scholarly journals Bedding plant production and the challenge of fungal diseases

Plant Disease ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimiro Guarnaccia ◽  
Francesca Peduto Hand ◽  
Angelo Garibaldi ◽  
Maria Lodovica GULLINO
Keyword(s):  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Ornamental Plants ◽  
The United States ◽  
Plant Production ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Bedding Plants ◽  
Bedding Plant

Bedding plants are a major group of ornamentals produced in greenhouses or nurseries worldwide and planted outdoors. Their economic importance has increased continuously in the last four decades in both the United States and the European Union. These plants are subject to many diseases that can negatively impact their production and cultivation. The initial steps of production strongly influence the health status of these plants and, consequently, their aesthetic appeal, which is a strong requisite for consumers. Seeds, cuttings, other forms of propagative material, along with production systems and growing media can influence the phytosanitary status of the final product. In this paper, case studies of soil-borne and foliar diseases are presented together with preventive measures to achieve innovative disease management strategies. Quarantine restrictions and eradication measures are also discussed, in consideration of the high likelihood for ornamental plants to be long-distance vectors of new pathogens and pests.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Viola Cultivars as Bedding Plants and Establishment of the Best-of-Class

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-171
Author(s):  
Richard O. Kelly ◽  
Zhanao Deng ◽  
Brent K. Harbaugh
Keyword(s):  
Cold Hardiness ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
Flower Color ◽  
The United States ◽  
Plant Production ◽  
Lemon Yellow ◽  
Bedding Plants ◽  
Bedding Plant ◽  
White Face ◽  
Dark Blue

Florida is one of the top wholesale producers of bedding plants, and in 2003 was ranked fourth in the United States in annual bedding plant production and fifth in potted pansy (Viola ×wittrockiana) and viola (V. cornuta) production. Evaluation of viola cultivars is vital for continued growth of the industry. We evaluated 66 viola cultivars in replicated class tests at the University of Florida's Gulf Coast Research and Education Center at Bradenton from 2000-04 and determined the best-of-class for use in future trials to compare against new entries in the same class. In this report, we provide objective plant measurements of vegetative and floral characteristics as well as subjective performance ratings. Viola cultivars were grouped into classes based on growth habit (standard vs. creeping), flower color, and flower color pattern, and the best cultivar in each class was determined. Cultivars with an outstanding overall performance rating (combined foliage, flower, arthropod feeding symptom, and disease symptom ratings ≥5.5 out of a 7 high scale) for best-of-class selections were: (standard black class) `Sorbet Black Delight'; (standard cream class) `Velour Cream Splash'; (standard mix class) `Babyface Mixture'; (standard orange with purple, red-violet cap class) `Penny Orange Jump-Up'; [standard purple (dark), blue-violet with dark eye and light cap class] `Angel Violet Blotch'; (standard white class) `Penny White'; [standard white face with purple (dark), red-violet cap class] `Skippy White With Violet Wing'; (standard yellow class) `Jewel Lemon Yellow'; (standard yellow with blotch class) `Babyface Yellow'; [standard yellow/white face with purple (dark), blue-violet cap class] `Penny Classic Jump-Up'. Solitary cultivar entries (without comparison) with outstanding performance were: `Angel Frosted Yellow Blotch', `Angel Violet Duet', `Babyface White', `Eryln Purple Yellow', `Four Seasons Yellow With Pink Wing', `Gem Antique Apricot', `Gem Antique Pink', `Gem Antique Lavender', `Hobbit Bilbo Baggins', `Jewel Deep Blue', `Penny Azure Twilight', `Penny Beaconsfield', `Penny Cream', `Penny Orange', `Penny Orchid Frost', `Penny Purple', `Penny Yellow Jump-Up', `Princess Lavender and Yellow', `Princess Purple and Gold', `Rebel Yellow', `Sorbet Coconut Swirl', `Sorbet Icy Blue', `Sorbet Lemon Swirl', `Sparkler Purple Orange Face', and `Sparkler Purple Wing'. These cultivars would likely perform well in the southern U.S. or areas of the world with similar heat and cold hardiness zones.

