Large Pots Research Articles

Plug Characteristics and Post-transplanting Container Size affect Growth of Little Bluestem and Lanceleaf Coreopsis

Abstract Two studies were conducted to determine the effects of several factors on growth of containerized lanceleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata L.) and little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash.). In the first study, seeds were sown in 22 cm3 (1.3 in3) plug cells and then transplanted, with or without root disturbance (manually teasing roots from the root ball and directing them radially from the plant axis) into 3.78 liter (1 gal) containers at 35 days (young) or 49 days (old) after planting. By 35 days after transplanting, old transplants of both species had greater shoot dry weight than young ones even though the latter had greater shoot relative growth rate and shoot net assimilation rate between 0 and 35 days after transplanting (DAT). By 107 DAT, old Schizachyrium transplants had more shoot dry weight than young ones, but Coreopsis shoot dry weight was unaffected by transplant age. Root disturbance, irrespective of transplant age and species, decreased shoot dry weight at 35 DAT and decreased shoot relative growth rate between 0 and 35, but had no effect on these variables by 107 DAT. In the second study, transplants were raised in small (22 cm3, 1.4 in3) or large (84 cm3, 5.1 in3) cells, then transplanted at 62 or 76 days after planting, respectively, (to assure similar shoot size to plug cell volume ratio and to avoid root restriction) into small (15 cm, 6 in) or large (20 cm, 8 in) diameter standard pots. Shoot dry weights of both species were greater from large plug cell transplants by 35 DAT, but only of Coreopsis by 107 DAT. Large post-transplanting containers further contributed to the growth advantage of transplanting plants from large plug cells, responses that could be attributed to greater supplies of water nutrients in larger plug cells and post-transplanting containers.

Convergence patterns and multiple species interactions in a designed plant mixture of five species

It is known that convergence and divergence can occur in complex plant communities, but the relative importance of biotic and abiotic factors driving these processes is less clear. We addressed this issue in an experiment using a range of mixed stands of five species that are common in Swiss fens (Carex elata, C. flava, Lycopus europaeus, Lysimachia vulgaris and Mentha aquatica) and two levels of water and nutrients. One hundred and seventy-six experimental mixtures were maintained in large pots (75 l) for two consecutive growing seasons in an experimental garden. The stands varied systematically in the initial relative abundance of each of the five species and in overall initial stand abundance. The changes in biomass over 2 years were modelled as linear functions of treatments and the initial biomass of each species. The dynamics of the system were mainly driven by differences in the identity of species and by a negative feedback mechanism but also by different abiotic conditions. In all mixtures, C. elata became more dominant over time, which caused an overall convergence of community composition. In addition, the rate of change of each species' biomass was negatively related to its own initial abundance. Thus, a negative feedback further contributed to the convergence of communities. Species responded differently to water level and nutrient supply, causing community dynamics to differ among treatments. However, the different abiotic conditions only slightly modified the overall convergence pattern. Competitive interactions between more than two species were weaker than the negative feedback but still significantly influenced the species' final relative abundance. The negative feedback suggests that there is niche partitioning between the species, which permits their coexistence.

Screening Capsicum species of different origins for high temperature tolerance by in vitro pollen germination and pollen tube length

