Plant Growth Regulator Impacts on Vegetative Cutting Production of Moroccan Pincushion (Pterocephalus depressus) Plants

Moroccan pincushion (Pterocephalus depressus) is a drought-tolerant perennial that is being used in landscapes throughout arid areas of the western United States. This paper describes two experiments researching vegetative cutting production from stock plants. Moroccan pincushion stock plants received foliar applications of gibberellic acid (GA3), benzyladenine, ethephon, or auxin [indole-3-butyric acid (IBA)] plant growth regulators (PGR). Plant growth regulators were applied singularly and in combination with GA3 to determine efficacy on stock plant growth. A propagation study was conducted simultaneously to determine effects of these different PGR treatments applied to stock plants on the rooting of moroccan pincushion cuttings. The stock plant study showed GA3 + benzyladenine application increased cutting production over other PGR treatments. Fresh weight of moroccan pincushion cuttings did not differ among treatments. While cuttings did not differ in dry weight in experiment 1, statistical differences were observed in experiment 2. However, these differences in dry weight did not affect the quality of the cuttings. Cuttings from stock plants treated with GA3 + IBA treatment had the highest numerical growth index [(height + width + width)/3]. Cuttings from stock plants treated with GA3 alone or in combination with another PGR were all greater in average growth index and statistically differed from those without GA3 being applied. PGR treatments did not affect rooting percentages of the cuttings with nontreated stock plant cuttings successfully rooting at an average rate of 95%. However, GA3 + IBA was the only treatment where cuttings had 100% rooting for both experiments, indicating potential rooting benefits. Index words: Plant growth regulator, propagation, Pterocephalus depressus, vegetative cuttings. Species used in this study: Moroccan pincushion [Pterocephalus depressus Archibald]. Chemicals used in this study: gibberellic acid (GA3), benzyladenine, ethephon, indole-3-butyric acid (IBA).

Management of clonal mini-garden with gibberellic acid in guava rootstock propagation

The viability of the mini-cutting technique requires seedling regrowth ability and continuous propagule production. It is hypothesized that the application of gibberellic acid (GA) can stimulate vegetation and increase the production of mini-cuttings. The aim of this study was to increase the mini-cutting yield of Psidium guajava (L.) × Psidium guineense (Sw.) (‘BRS Guaraçá’) as a function of foliar application of GA and season of the year. The experiment was laid out in a randomized-block design with split-plots in time, in which the plots consisted of different GA concentrations applied (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg L-1) and the subplots were represented by two application periods or seasons (summer and winter). Four replicates were used, with two plants per plot. After the seedlings were topped, GA was applied at different concentrations and the emerged shoots were evaluated over 30 days. Mini-stump yield was assessed by collecting and evaluating the potential number of mini-cuttings. Shoot length and mini-stump yield increased linearly with the increasing GA concentrations during the summer. In the winter, this response was quadratic, with optimal concentrations estimated at 65.3 mg L-1 for shoot length and 76 mg L-1 for mini-stump yield. The GA concentration of 200 mg L-1 provided shorter internodes in the summer, whereas in the winter the use of GA did not interfere with this trait. The increasing applications of GA induced a linear increase in stem diameter at both seasons of the year. Gibberellic acid did not interfere with the rooting of the mini-cuttings. The highest rooting percentage occurred in the summer, with an average of 95%. In the winter, this value was 77.2%, demonstrating that mini-cuttings are a promising technique for ‘BRS Guaraçá’. Foliar spraying of GA promoted an increase in mini-cutting production, without interfering with their rooting.

Lapidary Art of the Altai and the Urals of the Late 18th — 19th Centuries: The Russian Cultural Phenomenon and European Influence

