Commercial hop ('Humulus lupulus' L.) production occurs predominantly in temperate climates. The objectives of this study were to characterize the phenology of hops under subtropical climatic ...conditions and to determine the growth and yield potential. Two field experiments were conducted in Florida, southeastern United States. Rhizomes were planted in April. Data were collected during the establishment year. In the first experiment, we evaluated 7 American, 5 European, and 1 Japanese cultivars in a randomized complete block design. Bine height, main bine number, lateral shoot number, and dry cone yield (10% moisture) were recorded. Yield varied considerably, ranging from 0 to 197 kg ha-1. The top three yielding cultivars were 'Cascade', 'CTZ', and 'Nugget', all of which were American cultivars. Yield had positive correlations with main bine number and lateral shoot number, but it had no significant correlation with bine height. In the second experiment, we determined the duration of each phenological stage in 'Cascade'. Reproductive phenology was characterized by premature and nonsynchronous flowering. Prolonged flowering resulted in multiple harvests over 61 days, starting in mid-June. We also evaluated crop management treatments, which consisted of three levels of hill spacing (76, 91, and 107 cm) and two nitrogen (N) rates (109 and 130 kg ha-1) in a factorial combination. Treatments were arranged in a split-plot design with hill spacing as the main-plot factor. Yield on a per-area basis increased with reducing hill spacing and increasing N rate by 41% and 38%, respectively. Our results demonstrate unique reproductive phenology of hops under subtropical climatic conditions, which prevents once-overharvest but enables the off-season supply of fresh hops over an extended period. This study provides a benchmark to develop production strategies for hops suitable to subtropical climates.
The points of zero charge (PZC) of manganese oxide (MnO ₂), titanium dioxide (TiO ₂), aluminum (Al) laterite, ferruginous (Fe) laterite, aluminum oxide (Al ₂O ₃), and a commercial activated carbon ...sample (AC001) were determined using acid-base potentiometric (PT) and mass titration (MT). The MT technique has been used extensively for carbonaceous materials but less for soils. In addition, little work has been done on the PZC of these metal oxides and carbon materials under similar experimental conditions concurrently. Our aim is to buttress the ease of MT usage over PT in routine laboratory analysis. The experimental PZC measured by acid-base potentiometric and mass titrations respectively were 4.97 and 4.11 for MnO ₂; 5.38 and 5.74 for TiO ₂; 4.19 and 4.08 for Al laterite; and 4.45 and 4.10 for Fe laterite. For Al ₂O ₃ and activated carbon, mass titration gave 7.53 and 8.41 respectively. Calculated standard deviations between the means of PT and MT were less than 1, and Student’s t-test at 95% confidence interval (CI) gave a P value of 0.135, suggesting that there is no significant difference between PT and MT and buttressing the reliability of the experimental procedures. In routine laboratory work, mass titration should be preferred for PZC measurement of (hydr)oxides and soil materials because it saves time.
El lúpulo (Humulus lupulus L.) es un ingrediente esencial en la elaboración de cerveza, que agrega amargura y sabor a la cerveza. Impulsada por el reciente movimiento de la cerveza artesanal, la ...producción de lúpulo se está expandiendo hacia estados no tradicionales en la producción de lúpulo. En Florida, aunque la producción comercial de lúpulo es casi inexistente, la cantidad de cervecerías artesanales aumentó de 45 en 2011 a 285 en 2018, y el impacto económico de la industria de la cerveza artesanal en Florida supera los $3 mil millones. Este nuevo artículo de 7 páginas, escrito por Shinsuke Agehara, Aleyda Acosta-Rangel, Zhanao Deng, Jack Rechcigl y Simon Bollin, traducido por Mariel Gallardo y publicado por el Horticultural Sciences Department de UF/IFAS, proporciona pautas y consideraciones para construir el sistema de tutorado para lúpulo y su establecimiento en Florida, utilizando como modelo, el campo de investigación del UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC).https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1408
Este artículo describe las prácticas de manejo del cultivo y horas de mano de obra necesarios para la producción de lúpulo a pequeña escala en Florida con el objetivo de ayudar a los productores a ...tomar decisiones de inversión y de manejo de campo. This new 6-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department was written by Shinsuke Agehara, Mariel Gallardo, Aleyda Acosta-Rangel, Zhanao Deng, Jack Rechcigl, Tianyuan Luo, and Qi Qiu, and translated by Mariel Gallardo.
The cow-calf (Bos taurus) industry in subtropical United States and other parts of the world depends almost totally on grazed pastures. Establishment of complete, uniform stand of bahiagrass (BG) in ...a short time period is important economically. Failure to obtain a good BG stand early means increased encroachment of weeds and the loss of not only the initial investment costs, but production and its cash value. Forage production often requires significant inputs of lime, N fertilizer, and less frequently of P and K fertilizers. Domestic sewage sludge or biosolids, composted urban plant debris, waste lime, phosphogypsum, and dredged materials are examples of materials that can be used for fertilizing and liming pastures. Perennial grass can be a good choice for repeated applications of sewage sludge. Although sewage sludge supply some essential plant nutrients and provide soil property-enhancing organic matter, land-application programs still generate some concerns because of possible health and environmental risks involved. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the cumulative and residual effects of repeated applications of sewage sludge on (i) bahiagrass (BG, Paspalum notaturn Flügge) production over years with (1997-2000) and without (2001-2002) sewage sludge applications during a 5-yr period, and (ii) on nutrients status of soil that received annual application of sewage sludge from 1997 to 2000 compared with test values of soils in 2002 (with no sewage sludge application) in South Florida.
