Pub Date : 2023-12-01DOI: 10.21273/horttech05312-23
Daniela Perez-Lugones, Catherine G. Campbell, Celina Gómez
Understanding preferences and challenges of home gardeners is valuable to the consumer-horticulture industry. Citizen scientists in Florida were recruited to grow compact tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants started from seed, as transplants, or as flowering plants in a 16-week experiment. Participants, who had various gardening experience levels, were provided with a kit containing all materials needed to grow plants to maturity. Project engagement was encouraged with monthly online meetings and a social media page. A survey was delivered at the end of the project and completed by 117 participants. The survey aimed to evaluate participants’ preferences, challenges, and experiences with each plant product. Plants started as seed or as flowering plants were equally preferred among participants and were rated higher than transplants. However, participants were least satisfied with the yield, rate of plant growth, fruit taste, and care required to grow plants started from seed. Ninety-one percent of participants said they would be willing to pay more for flowering plants than for transplants. Across plant products, pests and flower/fruit drop were reported as challenges by up to 85% and 18% of participants, respectively. Results from this study highlight the potential of using citizen science to assess gardening experiences and preferences, which can support stakeholders who cater to the consumer-horticulture industry.
{"title":"Using Citizen Science to Evaluate Home Gardeners’ Experiences with Compact Tomato Plants","authors":"Daniela Perez-Lugones, Catherine G. Campbell, Celina Gómez","doi":"10.21273/horttech05312-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21273/horttech05312-23","url":null,"abstract":"Understanding preferences and challenges of home gardeners is valuable to the consumer-horticulture industry. Citizen scientists in Florida were recruited to grow compact tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants started from seed, as transplants, or as flowering plants in a 16-week experiment. Participants, who had various gardening experience levels, were provided with a kit containing all materials needed to grow plants to maturity. Project engagement was encouraged with monthly online meetings and a social media page. A survey was delivered at the end of the project and completed by 117 participants. The survey aimed to evaluate participants’ preferences, challenges, and experiences with each plant product. Plants started as seed or as flowering plants were equally preferred among participants and were rated higher than transplants. However, participants were least satisfied with the yield, rate of plant growth, fruit taste, and care required to grow plants started from seed. Ninety-one percent of participants said they would be willing to pay more for flowering plants than for transplants. Across plant products, pests and flower/fruit drop were reported as challenges by up to 85% and 18% of participants, respectively. Results from this study highlight the potential of using citizen science to assess gardening experiences and preferences, which can support stakeholders who cater to the consumer-horticulture industry.","PeriodicalId":13144,"journal":{"name":"Horttechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138615042","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-01DOI: 10.21273/horttech05249-23
Melinda Knuth, Xuan Wei, Xumin Zhang, H. Khachatryan
Maintaining and caring for residential landscapes is a crucial aspect of homeownership in the United States. For homeowners in the United States, residential lawns represent a significant economic investment, signal their social commitments, and reflect their personal characters. To investigate the differences in Florida homeowners’ priorities regarding residential landscape features, an online survey of 1220 homeowners was conducted. Four different groups of homeowners were identified based on their perceived importance of the four landscape features, namely, environmental, financial, aesthetic, and psychological benefits. Factors such as environmental and financial attitudes and social norms influencing homeowners’ decision-making were examined. The findings revealed that homeowners’ knowledge of landscaping practices and environmental attitudes impact their prioritization regarding landscape features.
