Horticulture Commons^™

Nebline, March/April 2022

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Become a Groundwater Steward

4 Ways to Celebrate National Nutrition Month

Recipe of the Month

Selecting Fruit Trees for Eastern Nebraska

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

2022 Chemigation Trainings

Lancaster County Ag VIP Awards

Upcoming Early Childhood Trainings

Aleyna Cuttlers Participated in National 4-H Congress

4-H Horse Judging Team at Nationals

Meet 2021–22 4-H Council

Meet 2021–22 4-H Teen Council

Hear of 4-H Volunteer Award: Sherry Kubicek

Hear of 4-H Volunteer Award: Angie Root

4th & 5th Grade Fun Night, March 4

Rabbit Show, March 19

UNL Chick Days, March 26

Bucket Calf Workshop, March 27

Dressage Schooling …

Stock Cut Flower Production In Utah, Maegen Lewis, Melanie Stock, Brent Black, Dan Drost

All Current Publications

Stock (Matthiola incana) is a cool-season annual in Utah with the highest quality stems being produced in spring and fall. Plants produce a single stem with either single or double florets that are known for their sweet and strong clove-like scent. Stock can be transplanted in the high tunnel and field in early spring and is tolerant of light frosts. Stems require a trellis to promote straight growth and can reach 36 inches tall. In North Logan, UT, stock grown in a high tunnel began blooming 5-10 weeks earlier, had 55% greater marketability, and stems averaged 4-8 inches …

Genetic Diversity Of Wild And Cultivated Muscadine Grapes (Vitis Rotundifolia Michx.), Kenneth Buck, Margaret Worthington

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

The muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia syn. Muscadinia rotundifolia) is an American grape species native to the southeastern United States that has been cultivated for centuries. Muscadines are one of three grape species in subgenus Muscadinia with a chromosome number of 2n = 40 (V. rotundifolia, Vitis munsoniana, and Vitis popenoei), making them genetically distinct from the European wine and table grape (Vitis vinifera) and other species in subgenus Euvitis. Crop improvement efforts have been continuous since the late 19th century, yet the germplasm that served as the foundation for early muscadine …

Glutathione S-Transferase: A Candidate Gene For Berry Color In Muscadine Grapes (Vitis RotundifoliA), Aruna Varanasi, Margaret Worthington, Lacy Nelson, Autumn Brown, Thomas Mason Chizk, Renee Threlfall, Luke Howard, Patrick Conner, Rosa Figueroa-Balderas, Melanie Massonnet, Dario Cantu, John R. Clark

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Muscadine grapes (Vitis rotundifolia Michx.) are a specialty crop cultivated in the southern United States. Muscadines (2n = 40) belong to the Muscadinia subgenus of Vitis, while other cultivated grape species belong to the subgenus Euvitis (2n = 38). The muscadine berry color locus was mapped to a 0.8 Mbp region syntenic with chromosome 4 of Vitis vinifera. In this study, we identified glutathione S-transferase4 as a likely candidate gene for anthocyanin transport within the berry color locus. PCR and Kompetitive allele-specific PCR genotyping identified a single intragenic SNP (C/T) marker corresponding to a proline …

Hybrid Seed Set In Relation With Male Floral Traits, Estimation Of Heterosis And Combining Abilities For Yield And Its Components In Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.), Samira El Hanafi, Souad Cherkaoui, Zakaria Kehel, Miguel Sanchez-Garcia, Jean-Benoit Sarazin, Stephen Baenziger, Wuletaw Tadesse

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Breeding hybrids with maximum heterosis requires efficient cross-pollination and an improved male sterility system. Renewed efforts have been made to dissect the phenotypic variation and genetic basis of hybrid floral traits, although the potential of tailoring the appropriate flower design on seed setting is less known. To this end, elite wheat genotypes were crossed using a chemical hybridizing agent at different doses. A total of 23 hybrids were developed from a partial diallel design; and planted in an alpha lattice design with their parents at two locations in Morocco, for two years, to evaluate for yield components, heterosis and combining …

Post-Termination Effects Of Cover Crop Monocultures And Mixtures On Soil Inorganic Nitrogen And Microbial Communities On Two Organic Farms In Illinois, Eleanor E. Lucadamo, Ashley A. Holmes, Samuel E. Wortman, Anthony C. Yannarell

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Cover crops can continue to affect agricultural systems even after they have been terminated by influencing nitrogen dynamics and by altering soil microbial communities. These post-termination effects can influence soil fertility, weed pressure, and the dynamics of potential plant pathogens in the narrow window of time between cover crop termination and cash crop emergence. We evaluated the post-termination effects of 12 different spring-sown cover crop mixtures and monocultures on soil nitrogen and microbial communities on two different organic farms in Central Illinois (on Lawson silt loam soil) and Northern Illinois (on Virgil silt loam soil). In comparison to control plots …

