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In 1998, the wholesale nursery industry represented the largest sector in horticultural sales in the United States and 11% of the total value of U.S. agricultural production. The majority of jobs available in the nursery industry are labor intensive. In Ohio, 60% of the nursery workforce is composed of Hispanic laborers. A survey conducted in 2000 targeting Hispanic nursery workers in Oregon and Ohio revealed a great need for basic technical information in their native language. In order to address this issue in Ohio, a Spanish language nursery tour was developed in 2002 and offered annually thereafter. Conducted entirely in Spanish, the tour focuses on basic technical information in the area of field and container production. Tours take place at commercial nursery sites in the Lake County region of Ohio. Demonstrations at the nurseries have highlighted such practices as planting, pruning, and irrigation. Interest in disseminating more technical information in Spanish to the Hispanic workforce has developed as a result of these tours. In Jan. 2005, supervisors of Hispanic nursery workers were surveyed at the Central Environmental Nursery Trade Show (“CENTS”) in Columbus, Ohio, to determine the level of interest in technical education programs for Hispanic employees (65%) and what programs were needed (Safety 16%, Pruning 14%, and English 13%). A multi-state survey in English and Spanish will be conducted over the next two years (2005 and 2006). The goal of this project is to better understand the backgrounds and technical needs of the workers in seven states filling predominantly manual labor positions, in order to help stabilize and engage the workforce through education.
Abstract
Bowen (1988) reported that the first large scale production of dry edible beans in the United States started in Orleans County, N.Y., in 1839. Later, the crop spread to many other areas in the midwestern Great Lake states and finally to many western states as the country developed. The United States became one of the most productive and efficient producers of dry beans in the world in this century. The following states, in ranked order, had the most area planted to the dry bean crop in 1986: Michigan, North Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, California, and Idaho (Table 1). Average yields in the United States reached 1509 kg-ha-1, while yields in Brazil and Mexico, which produce 78% of South America’s dry beans, were 500 and 578 kg·ha-1, respectively, during 1977–1979 (CIAT, 1981). Brazil is the largest producer of dry beans in the world (2,222,0001) (CIAT, 1981), while the United States produced ≍968,000 (5-year average, 1982 to 1986) (Table 2). The differences in yields between the two regions is that, in South America, beans are generally produced on small farms on infertile soils with limited inputs and using landraces in association with other crops (CIAT, 1981). Beans in the United States are generally grown in monoculture on large farms on fertile soils using productive cultivars and generally under high management inputs.
Good quality of fresh `Mission' figs (Ficus carica L.) was maintained for up to 4 weeks when kept at 0, 2.2, or 5C in atmospheres enriched with 15% or 20% CO2. The visible benefits of exposure to high CO2 levels were reduction of decay incidence and maintenance of bright external appearance. Ethylene production was lower, and fruit softening (as measured with a deformation tester) was slower in the high-CO2-stored figs than in those kept in air. Ethanol content of the CO2-treated fruit increased slightly during the first 3 weeks and moderately during the 4th week, while acetaldehyde concentration increased during the first week, then decreased. The results may be applicable to the transport and storage of fresh `Mission' figs, as high CO2 extended their postharvest life, especially near 0C.
Abstract
Demonstrations and evaluations of plastic mulch, trickle irrigation, and row cover effects on vegetable crops are primarily conducted in the field (1, 2). However, field evaluations of these procedures during the summer months are often not available for observation by grower groups that traditionally meet during the winter and spring months, or by students in plant production courses taught during the spring or fall semester. This report describes a plant bed system in a greenhouse that could be used for demonstrating plastic mulch, trickle irrigation, and row cover effects on selected vegetable crops regardless of season.
Abstract
A publication containing 32 pages with over 240 full colored plates was developed by the North Carolina State University Weed Science Faculty over a period of 3 years. The group was convinced that there was a strong need for this type publication in North Carolina but needed only 2,500 copies. To publish a bulletin of this caliber for our state alone would cost about $13,000 or over $5 per copy.
Abstract
Extension workers often identify production, marketing, managerial, or educational constraints that reduce agricultural efficiencies. In Oregon, problems expressed by growers of several horticultural crops appeared to have a common soil management component. Some Christmas tree growers, for example, complained about poor vigor and growth of 2nd- or 3rd-cycle trees that were planted immediately after harvest of the previous crop. Growers reasoned that poor growth (and reduced marketability) might be caused by increasing concentrations of herbicide residues that resulted from yearly applications of atrazine or hexazinone, rather than soil erosion and related soil management problems. Grape producers and lily bulb growers were concerned about soil erosion, since crops were planted parallel to the slope. Frequent mechanical harvesting of brambles led to growers’ fears of soil compaction, while fruit growers noted slower rates of water infiltration in orchards where natural vegetation is managed with a flail compared to areas interplanted with a sod.