{"title":"Homeowners’ Prioritization of Landscape Features Regarding Aesthetic, Environmental, Financial, and Psychological Benefits","authors":"Melinda Knuth, Xuan Wei, Xumin Zhang, H. Khachatryan","doi":"10.21273/horttech05249-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21273/horttech05249-23","url":null,"abstract":"Maintaining and caring for residential landscapes is a crucial aspect of homeownership in the United States. For homeowners in the United States, residential lawns represent a significant economic investment, signal their social commitments, and reflect their personal characters. To investigate the differences in Florida homeowners’ priorities regarding residential landscape features, an online survey of 1220 homeowners was conducted. Four different groups of homeowners were identified based on their perceived importance of the four landscape features, namely, environmental, financial, aesthetic, and psychological benefits. Factors such as environmental and financial attitudes and social norms influencing homeowners’ decision-making were examined. The findings revealed that homeowners’ knowledge of landscaping practices and environmental attitudes impact their prioritization regarding landscape features.","PeriodicalId":13144,"journal":{"name":"Horttechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138621810","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-01DOI: 10.21273/horttech05268-23
Andrew H. Jeffers, B. Behe, Michael Vassalos, William C. Bridges, Sarah A. White
The US landscape industry consists of 632,000 businesses with >1 million persons employed in 2022. The most common service that landscape service providers (LSPs) perform is pest management. Over the past 25 years, LSPs have been challenged to adopt more holistic approaches to pest management via the use of nonchemical and less toxic chemical controls. Integrated pest management (IPM), specifically scouting, may be a useful approach for LSPs to manage pests more sustainably and market new services, such as biological control releases. Scant literature is available on LSP scouting practices or consumer acceptance of scouting services. The goal of this study was to determine if IPM-aware consumers were more likely to purchase a scouting program offered by an LSP. An online survey was distributed across the United States through a third-party panel service. The final sample included 928 usable responses. Data were analyzed using a binary logistic regression model. Fifty-seven percent of respondents reported having some knowledge or were very knowledgeable of IPM. Respondents 65 years of age and older were 13.1% points less likely to purchase a scouting service. Education level did not influence purchase likelihood. Consumer knowledge of IPM had a positive influence on the purchase likelihood, respondents with “some knowledge” (5.6%) and “very knowledgeable” (8.6%) were more likely to buy IPM services. Further, if the consumer was open to purchasing the scouting program, it is plausible that they might be more willing to allow an LSP to use a combination of chemical and nonchemical methods to manage pests.
{"title":"Consumer Purchase Likelihood of Landscape Management Pest Scouting Program","authors":"Andrew H. Jeffers, B. Behe, Michael Vassalos, William C. Bridges, Sarah A. White","doi":"10.21273/horttech05268-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21273/horttech05268-23","url":null,"abstract":"The US landscape industry consists of 632,000 businesses with >1 million persons employed in 2022. The most common service that landscape service providers (LSPs) perform is pest management. Over the past 25 years, LSPs have been challenged to adopt more holistic approaches to pest management via the use of nonchemical and less toxic chemical controls. Integrated pest management (IPM), specifically scouting, may be a useful approach for LSPs to manage pests more sustainably and market new services, such as biological control releases. Scant literature is available on LSP scouting practices or consumer acceptance of scouting services. The goal of this study was to determine if IPM-aware consumers were more likely to purchase a scouting program offered by an LSP. An online survey was distributed across the United States through a third-party panel service. The final sample included 928 usable responses. Data were analyzed using a binary logistic regression model. Fifty-seven percent of respondents reported having some knowledge or were very knowledgeable of IPM. Respondents 65 years of age and older were 13.1% points less likely to purchase a scouting service. Education level did not influence purchase likelihood. Consumer knowledge of IPM had a positive influence on the purchase likelihood, respondents with “some knowledge” (5.6%) and “very knowledgeable” (8.6%) were more likely to buy IPM services. Further, if the consumer was open to purchasing the scouting program, it is plausible that they might be more willing to allow an LSP to use a combination of chemical and nonchemical methods to manage pests.","PeriodicalId":13144,"journal":{"name":"Horttechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138627630","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01DOI: 10.21273/horttech05259-23
Dani McFadden, Jack Fry, Steve Keeley, Jared Hoyle, Zane Raudenbush
The objective of this greenhouse study was to evaluate tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea ) seedling growth when seeded after herbicide application. Herbicide treatments included a nontreated control; 1.19 lb/acre 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) + 0.32 lb/acre methylchlorophenoxypropionic acid (MCPP) + 0.32 lb/acre dicamba; 0.75 lb/acre quinclorac; and 0.06 lb/acre halosulfuron-methyl. Seeding was done at 0, 3, 7, or 14 days after herbicide application to soil media. Two identical experiments were conducted in the greenhouse: Expt. 1 seedling growth from January to March and Expt. 2 from May to July (temperatures higher). Seeding dates after herbicide application did not influence growth. Average dry shoot weight reductions and dry root weight reductions caused by postemergence herbicides were 2,4-D + MCPP + dicamba (33% shoot and 27% root in Expt. 2), quinclorac (30% shoot and 37% root in Expt. 2), and halosulfuron-methyl (51% shoot in Expt. 2; 81% root in Expts. 1 and 2). Although application of these herbicides before seeding in the field may result in no visual impact, they can impact seedling shoot and root growth, particularly under higher growth temperatures.
