ARS | Publication request: PHOTOSYTHESIS AND YIELD OF A US RICE CULTIVAR IN RESPONSE TO CO2 AND TEMPERATURE

Submitted to: Popular Publication
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: November 24, 2004
Publication Date: February 1, 2005
Citation: Baker, J.T., Kim, S., Gitz, D.C., Timlin, D.J., Reddy, V. 2005. Photosythesis and yield of a us rice cultivar in response to co2 and temperature. Journal of Agricultural Meteorology. 60: 457-462.

Technical Abstract: We collected growth and yield data on eight cantaloupe cultivars and constructed a simple phenology model that uses local weather data to allow growers to quantify phenological growth and development to project harvest dates. Main vine plastochron interval (PI), time to harvest, and final yield were determined. PI was calculated for each cultivar x transplanting date combination as the reciprocal of the slope of main vine node number vs. growing degree days. Among the tested cultivars,'Ovation' and 'Primo'produced significantly higher yields of marketable melons (51.3 Mg/ha, 49.5 Mg/ha, respectively), whereas 'Santa Fe' produced the lowest (28.6 Mg/ha). The rest of the tested cultivars produced on average 34.4 Mg/ha. Fruit weight was significantly higher in 'Morning Ice' (2.7 kg/fruit) and lowest in 'Mission' (1.4 kg/fruit). There were also significant differences among cultivars in the number of marketable melons/ha, which ranged from 11500 melons/ha for 'Morning Ice' to 32300 melons/ha for 'Ovation'. Plant dry matter production was higher in 'Ovation' and 'Mission' than all the other cultivars. The relative days to maturity were significantly higher in 'Morning Ice' and 'Honey Brew' (115 days) and lower in 'Gold Rush' (72 days). There were no differences found in days to maturity for 'Mission', and 'Ovation'(82 days). The average % of soluble solids content ranged from 9.5 for 'Ovation' to 14.5 for 'Hybrid Mission' and 'Honey Brew'. Marketable yield was greatly affected by the number of unmarketable melons produced by each cultivar. The variety cantaloupensis types are earlier in maturity than inodorus types. PI was significantly different for all cultivars. Main vine node number was a useful descriptor of vegetative development for cantaloupes.