A biodegradable container made from processed waste poultry feathers was developed, and plant growth was evaluated in plastic, peat, and feather containers. Under uniform irrigation and fertilization, dry shoot weights of `Janie Bright Yellow' marigold (Tagetes patula L.), `Cooler Blush' vinca [Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don.] and `Orbit Cardinal' geranium (Pelargonium ×hortorum L.H. Bailey) plants grown in feather containers were higher than for those grown in peat containers, but lower than those grown in plastic containers. Container type did not significantly affect dry shoot weights of `Dazzler Rose Star' impatiens (Impatiens walleriana Hook.f.). `Better Boy' tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum L.) dry shoot weights were similar when grown in peat and feather containers. Feather containers were initially hydrophobic, and several irrigation cycles were required before the feather container walls absorbed water. If allowed to dry, feather containers again became hydrophobic and required several irrigations to reabsorb water from the substrate. Peat containers readily absorbed water from the substrate. Substrate in peat containers dried more rapidly than the substrate in feather containers. Plants grown in peat containers often reached the point of incipient wilting between irrigations, whereas plants grown in feather containers did not. This may have been a factor that resulted in higher dry shoot weights of plants grown in feather containers than in peat containers. Tomato plants grown in feather containers had higher tissue N content than those grown in plastic or peat containers. The availability of additional N from the feather container may also have been a factor that resulted in higher dry shoot weights of plants grown in feather containers than in peat ones. Under non-uniform irrigation and fertilization, dry shoot weights of impatiens and vinca grown in feather containers were significantly higher than those of plants grown in plastic or peat containers. When grown under simulated field conditions, geranium dry shoot weights were significantly higher for plants initially grown in feather containers than for those initially grown in peat containers. Container type did not significantly affect dry shoot weights of vinca when grown under simulated field conditions. As roots readily penetrated the walls of both feather and peat containers, dry root weights of vinca and geranium were not significantly affected by container type when grown under simulated field conditions.

Summary: Résumé: Zusammenfassung A root bioassay was used to determine the effect of various soils, and the chloride salts of Fe+++, Fe++, Al +++, Ca ++, K +, and Na+ on the activity of glyphosate (N‐(phosphonomethyl)glycine]. Mineral soils significantly reduced the inhibitory effects of glyphosate on root growth. One muck soil inactivated glyphosate, but another muck soil and bentonite clay had little effect. Soils with the greatest inactivation capabilities had high concentrations of weak‐acid‐extractable iron. Glyphosate inactivation showed no correlation between cation exchange capacity and organic matter of the muck soils. FeCl3, FeCl2 and AlCl3, significantly reduced the activity of glyphosate, and, when allowed to stand in solution, combinations of FeCl3 and glyphosate formed a precipitate. CaCl2, KCl and NaCl did not inactivate glyphosate. Inactivation du glyphosate par divers sols et sels métalliques Un test biologique sur racines a été utilisé pour déterminer l'action de divers sols et de sels chlorés de Fe+++, Fe++, Al++, Ca++, K +, et Na+ sur I'activité du glyphosate N‐(phosphono‐méthyl) glycine. Les sols minéraux ont réduit significativement les effets inhibiteurs du glyphosate sur la croissance des racines. Un sol organique a inactivé le glyphosate, mais un autre sol organique, ainsi que la bentonite. n'ont eu que peu d'effet. Les sols qui ont présenté les plus grandes possibilités d'inactivation renfermaient des concentrations élevées dc fcr extractible par des acides faibles. II n'a pas été observé, en ce qui concerne l'inactivation du glyphosate, de corrélation entre la capaeité d'échange des cations et la teneure matiére organique des sols organiques. FeCl3, FeCl2, et AlCl3 ont significativement réduit l'activité du glyphosate et, lorsqu'ils ont été mis en présenceen solution, la combinaison de FeCl3 et du glyphosate a provoqué la formation d'un précipité, CaCl2, KCl et NaCl n'ont pas inactivé le glyphosate. Die Inaktivierung von Glyphosat durch verschiedene Böden und Metallsalze Die Wirkung verschiedener Bödden und der Chloride von Fe+++, Fe++, Al+++, Ca++, K+ und Na+ auf die Aktivität von Glyphosat N‐(Phosphonomethyl)glycin wurde mit einem Wurzel‐Biotest festgestellt. Mineralische Böden verringerten signifkant den Hemmeffekt von Glyphosat auf das Wurzelwachstum. Durch einen der organischen Böden wurde Glyphoat inaktiviert, ein anderer und das Tonmineral Bentonit, wirkten jedoch nur wenig inaktivierend. Böden mit der stärksten Inaktivierungsfähigkeit besassen hohe Konzentrationen an mit schwacher Säure extrahierbarem Eisen. Die Inaktivierung von Glyphosat war nicht mil der Kationen‐Austauschkapazität und dem Gehalt der Böden an organischer Substanz korreliert Durch FeCl3, FeCl2 und AlCl3 wurde die Aktivitat von Glyphosat signifikant verringert. Wenn FeCl3 und Glyphosat in Lösung zusammengebracht wurden, bildete sich beim Stehenlassen dieser Kombination ein Niederschlag. CaCl2, KCl und NaCl wirkten auf Glyphosat nicht inaktivierend.

