Progress 09/15/01 to 09/14/04
Outputs
In `Development of Common Beans with Web Blight Resistance through Interspecific Hybridization', ninety-nine accessions of P. coccineus and P. polyanthus were screened for reaction to web blight. All of the P. polyanthus accessions were susceptible. G35163 was the most resistant P. coccineus accession, with less leaf damage and smaller mean lesion size. F4 lines from the interspecific crosses P. vulgaris 5-593 x P. coccineus G35006 and P. vulgaris ICA Pijao x P. coccineus G35006 when evaluated in the field in Isabela, Puerto Rico and Jamastran, Honduras. In `Modeling the Effects of Lime on the Movement & Uptake of Nitrogen in Tropical Soils', analysis of the Year 2 field data and the nitrate retention studies were completed. It was not possible or appropriate to develop the pH-dependent nitrate adsorption algorithm since the field and laboratory data gathered over the first and second year of the project revealed that this soil does not retain nitrate under the typical
pH range encountered in the field (4.3 to 7). The computer model (HYDRUS-2D) has been calibrated using the Year 2 field data. In `Alternatives to peat for container-grown tropical ornamentals & nutrient management practices', plants of Rosa cultivar Anthura Co. were grown under six treatments containing proportions of MSW : Peatlite mix (0:100,15:85, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25 and 100:0). Results showed no significant differences in all treatments on number of leaves and leaves area. Chlorophyll content was similar on treatments, 0:100, 15:85 and 25:75 of MSW:P mix. Plants grown in 15:85 and 25:75 had similar fresh and dry weight values. In conclusion, composted MSW could be used as a component of soilless substrate to grow ornamentals. In `Incorporation of Liquid Fermented Tuna Sludge in Pig Diets', results demonstrated that the agitation process improved the physical characteristics of fermented tuna fish sludge without affecting its chemical composition or fermentation products. Fermented
tuna fish sludge could be effectively incorporated in levels up to 10% without affecting the performance and carcass characteristics of growing-finishing pigs. In 'Production and quality of two rhizome peanut accessions in the tropics', cows consuming high levels of concentrate supplementation and having low milk yields did not respond to feeding with hays of high nutritive value and quality potential. In this trial rhizome perennial peanut (RPP) performed similarly to alfalfa hay. A multi-year trial to develop weed control strategies for the establishment of RPP of accessions 17033 and 17095 concluded in summer. Preliminary results indicated that dimethanamid at the highest rate was phytotoxic to RPP accession 17095. In `Id. & management of soil compaction in intensively grazed pastures', 2 field experiments evaluating effects of soil tillage treatments (Paraplow, Aerator and Turfco, and a zero tillage control) on pasture production in Oxisols were established, in a randomized
complete block arrangement with four replications. No significant differences in pasture yields, relative to control treatments, were observed at either site.
Impacts
Combined results from these projects offer basic experimental information needed to improve the performance of Caribbean farming systems and the economic viability of important commodities such as ornamentals, grains, dairy & livestock. In the grains commodity area, web blight resistant lines from the first cycle of recurrent selection were evaluated in field trials. A few of the bean lines have resistance in both Honduras and Puerto Rico. Also, results from the chemical properties studies of the Municipal Solid Waste Compost (MSW) show that it is a source of nutrients for plants. The use of this alternative to peat could reduce production costs in ornamentals and minimize the environmental impact of solid wastes. The study with the fermented tuna sludge provided essential information regarding the fermentation process as an alternative for disposal of organic wastes (sludge). The data obtained was a prelude to design trials to ferment other liquid organic wastes (i.e.
sludge from poultry and dairy processing plants). With respect to dairy forage, the studies documented the adaptability, yield potential of RPP, and quality of RPP accession 17033. This new forage could help fill the need for a quality legume that could improve milk production locally. Finally for pastures, results to date point toward the soil-preserving value of maintaining vigorous pasture stands through adequate grazing rotation and other practices. Slit-tillage of compacted pasture soils may be more effective than previously thought under a greater number of tillage passes.
Publications
- Aponte Rivera, J.L. 2004. Seleccion recurrente para resistencia a la mustia hilachosa de habichuela (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). M.S. Thesis. University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. 66 p.
- Arcelay, C.L., Munoz ,M.A. and Harmsen,E. 2004. Soil properties affecting nitrate leaching in Coto Clay. Presented at the 40th Annual Caribbean Food Crop Society Meeting, St. John, American Virgin Islands, July 17-20,2004.