{"title":"Tall Fescue Seedling Growth as Affected by Postemergence Herbicides","authors":"Dani McFadden, Jack Fry, Steve Keeley, Jared Hoyle, Zane Raudenbush","doi":"10.21273/horttech05259-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21273/horttech05259-23","url":null,"abstract":"The objective of this greenhouse study was to evaluate tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea ) seedling growth when seeded after herbicide application. Herbicide treatments included a nontreated control; 1.19 lb/acre 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) + 0.32 lb/acre methylchlorophenoxypropionic acid (MCPP) + 0.32 lb/acre dicamba; 0.75 lb/acre quinclorac; and 0.06 lb/acre halosulfuron-methyl. Seeding was done at 0, 3, 7, or 14 days after herbicide application to soil media. Two identical experiments were conducted in the greenhouse: Expt. 1 seedling growth from January to March and Expt. 2 from May to July (temperatures higher). Seeding dates after herbicide application did not influence growth. Average dry shoot weight reductions and dry root weight reductions caused by postemergence herbicides were 2,4-D + MCPP + dicamba (33% shoot and 27% root in Expt. 2), quinclorac (30% shoot and 37% root in Expt. 2), and halosulfuron-methyl (51% shoot in Expt. 2; 81% root in Expts. 1 and 2). Although application of these herbicides before seeding in the field may result in no visual impact, they can impact seedling shoot and root growth, particularly under higher growth temperatures.","PeriodicalId":13144,"journal":{"name":"Horttechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135275175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01DOI: 10.21273/horttech05232-23
Mónica Navia-Urrutia, C. A. Sendoya-Corrales, J. Crane, R. Gazis
Propiconazole has fungistatic and fungicidal properties against Harringtonia lauricola, the causal agent of laurel wilt disease. Propiconazole injections are used by Florida, USA, farmers as a prophylactic method to manage the disease in avocado (Persea americana) trees, but its efficacy has remained questionable for more than a decade due to documented restricted mobility within the tree vascular system. This study was conducted to evaluate the absorption of propiconazole when using soil drenching as an alternative application method, assess the efficacy of propiconazole in controlling disease development when drenched or injected, and its synergistic effect on common cultural management practices used by the local farmers, such as branch removal and trunk cutting (“stumping”). To determine if propiconazole soil-drenching can provide better xylem coverage, potted and mature orchard trees were treated with different concentrations and artificially inoculated with the pathogen. Propiconazole translocation from the roots to above-the-ground tissue was confirmed in potted and orchard trees, but the concentrations in orchard trees were below the fungicidal threshold (1 ppm). Although none of the potted trees developed laurel wilt symptoms, all inoculated branches of the orchard trees did. Furthermore, noninoculated branches in more than 80% of the inoculated and propiconazole-treated orchard trees developed symptoms, even though the inoculated branch was cut at the early stages of disease development. To elucidate if propiconazole injections effectively control the disease, trees from a commercial orchard that were injected five times were challenged by artificial inoculation. Propiconazole concentration in trees was highly variable (ranging from < 0.01 to 294 ppm), but even in trees with a high concentration of propiconazole, inoculated and noninoculated branches developed symptoms. Even though drenched and injected trees were “stumped” soon after symptoms appeared in the noninoculated branches (4 to 5 months after inoculation), all of the stumps in the drenched plot and 80% of the injected trees, showed internal symptoms 5 and 4 months after the cut, respectively. Results demonstrate that the soil-drenching of propiconazole is an ineffective application method in orchard trees, and that the conventional injection does not prevent disease development after artificial inoculation. Moreover, because propiconazole does not prevent the movement of the pathogen to the trunk, the “stumping” of infected trees to reduce the disease in the orchard is an inadequate practice. This study highlights the critical need for other active ingredients with lower fungicidal thresholds, longer half-life, and higher xylem mobility.