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) is an important vegetable worldwide with high nutritional and health-promoting compounds. Bolting is an important trait to consider to grow spinach in different seasons and regions. Plant height and leaf erectness are important traits for machine harvesting. Breeding slow bolting, taller, and more erect spinach cultivars is needed for improved spinach production. A total of 288 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) spinach accessions were used as the association panel in this research. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) discovered through genotyping by sequencing (GBS) were used for genotyping. Two structured populations and the admixtures were inferred for the 288 spinach accession panel using STRUCTURE and MEGA. Association mapping was conducted using single-marker regression (SMR) in QGene, and general linear model (GLM) and mixed linear model (MLM) built in TASSEL. Three SNP markers, AYZV02001321_398, AYZV02041012_1060, and AYZV02118171_95 were identified to be associated with bolting. Eight SNP markers, AYZV02014270_540, AYZV02250508_2162, AYZV02091523_19842, AYZV02141794_376, AYZV02077023_64, AYZV02210662_2532, AYZV02153224_2197, and AYZV02003975_248 were found to be associated with plant height. Four SNP markers, AYZV02188832_229, AYZV02219088_79, AYZV02030116_256, and AYZV02129827_197 were associated with erectness. These SNP markers may provide breeders with a tool in spinach molecular breeding to select spinach bolting, plant height, and erectness through marker-assisted selection (MAS).

Disposal of scrubber sludge and fly ash waste from coal‐fired power plants is a costly problem for utilities. Current regulations call for the retired waste areas to be covered with topsoil, then seeded to produce a protective vegetative cap. We conducted field tests over a 3‐yr period to determine if a vegetative cover could be established without first adding topsoil to waste sites. Seven herbaceous and six tree species were planted on scrubber sludge and bottom ash sites. These substrates were first amended with fertilizer, and then hay, woodchips, or cow (Bos taurus) manure. The bottom ash was not capable of supporting vegetative growth, even with amendment. Tall wheatgrass [Agropyron elongatum, (Host) Beauv.], tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.], yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis Lam.), and Japanese millet [Echinochloa crusgalli (L.) Beanv.] grew well on scrubber sludge, as did eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides Marsh.) and eastern red cedar trees (Juniperus virginiana L.). Generally, herbaceous plants grew best on scrubber sludge to which manure and fertilizer were added, and the trees survived and grew best on scrubber sludge amended with woodchips and fertilizer. This study demonstrates that a good vegetative cover can be produced on scrubber sludge waste areas without first covering them with topsoil.

Breeding heat-tolerant spinach is an important project to meet the demand of increasing spinach production in heat conditions. Seed germination is the early stage to test, screen, and develop heat-tolerant spinach genotypes. The objective of this research was to determine temperature effect on the seed germination percentage and to select heat-tolerant spinach genotypes. A total of nine spinach genotypes were used in this research. The germination experiment was conducted using seven temperatures: 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 32, and 35 °C under growth chambers. The temperature trials were conducted using completely randomized design (CRD) with three replicates. Spinach seed germination percentage varied among the nine spinach genotypes under the seven temperatures, indicating that genetic variation for heat tolerance existed in the nine spinach genotypes. ‘Donkey’, ‘Marabu’, and ‘Raccoon’ showed higher seed germination percentage with over 70% at 30 and 32 °C, indicating the three spinach genotypes had heat tolerance for germination. However, all spinach genotypes except ‘Ozarka II’ dropped their germination percentages sharply to less than 30%; ‘Ozarka II’ had 63% germination under 35 °C, indicating it is a good source of heat tolerance for seed germination. The higher germination percentages above 30 °C of ‘Ozarka II’, ‘Donkey’, ‘Marabu’, and ‘Raccoon’ may indicate their potential as donors of heat-tolerant traits in spinach breeding program.