Successful fruit set depends on several reproductive processes including pollen germination and tube growth processes. An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of temperature on pollen germination characteristics and to identify species/genotypic differences in Capsicum using the cumulative temperature response index (CTRI) concept. Pollen was collected from plants of seven genotypes from five Capsicum species, adapted to various parts of the world and grown outdoors in large pots. The pollen was subjected to in vitro temperatures ranging from 15 to 50 °C at 5 °C intervals. Pollen germination and tube lengths were recorded for all species after 24 h of incubation at the respective treatments. Species/genotypes differed significantly for in vitro pollen germination percentage and pollen tube length with mean values of 78% and 734 μm, respectively. The mean cardinal temperatures ( T min , T opt , and T max ) averaged over genotypes, were 15.2, 30.7, and 41.8 °C for pollen germination and 12.2, 31.2, and 40.4 °C for pollen tube growth. The CTRI of each species/genotype calculated as the sum of eight relative individual stress response values, such as maximum pollen germination, maximum pollen tube length; T min , T opt , and T max temperatures of pollen germination, and pollen tube lengths, identified species tolerance to high temperatures. Capsicum annum cv. Mex Serrano from Mexico was identified as tolerant, C. chacoense cv. 1312 and C. spp. cv. Cobanero from Argentina and Guatemala, respectively as intermediate and C. frutescens cv. Early Spring Giant from China, C. annum cv. Long Green from South Korea , C. spp. cv. NM89C130 and C. pubescens cv. 90002 from Guatemala as sensitive to high temperatures. The tolerant species/genotypes can be used in breeding programs to develop new genotypes that can withstand high temperature conditions both in the present climate and particularly in a future warmer climate.

Recipe for Gumbo des Herbes

Recipe for Gumbo des Herbes Leah Chase (bio) 1 bunch mustard greens 1 bunch collard greens 1 bunch turnips 1 bunch watercress 1 bunch beet tops 1 bunch carrot tops 1/2 head lettuce 1/2 head cabbage 1 bunch spinach 2 medium onions (chopped) 4 cloves garlic (mashed and chopped) Water 1 lb. smoked sausage 2 lbs. smoked ham 1 lb. chaurice (hot) 1 lb. brisket stew meat 1 lb. boneless brisket 5 tbsp. flour 1 tps. thyme leaves 1 tbsp. salt 1 tsp. cayenne pepper 1 tbsp. filé powder Clean all vegetables, making sure to pick out bad leaves and rinse away all grit. In a large pot, place all greens, onions, and garlic. Cover with water and boil for 30 minutes. While this is boiling, cut all meats and sausages into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Strain vegetables after boiling and reserve liquid. In a 12-quart stockpot, place brisket meats, ham, smokes sausage, and 2 cups reserved liquid and steam for 15 minutes. While steaming, place chaurice in the skillet and steam until chaurice is rendered (all grease cooked out). Drain chaurice, keeping the grease in the skillet, and set aside. All vegetables must be puréed. This can be done in a food processor or by hand in a meat grinder. Heat the skillet of chaurice grease and stir in flour. Cook roux for 5 minutes or until flour is cooked (does not have to brown). Pour roux over meat mixture; stir well. Add vegetables and 2 quarts reserved liquid. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Add chaurice, thyme, salt, and cayenne pepper; stir well. Simmer for 40 minutes. Add filé powder; stir well and remove from heat. Serve over steamed rice. Yield: 8 servings. Leah Chase Leah Chase, a nationally known chef, and her husband, Edgar "Dooky" Chase II, a musician, are owners of the internationally known New Orleans establishment Dooky Chase Restaurant, which was founded by her husband's parents in 1941. She is author of And Still I Cook, The Dooky Chase Cookbook, and Down Home Healthy: Family Recipes of Black American Chefs. For her work as a chef, restuaranteur, and community leader, she has received numerous awards and other honors. Copyright © 2007 Charles H. Rowell * Reprinted from The Dooky Chase Cookbook with permission of the author.

Water relations and adaptations to increasing water deficit in three perennial legumes, Medicago sativa, Dorycnium hirsutum and Dorycnium rectum