Post-Termination Effects Of Cover Crop Monocultures And Mixtures On Soil Inorganic Nitrogen And Microbial Communities On Two Organic Farms In Illinois, Eleanor E. Lucadamo, Ashley A. Holmes, Samuel E. Wortman, Anthony C. Yannarell

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Cover crops can continue to affect agricultural systems even after they have been terminated by influencing nitrogen dynamics and by altering soil microbial communities. These post-termination effects can influence soil fertility, weed pressure, and the dynamics of potential plant pathogens in the narrow window of time between cover crop termination and cash crop emergence. We evaluated the post-termination effects of 12 different spring-sown cover crop mixtures and monocultures on soil nitrogen and microbial communities on two different organic farms in Central Illinois (on Lawson silt loam soil) and Northern Illinois (on Virgil silt loam soil). In comparison to control plots …

Practice Cost And Size Differences In Invasive Plant Management Strategies: An Empirical Analysis Of Us Great Plains States, Mazbahul G. Ahamad

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Grassland conservation of the Conservation Stewardship Program in the United States (US) is one of the largest cost-sharing initiatives for protecting grazing land from invasive and woody plants. The practice cost and unit size of various invasive and woody plant management strategies, such as mulching, brush management, and pre- scribed burning, are different from state to state. We aimed to compare and examine the association between practice cost ($/acre[ac]) and standard unit size of practice (acre) of mulching, brush management, and pre- scribed burning strategies in nine US Great Plains states, including Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, …

Genetic Architecture Of Salt Tolerance In A Multi-Parent Advanced Generation Inter-Cross (Magic) Cowpea Population, Waltram Ravelombola, Ainong Shi, Boa-Lam Huynh, Jun Qin, Haizheng Xiong, Aurora Manley, Lingdi Dong, Dotun Olaoye, Gehendra Bhattarai, Bazgha Zia, Huda Alshaya, Ibtisam Alatawi

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background

Previous reports have shown that soil salinity is a growing threat to cowpea production, and thus the need for breeding salt-tolerant cowpea cultivars. A total of 234 Multi-Parent Advanced Generation Inter-Cross (MAGIC) lines along with their 8 founders were evaluated for salt tolerance under greenhouse conditions. The objectives of this study were to evaluate salt tolerance in a multi-parent advanced generation inter-cross (MAGIC) cowpea population, to identify single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers associated with salt tolerance, and to assess the accuracy of genomic selection (GS) in predicting salt tolerance, and to explore possible epistatic interactions affecting salt tolerance in …

Evaluation Of Peat Blended With Pine Wood Components For Effects On Substrate Physical Properties, Nitrogen Immobilization, And Growth Of Petunia (Petunia X Hybrida Vilm.-Andr.), Ryan W. Dickson, Kalyn M. Helms, Brian E. Jackson, Leala M. Machesney, Jung Ae Lee

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

The first objective was to evaluate wood components for differences in nitrogen (N) immobilization and effects on substrate physical properties. The second objective was to evaluate peat substrates amended with pine wood components for effects on plant growth, shoot tissue N, and fertigation practices during production. Substrates consisted of a coarse sphagnum peat blended with four types of processed pine wood at rates of 15%, 30%, 45%, and 60% (by volume). For comparison, peat was also blended with an aged pine bark, perlite, and coconut coir. Nitrogen immobilization was measured for individual components, except perlite. Individual components and blended substrates …

Vegetable Diseases Of Utah, Claudia Nischwitz, Marion Murray, Nick Volesky

All Current Publications

This guide provides a list of vegetable crop diseases that have been documented in Utah along with some that are likely to occur. Plant diseases are caused by pathogens such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, and fungal-like organisms. Diagnosing specific plant diseases takes careful observation of signs, symptoms, and sometimes culturing and molecular testing in a laboratory setting.