Phosphorus Fertilization in Ebb and Flow Production of Bedding Plants

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 523b-523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin James ◽  
Marc van Iersel
Keyword(s):  
Dry Mass ◽  
Plant Production ◽  
Phosphorus Fertilization ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Nutrient Runoff ◽  
Growing Period ◽  
Bedding Plants ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Bedding Plant ◽  
Ebb And Flow

The quantity and quality of available water in the Southeastern United States continues to decline as demands on limited resources increase. Growers will soon be forced to comply with legal limitations on water consumption and limits on nutrient runoff from their operations. A lack of information on standard growing practices using alternative irrigation systems such as ebb and flow is hindering their acceptance and implementation. We are currently conducting a series of experiments to establish basic growing guidelines for the use of ebb and flow in the greenhouse in bedding plant production. In the third of these experiments, Petunia × hybrida Hort. Vilm.-Andr. `Blue Frost' and Begonia × hiemalis Fotsch. `Ambassador Scarlet' were grown for 5 weeks on ebb and flow tables with fertigation solutions (225 ppm N) containing three different levels of phosphorus (0, 50, and 100 ppm). Three soilless media were also used, which varied in their percentage content of vermiculite, perlite, pine bark and coconut coir. For both the begonias and petunias dry mass of the shoot was greatest in plants grown with higher levels of phosphorus. In comparison to plants grown with 0 ppm phosphorous, petunias and begonias grown with 50 or 100 ppm P were 44% and 25% greater in mass, respectively. However, begonias had 38% more flowers when fertigated with the higher levels of phosphorous while petunias flowered earlier with 0 ppm P fertigation solution. The electrical conductivity of the media did not change significantly over the course of the growing period, but the pH dropped by an average of 1 over the same time interval.

scholarly journals Effects of Depolymerized Gellan with Different Molecular Weights on the Growth of Four Bedding Plant Species

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 169
Author(s):  
Piotr Salachna
Keyword(s):  
Plant Production ◽  
Fresh Weight ◽  
Growth Promoters ◽  
Molecular Weights ◽  
Bedding Plants ◽  
Rudbeckia Hirta ◽  
Salvia Splendens ◽  
Bedding Plant ◽  
Plant Growth Promoters ◽  
Derivatives Of

New solutions allowing for the shortening of the growing cycle and improvements in plant quality are constantly sought in order to improve the efficiency of bedding plant production under covers. Biodegradable polysaccharides and their derivatives have become increasingly popular in horticulture as plant growth promoters. A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of depolymerized gellan of different molecular weights (MW 56 kDa and 77 kDa) on the growth and physiological parameters of ornamental bedding plants Rudbeckia hirta L., Salvia splendens Sellow ex J.A. Schultes, Scabiosa atropurpurea L., and Tithonia rotundifolia (Mill.) S.F. Blake. The results showed that the application of depolymerized gellan accelerated flowering and stimulated the growth of all assessed species, regardless of MW. The plants treated with depolymerized gellan grew higher and had greater fresh weight of their above-ground parts, higher leaf relative chlorophyll content (SPAD; soil and plant analysis development), and higher stomatal conductance (gs). The use of 56 kDa gellan fraction resulted in the formation of inflorescences with the greatest fresh weight in S. atropurpurea. Leaves of R. hirta treated with this fraction showed the highest values of SPAD and gs. This study demonstrated that gellan derivatives of low MW may be used for the production of innovative plant biostimulants.

scholarly journals The risk for insufficient chill accumulation: a climate change perspective for apple and cherry production in the United States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hossein Noorazar ◽  
Lee Kalcsits ◽  
Vincent P. Jones ◽  
Matthew S. Jones ◽  
Kirti Rajagopalan
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Potential Risk ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Climate Projections ◽  
Spring Phenology ◽  
Tree Fruit ◽  
Production Risks

AbstractWinter chill accumulation is critical for the productivity and profitability of perennial tree fruit production systems. Several studies have quantified the impacts of global warming on risks of insufficient chill accumulation in the warmer tree fruit and nut production regions of the United States (US), such as the Southeast and California, where these risks are currently prevalent. In this work, we focus on the Pacific Northwest US – the largest production area in the US for apples, pears and cherries – and quantify the potential risk of insufficient chill accumulation. Our results highlight large spatial variations in response within the PNW, with northern areas projected to have reduced risks and southern areas projected to have increased risks. In the southern areas, rather than chill accumulation in and of itself, it is the combination of reduced and delayed chill accumulation with likely advancement in spring phenology that lead to production risks. In spite of future reductions to chill accumulation, risks of insufficient chill accumulation seem limited for apple even with advancement of spring phenology. Under the extreme “no climate policy” RCP 8.5 climate projections, the production risks are significant for early blooming crops (e.g. cherries) and varieties with relatively high chill portions requirements (e.g. Sam cherries), necessitating planning for management strategies such as frost protection and chemical management of budbreak to address potential risks which have not historically been a concern in the region. Under less extreme warming outcomes, the PNW tree fruit production systems are likely to remain resilient. Given that the convergence of the fulfillment of chilling requirements and environmental conditions promoting budbreak is where potential risk to perennial tree fruit production exists, future work should focus on understanding, modelling and projecting responses within this convergence space. Additionally, given significant spatial differences across a relatively small geographic range, it is also critical to understand and model these dynamics at a local landscape resolution for regions such as the PNW that faced limited risk historically, but could be exposed to new risks under a warming climate.

