Abstract
I am pleased to represent the seed industry in this symposium. However, I would like to qualify my remarks by pointing out that my comments will represent my own personal opinions and to emphasize that my experiences have been entirely in the field of plant breeding in vegetable crops. However, many of the points on which I touch should apply equally as well to breeding and variety work in fruits and ornamentals. I would also like to emphasize that by representing the seed industry our role in this discussion is sort of a middleman's role. The seed industry stands between this tax supported institution and the ultimate consumer, whether it be a home gardener, a roadstand operator, a large truck farmer, or a huge processing industry. This point is very important and should be kept clearly in mind as it has important ramifications in the relationships between tax supported institutions, ASHS and the seed companies. We would like to feel that we are members of both teams and act as sort of a buffer between them. In many cases our personnel are on a par in training and experience with those in public research institutions. Thus I think that some of the remarks I make will be much kinder to members of the Society and the Society itself than other groups may make.
Firmness is a critical quality characteristic in kiwifruit [Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev.) C.F. Liang et A.R. Ferguson] marketing. The industry seeks a nondestructive method for firmness sorting. We measured sonic vibrational responses of 149 kiwifruit over the range 0 to 2000 Hz and compared them with Magness-Taylor (MT) penetrometer values. Sonic resonant frequencies and mass were combined to calculate a sonic stiffness coefficient. Coefficients of determination (r2 ) for sonic stiffness coefficients versus MT slope and log of MT maximum force were 0.88 and 0.86, respectively. Sonic stiffness coefficients provided good to excellent classification of kiwifruit into two or three firmness categories based on MT maximum force values. A combination of amplitudes at several specific sonic frequencies selected by stepwise discriminant analysis or regression tree analysis also provided successful sorting algorithms. Identification of soft kiwifruit was 89% to 96% accurate and of firm kiwifruit 83% to 91%. These conclusions are based on a rather small sampling of kiwifruit of a single source and size, but the results clearly indicate the potential of a nondestructive firmness measurement based on sonic frequency vibrations.
Horticulture information is being placed at the fingertips of Virginia citizens through the use of Public Information Interactive Video Systems. A personal computer (with a touch-screen monitor) and laserdisc player work together to offer a multi-media delivery system. The user moves through programs by simply touching the screen to browse, skip ahead, back up, look up specific information, and print out needed information. A program on household plants contains photographs and information on 131 popular cut flowers and houseplants. A program on selecting landscape plants includes short video segments on the plant selection process, a plant sorter, picture album, and information on the 141 trees, shrubs, vines, and ground covers. Horticulture questions are among those answered in a section on questions most often asked of extension agents. This horticulture information program is one of the top two programs used in the Public Information Interactive Video System in Virginia.
Sonic vibrational characteristics of intact apples are related to flesh elasticity which is, in turn, related to firmness. Firmness changes in Golden Delicious and Delicious apples were followed during accelerated ripening and under storage conditions. Firmness was measured by Magness-Taylor puncture force and by compression of tissue cylinders (modulus of elasticity and rupture strength) for comparison with sonic vibrational characteristics of intact apples. Influences of apple temperature, size, shape, and skin on sonic spectra were investigated. Sonic resonant frequencies were significantly correlated with destructive firmness measurements and decreased as storage time increased. Sonic amplitudes were not closely related to firmness. Regression equations incorporating sonic data and size were developed to predict Magness-Taylor force. Use of sonic vibrational characteristics is proposed as a rapid nondestructive method for firmness sorting of apples.
Distribution of pollen diameter of Japanese persimmon cv. Zenjimaru (2n = 6x, × = 15) was determined using pollen grains hydrated with CPW solution supplemented with 0.9 M mannitol. Mean diameter of giant pollen grains (65 μm) was 1.3 times longer than that of normal pollen grains (50 μm). The occurrence of giant pollen was estimated to be about 5% of the pollen population. The hydrated giant pollen grains could be sorted out from normal pollen grains by filtering through a layer of nylon mesh (62 μm). Flow cytometric analysis of nuclear DNA content confirmed that giant pollen was unreduced 2n pollen. 2n giant pollen grains were pollinated to cn. Jiro (2n = 6x) callie and plantlets could be obtained from immature embyros excised from seeds 70 days after pollination.
