Evaluate new peach and grape cultivars for use in Oklahoma. Evaluate best management cultural practices for fruit in Oklahoma. (1433)
Sponsor: Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station
PI: Dean McCraw
Evaluate advanced lines and cultivars of vegetables in comparison with established cultivars for production, quality, and energy use efficiency. Evaluate the production and economic potential for herbs in Oklahoma. Determine what diseases could potentially limit production of selected vegetables and herbs, and evaluate various control techniques and strategies. (1441)
Sponsors: KALSEC,
Inc., Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station
PIs: Lynn Brandenberger, Brian Kahn, Ken Conway
Evaluate new pecan rootstocks and cultivars for use in Oklahoma. Evaluate selected N application rates, timing, and ground cover management for pecan to reduce alternate bearing and develop best management practices for pecan. (1689)
Sponsors: Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, Oklahoma
Pecan Growers’ Association
PI: Michael W. Smith
Characterize freezing tolerance of bermudagrass to identify varieties suitable for the transition zone between warm and cool season grasses. Screen experimental bermudagrass germplasm to develop superior freezing tolerance. Determine the effects of prooxidants and antioxidants on heat tolerance of vegetable and floriculture crops. (2002)
Sponsors: Oklahoma
Agricultural Experiment Station, U.S. Golf Association, Pennington Seed
PIs: Jeff Anderson, Charles Taliaferro, Dennis Martin
Develop more environmentally benign pest control strategies for Oklahoma vegetable crops. Investigate systems that emphasize soil conservation, including use of cover crops and strip tillage. (2026)
Sponsors: Oklahoma
Agricultural Experiment Station, USDA Southern Region
PIs: Brian Kahn, Ken Conway, John Damicone
Determine long term changes to a soil when poultry litter is used continuously as a fertilizer. Determine interactions between temperature and moisture for germination of cucurbit seeds. Determine mechanical and/or chemical treatments to enhance germination of watermelon seeds. Determine effects of soil-borne diseases on watermelon seedlings at different temperatures, and methods for lessening the impact of such diseases. (2087)
Sponsors: Oklahoma
Agricultural Experiment Station, USDA-CSREES
PI: Warren Roberts
Development of Integrated Resource Management Systems for
Turfgrass Culture in Oklahoma
Spring dead spot disease caused by Ophiosphaerella herpotricha is one of the most serious diseases of turf bermudagrasses (Cynodon species) in the southern Great Plains of the U.S. Thirty bermudagrasses (official and local entries) in the 1997-2001 NTEP bermudagrass trial were screened for resistance to the disease. Research was conducted at the Oklahoma State University Turfgrass Research Center newar Stillwater, OK using a field inoculation technique. Entries were inoculated with a three-way blend of herpotricha isolates KS107, KS112 and KS188 in September 1997. The dead spot patch size (disease area) was determined in April of 2000 and 2001 and used as an index of disease resistance. Mean disease area present on the entries ranged from 25 to 1947 (LSD=606, p=0.05) and 28 to 3727 square cm (LSD=1096, p=0.05) in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Overall average spring dead spot patch size was 697 and 1556 sq. cm. In 2000 and 2001, mean dead spot patch sizes on Cardinal, Midlawn, OKC 19-9 and Yukon were significantly smaller than on Pyramid, Majestic, Mini-Verde and Princess in 2000 and 2001. Substantial differences in resistance to spring dead spot were present among entries in the 1997-2001 NTEP bermudagrass trial. Results of this research should be directly applicable in selecting well-adapted turfgrasses in Oklahoma as well as other cool-season/warm-season transition zone states. (2222)
Sponsors: Oklahoma
Dept. of Transportation, United States Golf Association, Oklahoma Golf Course
Superintendents Association, National Turfgrass Evaluation Program, Oklahoma
Turfgrass Research Foundation, Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station,
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education
PIs: Dennis Martin, Greg Bell, Charles Taliafero, Jeff Anderson
Production, Establishment and Maintenance of Ornamental Plants in Oklahoma
Evaluate woody ornamental plants and ornamental grasses for their response to low moisture conditions and identify potential physiological and morphological mechanisms, which may contribute to drought resistance. Determine cultural practices, which may be used in production and maintenance of quality landscape plants under limited moisture conditions. Determine optimum combinations of controlled release and liquid fertilization, which allow for production of high quality plants with minimal fertilizer inputs and runoff contamination. (2324)
Sponsor: Oklahoma
Agricultural Experiment Station
PI: Janet Cole
Postharvest Preservation and Processing Systems for
Horticultural Commodities
Develop postharvest handling and quality analysis procedures necessary for integrated sage production/harvesting/processing systems as a new Oklahoma antioxidant production industry. Investigate causes of opalescence in pecans and determine possible means for reducing the degree of opalescence with preharvest and postharvest treatments. Evaluate vernonia as a new oilseed crop of Oklahoma. (2325)
Sponsor: Oklahoma
Agricultural Experiment Station
PI: Niels Maness
This project involves the application of new or existing processing technologies to enhance or retain content and functionality of inherent health-promoting compounds in processed horticultural products. Work will include physical and chemical methods of extraction and concentration of antioxidant compounds in watermelon and sage. The application of new processing technologies or techniques to improve the quality and safety of processed horticultural products will also be investigated. Minimizing microbial hazard and maximizing shelf-life of minimally processed products are targets. Areas of research include assessing areas of highest risk or contamination during processing and influence of cutting mechanism on fresh-cut melons.