Dorycnium hirsutum (L.) Ser. and Dorycnium rectum (L.) Ser. are Mediterranean perennial legumes that may have potential as alternative forage plants to Medicago sativa (lucerne, alfalfa) for low rainfall dryland agriculture. Strategies for surviving periods of water deficit are vital for perennial plants in water-limited environments. This experiment compared leaf physiological and morphological adaptations to increasing water deficit among D. hirsutum, D. rectum and M. sativa. Plants were grown in the glasshouse in large pots (7.8 L, 1 m deep, 10 cm diameter) containing a sandy clay loam (14% available water content) to limit differences between root foraging among the species. Watering was withheld for 21 days and predawn and midday leaf water and osmotic potential were determined. Mid-morning rates of gas exchange were measured at five times as soil water was depleted. After 35 days of withholding water, plant recovery was measured. D. hirsutum and M. sativa reduced stomatal conductance at leaf water potentials below −1.8 MPa and water-stressed D. hirsutum osmotically adjusted by up to 0.68 MPa. D. rectum differed from the other species; leaf water potential was maintained at high levels until soil water content had reached low levels, and reductions in stomatal conductance and photosynthesis were not associated with leaf water potential. D. hirsutum and M. sativa displayed leaf morphological adaptations that may contribute to greater resistance of water deficit. Only one of five D. rectum plants survived the water-stress treatment compared to five of five for D. hirsutum and four of five for M. sativa. The water relations and physiology of D. hirsutum observed in this study suggest that it possesses adaptations suitable for arid environments. On the other hand, the poor survival and water relations of D. rectum indicate that it is poorly adapted to situations where water deficit is common.

Letter to the Jury

Letter to the Jury Art Spiegelman (bio) Lady and Gentlemen of the Jury: Oy. As one of your esteemed fellow judges for the Israeli Anti-Semitic Cartoons contest, it's clear to me that the large pot of gold that should be First Prize if the Jews running this contest weren't such miserable cheapskates must go to . . . Click for larger view View full resolution Figure 1. . . . The Israeli Anti-Semitic Cartoon contest itself! Everything submitted after the genuinely inspired—brilliant!—gesture of holding such a contest at all has been, at best . . . anticlimactic: mere illustration that yes, we Jews are indeed a very ironic pipple. The idea of drawing better anti-Semitic cartoons than our non-Jewish neighbors was a great conceptual cartoon, albeit an act of sheer chutzpah (How can one successfully compete against cartoonists who've had centuries to practice and refine their invective?) [End Page 783] If there has to be a winning visual representation of the contest though, it might as well be the well-crafted logo design that announced it—the glowering hook nosed spider astride a world in flames effectively evokes the grand tradition of anti-Semitic cartooning through the ages . . . and that cartoonist-puppet is a swell example of Jewish sneakiness—presenting sinister and irresponsible cartoonists as child-like Innocents angelically afloat in the cosmos! I tip my skull-cap to the designer! Looking through the other 67 entries I found many as blood-curdling as the contest literally asked for; but if one erases the Jewish names below the cartoons they pretty much just reinforce the stereotypes they mock. It's really hard to reach those giddy heights of irony that force irony to transcend itself and say something actually worth saying . . . or drawing. Cartooning is, of course, a lot harder than it looks, and too many of these submissions weren't even as well-crafted as most of the banal Danish cartoons that got this whole mess rolling. I guess the best Jewish cartoonists were just too busy grubbing for money to bother entering a contest where the crummy first prize is a bloody box of matzohs. I dunno, maybe a ten dollar cash award might've gotten more real professionals to step up to the plate. Still, many of the entries do offer some guilty pleasures (the only kind I know) and if you're willing to grant first prize to the contest itself I am then game to grant matzoh boxes to any of these runner-ups: Click for larger view View full resolution Figure 2. I propose 2nd prize be given to Doron Nissimi's "Jewhammad." Putting a Hasidic Lid on the infamous bombturbaned Mohammad that has come to represent the whole Cartoon Jihad is downright profound . . . the only problem with this submission is that barely anyone has actually seen the original cartoon that Mr. Nissimi uses in his collage!—certainly not most of the rioting Muslims, some of whom died in their protests, and certainly not most consumers of a mainstream media too circumspect or cowardly to reprint the offending cartoon! Those with the necessary googling skills to find it on the web have been too busy [End Page 784] downloading pictures of Paris Hilton to bother. The artist might have won first prize if he'd just used his skill to paint the Hasidic hat on a spreadshot of Paris Hilton. (There is, of course, another major problem with this picture: apparently a number of Muslims think the Danish drawing in this collage actually does represent Mohammad. If the Israeli Anti-Semitic Cartoon Contest endorsed this picture, we would run the risk of getting some Arabs annoyed at us Jews.) I suggest a 3rd prize for this cartoon by "The Surreal McCoy." Even though it verifies the existence of one of our darkest secrets it's kinda funny and I hear cartoons are supposed to strive for that quality. Besides, it offers a rather convincingly-drawn likeness of Uncle Morrie. Click for larger view View full resolution Figure 3. My vote for 4th place goes to the well-drawn, well-staged, "Jew in the Queue." Though I really am squeamish about drawings that trivialize the...

