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Abstract
The incidence of viruses in strawberry runner plants from 3 test plantings in Oregon varied by cultivar; incidence was greatest near the center of the major strawberry producing area of Oregon (Aurora) and was less in north-central Oregon (Hermiston) and in southern Oregon (Roseburg), where few strawberries are grown. Runner plants harvested from Aurora, Hermiston, and Roseburg plots in April 1970 were planted at Aurora in a comparative-yield trial with commercial nursery stocks from California, Oregon, and Washington. During the first year there were no significant differences in fruit production or in runner production among the sources of a particular cultivar planted at the same time at Aurora. However, during the second fruiting year, ‘Hood’ stock from Aurora yielded significantly less than some other ‘Hood’ stocks. We conclude that the Hermiston and Roseburg areas in Oregon can produce strawberry-nursery stock of the same quality with respect to virus incidence as other isolated areas now used for this purpose on the Pacific Coast.
During this study, virus incidence in daughter plants varied markedly from year to year in consecutive annual plantings of indexed plants at a given location. The number of runner plants produced, however, was not significantly correlated with the virus incidence in these runner plants over the 3-year period of the test.
Abstract
Objective analyses indicate that fruits from tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) with curly top virus disease are superior to fruits from healthy plants in soluble solids content, apparent viscosity, color and ascorbic acid content. Sensory panels detected differences between thermally-processed tomato juice from infected and healthy plants and preferred tomato juice from fruit produced by infected plants, probably due to its better color and higher apparent viscosity. Off-flavored fruits that are characteristic of this disease would present no problem in tomato juice processing; they even may enhance the quality of the juice.
Isothermal microcalorimetric measurements of metabolic heat rates of `Kerman' pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) individual inflorescence buds, current-year and 1-year-old shoots were used to investigate the roles of current and reserve photosynthates in the abscission of inflorescence buds. In the early stages of development metabolic heat rates of individual inflorescence buds were two and three times those of individual current-year and 1-year-old shoots respectively. Individual shoot organs (1-year-old shoots, current-year shoots, and inflorescence buds) sampled from “on” trees had higher metabolic heat rates than similar individual organs sampled from “off” trees. Artificial shading of pistachio trees for 14 days in early June depressed metabolic heat rates of individual inflorescence buds within 24 h, but there was a delay of 4 days before the decline in metabolic heat rates of individual current-year and 1-year-old shoots. This suggests that metabolic heat rates of individual inflorescence buds apparently depended on currently fixed photosynthates.
This 2-year study was conducted to determine if soil insect damage could be reduced in sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] by treatment with an insecticide (fonofos) and/or a parasitic nematode (Steinernema carpocapsae Weiser), in conjunction with sweetpotato cultivars that differed in susceptibility to soil insect damage. Analysis of field data for the first year showed that the parasitic nematode provided significant damage protection of sweetpotato from wireworms (Conoderus spp.), Diabrotica sp., Systena sp., and sweetpotato flea beetle (Chaetocnema confinis Crotch), but not from grubs (Plectris aliena Chapin; Phyllophaga ephilida Say). In this same test, fonofos used alone provided protection against wireworm-Diabrotica-Systena (WDS complex) damage. In the second test, the nematode did not provide soil insect protection for the WDS complex, but fonofos did reduce damage for these insects. Poor efficacy in the second test with the nematode probably was due to high rainfall, which saturated the soil. Resistant cultivars provided good protection for all three categories of damage. When used with the insect-susceptible check `SC 1149-19', the nematode or fonofos treatments provided better control for all insect categories in the first test. In both years, much higher control of damage by all insect classes was achieved by the use of resistant cultivars in combination with the nematode and/or fonofos treatment (64% higher crop protection than the susceptible check line). Chemical name used: O-ethyl-S-phenylethylphosphonodithioate [fonofos (Dyfonate 10G)].
