoots of at least three nodes, the desired size for micropropagation, were produced when leaves were retained. Shoot production was significantly greater in blue than in red light. Differences in shoot production in white lights of various spectral irradiance distributions were attributed to differences in blue : red irradiance ratios. Shoot production was greater with ratios of 0.6 to 0.9 than with lower and higher ratios. A greater percentage of subcultured shoots rooted in long days and red light than in blue or white light. The number of roots produced per shoot, and total root length, were also greater in red light.
Shoots were regenerated from cotyledons of mature stored seed of three peach rootstock cultivars (`Flordaguard', `Nemared', and `Medaguard'). Shoot regeneration rates were highest when cotyledons were cultured for 3 weeks in darkness on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with 2.5% sucrose and a combination of IBA (1.25 or 2.5 μm) and TDZ (6.25 or 12.5 μm). Regeneration rates for `Flordaguard', `Nemared', and `Nemaguard' were as high as 60%, 33%, and 6%, respectively. Length of seed storage (1 to 3 years) did not affect regeneration rates. Seventy percent of regenerated shoots produced rooted plants. This regeneration method is rapid and simple, and stored seed can be used year-round. It may be a useful regeneration system for gene transfer in seed-propagated peach rootstocks. Chemical names used: 5 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA); thidiazuron (TDZ).
Pollen from the doubled haploid peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] `Hall-D' was irradiated with 0, 290, 530, 820, 1000, 5000, or 9000 Gray (Gy) of gamma radiation, 113 μW·cm-2 of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, or exposed to 100 °C for 2 h. In vitro pollen germination percentages were recorded and pollen was used to pollinate more than 10,000 emasculated or male-sterile peach flowers. Although pollen germination in vitro was stimulated by <1000 Gy of gamma irradiation, seed set following pollination was greatly reduced in all treatments. These results suggest that low levels of irradiation are sufficient to render pollen infertile while still maintaining germination capacity. Such results may be useful for pollination-induced parthenogenetic egg division for the production of maternally derived haploids and for the production of interspecific hybrids.
The effects of cold storage, photoperiod, and growth temperature on flowering incidence in four clones of garlic (Allium sativum L.) were studied. While flowering percentage was influenced most by clone, interactions with photoperiod, growth temperature, and storage occurred. Clone R81 flowered equally well in all conditions, whereas flowering percentage of clones D129, D130, and PI485592 was reduced by cold (4C) storage of either bulbs or plants, long (16-h) photoperiod, and at 18C relative to 10C. The highest flowering percentage in all garlic clones was achieved by growing plants at 10C under short (9- to 10-h) photoperiod with no cold storage of bulbs before planting.
Abstract
‘Thompson Seedless’ fruits from vines that received gibberellin or auxin treatment were separated into different maturity classes and stored at 0° for 98 days. Samples were withdrawn at about monthly intervals and soluble solids, total acidity, malic acid, arginine and proline were measured. Fruits with differing soluble solids concn had the same soluble solids content per berry. After 30 days of storage, the soluble solids concn and total acidity of non-GA3 treated fruits began to increase, probably as a result of water loss. Malic acid concn and content increased for 30 days in storage, remained stable for the next 28 days, and then decreased during the remainder of the storage period. The amino acids, arginine and proline, remained relatively constant during the 1st 58 days of storage and then increased greatly both in concn and content.
In two 4-year studies, `Concord' (Vitis labruscana, Bailey) cane pruning weight, yield, and soluble solids content were similar for vines growing under herbicide and cultivation treatments. In a vineyard with shallow soil, vines grown under mulch had a significantly greater increase in cane pruning weight than did vines grown with sod middles. Growth suppression of sod-managed vines occurred only in relatively dry years. While there was annual variation in vine response to herbicide and cultivation treatments, the cumulative responses over the 4-year study were similar for these treatments. A second vineyard where soil was less restrictive for root growth did not respond to the replacement of clean cultivation with herbicide treatments. In both experiments, there was no apparent advantage of two instead of a single herbicide application, and there was no difference between the budbreak, as opposed to bloom timing, of herbicide application.
Abstract
A factorialized thinning level/shoot density experiment which was started in 1980 demonstrated that ‘Seyval blanc’ grapes benefits from cluster thinning in terms of vine size maintenance, cane ripening, berry weight, and Brix. Reducing shoot density led to increased cane ripening. Concomitant increases in cluster exposure improved fruit composition and led to higher berry weights. However, maintaining reasonably high shoot densities (4 shoots/30 cm of row or more) also was essential to maintain yield and vine size, even when crop was controlled by thinning. Levels of 4 shoots/30 cm of row and 17 clusters/500 g cane prunings are recommended to maximize yield and maintain reasonable fruit quality and vine size. Postbloom cluster thinning was found to reduce the incidence of bunch rot and to reduce the production of 2nd crop in 1982, without affecting any parameters of yield or fruit composition.
Controlled pollinations were made between five hemlock (Tsuga) species from eastern North America and Asia, resulting in over 5700 germinating seedlings. A subset of putative hybrid seedlings from each cross was tested for authenticity by various DNA marker systems. The most reliable and useful system for verifying hybrids was amplified fragment-length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. Hybridizations between the eastern North American species, T. canadensis [L.] Carriere and T. caroliniana Engelm., and the Asian species, T. chinensis (Franch.) E. Pritz., were used as a model to test the inheritance, reliability, and ease of use of these markers. Using AFLP markers, we were able to verify 58 hybrids between T. caroliniana and T. chinensis, one hybrid between T. caroliniana and T. canadensis, but could find no definitive hybrids between T. canadensis and T. chinensis. Results using other marker systems, including RAPD, SCAR, ITS, and SSR, are also presented.