- Gonzalez Martinez, N.A. 2004. Identification of new sources of resistance to web blight of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). M.S. Thesis. University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus, 46 p.
- Sanchez-Nunez, R. 2003. Utilizacion de lodo fermentado de la Industria Atunera como parte Integral en Dietas para Cerdos de Crecimiento y Engorde. Master Thesis, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus, 59 pp.
- Leon-Alamo, F. 2003. Consumo voluntario y digestibilidad de nutrientes de heno de gramineas naturalizadas y ensilaje de sorgo y el efecto de la suplementacion con residuos fermentados de pescaderia. Master Thesis, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus, 62 pp.
- Snyder, V.A ;.Vazquez,M.A., Ramirez,L. and Cardona,J. 2004. Soil compaction and pasture growth under intensive grazing. Poster presentation at 40th Annual Conf. Caribbean Food Crops Soc., July 2004, St. John USVI.
- Rivera Ocasio,D. 2004. Crecimiento de Cultivares de Catharanthus roseus y Anthurium andreanum en biosolido municipal compostado como medio de cultivo alterno a la turba. Master Thesis, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus.
- Vazquez Rosa, J.C. 2004. Determinacion de absorcion y perdida por lixiviacion de nutrientes (N, P) en sustratos organicos. Master Thesis, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus.
- Libran ,M. Del C, Rivera, D. and Gonzalez, L. 2004. Evaluation of Growth Parameters of Anthurium andreanum Plants Grown in Mixes with Municipal Solid Waste Compost. Abstract published in HortScience. American Society fro Horticultural Science. Volume 39, Number 4. July 2004. Poster Presntation at ASHS Annual Conference, Austin Texas.
- Gonzalez, L., Vazquez ,J.C., and Libran, M. Del C. 2004. Nitrogen and Phosphorous Absorption and Leaching from Anthurium Plants Grown in Municipal Solid Waste Compost. Abstract published in HortScience. American Society fro Horticultural Science. Volume 39, Number 4. July 2004. Poster Presntation at ASHS Annual Conference, Austin Texas.
- Rivera,D., Libran, M. Del C., Gonzalez,L. and Sotomayor,D. 2003. Crecimiento y desarrollo de plantas de anturio crecidas en mezclas con biosolido municipal compostado. Poster presentation SOPCA, November 21, 2003.
- Vazquez,J.C., Libran, M.Del C., Gonzalez,L. and Sotomayor,D. 2003. Lixiviacion de nitrogeno y su extraccion por plantas de anturios sembradas en medio con biosolido municipal compostado. Oral presentation SOPCA, November 21, 2003.
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
In `Development of Common Beans with Web Blight Resistance through Interspecific Hybridization', 418 bean lines from the USDA-ARS core germplasm collection were evaluated; 5 lines were selected for further evaluation. Godoy-Lutz found 1 of the lines [PI 417622 (M7209 Wild)] to have the lowest overall lesion size when inoculated with isolates of the web blight pathogen from Puerto Rico (PR5) and the Dominican Republic (BV1 and AL2002). VAX 6 and VAX 3 were among the most web blight resistant common bean breeding lines with leaf scores equal or less to 4.0. In `Modeling the Effects of Lime on the Movement & Uptake of Nitrogen in Tropical Soils' the model code was changed from HYDRUS2D to VS2DT because it can handle the flow boundary conditions, the PD has experience using and modifying VS2DT, and it is readily compatible with the automatic calibration software being used (WINPEST). The flow model is currently being calibrated for the 2003 season. In `Alternative to peat
for container-grown tropical ornamentals & nutrient management practices', physical and chemical characteristic analyses were completed and results analyzed. Plant growth response of four Anthurium andreanum cultivars was researched and analyzed by using the SAS program. Leachates from pots have been analyzed. Plants such as poinsettias and other flowering annuals were grown in private nurseries. An economic viability study will be performed. In `A Novel IPM Approach for Plantain Using Beneficial Nematodes', results have shown that a Heterorhabditis commercial strain was fairly effective against the banana corm weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar). However, the antagonistic effect of this strain against the weevil was not consistent in our trials. We cannot point out now a specific commercial strain as a potential agent for the biocontrol of the banana weevil. Therefore, the study turns to evaluation of native strains. In `Incorp. of Liquid Fermented Tuna Sludge in Pig Diets',
results showed that the agitation process improved the physical characteristics of fermented tuna fish sludge (FTFS) without affecting the acidity and chemical composition of the final product. Experiments also indicated the FTFS was effectively utilized at levels of up to 10% in growing pigs without affecting animal performance. In an experiment to determine the digestibility and DM intake potential of rhizoma perennial peanut (RPP) hay for rams, intake of DM, OM, and apparent digestibility of DM and OM were higher for the RPP hays than for Bermudagrass hay. In plot trials, preemergence herbicides imazethapyr (.07 kg ai/ha) and dimethapyr (1.68 kg ai/ha) had a short residual effect deemed inadequate for use with RPPs. In `Id. & management of soil compaction in intensively grazed pastures' 3 harvest operations were conducted in plots which had received 4 tillage treatments. No significant pasture yield differences associated with tillage treatments were observed. Qualitative
examination of other experiments not yet harvested indicated a tendency of the paraplow treatment to severely damage Cynodon nlemfuensis pasture stands due to entanglement with the stolon and root systems.