{"title":"Reevaluation of the Application Method and Efficacy of Propiconazole in Controlling Laurel Wilt in Avocado Orchards in South Florida","authors":"Mónica Navia-Urrutia, C. A. Sendoya-Corrales, J. Crane, R. Gazis","doi":"10.21273/horttech05232-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21273/horttech05232-23","url":null,"abstract":"Propiconazole has fungistatic and fungicidal properties against Harringtonia lauricola, the causal agent of laurel wilt disease. Propiconazole injections are used by Florida, USA, farmers as a prophylactic method to manage the disease in avocado (Persea americana) trees, but its efficacy has remained questionable for more than a decade due to documented restricted mobility within the tree vascular system. This study was conducted to evaluate the absorption of propiconazole when using soil drenching as an alternative application method, assess the efficacy of propiconazole in controlling disease development when drenched or injected, and its synergistic effect on common cultural management practices used by the local farmers, such as branch removal and trunk cutting (“stumping”). To determine if propiconazole soil-drenching can provide better xylem coverage, potted and mature orchard trees were treated with different concentrations and artificially inoculated with the pathogen. Propiconazole translocation from the roots to above-the-ground tissue was confirmed in potted and orchard trees, but the concentrations in orchard trees were below the fungicidal threshold (1 ppm). Although none of the potted trees developed laurel wilt symptoms, all inoculated branches of the orchard trees did. Furthermore, noninoculated branches in more than 80% of the inoculated and propiconazole-treated orchard trees developed symptoms, even though the inoculated branch was cut at the early stages of disease development. To elucidate if propiconazole injections effectively control the disease, trees from a commercial orchard that were injected five times were challenged by artificial inoculation. Propiconazole concentration in trees was highly variable (ranging from < 0.01 to 294 ppm), but even in trees with a high concentration of propiconazole, inoculated and noninoculated branches developed symptoms. Even though drenched and injected trees were “stumped” soon after symptoms appeared in the noninoculated branches (4 to 5 months after inoculation), all of the stumps in the drenched plot and 80% of the injected trees, showed internal symptoms 5 and 4 months after the cut, respectively. Results demonstrate that the soil-drenching of propiconazole is an ineffective application method in orchard trees, and that the conventional injection does not prevent disease development after artificial inoculation. Moreover, because propiconazole does not prevent the movement of the pathogen to the trunk, the “stumping” of infected trees to reduce the disease in the orchard is an inadequate practice. This study highlights the critical need for other active ingredients with lower fungicidal thresholds, longer half-life, and higher xylem mobility.","PeriodicalId":13144,"journal":{"name":"Horttechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41690211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01DOI: 10.21273/horttech05252-23
Ji-Jhong Chen, Youping Sun, Lorence R. Oki, Jared A. Sisneroz, Karrie Reid, Lloyd L. Nackley, Ryan N. Contreras, Soo-Hyung Kim, Ursula K. Schuch, Darren L. Haver, Miro Stuke, Allison Fron, Kelly Kopp, Scott B. Jones, Lawrence Hipps
Increased urban and suburban populations in the arid western United States have resulted in more water demand; however, water availability in the region has become limited because of inadequate precipitation. Recent droughts have led to restrictions on irrigating landscape plants. Garden rose ( Rosa × hybrida ) is commonly used as flowering plants in residential landscapes, but its drought tolerance has not been widely studied. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of reduced irrigation frequency on visual quality, plant growth, and physiology of five garden rose cultivars, including ChewPatout (Oso Easy ® Urban Legend ® ), Meibenbino (Petite Knock Out ® ), MEIRIFTDAY (Oso Easy ® Double Pink), Overedclimb (Cherry Frost™), and Radbeauty (Sitting Pretty™). Twenty-four plants of each rose cultivar were established in a trial plot at Utah Agricultural Experiment Station Greenville Research Farm (North Logan, UT, USA) in Summer 2021. Plants were randomly assigned to one of three deficit irrigation treatments for which irrigation frequencies were calculated using 80% reference evapotranspiration (ET O ) (high), 50% ET O (medium), and 20% ET O (low). The total volumes of irrigation water applied to each plant were 345.6, 172.8, and 43.2 L for the high, medium, and low irrigation frequencies, respectively, during the deficit irrigation trial from 12 May to 30 Sep 2022. Root zones were wetted more frequently as irrigation frequency increased from low to high irrigation frequencies. Decreased irrigation frequency increased the number of visibly wilted and damaged leaves on all rose cultivars. However, only ‘Meibenbino’ and ‘MEIRIFTDAY’ exhibited a reduction in overall appearance under decreased irrigation frequency. The relative growth indices of both ‘Meibenbino’ and ‘MEIRIFTDAY’ decreased by 6%, whereas the dry weights of their leaves decreased by 37% and 36%, respectively, as irrigation decreased from high to low frequencies. Roses in this study appeared to decrease stomatal conductance up to 51% when irrigation decreased from high to low frequencies, or when air temperature increased. ‘Meibenbino’ and ‘MEIRIFTDAY’ exhibited unacceptable overall appearance, growth reduction, and higher leaf–air temperature differences, and they were less tolerant to reduced irrigation. Although the ‘Radbeauty’ maintained plant growth under the reduced irrigation frequency, the large leaf size led to a more visibly wilted appearance and the potential for heat stress, thus impairing visual quality. ‘ChewPatout’ and ‘Overedclimb’ were most tolerant to deficit irrigation at 20% ET O and maintained plant growth with acceptable visual quality and lower leaf temperatures when they received one irrigation during the growing season.
