scholarly journals Mouse Ear Disorder on River Birch Caused by Nickel Deficiency

HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 892A-892 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Ruter*

Mouse ear (leaf curl, little leaf, squirrel ear) has been a problem for growers of container-grown river birch (Betula nigra L.) since the early 1990's. Mouse ear has been noticed in several southeastern States as well as Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, and Wisconsin, making it a national problem. The disorder is easy to detect in nurseries as the plants appear stunted. The leaves are small, wrinkled, often darker green in color, commonly cupped, and have necrotic margins. New growth has shortened internodes which gives plants a witches-broom appearance. Plants growing in native soil rarely express the disorder. Several common micronutrients have been evaluated with no results. A trial was initiated in June, 2003 to determine if nickel deficiency was the cause of mouse-ear. Symptomatic river birch trees growing in a pine bark substrate in containers were treated with foliar applications of nickel sulfate and a substrate drench. Topdress applications of superphosphate (0-46-0) and Miloroganite, products known to contain nickel, were also applied. At 16 days after treatment (DAT), up to 5 cm of new growth occurred on plants sprayed with nickel sulfate and foliar concentrations of nickel in the new growth increased five fold compared to control plants. At 30 DAT, shoot length increased 60%, leaf area increased 83%, and leaf dry mass increased 81% for trees receiving a foliar application compared to non-treated control plants. Treating trees with a substrate drench alleviated symptoms, whereas treatment with superphosphate and Milorganite did not. Trees receiving a foliar or drench application had normal growth for the remainder of the growing season. Additional studies are underway to refine methods of application, rates, and sources of nickel suitable for use.

2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Ruter

Abstract Mouse ear (leaf curl, little leaf, squirrel ear) disorder has been a problem in container-grown river birch (Betula nigra L.) for several decades. The disorder is easy to detect in nurseries as the plants appear stunted due to shortened internodes which give the appearance of a witches-broom. The leaves are small, wrinkled, are often darker green in color, are commonly cupped and have necrotic margins. Plants grown in soil rarely express the disorder. A trial was initiated in June 2003 to determine if a deficiency of nickel was the cause of mouse-ear on river birch. Symptomatic river birch trees (Betula nigra ‘BNMTF’ Dura-Heat™) in their second growing season in #15 containers were selected for uniformity of size and mouse ear. Treatments included a 1) control, 2) 789 ppm Ni sprays, 3) 394 ppm Ni sprays, 4) 0.005 lbs Ni/yd3 as a drench, 5) 26 g/pot triple superphosphate (0–46–0), and 6) 130 g/pot Milorganite. Nickel was applied as nickel sulfate, whereas triple superphosphate and Milorganite contain trace amounts of nickel. At 16 days after treatment, up to 5 cm of new growth was evident on plants sprayed with nickel. Thirty days after treatment shoot length increased up to 60%, leaf area increased 80 to 83%, and leaf dry mass increased 76 to 81% for plants sprayed or drenched with nickel sulfate. Plants treated with triple superphosphate or Milorganite did not resume normal growth. All plants treated with nickel sulfate in 2003 did not show symptoms of mouse ear after initiation of growth in 2004. Based on this research mouse ear disorder of river birch is caused by a deficiency of nickel which can be corrected by foliar or drench applications of nickel sulfate.


HortScience ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 996B-996 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Ruter

