Horticulture Commons^™

Genome Wide Association Study Of Fusarium Wilt Resistance In Spinacia Turkestanica, Sanjaya Gyawali, Gehendra Bhattarai, James C. Correll, Ainong Shi, Lindsey J. Du Troit

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Fusarium wilt of spinach, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. spinaciae (Fos), leads to substantial losses in spinach (Spinacia oleracea) seed production in the only region of the USA suitable for growing spinach seed crops, the maritime Pacific Northwest. Accessions of wild spinach, S. turkestanica, serve as a major source of resistance to multiple spinach diseases. In this study, 84 Spinacia genotypes (all 68 S. turkestanica accessions available publicly and 16 S. oleracea) were evaluated for reactions to Fos at medium and high densities of inoculum comprising a mix of isolates of races 1 and 2, using a factorial experimental …

Quantifying Temperature Effects On Developmental Rate And Plant Quality Of Compact Container-Grown Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum), Morgan Humphrey

Horticulture Undergraduate Honors Theses

Mean daily temperature effects on plant development rates and quality were evaluated for compact container-grown tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Compact tomato varieties ‘Siam’ and ‘Red Velvet’ were grown in greenhouses at 18 to 26 °C (Experiment 1) and 20 to 30 °C (Experiment 2) under supplemental high-pressure sodium lighting and 16-hour photoperiod. The number of days to first open flower, first ripe fruit, and from flower to ripe fruit were measured and development rates calculated by taking the reciprocal (e.g. 1/days). Temperature effects were predicted by fitting a linear (for first open flower) and a nonlinear exponential function (for …

Designing And Installing A Disability Accessible Teaching Garden, Annabelle D. Denham

Horticulture Undergraduate Honors Theses

As horticulture becomes increasingly popular as a subject, activity, and form of therapy, its inclusivity has not kept up with the pace of its growth. In order to address the need for inclusivity and accessibility, gardens must adopt universal design. Individuals with special needs continuously face discrimination. While horticulture therapy has long been studied and catered to primarily neurotypical and able-bodied individuals, there is limited research on creating gardens specifically to include those with disabilities. This project aimed to create a garden that could serve the needs of all participants, regardless of their ability and sensory needs. The garden was …

Developing Custom Fertilizer Strategies Recirculating Hydroponic Systems, Joshua Bryan Tebow

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hydroponic systems recirculate nutrient solution to reduce the amount of water used in leafy green production. However, the rootzone of the nutrient solution is complex and influenced by interacting factors such as plant uptake demand, irrigation water quality, supplied fertilizer salts and nutrient concentrations, environmental conditions, and injection of mineral acids/bases to control solution pH. A common strategy for managing nutrients in commercial production is to select a hydroponic solution formulation (i.e. recipe) to supply and maintain a target pH and electrical conductivity (EC) in the recirculating solution over time by automatic injection of mineral acids/bases and concentrated fertilizer stock …

Genomic Insights Into Oxalate Content In Spinach: A Genome-Wide Association Study And Genomic Prediction Approach, Haizheng Xiong, Kenani Chiwina, Waltram Second Ravelombola, Yilin Chen, Ibtisam Alatawi, Qun Luo, Theresa M. Phiri, Beiquan Mou, Ainong Shi

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Oxalate content in spinach is a key trait of interest due to its relevance to human health. Understanding the genetic basis of it can facilitate the development of spinach varieties with reduced oxalate levels. In pursuit of understanding the genetic determinants, a diverse panel comprising 288 spinach accessions underwent thorough phenotyping of oxalate content and were subjected to whole-genome resequencing, resulting in a comprehensive dataset encompassing 14 386 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Leveraging this dataset, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify noteworthy SNPs associated with oxalate content. Furthermore, we employed genomic prediction (GP) via cross-prediction, utilizing five GP …

Arkansas Cotton Variety Tests 2024, F. Bourland, J. Gann, B. Lovelady, B. Guest Jr., J. Mcalee, L. Martin, Z. Treadway, C. Henderson

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

The primary goal of the Arkansas Cotton Variety Tests is to provide unbiased data regarding the agronomic performance of cotton varieties and advanced breeding lines in the major cotton-growing areas of Arkansas. This information helps seed companies establish marketing strategies and assists producers in choosing varieties to plant. These annual evaluations will then facilitate the inclusion of new, improved genetic material in Arkansas cotton production. Adaptation of varieties is determined by evaluating the lines at five University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture research sites (Manila, Keiser, Judd Hill, Marianna, and Rohwer). The 2024 tests at Keiser were adversely affected …

Identifying Herbicides To Manage Weeds In A Buckwheat Cover Crop And For The Control Of Volunteers, Taylor Randell-Singleton, Hannah E. Wright-Smith, Lavesta C. Hand, Jenna C. Vance, A. Stanley Culpepper