Effects of soil temperature and time of decapitation on sucker initiation of intact Populus tremuloides root systems

In a growth chamber experiment, root suckering of aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) was assessed in relation to timing of cutting and soil temperature. Aspen seedlings were grown in large pots for 3 years before experimentation. In a 2×2 factorial experiment, 3-year-old seedlings were cut at the end of the dormant period or after leaf flush and grown at two soil temperatures (8 or 20°C) for 39 days. Root systems were evaluated for suckering response and carbohydrate reserve status. There were no differences between the two soil temperatures and times of cut in the number of sucker buds initiated on the roots, but the number of buds that developed into suckers was much greater at 20°C. Cutting the dormant seedlings delayed suckering by nearly a week, resulting in smaller suckers at the time of harvest. However, cutting the seedlings when dormant produced almost twice the number of suckers than when cutting occurred after leaf-out. Total non-structural carbohydrates (TNC) of roots declined from 35.6% of dry weight at the end of the dormant season to 21.6% at the time of leaf-out, but there were no differences between the soil temperature and timing of cut treatments. After the 39 day growth period, root systems had 7% lower root TNC in the 20°C treatment than in the 8°C treatment, likely to support the development of the emerging suckers and higher respiration demands.

An Unusual Case of Corpse Dismemberment

A case of corpse dismemberment into 850 fragments was investigated at the Cracow Department of Forensic Medicine. The perpetrator employed various tools to divide the body into fragments and subsequently boiled the pieces to reduce their volume. The thus-prepared body decreased its volume to 30 kg. Subsequently, the perpetrator placed the body fragments in 2 large pots, which were then positioned in the space under the stairs and walled in.

Auxin-Enhanced Root Growth for Phytoremediation of Sewage-Sludge Amended Soil

A technology to increase root growth would be advantageous for phytoremediation of trace metal polluted soil, because more roots would be available for metal uptake. The objective of this study was to determine if the auxin, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), would increase root growth in soil with metals from sewage sludge, when the tetrasodium salt of the chelate EDTA (ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid) was added to solubilize the metals. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) plants grew in large pots containing either soil from a sludge farm or composted sludge. The EDTA salt was added at a rate of 1 g kg−1 soil 37 days after planting. IAA at the rate of 3 or 6 mg l−1 was sprayed on the leaves (500 ml) and added to the soil (500 ml) three times: 41, 50, and 74 days after planting. At harvest 98 days after planting, oven-dry weights were measured, and plant organs were analyzed for Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn. Metal uptake was determined as the product of metal concentration in an organ and weight. IAA increased root growth of plants grown in the soil with sludge when no EDTA was present. With no EDTA, Mn and Ni in leaves of plants grown in the soil were higher at 3 and 6 mg l−1 IAA compared to 0 mg l−1 IAA. With and without EDTA, Cd and Pb in leaves of plants grown in the compost were higher with 3 and 6 mg l−1 IAA compared to 0 mg l−1 IAA.

