Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Broderick, Shaun R.

Committee Member

Bi, Guihong

Committee Member

Harkess, Richard L.

Committee Member

Henn, R. Alan

Date of Degree

8-8-2023

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Plant & Soil Sciences - Horticulture

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Department

Department of Plant and Soil Sciences

Abstract

Weeds and soil-borne diseases can cause large yield losses in field-grown tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) production. Techniques have been developed to reduce soil-based problems. In this study, we evaluated the impacts of cover crops, soil steaming, and plastic mulch to reduce weed and disease pressure in field-grown tomatoes. Four cover crop treatments were grown in the fall and winter before spring planting. Soils were steamed to a target temperature of 71.1 °C for 0, 5, or 20 minutes. Plastic mulch was also used on half of the rows. Yield, weed densities, and disease incidence were recorded.

Reduced flowering time and stringent flowering requirements may reduce the ability to conduct crosses in many plants. Many factors control flowering. Terminal Flowering Locus 1 (TFL1) inhibits flower development. In this study, we attempted to transiently downregulate TFL1 via virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in Antirrhinum, Penstemon, Petunia, Rosa, and Rudbeckia.

Download

Included in

Horticulture Commons

Share

COinS