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is a fast-growing plant that quickly produces a dense groundcover. The utilization of buckwheat as a cover crop in vegetable production could be beneficial to Georgia producers, however for successful adoption, weed control in the cover crop coupled with control of buckwheat volunteers must be achievable. A preemergence (PRE) and a postemergence (POST) experiment were each conducted three times in Ty Ty, GA (2020-2021) addressing these objectives. In the PRE study, acetochlor at 0.56 lb ai acre(-1) injured buckwheat up to 16% without negatively influencing growth, suggesting potential for use in buckwheat for weed control. Flumioxazin, fomesafen, …

Genome And Gwas Analyses For Soybean Cyst Nematode Resistance In Usda World-Wide Common Bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris) Germplasm, Ainong Shi, Haizheng Xiong, Thomas E. Michaels, Senyu Chen

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Heterodera glycines, has become a significant threat in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) production, particularly in regions like the upper Midwest USA. Host genetic resistance offers an effective and environmentally friendly approach to managing SCN. This study aimed to conduct a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and genomic prediction for resistance to SCN HG Types 7 (race 6), 2.5.7 (race 5), and 1.3.6.7 (race 14) using 0.7 million whole-genome resequencing-generated SNPs in 354 USDA worldwide common bean germplasm accessions. Among these, 26 lines exhibited resistance to all three HG types, with a female index (FI) of less than …

Arkansas Soybean Performance Tests 2024, J. F. Carlin, R. D. Bond, T. C. Swanson, J. C. Mccoy

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Soybean variety and strain performance tests are conducted each year in Arkansas by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas Crop Variety Improvement Program. The tests provide information to companies developing varieties and/ or marketing seed within the state and aid the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in formulating variety recommendations for soybean producers.

Wayne E. Sabbe Arkansas Soil Fertility Studies 2024, Nathan A. Slaton

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Rapid technological changes in crop management and production require that the research efforts be presented in an expeditious manner. The contributions of soil fertility and fertilizers are major production factors in all Arkansas crops. The studies described within will allow producers to compare their practices with the university’s research efforts. Additionally, soil-test data and fertilizer sales are presented to allow comparisons among years, crops, and other areas within Arkansas.

Arkansas Soybean Research Studies 2023, Jeremy Ross

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

The 2023 Arkansas Soybean Research Studies includes research reports on topics pertaining to soybean across several disciplines from breeding to post-harvest processing. Research reports contained in this publication may represent preliminary or only data from a single year or limited results; therefore, these results should not be used as a basis for long-term recommendations.

Several research reports in this publication will appear in other University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station publications. This duplication is the result of the overlap in research coverage between disciplines and our effort to inform Arkansas soybean producers of the research …

Improving Genomic Prediction Of Vitamin C Content In Spinach Using Gwas-Derived Markers, Jana Jeevan Rameneni, A.S.M. Faridul Islam, Carlos A. Avila, Ainong Shi

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Vitamin C (VC), also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate, is a water-soluble antioxidant in plants that promotes skin health and immune function in humans. Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) is a leafy green widely consumed for its health benefits. Recent reports have shown that nutritional content, including VC, can be improved in spinach. However, due to its complex inheritance, new selection methods are needed to improve selection for cultivar development. In this study, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers identified by genome-wide association (GWAS) were used for genomic prediction (GP) to improve prediction accuracy (PA) for VC content in spinach. A …

Arkansas Corn And Grain Sorghum Performance Tests 2024, J. F. Carlin, R. D. Bond, J. C. Mccoy, T. C. Swanson

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Corn and grain sorghum performance tests are conducted each year in Arkansas by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The tests provide information to companies marketing seed within the state and aid the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in formulating recommendations for producers.

The 2024 corn performance tests contained 44 hybrids and were conducted at the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center (NERREC) at Harrisburg, the Lon Mann Cotton Research Station (LMCRS) near Marianna, the Rohwer Research Station (RRS) near Rohwer, and the Rice Research and Extension Center (RREC) near Stuttgart. The 2024 grain sorghum performance tests contained 16 …

Genome-Wide Association Studies In Lettuce Reveal The Interplay Of Seed Age, Color, And Germination Under High Temperatures, Sookyung Oh, Ezekiel Ahn, Ainong Shi, Beiquan Mou, Sunchung Park

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Thermoinhibition, the suppression of seed germination by high temperatures, is an adaptive trait that ensures successful seedling establishment in natural environments. While beneficial for wild plants, thermoinhibition can adversely affect crop yields due to uneven and reduced germination rates, particularly in the face of climate change. To understand the genetic basis of thermoinhibition, we conducted a comprehensive genetic analysis of a diverse panel of Lactuca spp. accessions. Our findings revealed that L. serriola, a wild ancestor of cultivated lettuce, showed relaxed thermoinhibition response compared to cultivated lettuce, suggesting that this trait may have been positively selected during early domestication in …