Scalding in Turkish children: Comparison of burns caused by hot water and hot milk

Introduction Our aim in this study was to compare the clinical differences and etiologic risk factors for hot water and hot milk scald burns in Turkish children. Methods The retrospective study examined the cases of 140 children aged 0.1–7 years who had scald burns treated in three burn units of a Turkish hospital network between March 2000 and December 2004. The patients were categorized in two groups: hot water burns or hot milk burns. Results Ninety-five (67.9%) patients had hot water burns and 45 (47.1%) had hot milk burns. The proportion of patients with hot milk burns who lived in rural areas was significantly higher than the corresponding proportion for the hot water cases (75.6% versus 52.6%, respectively; p < 0.01). In 20 (44%) of the hot milk cases, the burn was caused by milk being boiled in large pots outdoors for cheese production. The other 25 hot milk cases were caused by milk being boiled in the kitchen. The mean (±S.D.) percentage total body surface area burned in the hot milk cases was higher than that in the hot water cases (33.6 ± 2.24% versus 21.42 ± 1.43%, respectively; p < 0.001), and the corresponding mean percentages of TBSA with full-thickness burns were 9.2 ± 2.52% versus 3.13 ± 0.83%, respectively; ( p = 0.083). The mean percentages of TBSA with second-degree burns showed the same trend (29.0 ± 12.39% versus 18.8 ± 1.47%, respectively; p < 0.001) higher percentage of the children with hot milk burns required antibiotics (78% versus 52.8%, respectively; p < 0.006). Seven (7.4%) of the hot water burn patients and 15 (33.3%) of the hot milk burn patients died during the study period ( p = 0.025; overall mortality rate 15.7%). Conclusion Children scalded with hot milk tend to have more extensive burns, and thus have higher mortality, than those scalded with hot water. To create effective programs for preventing scald injuries in Turkey and elsewhere, it is essential to consider ethnic and cultural issues based on these characteristics. Simple precautions should be explained and methods of using liquids such as hot milk should be researched in different geographic locations in order to formulate good prevention strategies.

Activities for green fingers

You don't need a huge garden or an allotment to garden with your child – you can begin by growing your first plants in jam jars, on cotton wool or in small pots. As the plants grow, they can be planted out into a flower bed or larger pots if you have the space.

Do induction cooktops interfere with cardiac pacemakers?

In induction cooktops, coils produce time-varying magnetic fields that induce eddy currents in the ferromagnetic bottom of a pot or pan, thereby heating it, while the cooktop itself remains cool. Interference with pacemaker sensing could conceivably be produced by voltages induced directly by induction or indirectly by leakage currents. A worst-case pacemaker-patient (PP) model representing left-sided implantation of a unipolar pacemaker was used for measurement of induced voltages, to judge whether induction cooktops could interfere with pacemaker sensing. Eleven induction cooktops of European manufacture were tested using the PP model. The pacemaker sensitivity with respect to 24 kHz voltages, amplitude-modulated at 100 Hz, was investigated in 244 devices. The current passing through the body of a grounded patient touching a metal pot was determined by measuring the voltage from hand to hand and between electrodes placed on the thorax to simulate an implanted unipolar pacing system underneath. The results obtained were complex. If the pot is positioned concentrically with the induction coil, the smallest pot produced the largest stray field, but the induced voltage always remained below the critical value of 100 mV. With eccentrically positioned large pots, voltages of up to 800 mV could be induced. The induced voltage could always be reduced to </=60 mV by maintaining a distance of 35 cm. The most sensitive pacemaker reacted at 90.5 mV. Because of leakage current, approximately 2% of the voltage between pot and ground appears across the pacemaker's sensing input. Patients are at risk if the implant is unipolar and left-sided, if they stand as close as possible to the induction cooktop, and if the pot is not concentric with the induction coil. Unipolar pacing systems can sense interference generated by leakage currents if the patient touches the pot for a long period of time. The most likely response to interference is switching to an asynchronous interference mode. Patients with unipolar pacemakers are at risk only if they are not pacemaker-dependent.