Mouse ear disorder on container-grown river birch (Betulanigra L.) is a national problem caused by a deficiency of nickel. Symptomatic plants have leaves which are small, wrinkled, darker green, cupped, and have necrotic margins. Research showed that mouse ear could be cured by applications of nickel sulfate (Ruter, 2004). Further research was needed to determine optimal rates of application for sprays and drenches and to determine if phytotoxicity occurs at high rates. A study was initiated at a nursery in South Georgia on 25 June 2003, using river birch in their second growing season in #15 containers. Plants were selected for uniformity of mouse ear disorder. Treatments included a control, urea (0.24 g·L-1) + surfactant (1.0 mL·L-1), 250, 500, 750, and 1000 mg·L-1 nickel sulfate sprays, and substrate drenches applied at 150 and 300 mg of Ni/pot. After 30 days, all plants treated with nickel sulfate had 100% normal growth, except the 150 mg of Ni/pot drench, which had 79% of the canopy showing normal growth. No phytotoxicity was noted. Plants receiving foliar sprays had a 66% to 72% increase in leaf area, a 64% to 68% increase in leaf dry mass, a 31% to 44% increase in stem length, and a 9% to 17% increase in specific leaf area compared to nontreated plants. Drench treatments increased leaf area up to 62%, leaf dry mass to 55% and stem length up to 29% over control plants. Nickel in the foliage of nontreated plants was 2.3 mg·kg-1. For the spray treatments, foliar Ni ranged from 5.5 mg·kg-1 for the 250 mg·L-1 treatment to 9.3 mg·kg-1 for the 1000 mg·L-1 treatment. Though plants at the high rate of drench treatment resumed normal growth, foliar Ni levels were not different from control plants. In general, if plants were treated with Ni, then foliar B, Fe, and Zn decreased.


HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 491e-491
Author(s):  
Darren L. Haver ◽  
Ursula K. Schuch

Ethephon was applied as a foliar spray to 36-day-old petunia seedlings to determine its effectiveness at reducing apical dominance by increasing lateral shoot development. Ethephon application at rates of 125, 250 and 500 mg·L–1 to whole shoots of Petunia × hybrida `Orchid' decreased apical dominance compared to the control. The average length of a lateral shoot increased 56% as ethephon application rates increased from 0 to 500 mg·L–1. In Expt. I, ethephon-treated plants had a greater number of laterals than control plants. The number of nodes produced before the first flower bud was initiated increased from 15 to 21 as rates of ethephon increased from 0 to 500 mg·L–1. Ethephon delayed anthesis up to 10 days when applied at 500 mg·L–1 and up to 8 days when applied at 250 mg·L–1. The number of visible flower buds increased in all ethephon-treated plants compared to the control. Ethephon at 250 mg·L–1, increased shoot and root dry mass 37.9% and 20.4%, respectively, compared to untreated controls. Roots appeared healthy in both experiments, but phytotoxicity (mild chlorosis) occurred in Expt. II on plants treated with 500 mg·L–1. The experiment was repeated twice with similar results.


HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 1238-1242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce W. Wood ◽  
Charles C. Reilly ◽  
Andrew P. Nyczepir

Mouse-ear (ME) is a potentially severe anomalous growth disorder affecting pecan [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch] trees. It is especially severe in second generation sites throughout much of the Gulf Coast Coastal Plain of the southeastern U.S., but can also occur in potted nursery trees. Orchard and greenhouse studies on trees treated with either Cu or Ni indicated that foliar applied Ni corrects ME. ME symptoms were prevented, in both orchard and greenhouse trees, by a single mid-October foliar spray of Ni (nickel sulfate), whereas nontreated control trees exhibited severe ME. Similarly, post budbreak spring spray applications of Ni to foliage of shoots of orchard trees exhibiting severe ME prevented ME symptoms on subsequent growth, but did not correct morphological distortions of foliage developed before Ni treatment. Foliar application of Cu in mid-October to greenhouse seedling trees increased ME severity the following spring. Post budbreak application of Ni to these Cu treated MEed seedling trees prevented ME symptoms in post Ni application growth, but did not alter morphology of foliage exhibiting ME before Ni treatment. Thus, high leaf Cu concentrations appear to be capable of disrupting Ni dependent physiological processes. Foliar application of Ni to ME prone trees in mid-October or soon after budbreak, is an effective means of preventing or minimizing ME. These studies indicate that ME in pecan is due to a Ni deficiency at budbreak. It also supports the role of Ni as an essential plant nutrient element.