Abstract
Horticulture is entering a new and exciting era with unique and unlimited opportunities if only we will be imaginative and respond to the needs of all people. The general public, elected officials and even university administrators are beginning to demonstrate a greater interest in, and awareness of, the potentials of horticulture. The challenge is clear if only we will accept it.
For many plants, light quality has a pronounced effect on plant morphology; light with a low red (R, 600 to 700 nm) to far-red (FR, 700 to 800 nm) ratio promotes stem elongation and a high R: FR, or blue light (B, 400 to 500 nm), suppresses it. In addition, FR light is required for rapid flowering in some species, particularly for long-day plants. Our objective was to quantify how flexible spectral filters, which selectively reduce FR, B, or R, influence plant height and flowering of the quantitative long-day plants Pisum sativum L. `Utrillo' and Viola ×wittrockiana Gams. `Crystal Bowl Yellow'. Plants were grown at 20 °C with reduced FR, B, or R environments or with a neutral density control (C) filter. Calculated phytochrome photoequilebria were 0.78, 0.73, 0.71, or 0.46 for the altered FR, B, C, or R environments, respectively. All filter treatments transmitted a similar photosynthetic photon flux. Sixteen-hour photoperiods were created with natural daylight supplemented with high-pressure sodium lamps positioned above filters. Viola grown under the FR filter never reached 100% flowering within 8 weeks, and visible bud appearance was delayed by at least 17 days compared to all other filters. The R and B filters enhanced peduncle length by at least 25% compared to the C or FR filters. In Pisum, average internode length was 2.2, 2.9, 3.4, and 3.7 cm under the FR, C, B, and R filters, respectively, all statistically different. Fresh and dry shoot weights were similar under the C and FR filters but were at least 35% greater under the B filter and 35% lower under the R filter.
Ninety-six uniform plants of each `Russell hybrid' and `Gallery' mix lupines sown 9 June 1995 were randomly assigned to 32 unique treatment combinations. On 14 Dec 1995, plants were either placed in a 17/13°C day/night temperature (DT/NT) greenhouse (COOL) or 22/18°C DT/NT greenhouse (WARM) as controls, or in a constant 4.5°C cooler in the dark for 6, 8 10, or 12 weeks. After cooling, plants were transplanted to #1 nursery cans (2.75 liter) using Sunshine mix #2 and were assigned randomly to the COOL or WARM greenhouse. Greenhouse control plants under natural days were transplanted at intervals similar to cooled plants. Days until visible bud and flowering were analyzed using SAS PROC GLM. Plants receiving long day (LD) flowered 7 to 10 weeks (46 to 70 days) after the start of LD forcing. Buds were visible in 30 to 35 days. Plants receiving natural days (ND) did not flower uniformly unless they were cooled for 12 weeks, yet flowering took longer (8 to 12 weeks) when compared with LD. Unfortunately, LD lighting for the entire forcing period caused excess stretching, so plants finished too tall for quality potted plants. Forcing in a COOL greenhouse delayed flowering about a week compared to the WARM greenhouse.
`Georgia Jet' and `Jewel' sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) roots were cured (32 ±C lC, 85% ± 5% relative humidity (RH)] for 7 days immediately after harvest and then subjected to 0, 4, 8, or 12 additional days of curing before storage (16 ± lC, 85% ± 5% RI-I). Roots were presprouted (32 ± lC, 85% ± 5% RH) for 0, 4, 8, or 12 days before bedding. Plant emergence of `Georgia Jet' was accelerated with increasing duration of curing, but emergence of both cultivars was accelerated with increasing duration of short-interval presprouting. With increasing duration of extended curing, there was a nonlinear increase in the number of early and total `Georgia Jet' plants. However, with increasing duration of presprouting, there was a linear increase in the number of early and total plants of both cultivars. Average weights of early and total `Jewel' plants were higher than those of `Georgia Jet' plants. Treatments did not influence deterioration of bedded roots or the number of sprouts remaining on roots of a cultivar after 9 weeks of plant harvest. However, `Jewel' roots retained more sprouts than `Georgia Jet' roots, possibly indicating greater capacity for continued production of plants from `Jewel' than `Georgia Jet' if additional plant harvests were conducted.