Survival of Total Coliforms in Lawn Irrigated with Secondary Wastewater and Chlorinated Effluent in the Mediterranean Region

Pregrown, two-month-old lawn was layered in 12 large square pots with an area of 0.25 m2 each, filled with a mixture of topsoil, peat, and sand. In late July, in the heart of the Mediterranean summer, the pots were divided into two groups, with six pots per group. On four different occasions, the pots in each group were sprinkled (surface irrigation) with 2 L of either secondary-treated wastewater (STW, group A) or chlorinated effluent (CHE, group B). Wastewater application always took place at 0700 hours. Samples of the surface soil and grass from each pot were collected at the following times: before irrigation, immediately after irrigation, two hours later (0900 hours), and four hours later (1100 hours). In the samples collected, the number of total coliforms per gram was measured using standard microbiological analyses. Temperature and sunlight intensity were also monitored. There was an increase in the coliforms population in soil and grass samples of both groups immediately after the wastewater application. In group A, the mean number of coliforms recorded in the soil samples reached mean values higher than 5000 cfu/g compared to 312 cfu/g recorded before application. The increase in group B was smaller but still significant. Two hours later, the number of coliforms was reduced substantially in all samples (e.g., group A, soil samples 477 cfu/g). Coliform inactivation is thought to result from the effect of temperature and mainly sunlight. However, four hours after application (1100 hours), there was a noticeable increase in the coliform number again, in all sample categories of both groups. Coliform reactivation could be a result of shadowing effect resulting from the thick foliage of the grass, where the microorganisms were protected by the sunlight radiation and regrowth in a friendly environment (especially of the soil) where moisture and nutrients were present. This, in addition to the fact that coliforms seemed to retain a sizable population between applications, results in three conclusions: (1) coliforms can survive in grass and soil for a substantial period of time, recovering from the destructive effect of chlorination, (2) use of STW, even during the Mediterranean summer, could result in a substantial "contamination" of lawns, without any proof that sun and temperature can reduce the coliform number, and (3) intense sunlight (up to 68 000 lux) was far more effective in coliform suppression than elevated temperature (up to 38 degrees C).

The Effect of Bracketing on Spending

This research studies how bracketing one large pot of money into several small pots affects spending patterns. Because individuals usually make decisions in the frame provided to them (Slovic, 1972), bracketing one large pot into several small pots may necessitate breaking open multiple pots to spend. Breaking open a pot, which may be similar to breaking a rule, is aversive to individuals. Thus, they may spend less, and more slowly, from several small pots than from one large pot. We demonstrate the consequences of bracketing for gambles with real monetary implications and explore how bracket artificiality moderates this effect.

The prose of things : transformations of description in the eighteenth century

Virginia Woolf once commented that the central image in Robinson Crusoe is an object - a large earthenware pot. Woolf and other critics pointed out that early modern prose is full of things but bare of setting and description. Explaining how the empty, unvisualized spaces of such writings were transformed into the elaborate landscapes and richly upholstered interiors of the Victorian novel, Cynthia Sundberg Wall argues that the shift involved not just literary representation but an evolution in cultural perception. In The Prose of Things, Wall analyzes literary works in the contexts of natural science, consumer culture, and philosophical change to show how and why the perception and representation of space in the eighteenth-century novel and other prose narratives became so textually visible. Wall examines maps, scientific publications, country house guides, and auction catalogs to highlight the thickening descriptions of domestic interiors. Considering the prose works of John Bunyan, Samuel Pepys, Aphra Behn, Daniel Defoe, Samuel Richardson, David Hume, Ann Radcliffe, and Sir Walter Scott, The Prose of Things is the first full account of the historic shift in the art of describing.

Growth and photosynthetic down-regulation in Coffea arabica in response to restricted root volume.

Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) plants were grown in small (3-L), medium (10-L) and large (24-L) pots for 115 or 165 d after transplanting (DAT), which allowed different degrees of root restriction. Effects of altered source : sink ratio were evaluated in order to explore possible stomatal and non-stomatal mechanisms of photosynthetic down-regulation. Increasing root restriction brought about large and general reductions in plant growth associated with a rising root : shoot ratio. Treatments did not affect leaf water potential or leaf nutrient status, with the exception of N content, which dropped significantly with increasing root restriction even though an adequate N supply was available. Photosynthesis was severely reduced when plants were grown in small pots; this was largely associated with non-stomatal factors, such as decreased Rubisco activity. At 165 DAT contents of hexose, sucrose, and amino acids decreased in plants grown in smaller pots, while those of starch and hexose-P increased in plants grown in smaller pots. Photosynthetic rates were negatively correlated with the ratio of hexose to free amino acids, but not with hexose content. Activities of acid invertase, sucrose synthase, sucrose-P synthase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, starch phosphorylase, glyceraldehyde-3-P dehydrogenase, PPi : fructose-6-P 1-phosphotransferase and NADP : glyceraldehyde-3-P dehydrogenase all decreased with severe root restriction. Glycerate-3-P : Pi and glucose-6-P : fructose-6-P ratios decreased accordingly. Photosynthetic down-regulation was unlikely to have been associated directly with an end-product limitation, but rather with decreases in Rubisco. Such a down-regulation was largely a result of N deficiency caused by growing coffee plants in small pots.

Influence of Citric Acid Amendments on the Availability of Weathered PCBs to Plant and Earthworm Species

A series of small and large pot trials were conducted to assess the phytoextraction potential of several plant species for weathered polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in soil (105 μ g/g Arochlor 1268). In addition, the effect of citric acid on PCB bioavailability to both plants and earthworms was assessed. Under small pot conditions (one plant, 400 g soil), three cucurbits (Cucurbita pepo ssp pepo [zucchini] and ssp ovifera [nonzucchini summer squash], Cucumis sativus, cucumber) accumulated up to 270 μg PCB/g in the roots and 14 μg/g in the stems, resulting in 0.10% contaminant removal from soil. Periodic 1 mM subsurface amendments of citric acid increased the stem and leaf PCB concentration by 330 and 600%, respectively, and resulted in up to a 65% increase in the total amount of contaminant removed from soil. Although citric acid at 10 mM more than doubled the amount of PCB desorbed in abiotic batch slurries, contaminant accumulation by two earthworm species (Eisenia foetida and Lumbricus terrestris) was unaffected by citric acid at 1 and 10 mM and ranged from 11–15 μg/g. Two large pot trials were conducted in which cucurbits (C. pepo ssp pepo and ssp ovifera, C. sativus) and white lupin (Lupinus albus) were grown in 70 kg of PCB-contaminated soil. White lupin was the poorest accumulator of PCBs, with approximately 20 μ g/g in the roots and 1 μ g/g in the stems. Both C. pepo ssp ovifera (summer squash) and C. sativus (cucumber) accumulated approximately 65–100 μ g/g in the roots and 6–10 μ g/g in the stems. C. pepo ssp pepo (zucchini) accumulated significantly greater levels of PCB than all other species, with 430 μg/g in the roots and 22 μ g/g in the stems. The mechanism by which C. pepo spp pepo extracts and translocates weathered PCBs is unknown, but confirms earlier findings on the phytoextraction of other weathered persistent organic pollutants such as chlordane, p,p′-DDE, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Yield and fiber quality of Upland cotton as influenced by nitrogen and potassium nutrition

