scholarly journals Optimizing Rowcover Deployment for Managing Bacterial Wilt and Using Compost for Organic Muskmelon Production

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 762-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elsa S. Sánchez ◽  
Ermita Hernández ◽  
Mark L. Gleason ◽  
Jean C. Batzer ◽  
Mark A. Williams ◽  
...  

The goal of this study was to develop a systems-based strategy for organic muskmelon (Cucumis melo var. reticulatus) in Pennsylvania (PA), Iowa (IA), and Kentucky (KY) to manage bacterial wilt (Erwinia tracheiphila) and nutrients while safeguarding yield and enhancing early harvest. Spunbond polypropylene rowcovers deployed for different timings during the growing season were evaluated for suppressing bacterial wilt and locally available compost was applied based on two different estimated rates of mineralization of organic nitrogen (N) to manage nutrients. In KY only, the use of rowcovers suppressed bacterial wilt incidence compared with not using rowcovers. However, the timing of rowcover removal did not impact wilt incidence. Under lower cucumber beetle [striped cucumber beetle (Acalymma vittatum) and spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi)] pressure in PA and IA, rowcovers did not consistently suppress season-long incidence of bacterial wilt. In four of five site-years in PA and IA, more marketable fruit were produced when rowcovers were removed 10 days after an action threshold (the date the first flower opened in PA; the date when ≥50% of plants in a subplot had developed perfect flowers in IA and KY) than when no 10-day delay was made or when no rowcovers were used. In addition, the no-rowcover treatment consistently had lower weight per marketable fruit. In KY, the same action threshold without the 10-day delay, followed by insecticide applications, resulted in the largest number of marketable fruit, but did not affect marketable fruit weight. In PA, marketable yield was higher using compost compared with the organic fertilizer in 1 year. No yield differences were observed by nutrient treatments in 2 years. In IA, marketable yield was lower with the low amount of compost compared with the organic fertilizer and yields with the high amount of compost were not different from the low amount or the organic fertilizer in the year it was evaluated. In KY, marketable yield was unaffected by the nutrient treatments in the year it was evaluated. Given these results, muskmelon growers in PA, IA, and KY who use compost may choose the lower compost rate to minimize production costs. Overall, these findings suggest that rowcover-based strategies for organic management of bacterial wilt need to be optimized on a regional basis, and that fertilization with compost is compatible with these strategies.

Author(s):  
S Gogoi ◽  
N. Mazumder ◽  
Juri Talukdar

Five hybrid brinjal varieties viz., Ketan, Vijay Kiron, Utkal Green, NV2035 Sarpan Bharata and two local cultivars viz., JC-1, Longai were evaluated at Horticultural Research Station, Kahikuchi, Guwahati as late rabi crop during 2014-16. Significant variation in plant growth parameters and fruit yield as well as on bacterial wilt incidence (Ralstonia solanacearum) were shown by all the varieties.Utkal Green recorded the highest per plant fruit yield (2.32 kg/plant) leading to the maximum total marketable yield (469.66 q/ha) and longer active fruiting duration (43.70 days).It also showed resistant reaction to bacterial wilt, recording only 12.44 per cent wilt incidence as compared to other varieties where it was in the range of 34.44 to 62.22 % at 55 days after transplanting. Although, Ketan and Vijay Kiron recorded moderately higher per plant fruit yield of 1.52 and 1.47 kg/plant,respectively but their total marketable fruit production reduced substantially due to high incidence of bacterial wilt (62.22 and 57.78%, respectively).The local cultivars, JC-1 and Longai exhibited moderately resistant reaction to bacterial wilt which registered 40.00 and 34.44 % , respectively.