HortScience ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 1143-1145 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Roger Harris ◽  
Patricia Knight ◽  
Jody Fanelli

The effect of fall vs. spring transplanting was tested on landscape-sized Chionanthus virginicus L. at a research farm in Blacksburg, Va. Two fall transplanting dates (11 Nov. and 1 Dec. 1994) were selected so that soil temperatures were decreasing and near 10 °C for the earlier fall date (11 Nov.) and decreasing and near 5 °C for the later fall transplanting date (1 Dec.). The spring date (14 Mar. 1995) was selected so that soil temperatures were increasing and near 5 °C. All trees were transplanted with rootballs of native soil wrapped in burlap (B&B). Fringe tree was clearly tolerant of fall transplanting. Trees transplanted on 11 Nov. had a larger leaf area 1 month after bud set the next summer and had wider canopies and more dry mass of new roots at leaf drop than trees transplanted on the other dates. Trees transplanted on 14 Mar. had less total leaf area, leaf dry mass, and lower maximum root extension into the backfill soil than trees transplanted on 11 Nov. or 1 Dec. No root growth occurred beyond the original rootball until about early July (1 month after bud set) in any treatment, suggesting that first season posttransplant irrigation regimes need to focus on rootballs, not surrounding soil areas.


2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Todorova ◽  
I. Sergiev ◽  
V. Alexieva

Wheat cultivars were grown as soil culture under normal growth conditions. Twoweek- old seedlings were exposed to 4°C for 6 h and then transferred to −12°C for 24 h in the dark. Twenty-four hours before freezing stress, some of the plants were sprayed with aqueous solutions of spermine, spermidine, putrescine, 1,3-diaminopropane (1,3-DAP) and diethylenetriamine (DETA). The data showed that freezing stress caused a decrease in the fresh weight, chlorophyll content and plant survival rate, accompanied by a simultaneous accumulation of free proline and the enhanced leakage of electrolytes. Preliminary treatment with polyamines caused a decline in electrolyte leakage and a considerable augmentation in proline quantity, indicating that the compounds are capable of preventing frost injury. Additionally, the foliar application of polyamines retarded the destruction of chlorophyll, and lessened fresh weight losses due to freezing stress. The synthetic triamine DETA was the most effective, having the most pronounced action in all the experiments, followed by the tetraamine spermine. The application of polyamines to wheat crops could be a promising approach for improving plant growth under unfavourable growth conditions, including freezing temperatures. The results demonstrate that treatment with polyamines could protect winter wheat by reducing the stress injuries caused by subzero temperatures.


1999 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 944-952 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moacyr Bernardino Dias-Filho

Ipomoea asarifolia (Desr.) Roem. & Schultz (Convolvulaceae) and Stachytarpheta cayennensis (Rich) Vahl. (Verbenaceae), two weeds found in pastures and crop areas in Brazilian Amazonia, were grown in controlled environment cabinets under high (800-1000 µmol m-² s-¹) and low (200-350 µmol m-² s-¹) light regimes during a 40-day period. For both species leaf dry mass and leaf area per total plant dry mass, and leaf area per leaf dry mass were higher for low-light plants, whereas root mass per total plant dry mass was higher for high-light plants. High-light S. cayennensis allocated significantly more biomass to reproductive tissue than low-light plants, suggesting a probably lower ability of this species to maintain itself under shaded conditions. Relative growth rate (RGR) in I. asarifolia was initially higher for high-light grown plants and after 20 days started decreasing, becoming similar to low-light plants at the last two harvests (at 30 and 40 days). In S. cayennensis, RGR was also higher for high-light plants; however, this trend was not significant at the first and last harvest dates (10 and 40 days). These results are discussed in relation to their ecological and weed management implications.