{"title":"Climate-ready Landscape Plants: Garden Roses Trialed at Reduced Irrigation Frequency in Utah, USA","authors":"Ji-Jhong Chen, Youping Sun, Lorence R. Oki, Jared A. Sisneroz, Karrie Reid, Lloyd L. Nackley, Ryan N. Contreras, Soo-Hyung Kim, Ursula K. Schuch, Darren L. Haver, Miro Stuke, Allison Fron, Kelly Kopp, Scott B. Jones, Lawrence Hipps","doi":"10.21273/horttech05252-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21273/horttech05252-23","url":null,"abstract":"Increased urban and suburban populations in the arid western United States have resulted in more water demand; however, water availability in the region has become limited because of inadequate precipitation. Recent droughts have led to restrictions on irrigating landscape plants. Garden rose ( Rosa × hybrida ) is commonly used as flowering plants in residential landscapes, but its drought tolerance has not been widely studied. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of reduced irrigation frequency on visual quality, plant growth, and physiology of five garden rose cultivars, including ChewPatout (Oso Easy ® Urban Legend ® ), Meibenbino (Petite Knock Out ® ), MEIRIFTDAY (Oso Easy ® Double Pink), Overedclimb (Cherry Frost™), and Radbeauty (Sitting Pretty™). Twenty-four plants of each rose cultivar were established in a trial plot at Utah Agricultural Experiment Station Greenville Research Farm (North Logan, UT, USA) in Summer 2021. Plants were randomly assigned to one of three deficit irrigation treatments for which irrigation frequencies were calculated using 80% reference evapotranspiration (ET O ) (high), 50% ET O (medium), and 20% ET O (low). The total volumes of irrigation water applied to each plant were 345.6, 172.8, and 43.2 L for the high, medium, and low irrigation frequencies, respectively, during the deficit irrigation trial from 12 May to 30 Sep 2022. Root zones were wetted more frequently as irrigation frequency increased from low to high irrigation frequencies. Decreased irrigation frequency increased the number of visibly wilted and damaged leaves on all rose cultivars. However, only ‘Meibenbino’ and ‘MEIRIFTDAY’ exhibited a reduction in overall appearance under decreased irrigation frequency. The relative growth indices of both ‘Meibenbino’ and ‘MEIRIFTDAY’ decreased by 6%, whereas the dry weights of their leaves decreased by 37% and 36%, respectively, as irrigation decreased from high to low frequencies. Roses in this study appeared to decrease stomatal conductance up to 51% when irrigation decreased from high to low frequencies, or when air temperature increased. ‘Meibenbino’ and ‘MEIRIFTDAY’ exhibited unacceptable overall appearance, growth reduction, and higher leaf–air temperature differences, and they were less tolerant to reduced irrigation. Although the ‘Radbeauty’ maintained plant growth under the reduced irrigation frequency, the large leaf size led to a more visibly wilted appearance and the potential for heat stress, thus impairing visual quality. ‘ChewPatout’ and ‘Overedclimb’ were most tolerant to deficit irrigation at 20% ET O and maintained plant growth with acceptable visual quality and lower leaf temperatures when they received one irrigation during the growing season.","PeriodicalId":13144,"journal":{"name":"Horttechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134934362","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01DOI: 10.21273/horttech05248-23
Srijana Shrestha, L. DeVetter, Carol Miles, Jazmine Mejia-Muñoz, Pam Krone, Mark Bolda, Shuresh Ghimire
The use of polyethylene (PE) mulch causes environmental pollution where incomplete removal leaves fragments susceptible to escape to ecosystems, such as the ocean, where they can cause ecological harm. PE mulch is generally nonrecyclable due to contamination with soil and crop debris after use, leaving growers with few end-of-life options for used PE mulch. Research studies have shown that soil-biodegradable plastic mulch (BDM) is comparable to PE mulch in terms of performance, soil health, and overall economics and is preferred from an environmental perspective, but the adoption of BDM by producers is still low. Previous research has shown that the primary barriers to BDM adoption are insufficient knowledge about BDM, high purchase cost, and unpredictable breakdown of BDM in the soil. The high purchase cost of BDM compared with PE mulch is offset by the costs for PE mulch removal, transport, and disposal fees. This project was conducted to develop BDM training materials, to educate and assess BDM knowledge gained by extension personnel and other agricultural professionals through trainings and webinars, and to educate producers about BDM through hands-on experience. Thirty-six research and extension publication outputs from two previous US Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Research Initiative BDM projects were reviewed and transcribed into 45 new extension publications that included 11 slide presentations, 5 lecture slides, 10 fact sheets, and 3 videos. All the training materials are posted on a public university website. Professional development trainings were conducted at local, regional, national, and international levels to provide agricultural professionals the current, science-based