Design modification of a particle inflow-type gun for particle bombardment significantly simplifies construction and reduces fabrication time. The gun consists of a high-speed electric solenoid valve mounted on and through a vacuum jar. DNA-coated tungsten particles are placed on the support grid of a filter housing and accellerated by a burst of pressurized helium, which is controlled by a timer. Specimens are held between plastic screens and their distance from the particle support grid is adjusted with a miniature laboratory apparatus positioner. Transient expression of GUS in cantaloupe cotyledons and grape somatic embryos was equivalent to that obtained with a conventional particle inflow gun. The device was constructed with locally-available hardware in 40 minutes using a hand drill, some thread taps and a thread die.
This article examines the nutritional quality and human health benefits of melons, specifically, muskmelon or cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L. var. reticulatus Naud.) and honeydew melon (Cucumis melo L. var. inodorus Naud.) types. Melons are naturally low in fat and sodium, have no cholesterol, and provide many essential nutrients such as potassium, in addition to being a rich source of beta-carotene and vitamin C. Although melons are an excellent source of some nutrients, they are low in others, like vitamin E, folic acid, iron, and calcium. Since the U.S. diet is already high in fat and protein content, melons should be included in everyone's diet, along with five to eight servings per day of a variety of other fruit and vegetables, to ensure adequate nutrition, promote individual health, and reduce one's risk of cancer and certain other chronic diseases.
Abstract
Plastics in agriculture and horticulture, which had its origins nearly 4 decades ago, have grown to over a 300 million lb. industry in the United States. The inexpensive plastics excited not only researchers but farmers seeking a cheaper method of producing and preserving food and fiber. E. M. Emmert (1), of the University of Kentucky, the father of plastics in the U. S., developed many principles of plastic technology with his research on greenhouses, mulches and row covers. Early row cover experiments on cantaloupe production by C. A. Shadbolt and O. D. McCoy (11, 12), and by B. J. Hall (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) on cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers, established the practical and commercial uses of the row covers for these crops. More sophisticated row covers, where heat, was used to grow early crops in the more northern latitudes, were reported in 1964 and 1965 by Merle H. Jensen and Raymond Sheldrake (9, 10).
We collected growth and yield data on eight cantaloupe cultivars and constructed a simple phenology model that uses local weather data to allow growers to quantify phenological growth and development to project harvest dates. Main vine plastochron interval (PI), time to harvest, and final yield were determined. PI was calculated for each cultivar × transplanting date combination as the reciprocal of the slope of main vine node number vs. growing degree days. Among the tested cultivars,`Ovation' and `Primo' produced significantly higher yields of marketable melons (51.3 Mg/ha, 49.5 Mg/ha, respectively), whereas `Santa Fe' produced the lowest (28.6 Mg/ha). The rest of the tested cultivars produced on average 34.4 Mg/ha. Fruit weight was significantly higher in `Morning Ice' (2.7 kg/fruit) and lowest in `Mission' (1.4 kg/fruit). There were also significant differences among cultivars in the number of marketable melons/ha, which ranged from 11500 melons/ha for `Morning Ice' to 32300 melons/ha for `Ovation'. Plant dry matter production was higher in `Ovation' and `Mission' than all the other cultivars. The relative days to maturity were significantly higher in `Morning Ice' and `Honey Brew' (115 days) and lower in `Gold Rush' (72 days). There were no differences found in days to maturity for `Mission', and `Ovation'(82 days). The average % of soluble solids content ranged from 9.5 for `Ovation' to 14.5 for `Mission' and `Honey Brew'. The variety cantaloupensis types are earlier in maturity than inodorus types. PI was significantly different for all cultivars. Main vine node number was a useful descriptor of vegetative development for cantaloupes. Procedures for calibrating and fitting the model for these cultivars will be discussed and outlined
The Food Quality Protection Act may result in the withdrawal from use of many herbicides in the “minor” crops: fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, and ornamentals. An obvious mitigation strategy is to test and register newer, low-rate herbicides that are currently used only in large-acreage field crops. The newer herbicides have low mammalian toxicity, few off-target effects, and are often used at rates of less than 0.1 kg/ha. Many of the older herbicides are applied at rates of several kg/ha and have off-target effects that can make their use problematic. Low-rate herbicides could replace the older chemicals commonly used in horticultural crops. We have tested several promising low-rate herbicides: carfentrazone, cloransulam, dimethenamid, halosulfuron, rimsulfuron, and sulfentrazone. Broccoli, cantaloupe, carrot, lettuce, onion, spinach, and processing tomato varieties were screened for tolerance to low-rate herbicides at four locations in California that included desert, inland, and coastal environments. All of the crops tested had tolerance for one or more of the low-rate herbicides. Data on similar tests for other horticultural crops will also be presented. The potential for registering these herbicides in vegetables and other horticultural crops varies with the crop and the pesticide's manufacturer. Pesticides that may soon face removal from widespread use will be reviewed. Herbicides and other potential alternatives to currently registered herbicides will be examined to determine possible practical alternatives for specific crops and weeds.
Since 1980, farmers from western Mexico have cultivated melon cantaloupe; however, during the past few years, they have seen the better advantages of honeydew melon. Some of them represent a good alternative to farmers because chemical products and labor costs are reduced, and because they are tolerant to several diseases. The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate 15 new hybrids of honeydew melon in western Mexico. The hybrids evaluated were: Dey Break, Hmx 4596, Hmx 4595, Hmx 4607, Sunex 7051, Rocio, creme de menthe, Silver world, Emerald sweet, Sme 5303, Sme 5302, Santa Fé, PSR 10994, and PSR 8994, Honey Brew was test. Fifteen -day-old plants were transplanted by hand. Treatments were replicated four times in a randomized complete-block design. Beds 1.2 m wide and 7.0 m long were prepared, 1.5 m between beds, distance plant-plant 0.5 m (plant density ≈13,332 plant/ha). Results show that yield of SME 5302, SME 5303, HMX 4596, Rocío, Dey Break, PSR 8994, Sunex 7051, and HMX 4607 had a yield higher of 50 t/ha, Emerad sweet had more number fruit (59 per 10 plants), whereas SME 5303, SME 5302 and Silver world had higher fruit weight (>1.719 gr). We suggest the evaluation of these hybrids in other regions to know the adaptation to different conditions and to select the best in commercial quality and production.
