Impacts of <i>S</i>-Metolachlor Application Timing on Sweetpotato Growth and Development

S-metolachlor is used to control/suppress yellow nutsedge, annual grasses and several broadleaf weeds in sweetpotato. However, a decline in storage root quality is suspected when excessive rainfall occurs within 24-h after application. A greenhouse study was conducted to determine the effect of S-metolachlor application timing on sweetpotato growth and development. S-metolachlor treatments (0 and 1 kg·ha-1) were applied over-the-top at 0, 5 and ten days after transplanting (DAT) and a simulated rainfall treatment delivered 25 mm of rain, 51 mm·h-1 intensity, immediately after herbicide application. Plants were harvested at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 80 DAT. During the first four harvests, roots were scanned and analyzed with WinRHIZO-Pro image analysis system to estimate root number, length, volume, and surface area along with aboveground growth parameters. At the final harvest, plant growth and biomass components, and quality of storage roots were recorded. Plants treated with S-metolachlor on day 0 and 5 DAT were significantly less than those of 10 DAT and untreated control for all measured parameters for the initial 20 days of plant growth. Even though vine length, leaf number, stem biomass, and total storage roots were not different among the treatments at 80 DAT, all other plant components and total biomass production and leaf area development for plants treated at 0 and 5 DAT were significantly (P < 0.05) less than from those of 10 DAT and the untreated control. Marketable storage root conversion efficiency declined by 18% and 16% for plants treated at 0 and 5 DAT, respectively, relative to the untreated check. These results indicate that delaying S-metolachlor application to 10 DAT will be less damaging to sweetpotato growth and development, particularly marketable storage roots and yield.

Interactive effects of carbon dioxide, low temperature, and ultrav｜olet-B radiation on cotton seedling root and shoot morphology and growth

Interactive effects of multiple environmental stresses are predicted to have a negative effect on cotton growth and development and these effects will be exacerbated in the future climate. The objectives of this study were to test the hypothesis that cotton cultivars differ in their responses to multiple environmental factors of （CO2） [400 and 750 μmol.mol 1 （＋（CO2）], temperature [28/20 and 20/12℃ （-T）], and UV-B radiation [0 and 10 kJ. m2. d ^-1（＋ UV- B）]. A genetic and molecular standard （TM-1） and three modern cotton cultivars （DP1522B2XE PHY496W3R, and ST4747GLB2） were grown in eight sunlit, controlled environment chambers with control treatment 400 μmol.mol^-1 [CO2], 28/21℃ temperature, and 0 kJ UV B. The results showed significant differences among the cultivars for most of the shoot and root parameters. Plants grown under low temperature alone or as a combination with ＋ UV B treatment caused more detrimental effects on root and shoot vigor. Although the elevated CO2 treatments weakened the damaging effects of higher UV-B levels on cotton growth on all cultivars, increased CO2 could not mask the negative effects of low temperature. When comparing all cultivars, genetic standard TM-1 produced the smallest values for the majority of traits under CO2, UV-B, and low temperature either alone or in combination with other treatments. Based on principal component analysis, the four cultivars were classified as tolerant （DP1522B2XF）, intermediate （PHY496W3R and ST4747GLB2） and sensitive （TM-1） to multiple environmental stresses.Low temperature was identified as the most damaging treatment to cotton early seedling vigor while elevated CO2 caused the least. Existing variability of cotton cultivars in response tomultiple environmental stresses could allow for selection of cultivars with the best coping ability and higher lint yield for future climate change environments.