HortScience ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (6) ◽  
pp. 782-787
Author(s):  
Ahmad Shah Mohammadi ◽  
Elizabeth T. Maynard ◽  
Ricky E. Foster ◽  
Daniel S. Egel ◽  
Kevin T. McNamara

Bacterial wilt of cucurbits, incited by Erwinia tracheiphila (E. F. Smith) and vectored by the striped cucumber beetle [Acalymma vittatum (F.)] (SCB), is a serious disease of muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.). Cultivars differ in attractiveness to SCB and susceptibility to bacterial wilt, but no cultivar resistant to bacterial wilt has been introduced. In 2015 and 2016, replicated field plots of eight cultivars were grown at Lafayette, Wanatah, and Vincennes, IN, to identify differences in attractiveness to SCB and susceptibility to bacterial wilt. ‘Savor’ had significantly more beetle activity than ‘Hales Best’, ‘Superstar’, and ‘Aphrodite’ in three of six site-years, and more than ‘Diplomat’, ‘Dream Dew’, ‘Athena’, and ‘Wrangler’ in two site-years. Beetle activity for ‘Athena’, ‘Superstar’, and ‘Wrangler’ did not differ significantly from ‘Aphrodite’ for any site-year. Bacterial wilt severity was significantly greater for ‘Diplomat’ and ‘Dream Dew’ than for other cultivars in four site-years. ‘Superstar’ had the least disease in five site-years, but significantly less than ‘Aphrodite’, ‘Athena’, and ‘Hales Best’ in only one site-year. At one site, additional plots of each cultivar were populated with five SCBs per plant, and rowcovers were applied to keep the SCBs near the plants for 3 weeks. This resulted in similar beetle activity on all cultivars, but most disease in ‘Dream Dew’ and least in ‘Superstar’ and ‘Athena’. Marketable yield was generally highest for ‘Aphrodite’, ‘Superstar’, and ‘Athena’ when plants were exposed to natural beetle populations. Overall, ‘Savor’ and ‘Diplomat’ were the most attractive to beetles, and ‘Diplomat’ and ‘Dream Dew’ were the most susceptible to bacterial wilt. ‘Aphrodite’, ‘Athena’, and ‘Superstar’ were less attractive to beetles and showed more tolerance to bacterial wilt in both 2015 and 2016.


HortScience ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 621-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theodore McAvoy ◽  
Joshua H. Freeman ◽  
Steven L. Rideout ◽  
Stephen M. Olson ◽  
Mathews L. Paret

Seven hybrid tomato rootstocks with possible resistance to bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum and a known resistant cultivar were tested as grafting rootstocks to impart resistance to a bacterial wilt-susceptible cultivar, BHN 602. Greenhouse studies showed resistance of all the rootstocks to bacterial wilt. The disease incidence and yield of ‘BHN 602’ grafted to these rootstocks were evaluated in open-field tomato production in Florida and Virginia over four seasons. Significant differences in bacterial wilt incidence were observed between grafted entries in three of the four trials. In these three trials, grafted entries consistently exhibited the least bacterial wilt incidence compared with the controls; the self-graft, and non-grafted entries. Over all the trials, tomato plants grafted onto ‘Cheong Gang’, ‘BHN 1054’, and ‘BHN 998’ displayed the least bacterial wilt incidence. Rootstocks had a significant effect on total marketable yield in all the trials with certain grafted entries yielding significantly greater than non-grafted ‘BHN 602’. Field studies show that grafting holds promise for decreasing the impact of bacterial wilt on tomato cultivars as well as increasing the overall productivity of tomato cultivars.


HortScience ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 438a-438
Author(s):  
Yaying Wu ◽  
Brian A. Kahn ◽  
John B. Solie

We are developing a mechanical harvest system for okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench]. Our objective was to identify a high-density (HD) plant arrangement and a harvest timing that would maximize marketable fruit yield per hectare with a destructive harvest. We compared destructively harvested plants grown at spacings of (in cm) 15 × 15, 23 × 23, and 30 × 30 with hand-harvested plants grown at 90 × 23 cm. Within HD treatments, marketable fruit weight increased inconsistently as plant density increased. The 30 × 30-cm spacing was not dense enough. Branching decreased and the position of the first marketable fruit attachment moved up as plant density increased. Delaying destructive harvest until many over-mature fruit were present often did not increase marketable fruit yield and always reduced the proportion of total harvested fruit weight due to marketable fruit. Overall, percentages of marketable yield obtained by destructive harvests of HD plants were low compared to the cumulative marketable yield from control plants. However, the labor-saving potential was high. A prototype machine for harvest of HD okra has been developed, and further testing is planned.


