Organic Mulches Increase Growth of Young Pecan Trees

Nickel deficiency disrupts metabolism of ureides, amino acids, and organic acids of young pecan foliage.

The existence of nickel (Ni) deficiency is becoming increasingly apparent in crops, especially for ureide-transporting woody perennials, but its physiological role is poorly understood. We evaluated the concentrations of ureides, amino acids, and organic acids in photosynthetic foliar tissue from Ni-sufficient (Ni-S) versus Ni-deficient (Ni-D) pecan (Carya illinoinensis [Wangenh.] K. Koch). Fol...

Discovery and small RNA profile of Pecan mosaic-associated virus, a novel potyvirus of pecan trees

A novel potyvirus was discovered in pecan (Carya illinoensis) showing leaf mosaic symptom through the use of deep sequencing of small RNAs. The complete genome of this virus was determined to comprise of 9,310 nucleotides (nt), and shared 24.0% to 58.9% nucleotide similarities with that of other Potyviridae viruses. The genome was deduced to encode a single open reading frame (polyprotein) on t...

Improving Growth and Performance of Young Almond Trees in Nursery by Optimizing Mineral Nutrition

Short growing season restricts production of standard-sized fruit trees in nurseries at cold regions. Enhancing plant growth by optimizing program of mineral nutrition may solve the problem. This study evaluated efficiency of fertilizers [urea, sulfur coated urea (SCU), or foliar applications of a NPK compound fertilizer] for optimizing the growth of seedling rootstocks and grafted young almond...

Weed Control Effi cacy of Organic Mulches in Two Organically Managed Bell Pepper Production Systems

A 2-year field study in Lexington, Ky., evaluated weed control efficacy and infl uence on yields of several organic mulches in two organically managed bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) production systems. Five weed control treatments [straw, compost, wood chips, undersown white dutch clover (Trifolium repens) “living mulch,” and the organically approved herbicide corn gluten] were applied to two pr...

The Combustibility of Landscape Mulches