1997 ◽  
Vol 122 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-484
Author(s):  
Heather A. Hatt Graham ◽  
Dennis R. Decoteau

The sensitivity of shoots and roots to end-of-day (EOD) red (R) or far-red (FR) light on growth of `Sugar Baby' watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum & Nakai] was investigated. Plants were grown in full-strength Hoagland solution and treated for 14 days to 15 minutes EOD light in trial 1 and in half-strength Hoagland solution and treated for 10 days to EOD light in trial 2. Exposing shoots to EOD FR resulted in elongated petioles of leaves 1 to 3 (as counted from the cotyledons), internodes 1 to 3, and total stem length in both trials. Exposure to EOD FR resulted in increased stem and petiole dry mass in trial 1, whereas EOD FR resulted in increased root and leaf dry mass in trial 2. EOD FR exposure of roots increased the length of petiole 4 in trial 1. In general, shoots were more responsive than roots to the growth-regulating effects of EOD FR.


2021 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elen Silma Oliveira Cruz Ximenes ◽  
Andréa Carvalho da Silva ◽  
Adilson Pacheco de Souza ◽  
Josiane Fernandes Keffer ◽  
Alison Martins dos Anjos ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Flame retardants are efficient in fighting wildfire; however, their environmental implications, especially regarding the vegetation, need to be clarified. This work aimed at assessing the effects of flame retardant on the initial growth of Schizolobium amazonicum. Treatments consisted in applying different flame retardant concentrations via substrate and leaf: Phos-Chek WD-881® (0, 3.00, 6.00, 8.00 and 10.00 mL L-1), Hold Fire® (0, 7.00, 9.00, 12.00 and 15.00 mL L-1) and water-retaining polymer Nutrigel® used as alternative retardant (0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00 g L-1). Growth analyses were carried out to assess the effects of these substances (10 repetitions per treatment). The aliquot of 10.00 mL L-1 of Phos-Chek WD881 applied on the leaves led to an increase of 70% in leaf area and 15% in seedling height. The same Phos-Chek concentration favored height increase (32%) and total dry mass accumulation (33%) throughout time. The concentration of 15 mL L-1 of Hold Fire® applied on leaves, compromised 45% the accumulation of dry biomass in the seedling. Initially, 1.00 g L-1 of Nutrigel® applied via substrate led to an increase of 70% in leaf area, 29% in plant height, and 89% in leaf dry mass. Therefore, Phos-Chek applied on leaves favored shoot growth in S. amazonicum. Hold Fire® applied on leaves impaired biomass accumulation in seedlings. Nutrigel® applied on substrate does not cause long-lasting damage to the initial growth of S. amazonicum. The aliquot of 0.50 g L-1 administered via polymer leave had positive effect on seedling shoot.


Weed Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 758-763 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cara L. McCauley ◽  
William G. Johnson ◽  
Bryan G. Young

AbstractHalauxifen-methyl is a new synthetic auxin herbicide for control of broadleaf weeds, including preplant applications for corn (Zea maysL.) or soybean [Glycine max(L.) Merr.]. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of halauxifen-methyl in comparison to the current auxin standards, 2,4-D and dicamba, on glyphosate-resistant (GR) horseweed (Erigeron canadensisL.) at different plant heights. In field experiments, a foliar application of halauxifen-methyl at the recommended use rate of 5 g ae ha−1resulted in 81% control. Dicamba applied at 280 g ae ha−1provided a comparable level of efficacy of 80%, while 2,4-D at 560 g ae ha−1resulted in 49% control. The addition of glyphosate improved GRE. canadensiscontrol with 2,4-D more than with halauxifen-methyl or dicamba, possibly due to the higher level of control observed with halauxifen-methyl or dicamba alone. Even though applied at 50 to 100 times lower application rates, the efficacy of halauxifen-methyl onE. canadensiswas similar to dicamba and greater than 2,4-D. Thus, halauxifen-methyl should be an effective tool for management of GRE. canadensisbefore planting both conventional and herbicide-resistant soybean varieties, and it precludes the extended preplant application interval required for dicamba in some soybean management systems.


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