Instructions For Authors, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Contents, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Discovery: The Student Journal Of Dale Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences - Volume 26 2025, Several Authors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Featured Faculty Mentor/Student Team, Kelly Loftin, Eva Berryhill

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

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Letter From The Dean, Jeff Edwards

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Faculty Editor, Beth Kegley

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Clbbm And Clplt2 Function Redundantly During Both Male And Female Gametophytes Development In Watermelon, Qiyan Liu, Dongfen Han, Jinfan Chen, Jie Wang, Denghu Cheng, Xiner Chen, Jiao Jiang, Shujjuan Tian, Jiafa Wang, Man Liu, Haizheng Xiong, Li Yuan

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

As a prerequisite for sexual reproduction, gametophyte development is an interesting process involving cell proliferation, differentiation and specialization. Gametogenesis has been extensively explored in model plants, but the regulatory mechanism of gametophyte development largely remains unknown in Cucurbitaceae species. In present study, we have shown that watermelon ClBBM and ClPLT2, two AP2/ERF transcription factors, participated in both male and female gametophyte development. Clbbm and Clplt2 single mutants resembled wild-type phenotypes in both vegetative and reproductive development. But Clbbm/Clplt2 double mutant showed partial pollen abortion and bore less seeds comparing to WT. Our results indicated that the abnormal pollen grains were …

Identification Of Salt Tolerance And Stress Response In Us Department Of Agriculture Tomato Germplasm At The Seedling Stage, Ibtisam Alatawi, Haizheng Xiong, Kenani Chiwina, Hanan Alkabkabi, Qun Luo, Neelendra K. Joshi, Xiaolun Sun, Xuan Zhuang, Kai-Shi Ling, Ainong Shi

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Soil salinity is a significant abiotic factor that impedes sustainable crop production in key agricultural regions worldwide. Saline cultivation adversely affects soil quality, whereas the use of saline water for irrigation disrupts the physiological and biochemical processes of plants. Continuous irrigation with high salt concentrations leads to a gradual buildup of soil salinity, thus hindering optimal plant growth and development. Consequently, there is a growing emphasis on breeding salinity-tolerant cultivars of various crops. In this study, 71 tomato accessions sourced from 20 countries and provided by the US Department of Agriculture were evaluated under controlled greenhouse conditions and subjected to …

Genetic Diversity And Population Structure Of Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum) From The Usda-Grin Germplasm Collection, Ibtisam Alatawi, Haizheng Xiong, Hanan Mohammedsaeed Alkabkabi, Kenani Chiwina, Qun Luo, Kai-Shu Ling, Yuejun Qu, Renjie Du, Ainong Shi

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

The genetic diversity and population structure of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) were investigated to support breeding strategies and germplasm conservation. A total of 276 accessions from the USDA-GRIN collection were analyzed using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) generated through genotyping by sequencing (GBS). After stringent filtering, 5162 high-quality polymorphic SNPs were retained for analysis. Population structure analysis revealed three distinct genetic groups (Q1, Q2, and Q3) among the accessions. Accessions from the USA, Asia, and Central and South America were assigned to all three groups, while accessions from Europe and Oceania were predominantly clustered within Q2. Genetic diversity indices, including major allele frequency, …

Identification Of Salt Tolerance And Stress Response In Us Department Of Agriculture Tomato Germplasm At The Seedling Stage, Ibtisam Alatawi, Haizheng Xiong, Kenani Chiwina, Hanan Mohammedsaeed Alkabkabi, Qun Luo, Neelendra K. Joshi, Xiaolun Sun, Xuan Zhuang, Kai-Shu Ling, Ainong Shi

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Abstract. Soil salinity is a significant abiotic factor that impedes sustainable crop pro- duction in key agricultural regions worldwide. Saline cultivation adversely affects soil quality, whereas the use of saline water for irrigation disrupts the physiological and biochemical processes of plants. Continuous irrigation with high salt concentrations leads to a gradual buildup of soil salinity, thus hindering optimal plant growth and development. Consequently, there is a growing emphasis on breeding salinity-tolerant cultivars of various crops. In this study, 71 tomato accessions sourced from 20 coun- tries and provided by the US Department of Agriculture were evaluated under con- trolled greenhouse …

Quantifying Temperature Effects On Development Rate And Plant Quality Of Compact Container-Grown Tomato, Morgan Humphrey, Ryan W. Dickson, Sonali Padhye

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Mean daily temperature effects on plant development rates and quality were evaluated for compact container-grown tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Compact tomato varieties ‘Siam’ and ‘Red Velvet’ were grown in greenhouses at 18 to 26 °C (Expt. 1) and 20 to 30 °C (Expt. 2) under supplemental high-pressure sodium lighting and 16-h photoperiod. The number of days to first open flower, first ripe fruit and from flower to ripe fruit were measured and development rates calculated by taking the reciprocal (e.g., 1/d). Temperature effects were predicted by fitting a linear (for first open flower) and a nonlinear exponential function (for …

