An elite group of 38 strawberry accessions representing all subspecies of the beach strawberry [Fragaria chiloensis (L.) Miller] and the scarlet strawberry (F. virginiana Miller) was planted in a replicated design at five locations across the United States, and evaluated for plant vigor, flowering date, runner density, fruit set, fruit appearance, and foliar disease resistance. Considerable genotyp× location interaction was observed for many of these traits. However, a few genotypes were impressive at all locations including PI 551735 (FRA 368) with its unusually large, early fruit, and PIs 612486 (NC 95-19-1), 612493 (Frederick 9), and 612499 (RH 30), which were very vigorous and had unusually good fruit color. Genotypes that were superior at individual locations included PIs 551527 (FRA 110) and 551728 (Pigeon Pt.) in Maryland for their large fruit, and PI 612490 (Scotts Creek) in Oregon which had extremely large fruit, superior color, firmness, and flavor. The PIs 612495 (LH 50-4), 612498 (RH 23), and 612499 (RH 30) performed well as day neutrals at multiple sites.
A field trial was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of soil fumigation on maintaining nonmycorrhizal status and the effect of mycorrhizal inoculation and preplant soil amendment on the growth of tissue-cultured highbush blueberry plants. Soil fumigation using a methyl bromide/chloropicrin (67/33) mixture at the rate of 560 kg·ha-1 was effective in maintaining nonmycorrhizal status for one growing season. Noninoculated control plants became infected during the second growing season. Field inoculation using a native Oidiodendron maius was successful, but plant growth was not significantly affected by mycorrhizal inoculation in either year. Rotted sawdust amendment, however, reduced plant growth in the first year but effects were no longer measurable in the second year. Soil fumigation and field inoculation could be used to establish mycorrhizal plants and nonmycorrhizal controls for future short-term field experiments.
Aluminum (Al) and phosphorus (P) interactions were investigated in mycorrhizal (M) and nonmycorrhizal (NM) highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) plantlets in a factorial experiment. The toxic effects of Al on highbush blueberry were characterized by decreased shoot, root, and total plant dry mass. Many of the negative effects of Al on plant root, shoot, and total dry matter production were reversed by foliar P and N application, indicating P or N uptake were limited by high Al concentration. However, Al-mediated growth reduction in P-stressed plants indicated that the restriction of P uptake by high Al may not have been the only mechanism for Al toxicity in this experiment. Root Al and P concentration were negatively correlated in NM but not M plantlets, suggesting mycorrhizal infection may alter P uptake processes. Al uptake was also affected by mycorrhizal infection, with more Al accumulating in M plantlet roots and leaves. Correlations among foliar ion concentrations were also affected by mycorrhizal fungal infection.
The ability of mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal `Elliott' highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) plants to acquire soil N under different preplant organic soil amendment regimes (forest litter, rotted sawdust, or no amendment) was investigated in a field experiment using 15N labeled (NH4)2SO4. Plants inoculated with an ericoid mycorrhizal isolate, Oidiodendron maius Dalpé (UAMH 9263), had lower leaf 15N enrichment and higher leaf N contents than noninoculated plants but similar leaf N concentrations, indicating mycorrhizal plants absorbed more nonlabeled soil N than nonmycorrhizal plants. Mycorrhizal plants produced more plant dry weight (DW) and larger canopy volumes. The effect of preplant organic amendments on the growth of highbush blueberry plants was clearly demonstrated. Plants grown in soil amended with forest litter produced higher DW than those in either the rotted sawdust amendment or no amendment. Plants grown in soils amended preplant with sawdust, the current commercial recommendation, were the smallest. Differences in the carbon to nitrogen ratio were likely responsible for growth differences among plants treated with different soil amendments.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.