Oil and gas extraction in the western United States generates significant volumes of produced water (PW) that is typically injected into deep disposal wells. Recently, crop irrigation has emerged as an attractive PW reuse option, but the impact on plant immune response is not known. In this study, we conducted a 3-month greenhouse pot study. Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum) was irrigated 3 times a week with 150 mL (∼80−100% of soil water holding capacity) with one of four irrigation treatments: tap water control, 10% PW dilution, 50% PW dilution, and salt water (NaCl50) control containing the same amount of total dissolved solids as PW50 to determine the effect on disease resistance. The wheat leaves were inoculated with either bacterial or fungal pathogens and changes in pathogenesis-related PR-1 and PR-5 gene expression were measured from the leaf tissue. PW50 experienced the largest relative suppression of PR-1 and PR-5 gene expression compared to noninfected wheat, followed by PW10, NaCl50, and the tap water control. A combination of PW contaminants (boron, total petroleum hydrocarbons, and NaCl) are likely reducing PR-gene expression by reallocating metabolic resources to fight abiotic stresses, which then makes it more challenging for the plants to produce PR genes to fight pathogens. This study provides the first evidence that plant disease resistance is reduced due to irrigation with reused PW, which could have negative implications for food security.
Malabar spinach (Basella spp.) is a nutritious vegetable in the family Basellaceae. Malabar spinach goes by many names, including Indian spinach, Ceylon spinach, vine spinach, and climbing spinach. Malabar spinach has long been established in cultivation in China and India. This spinach is a novel crop to Florida and is currently grown only for niche markets. However, Florida’s suitable climate coupled with Malabar spinach’s great taste and nutritional quality suggest that this crop has great potential for commercial cultivation. This new 8-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department describes in brief how to grow Malabar spinach, manage pests, harvest, and market it. Written by Yuheng Qiu and Guodong Liu.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1371
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) has low phosphorus (P) use efficiency as compared with other vegetable crops. This study was conducted at two commercial chipping potato farms (A and B) in Northeast Florida to evaluate different P rates for potato production. Plot size was 0.62 and 0.49 hectares for Farms A and B, respectively. The total trial area was 13.32 hectares per growing season for three consecutive years from 2018 to 2020. The randomized complete block design (RCBD) was employed with four replications per P rate. The chipping potato variety, ‘Atlantic’ was cultivated with three P rates: 0, 24.5, and 48.9 kg P ha−1 in 2018, and 12.2, 24.5, and 48.9 kg P ha−1 in 2019 and 2020. The soil of Farm A contained 497 mg kg−1 Mehlich-3 extractable P and 946 mg kg−1 aluminum (Al), and that of Farm B had 220 mg kg−1 Mehlich-3 extractable P and 253 mg kg−1 Al. The results showed that a P rate of 48.9 kg P ha−1 significantly improved tuber yield as compared to 0 in 2018 or 12.2 kg P ha−1 in 2019 and 2020. Application of 48.9 kg P ha−1 fertilizer P significantly increased the soil P level in 2018 and 2020, while the application of 24.5 kg P ha−1 fertilizer P increased the soil P level significantly in 2018 only. Tubers with 48.9 kg P ha−1 showed significantly lower external quality issues than 0 or 12.2 and 24.5 kg P ha−1. However, there were no significant differences in specific gravity, internal tuber quality, and tuber size among the different P rates. The tuber yield data show that potato plants grown on soil with high legacy P still require approximately 50 kg ha−1 P application for sustainable potato production in the area. This high P requirement results from the combination of high concentrations of active metals (Al and iron (Fe)) and a decrease in pH of one unit in the growing season. New P-fertilization programs with post-plant applications rather than with pre-plant application are urgently needed for minimizing P-immobilization by Al and Fe and improving P-use efficiency for potato production in the state.
The purpose of this new 4-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department is to introduce fingered citron to county Extension faculty, students interested in crop production, growers, certified crop advisors, crop consultants, consumers, environmentalists, and policy makers in the agricultural sector for better production, consumption, and environmental sustainability. Written by Yuheng Qiu, Mary Dixon, Jonathan Denison, Fernando Alferez, and Guodong Liu.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1427
Chayote, known as the vegetable pear, is a nutritious plant with a pale-green, ridged, fleshy fruit with a single seed. Florida’s suitable climate combined with chayote’s excellent taste and nutrition indicate that it could be an economically viable crop for commercial production. The intended audience of this new 10-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department is vegetable growers, Extension agents, certified crop advisors, crop consultants, environmentalists, agricultural policy makers. Written by Yuheng Qiu and Guodong Liu.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1454
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