Diseases caused by soilborne pathogens are a major limitation to field grown nursery production. The application of cover crops for soilborne disease management has not been widely investigated in a woody ornamental nursery production system. The objective of this study was to explore the impact of winter cover crops usage on soilborne disease management in that system. Soils from established field plots of red maple (Acer rubrum L.) with and without winter cover crops (crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) or triticale (× Triticosecale W.)) were sampled following the senescence of the cover crops. Separate bioassays were performed using red maple cuttings on inoculated (with Phytopythium vexans, Phytophthora nicotianae or Rhizoctonia solani) and non-inoculated field soils. The results indicated that winter cover crop usage was helpful for inducing soil disease suppressiveness. There was lower disease severity and pathogen recovery when the cover crops were used compare to the non-cover cropped soil. However, there were no differences in maple plant fresh weight and root weight between the treatments. The rhizosphere pseudomonad microbial population was also greater when the cover crops were used. Similarly, the C:N ratio of the soil was improved with the cover crop usage. Thus, in addition to improving soil structure and reducing erosion, cover crops can provide improved management of soilborne diseases. Therefore, stakeholders can consider cover crop usage as an alternative sustainable management tool against soilborne diseases in field nursery production system.
Root zone temperature (RZT) in nursery containers commonly exceeds ambient temperature during the growing season, negatively impacting crop growth and quality. Black nursery containers absorb radiant heat resulting in excessive RZT, yet other types of containers and different substrates can moderate RZT. We conducted studies in Tennessee and Alabama to evaluate the effects of container type and substrate on RZT and growth of 'Green Giant' arborvitae (Thuja standishii × plicata 'Green Giant'). Trade gallon arborvitae were transplanted into black, white, or air pruning containers filled with pine bark (PB) or 4 PB: 1 peatmoss (v:v) (PB:PM). Plants grown in PB:PM were larger and had greater shoot and root biomass than plants grown in PB, likely due to increased volumetric water content. Plant growth response to container type varied by location, but white containers with PB:PM produced larger plants and greater biomass compared with the other container types. Root zone temperature was greatest in black containers and remained above 38 • C and 46 • C for 15% and 17% longer than white and air pruning containers, respectively. Utilizing light color containers in combination with substrates containing peatmoss can reduce RZT and increase substrate moisture content thus improving crop growth and quality.
Weed control is critical in cutting propagation to maximize root growth and liner quality, but hand weeding is time consuming and not cost efficient. Pre-emergence herbicides are widely used in container-grown nursery crop production, but concerns of potential phytotoxicity have limited widespread use in propagation. Mulches are a viable alternative for weed control but few products have been evaluated in propagation. Five pre-emergence herbicides and five mulches were evaluated for rooting stem cuttings of three nursery crop species and for control of four weed species. Mulches were applied (0.8 cm depth) prior to sticking cuttings while pre-emergence herbicides were applied (low labeled rate) two weeks after sticking cuttings. Rooting percentage, root dry weight, and shoot dry weight were not affected by pre-emergence herbicide or mulch, except for butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii ‘Nanho Blue’) which was severely injured when treated with the pre-emergence herbicide isoxaben. Oxyfluorfen + oxadiazon provided excellent control of all tested weed species and has potential to be used in propagation of a number of crops. Mulches did not provide adequate weed control, but increased application depth may enhance efficacy and should be further evaluated.
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