Sweetpotato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Gennadius) is one of the serious pests on cucurbits and causes injury by sucking sap and by the transmission of virus. In Western Mexico, melon and other vegetable crops have been subjected to losses as a results of whitefly feeding and whitefly-transmitted virus infection. Traditional control is based in the Metamidophos and Endosulfan applications (more than 10 times). Recently, Imidacloprid has been reported as new alternative to whitefly control. Thus, this study was conducted to determine the effect of Imidacloprid under different applications methods on sweetpotato whitefly populations and cantaloupe yield. Ten treatments were evaluated: 1) seed + basal stem, 2) seed + soil at 8 cm, 3) seed + soil (near to seed), 4) seed + soil (seedlings emergence), 5) seed only, 6) basal stem, 7) soil (plant emerged), 8) foliage, 9) Metamidophos and Endosulfan (regional application), and 10) control, without application. These were arranged in a randomized complete-block design with four replications. Each replication had four beds 7.5 m long. Number of whitefly adults was determined weekly on 24 plants selected at random for each treatment (two leaves/plant). At 22, 39, 57, and 73 days after showing, the whitefly nymphs/cm2 were also counted. Imidacloprid applied to foliage five times showed the best whitefly control during the entire crop season, reducing injury and increasing melon yield at 1346.7 cartons/ha, while Metamidophos and Endosulfan showed an intermediate effect (1073.6 cartons/ha).
Apple, peach, blackberry, raspberry, cabbage, cantaloupe, bean, tomato, red maple, juniper, yew, viburnum, and boxwood were planted in two soils, a yellow overburden (YO) and a soil manufactured from crushed shale (MS), in a reclaimed surface mine in southern West Virginia. Treatments at planting time were 454 kg·ha-1 of 10N-4.4P-8.9K fertilizer + ≈2.5 cm of sphagnum peat (F + P) or 250 mL of micorrhizal fungi inoculum + peat (M + P) mixed into the planting hole. Both soils were low in organic matter (0.9%) and N (3.0 mg·kg-1). The MS had a pH of 7.7, while the YO had a pH of 5.0 and was low in Ca (16 mg·kg-1). Peach grew best and tomato yielded best in the F + P treatment, while viburnums responded more to M + P. Roots of all species in all treatments including noninoculated sampled nine months after planting were found to be infected with one or more of the Glomus sp., with which they had been inoculated. A noninoculated species of Glomus was also found on some roots.
We conducted a field screening of melon (Cucumis melo L.) cultigens to identify potential sources of host-plant resistance to Monosporascus cannonballus Pollack & Uecker. Seed were sown in Speedling trays with inoculated or noninoculated media. Plants were transplanted into a field known to be highly infested with M. cannonballus. Cultigens were arranged in a randomized complete block with three replications in each treatment (fumigated/noninoculated, nonfumigated/inoculated). Vine decline (1 = no symptoms to 5 = dead vines) was rated at 78 and 90 days post-transplanting. Disease symptoms were most severe and occurred earliest in the inoculated, nonfumigated plots. However, natural infection by M. cannonballus occurred in the fumigated plots, as all root samples collected contained perithecia. The majority of cultigens (85%) showed moderate to severe vine decline symptoms. Mean vine decline ratings of melon types from the spring test, ranked from most tolerant to least tolerant, were: Charentais = Ananas = Galia > Misc. = Honeydew = Mixed > US cantaloupe. A Fall test of the most tolerant cultigens showed similar results, in that Ananas and Charentais types had the highest tolerance; however, Galia types performed poorly, which may be due to the different environmental conditions, or differing fruit loads on the vines in the two tests. `Deltex', an Ananas hybrid, showed the highest tolerance based on vine decline ratings in the two tests.
Anthracnose is a destructive foliage and fruit disease of cucurbits worldwide, particularly on cucumber, watermelon, and cantaloupe. Three fungal taxa have been implicated in the cucurbit anthracnose complex [Colletotrichum orbiculare (CO), C. magna (CM), and the putative teleomorph Glomerella cingulata var. orbiculare (GC)]. In the past 7 years we have assembled a large geographically diverse collection of cucurbit isolates that have been characterized for virulence, vegetative (heterokaryon) compatibility, and mitochondrial and nuclear DNA RFLPs. All isolates that are pathogenic on cucurbit foliage are CO, belong to one of the four VCGs, and belong to a single mtDNA RFLP haplotype. Three races of CO (1, 2, and 2B) can be distinguished by their disease reactions on cucumber (`Marketer' and `H19') and watermelon (`Black Diamond' and `Charleston Gray') differentials. Race 1 (cucumber pathogen) and race 2 (watermelon pathogen) were the most common. Examination of virulence on cucurbit fruit indicates that CM and GC are more aggressive than CO, indicating that they could primarily be fruit-rot pathogens. Race 1 and 2 have been used effectively for screening disease resistance in cucumber and watermelon. Isolates of CM, GC, and Colletotrichum spp. recovered from fruit lesions were not pathogenic or were weakly virulent on cucurbit foliage and were diverse with regard to VCGs, nuDNA, and mtDNA RFLPs. However, CM and GC were more virulent on cucurbit fruit than CO.