information on BDM and resources for information. Survey results showed that at a local level, the greatest change of knowledge among participants was observed for “BDM use in organic production” (60%), and the lowest reported change of knowledge was observed for “limitations to PE mulch disposal” (19%). At a regional level, out of 58 participants, 23% to 35% of participants learned “a lot” and 35% to 51% learned “some new information” regarding BDM from the webinar. At the national level, out of 30 participants, 48% responded that they learned “a lot” and another 48% learned “some new information” on BDM from the training. Growers were trained about BDM via field days and on-farm demonstrations where five strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa) growers volunteered to participate in BDM trials. The participant growers observed no difference in weed control and fruit yield between the PE mulch and the BDM. Growers expressed concerns about slow biodegradation of BDM after soil incorporation, potential impacts on soil biological activity, food safety concerns with BDM fragments and that BDM is not currently permitted for use in organic production.
{"title":"Building Agricultural Knowledge of Soil-biodegradable Plastic Mulch","authors":"Srijana Shrestha, L. DeVetter, Carol Miles, Jazmine Mejia-Muñoz, Pam Krone, Mark Bolda, Shuresh Ghimire","doi":"10.21273/horttech05248-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21273/horttech05248-23","url":null,"abstract":"The use of polyethylene (PE) mulch causes environmental pollution where incomplete removal leaves fragments susceptible to escape to ecosystems, such as the ocean, where they can cause ecological harm. PE mulch is generally nonrecyclable due to contamination with soil and crop debris after use, leaving growers with few end-of-life options for used PE mulch. Research studies have shown that soil-biodegradable plastic mulch (BDM) is comparable to PE mulch in terms of performance, soil health, and overall economics and is preferred from an environmental perspective, but the adoption of BDM by producers is still low. Previous research has shown that the primary barriers to BDM adoption are insufficient knowledge about BDM, high purchase cost, and unpredictable breakdown of BDM in the soil. The high purchase cost of BDM compared with PE mulch is offset by the costs for PE mulch removal, transport, and disposal fees. This project was conducted to develop BDM training materials, to educate and assess BDM knowledge gained by extension personnel and other agricultural professionals through trainings and webinars, and to educate producers about BDM through hands-on experience. Thirty-six research and extension publication outputs from two previous US Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Research Initiative BDM projects were reviewed and transcribed into 45 new extension publications that included 11 slide presentations, 5 lecture slides, 10 fact sheets, and 3 videos. All the training materials are posted on a public university website. Professional development trainings were conducted at local, regional, national, and international levels to provide agricultural professionals the current, science-based information on BDM and resources for information. Survey results showed that at a local level, the greatest change of knowledge among participants was observed for “BDM use in organic production” (60%), and the lowest reported change of knowledge was observed for “limitations to PE mulch disposal” (19%). At a regional level, out of 58 participants, 23% to 35% of participants learned “a lot” and 35% to 51% learned “some new information” regarding BDM from the webinar. At the national level, out of 30 participants, 48% responded that they learned “a lot” and another 48% learned “some new information” on BDM from the training. Growers were trained about BDM via field days and on-farm demonstrations where five strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa) growers volunteered to participate in BDM trials. The participant growers observed no difference in weed control and fruit yield between the PE mulch and the BDM. Growers expressed concerns about slow biodegradation of BDM after soil incorporation, potential impacts on soil biological activity, food safety concerns with BDM fragments and that BDM is not currently permitted for use in organic production.","PeriodicalId":13144,"journal":{"name":"Horttechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41614360","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01DOI: 10.21273/horttech05272-23
Damon E. Abdi, Jeb S. Fields, Jeffrey Beasley
Mulching landscape beds is a common task for landscapers seeking to affect soil conditions and reduce weed pressure. This study investigated the effects of three pine ( Pinus sp.) straw mulch depths (5, 10, and 15 cm) on soil moisture/temperature modulation during late winter/spring. No differences in soil volumetric water content were observed; however, increasing mulch depth to ≥10 cm decreased fluctuations in temperature. This research provides a better understanding of the effect of mulch depth and potential environmental benefits so that landscape contractors can determine cost-benefits of mulching applications.