Nutrient stress in Upland cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) depresses lint yield, particularly of late-season fruit (bolls), and may disrupt fiber development. A 2-year (1999 and 2000) study was conducted outdoors in large pots to determine individual effects of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) stress at flowering stage on lint yield and fiber quality. Treatments were half-strength nutrient solution from emergence to crop maturity (control), 20% and 0% of control N from first flower onward, and 20% and 0% of control K from first flower onward in 1999 and first square onward in 2000. Leaf N and K were determined every 2–3 days from an uppermost, fully expanded leaf on the main-stem of five plants selected at random. Mature bolls were harvested from sympodial (fruiting) branches only and grouped according to week of anthesis across a 35-day flowering period, providing five flowering groups, from which fiber length, strength, and micronaire were determined. Fiber length was not consistently altered by stress, suggesting early stages of fiber development were indirectly affected by plant N and K status. Nitrogen deficiency decreased yield through early termination of reproductive growth. In 1999, although flowering group four of N-deficient cotton had low length, strength, and micronaire, values for weighted-sum micronaire (whole-plant micronaire) increased under N stress by about 12% in 0% N treatment and about 18% in 20% N treatment. In general, N and K stress had opposite effects on weighted-sum micronaire. The year by N treatment interaction was significant for weighted-sum strength, due to weak fibers in N-deficient cotton in 1999, but no treatment difference in 2000. Apparently, crop response to N stress was influenced by environment, as flowering groups with low quality fiber also comprised a large fraction of total lint, and thus placed heavy demands on plant N and carbohydrate reserves. Severe K deficiency in 2000 decreased yield and lint weight boll −1, and micronaire values of 3.7 or less were evident in flowering groups two, three and four. Results support evidence that N stress indirectly affects cotton growth, as N deficiency decreased fiber length, strength and micronaire primarily in flowering groups with large percentage of bolls. Results from 2000 support evidence that K deficiency adversely affects reproductive growth, boll weight, and sugar translocation in cotton.

THE FIRST FLOWERING EVENT OF CORPSE FLOWER, Amorphophallus titanum, IN TEXAS

Amorphophallus titanum, corpse flower or titan arum, was discovered in 1878 in Sumatra, Indonesia by the Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari. The plant first bloomed in cultivation at Kew in 1889 and the first flowering event in the U.S. was a sensation in 1937 at the New York Botanical Garden. With fewer than thirty recorded flowering events in the U.S., the foul-smelling flower always excites the public and attracts great media attention. On 12 July 2004, a specimen at the SFA Mast Arboretum flowered successfully and Jack became the first-ever corpse flower to bloom in Texas. The SFA Mast Arboretum accessioned Jack as a small corm in June 2000. The plant has spent winters in a climate-controlled greenhouse and summers in a humid shade house and has annually produced a strong leaf stalk and umbrella like leaf blade before collapsing in December or January. In March 2004, the corm weighed 26 lb before placement in a larger pot. The inflorescence emerged in early June 2004, reached 61 inches 11 July, opened 12 July, and collapsed after 77 hours. Fresh pollen from a University of Connecticut plant was flown in but a pollination effort eight hours after opening failed. Jack's corm weighed 21 lb when moved into the greenhouse in November 2004, and remains dormant. Detailed information and a complete pictorial history are available at http://arboretum.sfasu.edu/events/amt/index.htm.

Comparative Responses of Container‐ versus Ground‐Grown Soybean to Elevated Carbon Dioxide and Ozone

In studies of CO2–enrichment effects on plants, the applicability of results derived from experiments using container‐grown plants for predictions of future crop performance in a CO2–enriched atmosphere has been questioned. Concerns also have been expressed about plant growth studies with the air pollutant O3 in pot‐grown plants. Further, since elevated CO2 and O3 co‐occur, studies are required with the combination of gases. In this 2‐yr experiment, soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] plants grown in large pots (15 and 21 L) and in the ground were exposed to mixtures of CO2 and O3 in open‐top chambers. The CO2 treatments were ambient and CO2 enrichment of approximately 337 μmol mol−1 added 24 h d−1 Ozone treatments were charcoal‐filtered (CF) air (23 nmol mol−1) and approximately 1.5 times ambient O3 levels (71 nmol mol−1) given 12 h d−1 Relative effects of elevated CO2 and O3 on aboveground biomass and seed yield were quite similar for plants grown in pots compared with plants grown in the ground. Elevated CO2 increased total seed mass and O3 suppressed it to similar magnitudes in both rooting environments. Elevated CO2 also reduced the toxic effects of O3 Net photosynthesis (A) was similar while stomatal conductance (gs) was higher in pot‐grown compared with ground‐grown plants, possibly due to better soil moisture status. The results indicated that planting density and rooting environment affected plant morphology, but relative responses of seed yield to elevated CO2 and O3 were not fundamentally different between soybean plants grown in large pots and in the ground in open‐top chambers.