Incidence of the disease lettuce drop caused by Sclerotinia minor is often high in California lettuce fields despite the use of cultural and chemical controls. Development of resistant lettuce cultivars has been hindered by the difficulty of evaluating resistance in field tests and the lack of a screening procedure that reliably predicts field performance. Several lettuce genotypes of diverse geographic origin and plant architecture including modern and heirloom cultivars, plant introduction accessions, and breeding lines, were evaluated for resistance to S. minor using several methods. Resistance was evaluated in fields that contained naturally occurring S. minor, in a field that contained both naturally occurring and manually incorporated S. minor inoculum, and in the greenhouse using two types of inocula. Many genotypes exhibited partial resistance to S. minor, with significantly reduced disease incidence relative to susceptible controls. The similarity of disease ratings observed in replicated field tests supports the conclusion that partial resistance is under genetic control. Ratings obtained in some greenhouse tests were highly correlated with field ratings, but this was not true for all tests. Therefore, although greenhouse evaluation with adequate replication and repetition can be used as a selection tool, field testing remains an essential component of S. minor resistance breeding programs.
Incorporation of specific vitamins such as thiamin to the rooting media has been reported to stimulate root and shoot growth. Thiamin is involved in the Kreps cycle decarboxylation of pyruvate to citrate as a coenzyme in the pyruvate decarboxylase enzyme complex. Axenic and soil glasshouse studies were conducted to determine the tissue nutrient concentrations (ICP analysis), especially Ca, in response to low application rates of thiamin. In a 50 d axenic “Grand Rapids” lettuce study, thiamin (5 mg mL-1 0.5 N Hoagland's) stimulated shoot length (25%), root length (23%), Ca (8%), K (14%), and P uptake (18%) compared with control values (no thiamin added). Soil glasshouse “Grand Rapids” lettuce studies showed that thiamin (6 mg kg-1 soil) stimulated N (72%), Ca (58%). K (12%), and P uptake (11%) compared with control values. Additional glasshouse-soil-thiamin form studies with “Black seeded Simpson” lettuce (20 mg each form kg-i soil) showed thiamin compounds increased Ca tissue levels from 3 to 10% and organic C content from 5 to 30%. The prospect of using these compounds to reduce tipburn in lettuce is being investigated in follow-up studies.
Abstract
Leaf index (width/length) was measured in the parental lines, F1 and F2 of the cross ‘Gallega’ (rosette type) × ‘Minetto’ (crisphead). The minimum genetic requirement for head formation in the F2 was probably a combination of 3 genes, 1 dominant and 2 recessive. However, none of the heading segregates fully recovered the ‘Minetto’ phenotype. The heading genotype of ‘Minetto’ differed from that of ‘Gallega’ by a mimimum of 3, and probably 4 or more, predominantly recessive genes. The primary effect of “heading genes” was to increase the leaf index, i.e. produce leaves which were wide at the base.
Screening for lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) big-vein resistance in the F2 generation is highly inefficient. Efficiency improves in the F3 and following generations with continued inbreeding. Traits useful in ascertaining resistance are 0% of plants showing symptoms and percentage of plants showing symptoms at a given date. Breeding lines identified as resistant in greenhouse screening have proved resistant under field conditions. Forty-nine cultivars have been identified in preliminary testing as potentially resistant. Of these, 11 have been confirmed as resistant in greenhouse and field tests.
Abstract
Using sprinkler irrigation for the entire season allowed a change in bed conformity for head lettuce. Growing 6 rows on an 82-inch bed introduced a maturity variable, with the 2 outside rows having larger heads or heads with greater numbers of leaves.
On a flat soil surface with plants on square spacings of 10 × 10, 12 × 12, 14 × 14, 16 × 16, and 24 × 24 inches, growth was slowed but total yields increased as density increased. Using ‘Climax’ and the present system of packaging 24 or 30 heads per carton, the 14 × 14-inch spacing produced the greatest number of cartons per acre. The greater yields at the 10 × 10-inch spacing (45 tons per acre) were small heads that would be acceptable only for shredding.
Abstract
The effect of salinity (0 to 0.12 M NaCl) and temperature (20-30°C) on germination of ‘Phoenix’ lettuce seed was studied. Increasing levels of both factors inhibited germination and reduced fresh weight of young seedlings. The salinity by tempertaure interaction was found to be statistically significant in the inhibition of germination. Although the mechanism of this interaction is not known, it was found that osmotic inhibition was reduced at lower temperatures. Kinetin largely overcomes both temperature and osmotic inhibition of germination, but its effect on early seedling development varies with temperature. At 15° no significant effect was observed, but at higher temperatures (23° and 25°) it increased fresh weight at higher salinity levels but had no effect at lower salinity levels.