scholarly journals Economics of Utilizing Alternative Containers in Ornamental Crop Production Systems

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin G. Brumfield ◽  
Alyssa J. DeVincentis ◽  
Xueni Wang ◽  
R. Thomas Fernandez ◽  
Susmitha Nambuthiri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Plant Production ◽  
Water Demands ◽  
Process Use ◽  
Shipping Costs ◽  
Current Production ◽  
Cost Of Production ◽  
The Cost

As high-input systems, plant production facilities for liner and container plants use large quantities of water, fertilizers, chemical pesticides, plastics, and labor. The use of renewable and biodegradable inputs for growing aesthetically pleasing and healthy plants could potentially improve the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of current production systems. However, costs for production components to integrate sustainable practices into established systems have not been fully explored to date. Our objectives were to determine the economic costs of commercial production systems using alternative containers in aboveground nursery systems. We determined the cost of production (COP) budgets for two woody plant species grown in several locations across the United States. Plants were grown in plastic pots and various alternative pots made from wood pulp (WP), fabric (FB), keratin (KT), and coconut fiber (coir). Cost of production inputs for aboveground nursery systems included the plant itself (liner), liner shipping costs, pot, pot shipping costs, substrate, substrate shipping costs, municipal water, and labor. Our results show that the main difference in the COP is the price of the pot. Although alternative containers could potentially increase water demands, water is currently an insignificant cost in relation to the entire production process. Use of alternative containers could reduce the carbon, water, and chemical footprints of nurseries and greenhouses; however, the cost of alternative containers must become more competitive with plastic to make them an acceptable routine choice for commercial growers.

scholarly journals Early Growth Control of Plants by Seed Soaking in Growth Regulator Solutions

HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 757D-758
Author(s):  
Stanislav Magnitskiy* ◽  
Claudio Pasian ◽  
Mark Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Plant Height ◽  
Growth Regulators ◽  
Growth Regulator ◽  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Growth Control ◽  
Plant Production ◽  
Soaking Time ◽  
Seed Soaking ◽  
Bedding Plants ◽  
Bedding Plant

Regulation of excessive vegetative growth is of importance in both field and bedding plant production. The goal of the study was to evaluate the effect of preplant seed soaking in growth regulators on the growth control of floricultural (verbena, salvia, pansy, marigold, celosia) and agronomic (cucumber, dill) crops. Seeds were soaked in water solutions of growth regulators of different concentrations ranging according to the crop from 50 to 1000 mg·L-1 for paclobutrazol, 1 to 10 mg·L-1 for uniconazole, 10 to 200 mg·L-1 for ancymidol, 100 to 5000 mg·L-1 for chlormequate chloride and dried at 20 °C for 24 h prior to sowing into plugs. In the first experiment, seeds of verbena, salvia, pansy, and dill soaked for 5 minutes in 50 mg·L-1 paclobutrazol solutions produced seedlings that were up to 43, 18, 30, and 22% shorter than the controls, respectively. Increased paclobutrazol concentrations and soaking time generally corresponded to a greater reduction of plant height, as well as delays and reduction in seedling emergence of all crops, except cucumber. In the second experiment, growth of marigold plugs from seeds soaked in 5 mg·L-1 uniconazole or 60 mg·L-1 ancymidol solutions during 45 min was associated with 23% or 6% plant height reduction, respectively. Soaking of marigold seeds in the solutions of chlormequate chloride did not significantly affect seedling growth. Increasing time of seed soaking in growth regulator solutions did not influence emergence of marigold seedlings. The height of celosia seedlings was only slightly reduced by soaking seeds in the solutions of all studied growth regulators. Results indicate that seed treatments with growth regulators might be useful in growth control of selected bedding plants.

scholarly journals OSU Douglas County Demonstration Farm

HortScience ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 457B-457
Author(s):  
Jerry Maul
Keyword(s):  
Sweet Corn ◽  
Plant Production ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Fresh Market ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Bedding Plants ◽  
Bedding Plant ◽  
New Varieties ◽  
Growing Conditions ◽  
Diverse Groups

