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Strawberry production can be increased tenfold in the greenhouse using
a new hydroponic technique that relies on wastewater from trout
production. First, solids are screened from the wastewater, which
then flows down vertical plastic tubing. The nutrient-rich water bathes
the roots of strawberry plants growing from "elbows" in the tubing. In
four square feet of greenhouse space, 24 plants are grown hydroponically
where only two can be grown under conventional practices. The system
produces good-sized fruit that are just as tasty as strawberries grown in
the field. In the process, the plants clean the wastewater. And the
solids are used to make a new potting mix. Hydroponic growers could fill
the market gap between October and December with these strawberries.
California strawberries end in October; Florida starts shipping around
Christmas.
Appalachian Fruit Research
Laboratory, Kearneysville, WV
Fumiomi Takeda, (304) 725-3451
Ultra, a newly released hop variety, could help U.S. specialty brewers
produce a more aromatic, European-style beer. These qualities usually
come from European hops, which often aren't available to microbrewers at
an affordable price. In field tests, Ultra produced twice the yield as
its European counterparts. Ultra is grown commercially in Washington and
is available from the hop trade. Ultra is the fourth European-style aroma
hop released by ARS since 1989. Like the others--Mt. Hood, Liberty and
Crystal--Ultra descends primarily from the old German aroma hop
Hallertauer mittelfrueh. Idaho, Oregon and Washington are the prime
hop-growing states.
Forage Seed and Hop Research, Corvallis, OR
Alfred Haunold, (503) 750-5841
Some desert shrubs survive because their roots make a U-turn to find
water. In humid areas, roots searching for water usually continue
growing downward. But ARS scientists found that roots of some desert
shrubs make an about-face at depths of one to several feet. Then they
grow upwards, branching near the surface to capture moisture from scarce
rainfall. Scientists are uncovering these and other secrets of desert
plants, including the relationship of fungi to plants. This part of the
desert ecosystem has not been extensively studied until recently.
Improved understanding of its natural processes helps scientists gauge the
capacity of desert rangeland to support wild and domestic grazing
animals.
Rangeland Management Research,
Las Cruces, NM
Robert Gibbens, (505) 646-4842
Farmers in northeastern Colorado can make up to 35 percent more money
by adding a summer crop instead of alternating years of winter wheat and
fallow. A summer crop gives farmers a three-year rotation that could
include corn, proso millet or sorghum after wheat and before the fallow
year. Farmers had been wary about making this change until ARS scientists
demonstrated that the region's rainfall usually is adequate to grow the
extra money-producing crop. While that's not possible in the southern
part of Colorado, acres of rain-fed corn in northeast Colorado have nearly
quadrupled since the mid-1980s. Farmers using the new rotations produce
more soil-holding stalks and other crop residue required by USDA farm
programs. Traditional wheat/fallow cropping over the past 60 years caused
extensive wind and water erosion.
Central Great Plains Research Station, Akron, CO
Randy L. Anderson, (970) 345-2259
Balloon flowers, originally grown as cut flowers from root stock, can
be grown from seed as potted plants. Visiting Korean scientists and
ARS researchers studied the influence sowing time, temperature and type of
flower cultivars had on the growth and flowering of five balloon flower
cultivars. They found that plants flowered best under a day/night
temperature of 70/65 degrees F. The plants produced flowers under any
length of daylight, but produced more flowers when given 16 hours of
daylight. The plants also produced more flowers and shoots when extra
lighting or more daylight was added. Of the five cultivars studied,
Sentimental Blue flowered the earliest, in less than 149 days, under a
day/night temperature of 65/60 degrees F. As temperatures increased to
80/75 degrees F, the number of shoots, leaves and flowers increased.
Sentimental Blue is an ideal cultivar for potted plant production and can
be forced from seeds in just 140 days.
Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit, Beltsville, MD
Mark Roh, (301) 504-5659
An acre of Myles desi chickpeas, a new variety from ARS, can produce up
to 2,000 pounds of chickpeas, compared to 1,000 to 1,500 pounds for other
varieties. Chickpeas, also known as garbanzos, are low in fat and
rich in protein, complex carbohydrates and fiber. Popular Indian,
Pakistani and Ethiopian dishes use desi chickpeas. They're smaller and
darker than cream-colored kabuli chickpeas found in salad bars. Myles
also has resistance to blight-causing fungi--an essential insurance for
Pacific Northwest growers. Several years ago, Aschochyta blight fungus
devastated the region's chickpeas--desi and kabuli alike. The industry
began climbing back on its feet after ARS released Sarah, the first
blight-resistant desi in 1990 and Dwelley and Sanford, the first resistant
kabulis, in 1993.
Grain Legume Genetics Physiology Research, Pullman, WA
Frederick Muehlbauer, (509) 335-9521
Last updated: October 30, 1996
Return to: Quarterly Report
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