Impacts
Combined results from these projects offer basic experimental information needed to improve the performance of Caribbean farming systems and the economic viability of important commodities such as ornamentals, dairy & livestock. Results also provide the needed data for addressing environmental impacts of agricultural systems and improving their sustainability, particularly in the areas of organic wastes management and IPM.
Publications
- Harmsen, E. W., J. Colon Trinidad, C. Arcelay and E. Sarmiento Esparra, 2002. Evaluation of the Pan Evaporation Method for Scheduling Irrigation on an Oxisol in Puerto Rico. Proceedings of the Caribbean Food Crops Society, Thirty Eighth Annual Meeting, 2002. Martinique. Vol. 38.
- Sanchez, R., C.S. Santana and A.A. Rodriguez, 2003. Fermented tuna fish sludge in diets for growing-finishing pigs: performance and carcass characteristics. Proceedings IX Meeting WAAP - World Association of Animal Production, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Takegami, J.C., J.S. Beaver, G. Godoy-Lutz, R. Echavez-Badel and J.R. Steadman. 2003. Inheritance of web blight resistance in common bean. J. Agric. Univ. P.R. (In press)
- Vaquez, MA. and V.A. Snyder, 2002. Hydraulic properties of soils in intensively grazed pastures. Agronomy Abstracts. (Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the American Society of Agronomy, Indianapolis, IN, Nov. 10-14, 2002).
- Vazques Rosa, J.C., M. del C., Libran, L. Gonzalez Gill and D. Sotomayor Ramirez. 2003. Lixiviacion de nitrogeno y fosforo y su extraccion por plantas de anturios (Anthurium andreanum) sembradas en medio con biosolido municipal compostado. Poster presented at Annual Meeting SOPCA, November.
- Harmsen, E. W., J. Colon Trinidad, C. L. Arcelay and D. Cadiz Rodriguez, 2003. Evaluation of percolation and nitrogen leaching from a sweet pepper crop grown on an oxisol soil in Northwest Puerto Rico. Proceedings of the thirty-ninth Anuual Meeting of the Caribbean Food Crop Society. St. George's, Grenada, July 13 to 18, 2003. Vol. 39. (in press)
- Rosado-Arroyo, S.Y., J.A. Chavarria Carvajal, C. Flores-Ortega y N.E. Vicente-Carbonell, 2003. Uso de Praticas Agricolas Sustentables para el Manejo de Meloidogyne incognita en Calabaza (Cucurbita moschata Dutch). Annual Meeting SOPCA. Guayanilla, PR.
- Rivera Ocasio, D., M. del C., Libran, L. Gonzalez Gill and D. Sotomayor Ramirez. 2003. Crecimiento y desarrollo de plantas de anturios (Anthurium andreanum) crecidas en mezclas con biosolido municipal compostado. Poster presented at Annual Meeting SOPCA, November.
- Rodriguez, A.A., and F. Leon, 2003. Forage intake and digestibility of sorghum silage and grass hay supplemented with fermented sludge and fish by-product silage. Proceedings IX Meeting WAAP - World Association of Animal Production, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Ruiz T. M., and H. Diaz. 2003. Ruminal degradability of rhizoma perennial peanut hay and tropical grass grown in summer. In Proceedings IX World Conference on Animal Production, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Sanchez, R., C.S. Santana y A.A. Rodriguez, 2003. Comportamiento productivo y caracteristicas de la canal de cerdos en crecimiento y engorde alimentados con lodo fermentado de la industria atunera como parte integral de la dieta. XLIX Reunion Anual PCCMCA, La Ceiba, Honduras. P. 112.
