Ethephon Substrate Drenches Inhibit Stem Extension of Floriculture Crops

Phylogenetic history of Phytophthora cryptogea and P. drechsleri isolates from floriculture crops in North Carolina greenhouses.

The evolutionary history of Phytophthora cryptogea and P. drechsleri isolates previously collected from floriculture crops in North Carolina commercial greenhouses was explored with coalescent- and parsimony-based analyses. Initially, 68 isolates representing 13 location-host groups were sequenced at multiple loci. Sequences of all isolates within a group were identical. A subset of isolates we...

Ethephon Concentrates and Advances Harvest for Limited Cluster Greenhouse Tomato Crops

Ethephon (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid) was applied to single cluster greenhouse tomato crops (1000 ppm) at the green mature stage of fruit development or when 35% of the plants had fruits at the breaker stage. Fruits were harvested at the pink stage. Untreated fruit were harvested from 95 to 116 days after sowing whereas fruit from the green mature ethephon treatment were harvested from 92 to ...

Using Ethylene - Releasing PGRs for Hyacinth and Nar - cissus

Over the last few years, we have been experimenting with the idea of applying ethylene-releasing plant growth regulators (PGRs) to the rootzone as a substrate drench. This is a rather radical idea for floriculture production overall and flowerbulb forcing in particular. In this newsletter, we’ll review ethylene as a growth regulator, discuss the commercialy available ethylenereleasing PGRs and ...

UVM Extension Crops and Soils Team Organic Valley Research Update

Steinernematid Nematode Drenches for Control of Fire Ants in Florida

The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, is considered an oil-loving feeder, however, carbohydrates are essential ingredients in the diet of the fire ant also. Comprehensive screening of mono-, di-, and tri-saccharides demonstrated that glucose, fructose, fucose, sucrose, maltose, turanose and raffinose were significant phagostimulants for fire ant workers. It was also found that wh...