The study of Russian stone-cutting art remains an important and urgent task of contemporary Russian art history. It is necessary to take a fresh look at this direction of Russian decorative art and find out whether Russian stone-cutting art is an internal phenomenon, or it is based on European borrowing. This article refers to works of stone-cutting enterprises of the Urals and the Altai, i. e. Yekaterinburg and Loktevsk Manufactories, which worked exclusively at the order of the Cabinet. In the late eighteenth century, there was a system for ordering stone products in Russia. To do this, they formed sets of “samples” of natural ornamental stone from Russian deposits and compiled albums of product projects. When sending an order to the factory, they attached a sketch and indicated the number of the stone which the product was to be made of. A complex analysis of Russian stone-cutting art testifies to the fact that it followed European fashion, traditions, and technology. European specialists were invited to Russia in order to organise stone-cutting production. Also, travellers brought elegant artworks made of decorative stone by European masters. By the late eighteenth century, stone-cutting production had come a much longer way in Western Europe than in Russia. The production of works of art made of stone was carried out in Italy, France, England, Sweden, and other European countries. Russian commissioners wanted to obtain similar items, and the masters imitated and reproduced European originals. When comparing designs of decorative vases, one can see an undoubted influence of European analogues. However, if there is an obvious similarity to their decorative design, Russian masters are characterised by the ability to reveal the unique aesthetic properties of the material. At the first stage, the influence of European masters was not to be argued, but later on, Russian stone-cutting art began to acquire its own unique features, although it developed along the lines of the dominating pan-European stylistic trends.

Hot Isostatic Pressing of Carbide Steels from Chip Waste of Metal Cutting Production

Представлены результаты исследований процесса изготовления карбидосталей. При исследовании использован порошок, полученный из стружковых отходов стали Р6М5, порошок карбида титана фракции 5/3 мкм и технический углерод. Рассмотрены три состава карбидосталей.Принята следующая схема изготовления карбидосталей: отмывка и размол стружковых отходов – смешивание и пластификация шихты – холодное формование шихты – прессование в капсуле – спекание и изотермический отжиг в вакууме – заварка, дегазация и герметизация капсул – горячее изостатическое прессование – осадка полученных заготовок.Для исследуемой порошковой шихты определялись показатели прессуемости в интервале давлений 200...700 МПа. Установлено, что увеличение доли карбидов в шихте снижает прессуемость. Для формования брикетов рассматриваемых порошковых смесей рекомендовано использовать большое давление, что обеспечит бόльшую относительную плотность после спекания.Была выбрана оптимальная температура спекания брикетов и листов – 1150 °С, которая обеспечивает получение после спекания максимальной относительной плотности и исключает оплавления прессовок в процессе спекания. После спекания и изотермического отжига микроструктура прессовок состоит из равномерно распределенных карбидов в матрице из сорбита и пор.Горячее изостатическое прессование выполнено при температуре 1150 °С, давлении 200 МПа, в среде аргона, выдержке при заданной температуре и давлении 120 мин, охлаждении со скоростью 180 °С/ч до 400 °С, далее – охлаждение на воздухе. При исходной относительной плотности спеченных заготовок порядка 65…75 % цикл ГИП гарантирует их компактирование.Горячая осадка компактных газостатированных заготовок при различной степени обжатия проводилась для придания им приближенной к диску формы для последующего изготовления опытных дисковых фрез. Показано, что степень обжатия при горячей осадке способствуют дроблению карбидной фазы, формируют благоприятную микроструктуру. Карбидная неоднородность во всех полученных материалах не хуже 1 балла (шкала 2) по ГОСТ 19265–73.Из полученных материалов были изготовлены дисковые фрезы, которые прошли стандартную термическую обработку для стали Р6М5 и показали более высокую стойкость по сравнению с инструментами, изготовленными из аналогичной стали по обычной металлургической технологии.

Application of Rapid Multiplication Technique Using Mini Cutting and NPK Compound Fertilizer to Increase Production of Sweet Potato Cuttings (Ipomoea batatas L.)

Rapid Multiplication Technique (RMT) is a technique used to produce large scale cuttings of sweet potato in a short period by using mini cuttings and proper fertilizer management. The research was carried out from October 2019 to March 2020 and composed of two experiments The first experiment involved a randomized complete block design, with clones (“Ase Kapas” and “Ase Merah”) as the first factor, and tuber weight (150 ± 25 g, 250 ± 25 g, and 350 ± 25 g) as the second factor. The second experiment was arranged in a split-plot design involving different doses of NPK compound fertilizer (as main plot) and different source of cuttings (as subplots). The different doses included NPK 16:16:16 at 100 kg.ha-1 (0.3 g per polybag), 200 kg.ha-1 (0.6 g per polybag), 300 kg.ha-1 (0.9 g per polybag), and without fertilizer as control. The source of cuttings were from the tip, middle and bottom stem of the plants. Results showed that the “Ase Kapas” showed the highest number and the longest shoots, number of nodes, and length of vines. Additionally, tuber weight of ± 350 g produced the highest number of shoots. When it comes to NPK compound fertilizer treatment, a dose of 0.9 g per polybag increased cutting production in “Ase Kapas”, and also responded better to fertilizer treatment. On the other hand, dose of 0.3 g increased cutting production in “Ase Merah”. “Ase Kapas” produced more cuttings from the middle stem, whereas “Ase Merah” produced more cuttings from the . The application of RMT in “Ase Kapas” produced cuttings with ratio of 1:31, which is higher than those in “Ase Merah” with a ratio of 1:17.