- Sanchez, R., C.S. Santana, A.A. Rodriguez y V. Siberio, 2003. Utilizacion de lodo fermentado de la industria atunera como parte integral en dietas para cerdos en crecimiento y engorde. Aeronauta 1:16.
- Arcelay, C. L., M. A. Munoz and E. W. Harmsen. 2003. Effect of liming and fertigation frequencies on nitrogen retention on Coto Clay. Proceedings of the thirty-ninth Anuual Meeting of the Caribbean Food Crop Society. St. Georges, Grenada, July 13 to 18, 2003.. Vol. 39. (in press)
- Beaver, J.S., G. Godoy-Lutz, J.C. Rosas and J.R. Steadman. 2002. Estrategias para seleccionar frijol comun con mayor resistencia a mustia hilachosa. Agronomia Mesoamericana 13:67-72.
- Gonzalez-Vazquez, M., J.A. Chavarria-Carvajal y C. Flores-Ortega, 2003. Poblaciones de Hongos y Bacterias Asociados a la Rizosfera de la Calabaza (Cucurbita moschata) durante un Programa de Agricultura Sustentable. Annual Meeting SOPCA. Guayanilla, PR.
- Harmsen, E. W. 2003. Fifty years of crop evapotranspiration studies in Puerto Rico. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. July/August, Vol. 58, No. 4, pg. 214-223.
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Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02
Outputs
Cucurbit from Puerto Rico and Florida have been tested for viruses, which included zucchini yellow mosaic, papaya ringspot, watermelon mosaic v-2, cucumber mosaic, squash mosaic, tomato spotted wilt, tobacco streak ilarvirus, watermelon leaf mottle and geminiviruses. Most samples tested positive for mixed infections of up to five different viruses. In Florida about 45% of the samples were positive for papaya ringspot. The introduction of Thrips palmi into south Florida and Puerto Rico may be related to the high incidence of viruses. A study utilizing Brachiaria decumbens showed that a superficial harrow disc pass only and non-tillage, one application of a mixture of herbicides and conventional planting were successful for the establishment of pastures. Surface coverage was from 59 to 86%. Estimated costs of planting per acre were from $70 to $137. The cost of herbicide adds up to 38% of the total at planting. Therefore, any attempt to reduce the amount of this product
per acre will reduce costs of non-tillage methods. Two P detection methods were compared using extracts obtained from five soils amended with different combinations of an inorganic and an organic P source. Linear relationships were obtained between UV and ICP measurements for the Olsen and Mehlich3 extracts for all soils, and for the Bray1 extract for all soils except the Astatula series. The contribution of non-point sources of pollution to the nutritional status of the surface waters in a watershed of P.R. is being evaluated. Five subwatersheds with well defined and contrasting land uses are being sampled to assess the nutritional and biological status of their waters. Results indicate that high bacterial counts, and elevated total P levels constitute the biggest threats to water quality in the region. Unsewered communities and animal production facilities appear to be the greatest contributors of water pollution. A new record of Paracoccus marginatus and the mite Eotetranychus
lewisi for Puerto Rico was collected from papaya. Highly reflective mulch continued reducing the incidence of aphids of papaya and virosis as compared to other crop systems. No effects, however, were observed on the incidence of papaya bunchy top. The abundance of aphids in April-May affected the papaya bunchy top presence. The results showed that the insecticides as tested (malathion, orchard oil solution) did not significantly reduce the incidence of virosis in papaya.
Impacts
Accurate identification of specific viruses and the monitoring of their pathological and genetic variability in the field are necessary in developing effective viral disease control strategies. This information is needed to guide future efforts in plant breeding and pest management whose aim is to improve crop yield and quality. No-tillage with herbicide is an alternative to recuperate degraded pastures at a competitive cost per acre. Nevertheless, the amount of herbicide to be applied per acre is an important factor to determine costs at planting since it contributes 38% on average to the total cost. Other aspects to be considered are rainfall, weed species and their population at planting; these factors are critical in determining the success or failure of minimum tillage or non-tillage techniques to recuperate overgrazed pastures. Soil critical environmental P levels have been established for different soils of Puerto Rico. A modified version of the P index, the
Caribbean P index, has been developed. This research will document the movement of pests and natural enemy populations among crops and cover association systems. The use of a cover association system will reduce the incidence of papaya virus diseases and will provide sufficient weed control at a lower cost than that of the traditional system.