A series of experiments was undertaken to study daylength-mediated control of transition to flowering in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), a quantitative long-day plant. Several genotypes (cultivars, landraces, and mutant lines) were grown at different photoperiods, sometimes in combination with different temperatures, and measured for number of days to either a) bolting initiation (a detectable increase in the rate of stem elongation) or b) anthesis of the first flower (a standard measure of maturity in lettuce). Experiments were conducted in controlled or partially controlled environments. Results of these studies indicate the following: a) high temperature alone is not sufficient to induce the bolting response, whereas photoperiod is; b) there is a range of genetic responses to various daylengths among lettuce genotypes; c) one of the genes known to control bolting initiation, gene Z', exhibited reverse dominance in conjunction with the Early Flowering genes, depending on the length of day. The latter observation implies the genetic role of T needs further investigation, as it does not appear to operate by simple dominance alone.
Leaf samples collected from field plots of nine lettuce varieties established in the Early (ES) and Late (LS) Summer of 2002 and 2003 in Celeryville, Ohio, were subjected to spectrophotometric measurement of anthocyanin concentrations and/or color analysis based on colorimeter and spectroradiometer readings and human panelist ratings. Interactions between year (Y), planting date (PD), and variety (V) main effects for anthocyanin concentration were significant due to shifts in response magnitude, but not direction. Anthocyanin levels were higher following LS than ES planting, regardless of Y and V, and PD effects were pronounced in 2002, when differences in average daily temperature between ES and LS plantings tended to be larger. Also, regardless of Y and PD, anthocyanin levels followed the pattern `Impuls' > `OOC 1441' > `Valeria' > `OOC1426' > `Lotto' > `SVR 9634' `OOC 1434' > `OOC 1310' > `Cireo'. Treatment-based color differences were also evident in colorimeter and spectroradiometer readings. And, panelists differentiated field-grown samples based on red color intensity. Strong correlations between analytical and instrumented and human panelist-based measures suggest that instrumented assessments of red color intensity may serve as reliable proxies for direct measures of anthocyanin levels or human panelist ratings, particularly if the aim is to establish color differences between major experimental groups and assign a quantitative, repeatable value to red color intensity.
The phenolic composition of whole heads and excised midrib sections of iceberg, butter leaf, and romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) was followed at 5 and 10 °C during the first 3 days after wounding or during continuous exposure to 10 μL·L-1 ethylene in air. After 3 days of storage at 5 and 10 °C, only 5-caffeoylquinic acid (chlorogenic acid), 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (isochlorogenic acid), caffeoyltartaric acid, and dicaffeoyltartaric acid were detected in wounded lettuce midribs. Of these four compounds, chlorogenic acid accumulated to the highest level in all three lettuce types. The content of caffeic acid derivatives increased 3- and 6-fold after 72 hours of storage at 5 and 10 °C, respectively. The synthesis of caffeoyltartaric acid was not induced by wounding in iceberg lettuce, while chlorogenic acid increased 5-fold at 5 °C and 10-fold at 10 °C. Similar relative phenolic compositions were detected in the three lettuce types studied, although at different concentrations. Changes observed in the content of individual phenolic compounds during the first 3 days of ethylene exposure seemed to follow the same pattern observed during wound induction of the synthesis of phenolic compounds. Chlorogenic acid increased 5-fold and isochlorogenic acid increased 10-fold, while the content of caffeoyltartaric derivatives were not significantly altered by ethylene treatment. Isochlorogenic acid, which was only present in low amounts in the control, was synthesized in the later steps of wound and ethylene induction. Similar kinetics for the induction of phenolic compounds were observed in the three lettuce types studied, suggesting that the mechanisms by which wounding induces phenylpropanoid synthesis are common for the different lettuce types.
Wounding during minimal processing of lettuce (Lactuca sativa, L.) induces alterations in phenolic metabolism that promote browning and the loss of quality. The activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL; the first committed enzyme in phenylpropanoid metabolism) and the concentration of phenolic compounds (e.g., chlorogenic acid, dicaffeoyl tartaric acid, and isochlorogenic acid) increase in excised iceberg lettuce midrib segments after wounding. The effect of short heat-shock treatments on browning and phenolic metabolism in excised midrib segments of iceberg lettuce was studied. As the heat-shock temperature increased from 20 to 70 °C, there was a decrease in the subsequent increase in PAL activity and the accumulation of phenolic compounds in excised midrib segments. Treatments of 45 °C for 120 s, 50 °C for 60 s, or 55 °C for 30 s significantly reduced the increase in PAL activity and subsequent browning seen in control tissue after wounding. Exposure to 45 °C for 480 s, 50 °C for 60 s, or 55 °C for 45 s prevented PAL activity from rising above initial levels. Phenolic compounds remained at initial levels for 3 days in excised midribs exposed to 50 °C for 90 s or to 55 °C for 60 s. However, 55 °C damaged the tissue, as indicated by a* and L* Hunter color values. The synthesis of chlorogenic acid, dicaffeoyl tartaric acid, and isochlorogenic acid was greatly reduced by these heat-shock treatments. These treatments also decreased polyphenol oxidase activity and, to a lesser extent, peroxidase activity.