No-Till Pumpkin After Winter Rye Cover Crop, Northern Indiana, 2021, Elizabeth Maynard

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

No-till planting of pumpkin into a killed winter rye cover crop is a system used by growers in a number of states, including Indiana. Advantages mentioned by producers in addition to soil health benefits from the cover crop include cleaner pumpkins at harvest, and in rainy seasons, less mud in the field at harvest time. This paper reports on a project to develop a workable no-till system at a university research farm that can be used for demonstration and in future research to better understand and improve production practices. The trial included two methods for killing rye in no-till systems: …

No-Till Sweet Corn After Winter Rye Cover Crop, Northern Indiana, 2021, Elizabeth Maynard

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

No-till planting of sweet corn into a killed winter rye cover crop is not a widely used practice in Indiana, but has potential to provide soil health benefits such as reduced compaction, improved soil water-holding capacity, reduced evaporation from soil surface, in addition to other benefits. This paper reports on the second year of a project to develop a workable system at a university research farm that can be used for demonstration and in future research to better understand and improve production practices. The trial included two methods for killing rye in no-till systems: herbicide at the boot stage of …

Arkansas Cotton Variety Test 2021, F. Bourland, A. Beach, B. Milano, C. Kennedy, L. Martin, B. Robertson

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

The primary goal of the Arkansas Cotton Variety Test 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 2021 tests at Rohwer were abandoned due …

Celosia Cut Flower Production In Utah, Anna Collins, Melanie Stock, Maegen A. Lewis, Sheriden M. Hansen

All Current Publications

Celosia is a warm-season annual that can be grown in a field or high tunnel in Utah. Transplant plugs after last frost in the field and 6 to 8 weeks before last frost in a high tunnel. Celosia benefit from trellising to promote straight stems and do best with moderate soil fertility and frequent harvesting. Peak harvest occurs from July – September in the field and begins nearly one month earlier in a high tunnel. Once established, celosia thrive in Utah’s hot summers and can be used in fresh or dried arrangements.

Population Structure And Genetic Diversity Analysis In Sugarcane (Saccharum Spp. Hybrids) And Six Related Saccharum Species, Haizheng Xiong, Yilin Chen, San-Ji Gao, Yong-Bao Pan, Ainong Shi

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) is one of the most important commercial crops for sugar, ethanol, and other byproducts production; therefore, it is of great significance to carry out genetic research. Assessing the genetic population structure and diversity plays a vital role in managing genetic resources and gene mapping. In this study, we assessed the genetic diversity and population structure among 196 Saccharum accessions, including 34 S. officinarum, 69 S. spontaneum, 17 S. robustum, 25 S. barberi, 13 S. sinense, 2 S. edule, and 36 Saccharum spp. hybrids. A total of 624 polymorphic SSR …

Temperaturas Críticas De Primavera Para Yemas De Los Árboles Frutales, Michael Pace, Marion Murray

All Current Publications

Esta publicación enumera las temperaturas primaverales críticas para las yemas de árboles frutales cuando el 10% y 90% de las yemas mueren en diferentes etapas de desarrollo después de 30 minutos de exposición.

Implementation Of Epigenetic Variation In Sorghum Selection And Implications For Crop Resilience Breeding, Dikungwa Ketumile, Xiaodong Yang, Robersy Sanchez, Hardik Kundariya, John F. Rajewski, Ismail M. Dweikat, Sally A. Mackenzie

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Crop resilience and yield stability are complex traits essential for food security. Sorghum bicolor is an important grain crop that shows promise for its natural resilience to drought and potential for marginal land production. We have developed sorghum lines in the Tx430 genetic background suppressed for MSH1 expression as a means of inducing de novo epigenetic variation, and have used these materials to evaluate changes in plant growth vigor. Plant crossing and selection in two distinct environments revealed features of phenotypic plasticity derived from MSH1 manipulation. Introduction of an epigenetic variation to an isogenic sorghum population, in the absence of …

Assessment Of Bacterial Inoculant Delivery Methods For Cereal Crops, Yen Ning Chai, Stephanie Futrell, Daniel P. Schachtman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Despite growing evidence that plant growth-promoting bacteria can be used to improve crop vigor, a comparison of the different methods of delivery to determine which is optimal has not been published. An optimal inoculation method ensures that the inoculant colonizes the host plant so that its potential for plant growth-promotion is fully evaluated. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of three seed coating methods, seedling priming, and soil drench for delivering three bacterial inoculants to the sorghum rhizosphere and root endosphere. The methods were compared across multiple time points under axenic conditions and colonization efficiency was …

Adaptalight: An Inexpensive Par Sensor System For Daylight Harvesting In A Micro Indoor Smart Hydroponic System, Joseph D. Stevens, David Murray, Dean A. Diepeveen, Danny Toohey

Horticulture Research Articles

Environmental changes and the reduction in arable land have led to food security concerns around the world, particularly in urban settings. Hydroponic soilless growing methods deliver plant nutrients using water, conserving resources and can be constructed nearly anywhere. Hydroponic systems have several complex attributes that need to be managed, and this can be daunting for the layperson. Micro Indoor Smart Hydroponics (MISH) leverage Internet of Things (IoT) technology to manage the complexities of hydroponic techniques, for growing food at home for everyday citizens. Two prohibitive costs in the advancement of MISH systems are power consumption and equipment expense. Reducing cost …