Publications
- Paz-Carrasco, L. and L. Wessel-Beaver. 2002. Survey of cucurbit viruses in Puerto Rico. D. N. Maynard (ed.), Curcurbitaceae 2002: 256-264. American Society for Horticultural Science Press. Alexandria, VA.
- Paz-Carrasco, L. 2002. Identificacion serologica y estabilidad patogenica de la proteina estructural en condiciones de conservacion de los virus que afectan a las cucurbitaceas en Puerto Rico. M.S. Thesis, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. 64 p.
- Hiebert, E., S. E. Webb, and M. Lamberts. 2002. A strain of tobacco streak virus (ilarvirus) infecting squash in Florida. Proceedings of First Joint Conference of the Working Groups on Vegetable (IWGVV) and Legume Virus (IWGLW), August 4-9, 2002, Bonn, Germany. (abstract)
- Kucharek, T, D. Purcifull, C. Semer, and S. Webb. 2003. Effect of resistant cultivars on control of aphid-transmitted viruses in squash (Cucurbita pepo) in northern Florida. 8th International Congress of Plant Pathology, Feb. 2-7, 2003,Christchurch, New Zealand (abstract)
- Mylavararu, R.S., D. Sotomayor, E.D Kennelley, and J.H. Nguyen. 2002. Evaluation of environmental impacts through phosphorus sorption capacities of soils. Abstract, ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN, 10-14 November, 2002.
- Martinez, G., y D. Sotomayor Ramirez. 2002. Desarrollo de un analisis de suelo ambiental para fosforo. XLVIII Reunion Anual del Programa Cooperativo para el Mejoramiento de Cultivos y Animales (PCCMCA), 14 - 19 de abril de 2002, Boca Chica, Republica Dominicana.
- Sotomayor-Ramirez, D. T. Ruiz, and G. A. Martinez. 2003. Phosphorus balance in dairy farms of Puerto Rico. J. Agric. Univ. P.R. (Accepted).
- W. Robles, A. Pantoja, E. Abreu and J. Ortiz. 2001. "Efecto de practicas culturales sobre la incidencia de virosis en papaya, Carica papaya." Ann. Meeting Puertorrican Society of Agricultural Sciences. Caguas, Puerto Rico. Nov 16. (abstract). p. 11.
- W. Robles. 2002. "Efecto de practicas culturales sobre la incidencia de afidos alados y virosis en papaya, Carica papaya L." Master Thesis, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus. 58 pp.
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Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/01
Outputs
The USDA Phaseolus core germplasm collection was evaluated at the Isabela Substation for reaction to web blight. Three accessions merit further evaluation. Two of the moderately resistant lines, PI 307780 and PI 307802, are tepary beans (Phaseolus acutifolius). The other accession with moderate levels of resistance to web blight was PI 417622, which is an undomesticated common bean. Site soils to be used for modeling the effects of lime on the movement and uptake of N in tropical soils have been selected. The sites have pH from 4.0 to 4.5. Commercial entomopthogenic nematodes havel been ordered from different companies. These are to be used for assessment of exotic beneficial nematodes against the corm weevil in plantain. Weed control treatments are being evaluated on established rhizoma . Treatments include imazethapyr and sethoxydim at different rates. In an old pasture (>10 years), five paired plots were established at 15 m intervals along a fence row. In each
plot, cylindrical soil core samples 8 cm in diameter and 5 cm deep were taken directly under the fence row (where no cattle trampling took place) and at a10 m perpendicular distance from the fence row. Observation of relative times required for water infiltration provided crude indicators of infiltration rates for the trampled and non-trampled treatments. Water infiltration was generally observed to occur within a few seconds in untrampled soil under the fence row, but required on the order of minutes in the trampled soil. These preliminary results are consistent with other reports that bulk density alone is a poor indicator of soil structural state, thus requiring measurement of additional parameters such as hydraulic properties.
Impacts
This report covers the first few months of a three-year project. Therefore, there is no impact to report.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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