Characterization Of An Acetogenin-Carrying Nanosuspension And Its Effect On Bacteria Of Interest In The Poultry Industry, Brandon A. Lopez-Romero, Gabriela Aguilar-Hernandez, Billy M. Hargis, Maria De Lourdes Garcia-Magana, Ulises M. Lopez-Garcia, Rosa I. Ortiz-Basurto, Adalberto Zamudio-Ojeda, Juan D. Latorre, Efigenia Montalvo-Gonzalez

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

This work aimed to develop a nanosuspension (NSps) as an acetogenin (ACGs) carrier, using soy lecithin (SL) and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (βCD) named NSps-βCDSL-ACGs. It was characterized by various spectroscopic techniques (DLS, FTIR, UV-vis diffuse reflectance). Moreover, the NSps morphology was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Also, the antibacterial activity of NSps-βCDSL-ACGs was evaluated against strains of interest in the poultry sector. NSps-βCDSL-ACGs presented nanometric size (207–239 nm), acceptable polydispersity index (PDI) values (0.13–0.17) and a high Z potential value (−47.17–50.36 mV), demonstrating high stability. The presence of ACGs in NSps-βCDSL-ACGs was confirmed by FTIR analysis. The nanoparticles had a spherical …

Genome-Wide Association Analysis And Genomic Prediction Of Salt Tolerance Trait In Soybean Germplasm, Rongqing Xu, Qing Yang, Zhi Liu, Xiaolai Shi, Xintong Wu, Yuenhan Chen, Xingyu Du, Qiqi Gao, Di He, Ainong Shi, Peijun Tao, Long Yan

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction:

Soybean is an important protein and oil crop, and improving yield has traditionally been a major breeding goal. However, salt stress is an important abiotic factor that can severely impair soybean yield by disrupting metabolic processes, inhibiting photosynthesis, and hindering plant growth, ultimately leading to a decrease in productivity.

Methods:

This study utilized phenotypic and genotypic data from 563 soybean germplasms sourced from over 20 countries. Employing four distinct models—we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using four models, including MLM, MLMM, FarmCPU, and BLINK in GAPIT 3, we conducted a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) to identify single nucleotide …

Analysis Of Nanobubble-Oxygenated Water For Horticultural Applications, Eric J. Deboer, Michael D. Richardson, Thanos Gentimis, John Mccalla

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

The theoretical properties of nanobubbles (NBs), such as a negative surface charge and large interfacial surface area, allow for highly efficient gas transfer and stagnation time in water and may reduce the surface tension of NB-treated water sources. These properties make NBs unique candidates for addressing issues like root zone oxygen deficiency, common in conventional and hydroponic crop production. Therefore, the objectives of this research were to confirm the presence of NBs in treated water and determine how time and temperature affect dissolved oxygen (DO) retention in NB-oxygenated water. Two membrane-based NB injection systems were compared with a standard method …

Assessing Soybean Cultivar Resistance To Target Spot Using A Detached Leaf Assay, Rachel Wolf, Robert Holland, J. Alejandro Rojas, Samuel B. Fernandes, J. C. Rupe

Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Target spot (TS), caused by the fungus Corynespora cassiicola, is a foliar disease
of increasing importance to soybean in the United States. Identifying cultivar re-
sistance to TS is challenging. The objective of this research was to determine the
reactions of a diverse collection of soybean genotypes to TS using a detached
leaf inoculation method. A detached unifoliate leaf of each soybean genotype
was placed in a Petri dish on moist filter paper, wounded at three locations, inoc-
ulated with 10 μl of a 10 5 -conidial suspension of C. cassiicola, and incubated at
room temperature (23°C). The percent leaf …

Shade, Height Of Cut, And Plant Growth Regulator Effects On Bermudagrass And Zoysiagrass Putting Greens, Thomas E. Walton, John Mccalla, Douglas E. Karcher, W. J. Hutchens, Ambika Chandra, Michael D. Richardson

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Warm-season turfgrasses, especially hybrid bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers × Cynodon transvaalensis Burtt-Davy), continue to be widely used on golf course putting greens in tropical and subtropical climates globally and are also gaining popularity in the transition zone region of the United States. Hybrid bermudagrass produces a high-quality putting green surface; however, it has relatively poor shade and cold tolerance. Recently, fine-textured zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp.) cultivars have been released and may be another potential option for golf course putting greens, especially since zoysiagrass is generally considered more shade tolerant than bermudagrass. “Lazer (DALZ 1308)” zoysiagrass (Zoysia …