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  • Author or Editor: Sharon L. Knight x
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Abstract

Triacontanol (1-triacontanol) applied as a foliar spray at 10−7 m to 4-day-old, hydroponically grown leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) seedlings in a controlled environment increased leaf fresh and dry weight 13% to 20% and root fresh and dry weight 13% to 24% 6 days after application, relative to plants sprayed with water. When applied at 8 as well as 4 days after seeding, triacontanol increased plant fresh and dry weight, leaf area, and mean relative growth rate 12% to 37%. There was no benefit of repeating application of triacontanol in terms of leaf dry weight gain.

Open Access

Abstract

‘Salad Bowl’ and ‘Waldmann’s Green’ leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) were exposed to photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFD) of 444 or 889 µmol s–1m–2 for 20 hours day–1 under a diurnal temperature regime of 25°C days/15° nights or 20° days/15° nights. Leaf dry weight of both cultivars was highest under the high PPFD/warm temperature regime and lowest under the low PPFD/cool temperature regime. ‘Waldmann’s Green’ yielded more than did ‘Salad Bowl’ at 889 µmol s–1m–2 and 25° days/20° nights. Under high PPFD, both cultivars yielded better with 25° days/25° nights than with 25° days/20° nights, although relative growth rates were the same under both temperature regimes.

Open Access

Abstract

Several levels of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) were tested for effects on growth of 4 cultivars of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) under controlled-environment conditions. Growth of ‘Salad Bowl’, ‘Bibb’, and ‘Ruby’ was greater at 932 µmol s -1m-2 than at ≤ 644 µmol s-1m-2 under a 16-hour photoperiod. Thirty mM NO3 - or 5 mM NH4 + + 25 mM NO3 - increased leaf dry weight while reducing leaf chlorosis in ‘Salad Bowl’ and ‘Grand Rapids’ relative to that with 15 mM NO3 -, and reduced leaf purpling in ‘Bibb’ and ‘Ruby’ with little or no effect on yield. Continuous illumination with 455 or 918 µmol s-1 m-2 stimulated yield of ‘Salad Bowl’ and ‘Bibb’ when 30 mM N as NH4 + + NO3 - was used relative to that with 15 mM NO3 -.

Open Access

Horticulture Research Methodology courses are an important if not essential introduction to research for beginning graduate students. Such courses are often characterized by presentation of a series of experimental techniques, lacking continuity and out of context with real-world research situations. In the described course, students gained expertise with a range of environmental and plant measurement techniques within the framework of a semester-long experiment. The experimental techniques were introduced and incorporated into the experiment at appropriate stages. Each student engaged in hands-on participation in development of a proposal; experimental set up, implementation, and daily maintenance; and data accumulation, analysis, and reporting (in HortScience manuscript format). In addition to direct experience with all subject techniques, each student had individual responsibility for characterization of a. selected plant (or environmental) parameter. This format successfully accomplished the provision of direct and coherent experience with a wide variety of important horticultural research techniques within a real-world setting.

Free access