Stone Cutting in the Urals: Towards the Question of Regional Cultural Features

This study considers the phenomenon of the Ural school of artistic processing of colored ornamental stone as an educational process. Education in the field of stonecarving art in the Urals, despite following the all-Russian principles for the development of an art school, is a unique phenomenon, due to geographical and socio-cultural factors. The training of stone cutters arose along with the need to process stone directly in the vicinity of material extraction. The educational process was developed in the Soviet era as a means to gather personnel for stone-cutting production. More recently, the development of this artform has produced a new approach in the education of specialists in the artistic processing of stone. Both the traditions of the educational process and the problems of today are examined, revealing the general picture of the development of the trend. The study, regarding the development of a separate direction of the educational process, will supplement and concretize the general picture of the development of not only the Ural, but also the domestic art school. Keywords: educational process, Ural stone-cutting school, artistic processing of colored ornamental stone, educational institution

Effects of Growth Substrate and Container Size on Cutting Production from Mojave Sage Stock Plants

Stock plant productivity is an important concern for growers of mojave sage (Salvia pachyphylla) because this species produces more woody growth as the plant ages. The objective of the study was to determine the best growth substrate and container size combination to maximize stock plant productivity. A secondary objective was to determine whether the stock plant treatments influenced the rooting of vegetative cuttings. Three different container sizes (3, 12, and 15.5 qt) and four soilless substrates composed primarily of bark, peat, and perlite (substrate 1); bark, peat, and vermiculite (substrate 2); bark, peat, and coarse perlite (substrate 3); and peat (substrate 4) were used. The stock plant experiment was conducted using 12 treatment combinations, and a subset of those stock plants was selected randomly for the rooting study that immediately followed the stock plant experiment. Stock plants responded to substrate treatments differently. The most successful stock plants, which produced more cuttings per plant and per square foot, as well as larger cuttings, were those grown in substrate 3. Regardless of substrate, the highest number of cuttings per square foot was obtained from stock plants grown in 3-qt containers, indicating that the smaller containers allow for the most efficient use of space when growing mojave sage stock plants for 4 to 6 months. The rooting of vegetative cuttings was successful (88% to 100% of cuttings rooted after 4 weeks under mist) for all treatment combinations.

Impacts of Growth Substrate and Container Size on Cutting Production from ‘Snow Angel’ Coral Bells Stock Plants

Stock plant productivity is an important concern for growers of ‘Snow Angel’ coral bells (Heuchera sanguinea) because this variety produces a limited number of basal cuttings. The objective of the study was to determine the best growth substrate and container size combination to maximize productivity of stock plants. A secondary objective was to determine if the stock plant treatments influenced the rooting of vegetative cuttings. The study used three different container sizes (2.8, 11.4, and 14.6 L) and four commercial soilless substrates that were primarily composed of the following: bark, peat, and perlite (substrate 1); bark, peat, and vermiculite (substrate 2); bark, peat, and coarse perlite (substrate 3); and peat (substrate 4). Two stock plant experiments were conducted using the same 12 treatment combinations, and a subset of those stock plants was randomly selected for the rooting studies that immediately followed each stock plant experiment. Stock plants responded to substrate treatments differently depending on the batch of substrate in which they were grown. The most successful stock plants, which produced more cuttings per plant and per square foot, as well as larger cuttings, were those grown in substrate 3 (Expt. 1) and substrate 2 (Expt. 2). Regardless of the substrate, the highest number of cuttings per square foot was obtained from stock plants grown in 2.8-L containers, indicating that the smaller containers allow for the most efficient use of space when growing ‘Snow Angel’ stock plants for 6 to 8 months. The rooting of vegetative cuttings was successful (98% to 100% of cuttings rooted after 4 weeks under mist) for all treatment combinations, although higher numbers of visible roots were produced during the second study and may be due to larger fresh weights of cuttings.