HortScience ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 27 (11) ◽  
pp. 1171b-1171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Kovach ◽  
James Brown ◽  
Walter Hogue ◽  
Larry Curtis ◽  
William S. Gazaway

Drip-irrigated tomato (`Sunny') plants were treated with five levels of fumigant in combination with three levels of mulch. Fumigants were metham sodium at two rates, 475 and 950 L/ha, a 67% methyl bromide + 33% chloropicrin formulation (164.5 kg/ha, and a 98% methyl bromide + 2% chloropicrin formulation (329 kg/ha). Mulching levels were 1.25 mil silver on black polyethylene (plastic), blue-black latex mulch sprayed over the plant beds, and no mulch. Plants treated with metham sodium (950 L/ha) had a significantly higher number of marketable fruit than plants treated with no fumigant or the 98% methyl bromide + 2% chloropicrin formulation. Marketable fruit weight was not significantly affected by the five fumigation levels. Plants grown with black plastic mulch had a significantly higher marketable yield than plants grown with no mulch, 58,100 kg/ha vs. 50,800 kg/ha, respectively. The level of mulching did not significantly affect the marketable number of fruit.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-44
Author(s):  
Biswas M.A. ◽  
Islam M.A. ◽  
Ahmed I.M. ◽  
Hossain M.M. ◽  
Halim M.A.

Integration of inorganic and organic fertilizer is a very important tool for sustainable production of tomatoes contributing to human health. There were six treatments followed the design of RCBD with three replications to observe the growth, yield and the nutritional quality like lycopene and β-carotene of tomato. Treatments were; F1: Control, F2: Pond sediments-100%, F3:50%F2+50%F6, F4:50% F2+50%F5, F5: soil test based (STB) nitrogen as urea, and F6: vermicompost-100%. Statistically significant variations were found for the plant growth and yield. The highest growth and yield performances were found from the treatment F4. Fruit clusters, fruit numbers and fruit weight per plant were found highest in the treatment F4, whereas the lowest was found in the control. The highest marketable yield of tomato (96.17 t/ha) was obtained from the treatment F4 which was 20%, 29%, 13%, and 41% higher compared to F5, F2, F6, and F1 treatments, respectively. The highest amount of lycopene (67.31 ppm) and β-carotene (53.52 ppm) were found from F4 and F6, respectively, whereas the lowest amount was 42.59 ppm lycopene and 13.85 ppm β-carotene from F5 and F1, respectively. Inorganic and organic fertilizer like pond sediments can be applied for the sustainable production of tomato with friendly environment.


HortScience ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 1067c-1067
Author(s):  
V. M. Russo ◽  
B. W. Roberts ◽  
R. J. Schatzer

Trellising was investigated for intensive, small-scale, fresh market cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) production. Economic feasibility of trellising was examined. The cultivars Dasher II, Marketmore 76, and PetoTripleMech were evaluated using trellising and ground culture at two locations in Oklahoma. The cultivar PetoTripleMech is normally grown as a processing cucumber. Here it was evaluated as a fresh market entry. Trellising significantly improved marketable yield of the three cultivars at both locations in comparison to ground culture. PetoTripleMech yields were equal to, or better than, the fresh market standards Dasher II and Marketmore 76. Average marketable fruit weight was not affected by trellising. Economic analysis indicated that trellising is a viable management system for small-scale cucumber production because the gross and net returns to the producer were increased by 20% and 10% respectively.