{"title":"Pine Straw Mulch Depth Modulates Soil Conditions","authors":"Damon E. Abdi, Jeb S. Fields, Jeffrey Beasley","doi":"10.21273/horttech05272-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21273/horttech05272-23","url":null,"abstract":"Mulching landscape beds is a common task for landscapers seeking to affect soil conditions and reduce weed pressure. This study investigated the effects of three pine ( Pinus sp.) straw mulch depths (5, 10, and 15 cm) on soil moisture/temperature modulation during late winter/spring. No differences in soil volumetric water content were observed; however, increasing mulch depth to ≥10 cm decreased fluctuations in temperature. This research provides a better understanding of the effect of mulch depth and potential environmental benefits so that landscape contractors can determine cost-benefits of mulching applications.","PeriodicalId":13144,"journal":{"name":"Horttechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135275176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01DOI: 10.21273/horttech05266-23
L. Gettys
Horticulturists and agronomists have a long history of using selective breeding to take advantage of intraspecific (within-species) variation with the goal of developing novel varieties of plant species. These efforts are responsible for the availability of countless improved food, forage, and ornamental varieties that are valued by farmers, landscapers, and home gardeners. In contrast, little attention has been paid to the idea of evaluating intraspecific variation to identify plants derived from a specific ecosystem (ecotypes) of native species that could improve the success rate of habitat restoration and enhancement projects, especially in aquatic systems. These projects often specify that plant material used for restoration be collected from local donor sites to preserve the area’s gene pool, but nearby source populations may be nonexistent or may not be well-adapted to conditions at the recipient (transplant) site. This paper, which summarizes information presented at the American Society for Horticultural Science Invasive Plants Research Professional Interest Group workshop in 2022, provides evidence that unimproved, wild-type species can be useful in aquatic habitat restoration and enhancement projects, particularly when conditions at sites targeted for restoration differ from those in nearby systems, or when sites are expected to undergo shifts in conditions because of factors such as climate change.
{"title":"A Rose Is a Rose Is a Rose... Or Is It? Ecotypes versus Locally Sourced Plants for Aquatic Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Projects","authors":"L. Gettys","doi":"10.21273/horttech05266-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21273/horttech05266-23","url":null,"abstract":"Horticulturists and agronomists have a long history of using selective breeding to take advantage of intraspecific (within-species) variation with the goal of developing novel varieties of plant species. These efforts are responsible for the availability of countless improved food, forage, and ornamental varieties that are valued by farmers, landscapers, and home gardeners. In contrast, little attention has been paid to the idea of evaluating intraspecific variation to identify plants derived from a specific ecosystem (ecotypes) of native species that could improve the success rate of habitat restoration and enhancement projects, especially in aquatic systems. These projects often specify that plant material used for restoration be collected from local donor sites to preserve the area’s gene pool, but nearby source populations may be nonexistent or may not be well-adapted to conditions at the recipient (transplant) site. This paper, which summarizes information presented at the American Society for Horticultural Science Invasive Plants Research Professional Interest Group workshop in 2022, provides evidence that unimproved, wild-type species can be useful in aquatic habitat restoration and enhancement projects, particularly when conditions at sites targeted for restoration differ from those in nearby systems, or when sites are expected to undergo shifts in conditions because of factors such as climate change.","PeriodicalId":13144,"journal":{"name":"Horttechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48152615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01DOI: 10.21273/horttech05217-23
S. Burnett, B. Peterson, Isabella B. Oliveira, Taylor Bowers
A BSTRACT . Dahlias ( Dahlia × hybrida ) are a popular cut fl ower for local production in the northeastern United States. However, there are more than 20,000 cultivars to choose from, and the suitability of these cultivars as cut fl owers varies regionally. Fourteen dahlia cultivars were grown in Orono, ME, USA: Blizzard, Burlesca, Caf (cid:1) e au Lait, Caf (cid:1) e au Lait Rose, Clearview Daniel, Cornel, Cornel Bronze, Ivanetti, Lollipop, Neon Splendor, Rock Run Ashley, Sunspot, Tanjoh, and Tempest. These cultivars were selected after interviews with local dahlia growers. These cultivars all produced similar numbers of fl owers, but they differed in the time to form fl owers, stem length, and stem diameter. ‘ Rock Run Ashley ’ was the earliest to begin fl owering, at 35 days earlier than ‘ Tempest ’ and ‘ Caf (cid:1) e au Lait ’ , which fl owered last. ‘ Blizzard ’ and ‘ Tempest ’ had the longest stems and ‘ Lollipop ’ had the shortest stems. Growers may want to choose ‘ Rock Run Ashley ’ if they need fl owers earlier in the season, or ‘ Blizzard ’ or ‘ Tempest ’ if a longer stem length is desired. During a second study, we harvested fi eld-grown fl owers of ‘ Burlesca ’ , ‘ Cornel ’ , and ‘ Ivanetti ’ and treated them with deionized water or one of two commercial holding solutions. Holding solutions did not extend the vase life of ‘ Burlesca ’ or ‘ Ivanetti ’ , but they increased the vase life of ‘ Cornel ’ by 4 or 5 days.
