Abstracts of Some Papers Presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Kentucky Academy of Science

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s of Some Papers Presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Kentucky Academy of Science Edited by Robert J. Barney AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES Leaf Stomatal Density Variation in Eleven Pawpaw Cultivars. SHERI B. CRABTREE*, KIRK W. POMPER, KESI NEBLETT, and SIERRA SKAGGS, Community Research Service, Land Grant Program, Kentucky State University, Frankfort, KY 40601. The pawpaw [Asimina triloba (L). Dunal] is a native tree fruit found in most of the eastern U.S. As the satellite site for the USDA National Clonal Germplasm Repository for Asimina species, goals of the KSU pawpaw research program include description and classification of pawpaw germplasm. With summer droughts and lack of water for irrigation often being a challenge for growers, use of drought-tolerant plants is desirable. Plants with fewer stomata on their leaf surfaces are generally better adapted to dry conditions. Drought tolerant pawpaw cultivars have not been definitively identified. The objective of this study was to examine density of stomata in leaves of eleven pawpaw cultivars. Five leaves were collected from eleven different pawpaw cultivars (Shenandoah, Susquehanna, Middletown, Mitchell, NC-1, Overleese, PA-Golden, Sunflower, Taytwo, Wilson, and Wells) at the KSU research farm. Leaf stomata impressions were made using clear fingernail polish and mounted to a microscope slide using adhesive tape. Stomata were counted using a compound light microscope at 4003 magnification. Stomatal density varied significantly by cultivar, with Sunflower having the most stomata per mm (387) and Shenandoah (232), Mitchell (221), and Wells (220) the fewest stomata per mm. These cultivars could potentially be more drought-tolerant than others due to their low stomatal density. Genetic Diversity in Five Kentucky Pawpaw Populations Using SSR Markers. YANKUBA BANDA*, JEREMIAH D. LOWE, KIRK W. POMPER, LI LU, and SHERI B. CRABTREE, Land Grant Program, Kentucky State University, Atwood Research Facility, Frankfort, KY