Horticulture information is being placed at the fingertips of Virginia citizens through the use of Public Information Interactive Video Systems. A personal computer (with a touch-screen monitor) and laserdisc player work together to offer a multi-media delivery system. The user moves through programs by simply touching the screen to browse, skip ahead, back up, look up specific information, and print out needed information. A program on household plants contains photographs and information on 131 popular cut flowers and houseplants. A program on selecting landscape plants includes short video segments on the plant selection process, a plant sorter, picture album, and information on the 141 trees, shrubs, vines, and ground covers. Horticulture questions are among those answered in a section on questions most often asked of extension agents. This horticulture information program is one of the top two programs used in the Public Information Interactive Video System in Virginia.
Tamarillo [Cyphomandra betacea (Cav.) Sendt., Solanaceae] dark-red-, red-, and yellow-type fruit were sorted into two maturity stages (green and turning); dipped in ethephon at 0, 250, 500, or 750 mg·liter–1; and kept at 18 or 28C. Seven days later, fruit dipped in ethephon at 500 or 750 mg·liter–1 and stored at 28C showed a color score, maturity index, and ascorbic acid content similar to those tree-ripened, thus making it possible for harvesting to be advanced 36 days. Under these conditions, weight loss was always lower than 8.5%, resulting in only slight symptoms of shriveling that did not affect commercial quality. Postharvest ripening reduces the risk of crop failure, increases earliness, and concentrates harvesting. Chemical name used: (2-chloroethyl)phosphonic acid (ethephon).
More than 170 pecan [Carya illinoensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch] cultivars were evaluated formalate dehydrogenase, phosphoglucose isomerase, phosphoglucomutase, leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), and diaphorase (DIA). Isozymes of LAP were observed in two regions after starch gel electrophoresis. The faster region of activity (Lap-1) was polymorphic and consistently expressed in leaves, wood, and roots. Controlled crosses suggest that Lap-1 is simply inherited and controlled by at least two alleles. DIA was well resolved and storable only from leaf material and produced a complex banding pattern. The ability to differentiate among cultivars by isozymes was good. The 177 cultivars sorted into 72 classes. Forty of the cultivars (23%) possessed a unique series of isozyme patterns. Most cultivars (124 of 177) shared common banding patterns with less than four other cultivars. From the inheritance models of four isozymes, some historical pedigrees can be questioned. Most notably,' Western Schley' could not have been parented by `San Saba' based on the inheritance of Mdh-1 and Lap-1.
`Redhaven' peaches [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] were dropped onto several impact surfaces to determine impact conditions that initiate bruising. After impact, the peaches were tested for flesh firmness and sorted into firm, soft, and very soft groups for bruise analysis. The drop height that did not bruise decreased as fruit softened. The peach shoulder area bruised most easily. A drop of only 8 mm onto a hard surface initiated bruising on a soft peach, whereas a Poron 15250 cushion could protect the peach for a ≤85-mm drop. Impact damage threshold estimates were developed for the three flesh firmness conditions. The threshold estimates and impact history information collected by an instrumented sphere can be used to develop handling equipment design and operation guidelines that essentially avoid impact bruises on peaches.
The author investigated, recorded, observed and analyzed the major wildflowers in Mount Huangshan---the natural and cultural heritages listed by the ESC0 of UN for the first time. On the basis of their desirable characteristics, more than 300 wild ornamental species are divided into 8 categories -–-historical old trees, rare and endangered species, evergreen ornamentals, blooming trees and shrubs, plants with colored foliage and fruit in fall, vines, herbaceous ornamentals and ground covers, and ornamental ferns. Mount Huangshan is one of the richest regions of native ornamentals in Eastern China and the most famous natural beauty in Pan-China. There are about 1500 wild landscape plants in and around it. Finally the paper puts forth some proposals and methods for introduction and utilization of wild ornamental plants. That is, investigation, classification,acclimatization and cultivation of them, and building a sort-out botanical garden for the germplasmic preservation and the flourishing landscape tourism.