Transformation of cantaloupes with the coat protein (cp) gene of papaya ringspot virus type W (PRSV-W), Thai isolate, was used to introduce virus resistance. Binary vectors containing either the full length coat protein coding region under control of the 35S CaMV promoter(pSA1175), or the inverted-repeat of a coat protein coding region (pSA1304), were constructed and used for Agrobacterium-medi...

Beekeepers who use honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) for crop pollination services, or have colonies making honey on or in close proximity to agricultural crops, are concerned about the reductions of colony foragers and ultimate weakening of their colonies. Pesticide exposure is a potential factor in the loss of foragers. During 2009-2010, we assessed changes in the field force populations of 9-10...

Cantaloupe rind washing achieved a partial surface pasteurization in a recirculating heated thermal-shower system was shown to achieve targeted bacterial reductions, relative to incoming populations on fruit, in model and commercial-scale systems. Over the two year project, several cycles of on-site testing and commercial system design and management were supported by the data developed at the ...

Digital image processing is an emerging tool to predict fruit quality; therefore present study was carried out to develop an image processing technique for investigating the storage life of cantaloupe. Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) impregnated materials were used to prolong the postharvest life of cantaloupe fruit and the effects of these treatments were evaluated by 3 image textural features ...

T hreats from the environment surround us. Last year, mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus killed 283 people during the summer months. Then in September and October, an outbreak of salmonella in peanut butter occurred in 20 states. Listeria from Ricotta cheese led to 20 hospitalizations and four deaths in 14 states. And a bad batch of mangoes and another of cantaloupes led to more than 380 cases...

The interaction among Glomus intraradices, Meloidogyne incognita, and cantaloupe was studied at three soil phosphorus (P) levels in a greenhouse. All plants grew poorly in soil not amended with P, regardless of mycorrhizal or nematode status. In soil amended with 50 mug P /g soil, M. incognita suppressed the growth of nonmycorrhizal plants by 84%. In contrast, growth of mycorrhizal plants inocu...

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of surface roughness on the attachment and removal of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on selected fruit and metal surfaces. A new method to determine surface roughness was developed using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). A series of 2-D layered images were taken by CLSM optical slicing of the surfaces of Golden Delicious apples, navel oranges,...

This study investigated UV-C light inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes on the surface of organic apples, pears, strawberries, red raspberries and cantaloupes. Fruit surfaces spot inoculated with cocktail strains of E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes were exposed to UV-C doses up to 11.9 kJ/m(2) at 23 °C. Fruit surface roughness, contact angle, and surface energ...