Sponsors: Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, USDA
Agricultural Research Service
PI: William McGlynn
Management Procedures that
Enhance the Partnership Between Turfgrass and the Environment
Investigate the reduction of annual bluegrass in creeping bentgrass golf greens using inputs of iron and magnesium alone and in combination with other nutrients. Determine the contributions of air movement restriction, light reduction, and tree root competition to turf decline in shade. Investigate the use of optical sensors for evaluation of turfgrass quality and moisture status. Evaluate the performance of optical-based variable rate spray techniques for potential in turfgrass management. Determine methods that reduce nutrient and pesticide runoff from golf course fairways and other turf areas.(2392)
Sponsors: Oklahoma
Agricultural Experiment Station, Golf Course Superintendents Association of
America, United States Golf Association, Oklahoma Turfgrass Research
Foundation, Toro Center for Advanced Turf Technology
PIs: Greg Bell, Dennis Martin, John Solie, Marvin Stone, Michael Kizer, Hailin Zhang, Mark Payton
Technologies to produce lycopene from watermelon are under development. A lycopene rich fraction can be obtained from macerated red fleshed watermelon by removal of cellular material via filtration and precipitation of lycopene from the filtrate. Measures to eliminate sugar from the lycopene have been developed. Investigations are focusing on measures to enhance lycopene yield, which presently is about 35 to 40 percent of the total lycopene.(2423)
Sponsors: Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment
Station, Watermelon Promotion Board
PIs: Niels Maness, William McGlynn, Danni Bellmer
Evaluation and Marketing of Ornamental Plants in the
State of Oklahoma
Develop a
consumer-targeted marketing program for Oklahoma Proven. Coordinate the selection of Oklahoma
Proven plants through industry surveys and plant evaluations. Direct the consumer to superior plants
for Oklahoma, thereby creating more environmentally friendly landscapes, and
increased sales for Oklahoma green industries. (2441)
Sponsors: Oklahoma
Agricultural Experiment Station, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service,
Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Oklahoma Nursery and Landscape Association,
Oklahoma Greenhouse Growers Association, Oklahoma Botanical Garden and
Arboretum, Oklahoma Gas and Electric
PI: Lou Anella
Harvesting and
Processing of Horticultural and Alternate Agricultural Commodities
Optical sensing technologies are being utilized to evaluate fertility needs of spinach. Measuring NDVI (normalized difference vegetative index) provides an indicator of plant health status and is responsive to the nitrogen fertility status of spinach. Utilization of the technology for variable rate fertilizer applications is under development. Evaluations are also underway to enhance total capsaicinoid production of peppers, and to increase capsaicin concentration of the pepper extract. Ammonium thiosulfate has been utilized to remove early flowers with the intent of unifying later flowering and increasing the capsaicinoid content of later set fruit. Selection for the high capsaicin trait in underway, and plants with the high capsaicin trait are being utilized to cross with plants with the high capsaicinoid trait to produce a line which produces high amounts of predominantly capsaicin. (2456)
Sponsors: USDA, CSREES, N-Tech
PIs: Niels Maness, Marvin Stone, John Solie, Paul Weckler