A fresh-market tomato trial was conducted in 2003 at two locations in Arkansas (Fayetteville and Kibler) to evaluate new and old tomato varieties of interest to home gardeners and farmers' markets. The observational trial consisted of 43 varieties, indeterminates and determinates. Heirloom tomatoes comprised a large portion of the trial due to increasing popularity. Heirlooms are unique and can be very eye-catching. There is immense variety in shape, size, and color. They can be large or small, many times the shape is irregular, and the fruits flawed (cracking, cat-facing, green shoulders). The fruit may not store or ship well; most are grown and sold locally. Some heirlooms are better than others. A few of the varieties that stood out in the trial were Costoluto Genovese, Abraham Lincoln, Dona, and Persimmon. Costoluto Genovese, a uniquely ruffled red tomato, was the highest yielding variety at the Kibler location. Fruit quality remained high even in the highest temperatures. One of the most promising was a orange variety called Persimmon, it produced large fruit and the plants provided excellent cover. Dona and Abraham Lincoln, both reds, yielded well and had good flavor. San Marzano and Arkansas 7985 were the best paste types. Arkansas varieties such as Bradley, Ozark Pink, and Arkansas Traveler 76 also did well. Brandywine varieties had low yields and lesser quality fruit. Green zebra, a green striped fruit with good flavor, yielded less due to Blossom End Rot. Cherokee Purple and Carbon were two from the purple/black category that did not do well; yields were low and the fruit cracked.
Development of a more effective radiation source for use in plant-growing facilities would be of significant benefit for both research and commercial crop production applications. An array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that produce red radiation, supplemented with a photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) of 30 μmol·s-1·m-2 in the 400- to 500-nm spectral range from blue fluorescent lamps, was used effectively as a radiation source for growing plants. Growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. `Grand Rapids') plants maintained under the LED irradiation system at a total PPF of 325 μmol·s-1·m-2 for 21 days was equivalent to that reported in the literature for plants grown for the same time under cool-white fluorescent and incandescent radiation sources. Characteristics of the plants, such as leaf shape, color, and texture, were not different from those found with plants grown under cool-white fluorescent lamps. Estimations of the electrical energy conversion efficiency of a LED system for plant irradiation suggest that it may be as much as twice that published for fluorescent systems.
Southernpeas, Vigna unguiculata, are a popular vegetable in the southeastern United States. Southernpeas (cowpeas) are widely known by the many different horticultural types, i.e., blackeye, pinkeye, purple hull, cream, cowder, etc. `Elegance' was widely tested under the designation Ark 96-918. It was entered in the Regional Southernpea Cooperative Trials from 1997–2002, where it performed well. It is a root-knot nematode resistant cream that exhibits an upright bush habit with concentrated pod set and good yield potential. The seed are medium size and produce a high quality canned product. `Elegance' is unique in the fact that it is a purple hull cream with the pods turning from dark green to purple when the seed reach the green mature stage. The second release, Ark 98-348, is a selection out of `Chinese Red' that is less viney and has a more concentrated pod set and maturity than the `Chinese Red' types that are commercially grown. It was tested in the observational Regional Southernpea Cooperative Trials from 2000–02. In trials at the University of Arkansas Vegetable Substation, it outyielded industry standard `Chinese Red' types Ark 93-640 and 93-641, by 30%.
Abstract
Dilute sprays of 4, 8 and 16% Volck Supreme oil at dormant and repeated at delayed dormant to mask pear trees against psylla, Psylla pyricola (Foerster), oviposition delayed bloom slightly, while 2% applications in the Meld advanced bloom less than 1 day. Dormant pear branches dipped under laboratory conditions in oil at concentrations of 8% and higher caused injury to vegetative buds and slight injury to flowering buds. Single and repeat field applications of oil at 2, 4 and 8% caused no reduction of fruit set or cropping of ‘Anjou’, ‘Bartlett’, ‘Cornice’, ‘Bose’, and ‘Seckel’ pear trees, and in some cases increased fruit set on ‘Anjou’ trees. Hormonal analysis of oil-treated buds indicated a slight increase of gibberellin (GA) and a reduction of abscisic acid (ABA) levels.
Abstract
Flowering, fruit set, fruit size, and bearing potential are the main components of tree fruit and nut yield. The contributions of the individual components to yield and their interrelationships must be clearly defined in research addressing tree fruit productivity. Researchers have been inconsistent in terminology and procedures used to evaluate treatment effects on the major yield components. Although the relative effect of a treatment may be evident within an individual study, standardized measuring and reporting procedures are necessary if one wishes to compare results within the same species from various investigators, locations, and disciplines.