Relationships between boron toxicity and resistance to two types of crown blight and to powdery mildew in muskmelon
Authors
G. W. BohnG. N. Davis
Authors Affiliations
G. W. Bohn was Geneticist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Vegetables and Ornamentals Research Branch, La Jolla; G. N. Davis was Professor of Vegetable Crops, and Olericulturist in the Experiment Station, Davis.Publication Information
Hilgardia 39(11):325-339. DOI:10.3733/hilg.v39n11p325. August 1968.
PDF of full article, Cite this article
Abstract
In greenhouse experiments at Davis, and field experiments at Five Points, California, Western muskmelon varieties and breeding lines were subjected to excess boron in various amounts. External symptoms were noted, and leaf content (dry-weight basis) of boron was determined. Possible relationships were sought between varietal sensitivity to boron and resistance to powdery mildew and to crown blight in Imperial Valley and at Five Points as determined in earlier experiments.
Varieties and breeding lines did not differ in ability to absorb and accumulate boron; none was able to limit the amount absorbed. Some breeding lines, however, were more tolerant, others less so, than standard varieties.
Selection for resistance to crown blight in Imperial Valley and to powdery mildew did not influence boron response in the greenhouse tests nor resistance to crown blight in the field tests.
Crown blight severity at Five Points was closely correlated with an unknown environmental factor that produced intercalary necrotic flecks (freckles) in leaves. Large phenotypic effects of this factor masked boron-toxicity effects, and prevented their measurement.
Long-established commercial varieties, such as ‘PMR 45’ and ‘Honeydew,’ are surprisingly tolerant, in the field, to high boron concentration in their leaves and in the soil, and to factors that cause freckles in some muskmelons. Such tolerance may explain, in part, their comparatively wide range of adaptation.
The data suggest that simultaneous or alternate selection in different environments would be more effective than selection in a single environment, in breeding programs designed to produce a widely adapted commercial variety.
Literature Cited
Berger K. C. Boron in soils and crops. Adv. in Agron. 1949. 1:321-51. DOI: 10.1016/S0065-2113(08)60752-X [CrossRef]
Bohn G. W. Outlook bright for control of crown blight in muskmelons. Western Grower &; Shipper. 1958. 29(11):94-95.
Davis G. N., Whitaker T. W., Bohn G. W., Kasmire R. E. Muskmelon production in California. Calif. Exp. Sta. Circ. 1965. 536:1-40. http://archive.org/details/muskmelonproduct536davi
Eaton F. M., McCallum R. D., Mayhugh M. S. The quality of irrigation water of the Hollister area of California with special reference to boron content and its effect on apricots and prunes. Washington, D.C., USDA Tech. Bul. 1941. 746:1-60.
Hoagland D. R., Arnon D. I. The water-culture method for growing plants without soil. Calif. Agr. Exp. Sta. Circ. 1938. 347:1-39.
Ivanoff S. S. Injuries on cantaloupe leaves associated with guttation from marginal hydathodes. Phytopath. 1961. 51:584-85.
Jones H. E., Scarseth G. D. The calcium-boron balance in plants as related to boron needs. Soil Sci. 1944. 57:15-24. DOI: 10.1097/00010694-194401000-00002 [CrossRef]
Kendrick J. B. Jr., Wedding R. T., Kortsen R. A., Middleton J. T., Whitaker T. W., Bohn G. W., Paulus A. O. Cantaloupe crown blight study. California Agriculture. 1957. 11(5):5-6.
Lingle J. C., Carolus R. L. Sodium and boron contents of several vegetable crops and varieties as influenced by the sodium and boron level of the soil. Proc. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 1958. 71:507-15.
Lorenz O. A. The relation between boron and calcium in the growth of garden beets. Proc. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 1941. 39:368
Purvis E. R., Hanna W. J. Boron studies. I. The susceptibility of various plants to boron toxicity as influenced by soil type. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc. 1938. 3:205-09.
Reeve E., Shive J. W. Potassium-boron and calcium-boron relationship in plant nutrition. Soil Sci. 1944. 57:1-14. DOI: 10.1097/00010694-194401000-00001 [CrossRef]
Wedding R. T., Kendrick J. B. Jr., Middleton J. T., Whitaker T. W., Bohn G. W., Kortsen R. A., Paulus A. O. Crown blight of cantaloupe. California Agriculture. 1957. 11(6):5-7.
Wilcox L. V. Boron injury to plants. Washington, D.C., USDA Inf. Bul. 1960. 211:1-7.
Also in this issue:
The natural reserve system: The university's uncut diamondThe Africanized honey bee: Ahead of schedule
Cotton and California temperatures
Yellow starthistle infestations are on the increase
Rhizoctonia stem canker on beans
The fragmented California farm labor market
Weed management on specialty farms
Improving honey bee pollination efficiency in almonds
Biological control of two avocado pests
Weed control under drip and low-volume sprinkler irrigation
Yellow and green foxtail control in alfalfa
Feeding affects post-milking cow activities
1985 annual index