BACKGROUND: The phaseout of methyl bromide (MeBr) continues to stimulate research into the use of other soil fumigants for controlling soil-borne diseases and weeds. This research evaluated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) tolerance, weed emergence and the recovery of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici (FOL) inoculum following fumigation with various combination ratios of dimethyl disulfide plus chloropicrin (DMDS + Pic). RESULTS: On its own, DMDS did not effectively control purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus L.) compared with DMDS + Pic. Control of C. rotundus and fusarium wilt increased with Pic based on weed emergence throughout the growing season and FOL inoculum recovery from soil. In all three growing seasons, 159 kg ha −1 DMDS + 379 kg ha −1 Pic provided season-long control of C. rotundus. CONCLUSION: This research confirms that formulating DMDS + Pic containing a high percentage of Pic offers an effective alternative to MeBr for tomato production.

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After reading Gossip Girl, I explored several pieces of fan fiction related to the series that were created by teen authors. From these pieces, I observed how teens can use fan fiction to exercise their own creative ideas, align a fictional world with their own, connect with other fans and writers, and receive instant feedback on their work. From these findings, I suggest how teachers and librarians can use this knowledge to support teens that are engaged or interested in the practices of writing fan fiction and writing for pleasure.

Five healthy, vigorous cultivars of sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] were cultivated under rootknot nematode Meloidogyne incognita challenge to distinguish levels of resistance to infection. Roots and soil samples were collected 84 days' post-infection and evaluated for specific host responses to nematode infection by visual screening analysis and quantitative assessments of symptoms of infection. Resistant control cultivar Nugget showed the highest degree of resistance manifested in lower necrosis and galling, high fresh root weights and low nematode and egg counts. Necrosis and galling scores were highest in susceptible cultivars Georgia Jet and DMO1 where extensive root cracking was observed in Georgia Jet, and storage root development was severely restricted in DMO1 which also produced the highest egg counts. TUO2 and Whatley Loretan were considered intermediately resistant based on egg counts and necrosis and galling. Our results suggest that genotypic differences between cultivars were apparent in multiple host responses to root-knot nematode infection. We have also provided initial evidence to support the identification of newly developed sweet potato cultivars with intermediate resistance to root-knot nematodes.

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