The demand for horticultural information from the OSU Extension Service is sought by both commercial fresh-market vegetable growers and noncommercial clients. Educational programs at the Demonstration Farm were designed to meet the needs of these two diverse groups. At the request of local growers, vegetable trials were established to evaluate the large number of new varieties that come onto the market every year. Since 1987, nearly 250 varieties of eggplant, melons, peppers, squash, sweet corn, and tomatoes have been evaluated for their adaptability to Douglas County's Mediterranean climate and growing conditions. Annual reports on the performance of the varieties are shared with county vegetable growers and Extension Agents throughout Oregon. Many of the vegetables for the trials are grown as bedding plants in the Demonstration Farm greenhouses. A greenhouse program was established to offer Master Gardeners the opportunity to participate in all of the cultural aspects of bedding plant production. This includes; seeding, transplanting, pinching, watering, and fertilizing. When planting season arrives, Master Gardeners help transplant the seedlings to the trial plots. An average of 40 Master Gardeners have participated in the greenhouse and trial program each year, since their inception in 1987. An average of 300 people attend the field days every summer to tour the vegetable trials. An outdoor gardening class, “Summer In The Garden,” is offered to the general public every summer. An average of five sessions are held in July and August on a variety of topics related to vegetable culture, pest control, and new varieties. The sessions are taught by the Horticulture Agent with the assistance of Master Gardeners. Attendance has averaged 25 students annually.

scholarly journals Characterization of Pythium Species Associated With Greenhouse Floriculture Crops in Michigan

Plant Disease ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 100 (3) ◽  
pp. 569-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Del Castillo Múnera ◽  
Mary K. Hausbeck
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategies ◽  
Its Region ◽  
The United States ◽  
Crown Rot ◽  
Sensitivity Testing ◽  
Bedding Plants ◽  
Root And Crown Rot ◽  
Greenhouse Growers ◽  
Prevalent Species

Michigan ranks third in the United States for the wholesale value of floriculture products, with an estimated value of $375.7 million. Seedling damping-off and root and crown rot are commonly caused by Pythium spp. and are important problems for greenhouse growers. Pythium spp. associated with Michigan’s floriculture crops were characterized as a means to improve current management strategies. During 2011 and 2012, potted poinsettias with root rot symptoms were sampled from nine greenhouses located in Kent, Kalamazoo, and Wayne counties. In 2013, from the same three counties, symptomatic geranium and snapdragon bedding plants were sampled from 12 greenhouses. Additionally, symptomatic hibiscus and lantana plants were sampled at one greenhouse facility. Isolates were confirmed to be Pythium spp. via morphology and sequencing of the ITS region. A total of 287 Pythium spp. isolates were obtained from poinsettias and 726 isolates from geranium, snapdragon, hibiscus, and lantana. Seven Pythium spp., and a group of isolates determined as Pythium sp. 1 were identified. The most prevalent species were P. irregulare, P. ultimum, and P. aphanidermatum. A subset of isolates was chosen for pathogenicity and mefenoxam sensitivity testing. Six of the species were virulent to germinating geranium seeds. Most P. ultimum and P. cylindrosporum isolates tested were intermediate to highly resistant to mefenoxam, whereas most P. aphanidermatum isolates were sensitive. This study suggests that Pythium spp. recovered from Michigan greenhouses may vary depending on the host, and that mefenoxam may not be effective to control P. ultimum or P. cylindrosporum.

scholarly journals The Influence of Diurnal Temperatures on the Susceptibility of Bedding Plants to Gray Mold Caused by Botrytis cinerea

Plant Disease ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 83 (6) ◽  
pp. 589-589
Author(s):  
P. M. Prichard ◽  
M. K. Hausbeck ◽  
R. D. Heins
Keyword(s):  
Botrytis Cinerea ◽  
Plant Height ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Gray Mold ◽  
Temperature Treatment ◽  
Host Susceptibility ◽  
Bedding Plants ◽  
Progress Curve ◽  
Bedding Plant ◽  
Maximum Proportion

Plant height can be regulated by manipulation of day (DT) and night temperatures (NT). Traditionally, commercial flower crops are grown with a DT higher than the NT, which results in greater internode length than when the regimen is reversed. Because temperature manipulation is a popular height-control tool among growers, the influence of DT/NT regimens of 16/16, 19/19, 22/22, 16/19, 19/22, 16/22, 19/16, 22/19, and 22/16°C on foliage susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea was investigated. After a minimum 3-week temperature treatment, seed geraniums (Pelargonium × hortorum), petunias (Petunia × hybrida), and impatiens (Impatiens wallerana) were inoculated with 2.7 × 105 B. cinerea conidia per ml of water and incubated at 20°C for the duration of the experiment. When averaged over two experiments, the maximum proportion of geranium, petunia, and impatiens foliage infected was 81.5, 35.5, and 27.0%, respectively. The maximum proportion of leaves supporting sporulating B. cinerea was 59.5% for geraniums, 25.5% for petunias, and 5.5% for impatiens. Area under the disease progress curve data indicated that susceptibility of bedding plant foliage was not influenced by the difference in DT/NT regimens. Results suggest that growers that use higher NT than DT to limit plant height do not increase host susceptibility to B. cinerea. However, more rigorous disease management strategies are needed for production of seed geraniums than for petunias or impatiens.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document