2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 538-545
Author(s):  
Richard L. Hassell ◽  
Jonathan R. Schultheis ◽  
Wilfred R. Jester ◽  
Stephen M. Olson ◽  
Gilbert A. Miller

The goals of these studies were to determine how miniwatermelon (Citrullus lanatus) cultivars differed and responded to plant in-row spacing in terms of percentage of marketable fruit and yields, and if plant spacing impacted internal fruit quality. Three genetically diverse triploid miniwatermelon cultivars (Mohican, Petite Perfection, and Xite) were selected. These cultivars were evaluated in field locations at northern Florida (Quincy), central South Carolina (Blackville), coastal South Carolina (Charleston), and eastern North Carolina (Kinston) at five within-row distances. Within-row distance included 9, 12, 15, 18, and 21 inches. All plots were15 ft long with row middles 9 ft apart. Fruit were categorized as marketable if they weighed between 3.1 and 9.0 lb per fruit. Within this range further categories were divided as follows: ≤3.0 lb (cull), 3.1 to 5.0 lb (small), 5.1 to 7.0 lb (average), 7.1 to 9.0 lb (large), and ≥9.1 lb (cull). There was a cultivar by location interaction, suggesting that the three cultivars responded differently at each of the four locations. ‘Petite Perfection’ was among the highest yielding at all locations except Quincy, where it was the lowest yielding cultivar. As with total yields, the percentage of marketable fruit was similar for some cultivars across locations. Cultivar Petite Perfection produced the highest percentage of marketable fruit at three of the four locations. The exception was the Quincy site where ‘Xite’ had the highest percentage of marketable fruit. Within-row plant distances and populations affected total marketable yield, both for fruit weight and number per plant, regardless of cultivar and location. As the plant population increased from eight plants per plot (21-inch in-row spacing) to 12 plants per plot (15-inch in-row spacing), total marketable miniwatermelon fruit yields increased in total fruit number as well as total weight. There was a cultivar by location interaction for the percentage of soluble solids and the rind thickness measurements, suggesting that some cultivars responded differently at each of the four locations. Quality effects were more apparent with ‘Mohican’ and ‘Xite’, as they were more responsive to location than ‘Petite Perfection’.


1999 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.P. Papadopoulos ◽  
S. Pararajasingham ◽  
X. Hao

Experiments were carried out to evaluate two salts, K2SO4 and NaCl, as materials to supplement the electrical conductivity (EC) of the basic nutrient solution in nutrient film technique (NFT). The effects of these materials on the growth, yield and fruit quality of greenhouse tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) grown by NFT were quantified. These effects were tested by increasing the recirculating solution EC from a base value of 1500 μS·cm-1 to that suitable for the crop growth stage with normal feed (macronutrients), 0.38 m (0.53 lb/gal) K2SO4 or 1.14 m (0.55 lb/gal) NaCl, at a common pH of 6.2. In 1995 and 1996, there were no significant effects of the treatments on crop growth. In 1995, the early marketable yield was significantly lower when K2SO4 was used but the yield at the end of the season did not differ among the treatments. Furthermore, with K2SO4, the proportion of grade #1 fruit in early total yield was lower than in the control, while, fruit biomass content was higher than in the NaCl treatment. In 1996, the cumulative marketable fruit weight was unaffected by the treatments. A trend toward high number of large grade fruit occurred with the NaCl treatment. The pH and EC of the fruit homogenate were favorably affected by the NaCl treatment. Adding K2SO4 or NaCl in partial substitution of macronutrients in the recirculating solution may have a role in NFT systems in not only reducing environmental pollution (from nitrates and phosphates) and fertilizer costs, but also in improving fruit quality and, therefore, profit margins.


HortScience ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 1156-1158 ◽  
Author(s):  
V.M. Russo ◽  
B.W. Roberts ◽  
R.J. Schatzer

Trellising was evaluated for its effects on yields of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) cultivars Dasher II, Marketmore 76, and PetoTripleMech at Lane and Wilbutton, Okla. Trellising improved total and marketable yield at both locations compared with ground culture. `PetoTripleMech', evaluated as a fresh-market cultivar, produced yields equal to, or higher than, the other cultivars. Average marketable fruit weight was not affected by trellising but was affected by cultivar at Lane, with `PetoTripleMech' having the heaviest fruit. Economic analysis indicated that trellising is a viable management system for small-scale cucumber production.


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