摘要。大丽花(Dahlia×hybrida)是美国东北部当地生产的一种流行的切花。然而,有20000多个品种可供选择,这些品种作为切花的适宜性因地区而异。在美国缅因州奥罗诺种植了14个大丽花品种:暴雪、伯莱斯卡、Caf(cid:1)e au Lait、Caf。这些品种是在与当地大丽花种植者面谈后选出的。这些品种都产生了相似数量的花,但它们在形成花的时间、茎长和茎直径方面有所不同。”Rock Run Ashley是最早开始发力的,比最后发力的Tempest和Caf(cid:1)e au Lait早了35天暴雪和暴风雪的梗最长,棒棒糖的梗最短。如果种植者在本季早些时候需要开花,他们可能会选择“Rock Run Ashley”,如果想要更长的茎长,则可以选择“Blizzard”或“Tempest”。在第二项研究中,我们收获了“Burlesca”、“Cornell”和“Ivanetti”的实地生长的花朵,并用去离子水或两种商业保存溶液中的一种进行处理。保温溶液并没有延长“Burlesca”或“Ivanetti”的花瓶寿命,但它们使“Cornel”的花瓶使用寿命增加了4或5天。
{"title":"Comparison of Dahlia Cultivars for Cut Flower Production in the Northeastern United States","authors":"S. Burnett, B. Peterson, Isabella B. Oliveira, Taylor Bowers","doi":"10.21273/horttech05217-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21273/horttech05217-23","url":null,"abstract":"A BSTRACT . Dahlias ( Dahlia × hybrida ) are a popular cut fl ower for local production in the northeastern United States. However, there are more than 20,000 cultivars to choose from, and the suitability of these cultivars as cut fl owers varies regionally. Fourteen dahlia cultivars were grown in Orono, ME, USA: Blizzard, Burlesca, Caf (cid:1) e au Lait, Caf (cid:1) e au Lait Rose, Clearview Daniel, Cornel, Cornel Bronze, Ivanetti, Lollipop, Neon Splendor, Rock Run Ashley, Sunspot, Tanjoh, and Tempest. These cultivars were selected after interviews with local dahlia growers. These cultivars all produced similar numbers of fl owers, but they differed in the time to form fl owers, stem length, and stem diameter. ‘ Rock Run Ashley ’ was the earliest to begin fl owering, at 35 days earlier than ‘ Tempest ’ and ‘ Caf (cid:1) e au Lait ’ , which fl owered last. ‘ Blizzard ’ and ‘ Tempest ’ had the longest stems and ‘ Lollipop ’ had the shortest stems. Growers may want to choose ‘ Rock Run Ashley ’ if they need fl owers earlier in the season, or ‘ Blizzard ’ or ‘ Tempest ’ if a longer stem length is desired. During a second study, we harvested fi eld-grown fl owers of ‘ Burlesca ’ , ‘ Cornel ’ , and ‘ Ivanetti ’ and treated them with deionized water or one of two commercial holding solutions. Holding solutions did not extend the vase life of ‘ Burlesca ’ or ‘ Ivanetti ’ , but they increased the vase life of ‘ Cornel ’ by 4 or 5 days.","PeriodicalId":13144,"journal":{"name":"Horttechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46558198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}