The field experiment was conducted at the University of Florida Agricultural Research and Education Center, Ona, FL (27 degrees 26'N, 82 degrees 55'W) on a Pomona fine sandy soil. With the exception of the control, BG plots received annual sewage sludge and chemical fertilizers applications to supply 90 or 180 kg total N ha(-1) yr(-1) from 1997 to 2000. Land application of sewage sludge and fertilizer ceased in 2001 season. In early April 1998, 1999, and 2000, plots were mowed to 5-cm stubble and treated with the respective N source amendments. The experimental design was three randomized complete blocks with nine N-source treatments: ammonium nitrate (AMN), slurry biosolids of pH 7 (SBS7), slurry biosolids of pH 11 (SBS11), lime-stabilized cake biosolids (CBS), each applied to supply 90 or 180 kg N ha(-1), and a nonfertilized control (Control). Application rates of sewage sludge were calculated based on the concentration of total solids in materials as determined by the American Public Health Association SM 2540G method and N in solids. The actual amount of sewage sludge applications was based on the amount required to supply 90 and 180 kg N ha(-1). Sewage sludge materials were weighed in buckets and uniformly applied to respective BG plots. Soil samples were collected in June 1997, June 1999, and in June 2002 from 27 treatment plots. In 1997 and 1999, soil samples were collected using a steel bucket type auger from the 0- to 20-, 20- to 40-, 40- to 60-, and 60- to 100-cm soil depths. Forage was harvested on 139, 203, 257, and 307 day of year (DOY) in 1998; 125, 202, 257, and 286 DOY in 1999; 179, 209, 270, and 301 DOY in 2000; and on 156 and 230 DOY in 2002 (no sewage sludge applications) to determine the residual effect of applied sewage sludge following repeated application. Forage yield and soils data were analyzed using analysis of variance (PROC ANOVA) procedures with year and treatment as the main plot and sub-plot, respectively. As a result of significant year effects on forage yield, data were reanalyzed annually (i.e., 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2002).
All sewage sludges used in this study were of class B in terms of USEPA's pathogens and pollutant concentration limit. Pathogen and chemical composition of the class B sewage sludge that were used in the study were all in compliance with the USEPA guidelines. The liquid sludge (SBS11) had the lowest fecal coliform counts (0.2 x 10(6) CFU kg(-1)) while the cake sewage sludge (CBS) had the greatest coliform counts of 178 x 10(6) CFU kg(-1). The fecal coliform counts for SBS7 was about 33 x 10(6) CFU kg(-1). Average soil test values in June 2002 exhibited: i) decrease in TIN (NO3-N + NH4-N), TP, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, and Fe; and ii) slight increase in Zn and Cu when compared with the June 1997 soil test results. The overall decrease in soil test values in 2002 might be associated with nutrient cycling and plant consumption. Although the average BG forage yield in 2002 (2.3 +/- 0.7 Mg ha(-1)) was slightly lower than in 2000 (3.5 +/- 1.2 Mg ha(-1)), yield differences in 2002 between the control (1.2 +/- 0.2 Mg ha(-1)) and treated plots (2.3 +/- 0.5 Mg ha(-1) to 3.3 +/- 0.6 Mg ha(-1)) were indicative of a positive residual effect of applied sewage sludge. This study has shown that excessive build up of plant nutrients may not occur in beef cattle pastures that repeatedly received sewage sludge while favoring long-term increased forage yield of BG. All sources of N (sewage sludge and AMN) gave better forage production than the unfertilized control during years with sewage sludge application (1997-2000) and also during years with no sewage sludge application (2001-2002). The favorable residual effects of applied sewage sludge in 2002 may have had received additional boost from the amount of rainfall in the area.
Repeated applications of sewage sludge indicate no harmful effects on soil quality and forage quality. Our results support our hypothesis that repeated land application of sewage sludge to supply 90 and 180 kg N ha(-1) would not increase soil sorption for nutrients and trace metals. Results have indicated that the concentrations of soil TIN and TP declined by almost 50% in plots with different nitrogen sources from June 1997 to June 2002 suggesting that enrichment of nitrogen and phosphorus is insignificant. The concentrations of soil nitrogen and phosphorus in 2002 following repeated application of sewage sludge were far below the contamination risk in the environment. The residual effect of these sewage sludge over the long term can be especially significant in many areas of Florida where only 50% of the 1 million ha of BG pastures are given inorganic nitrogen yearly.
Successive land application of sewage sludge for at least three years followed by no sewage sludge application for at least two years may well be a good practice economically because it will boost and/or maintain sustainable forage productivity and at the same time minimize probable accumulation of nutrients, especially trace metals. Consecutive applications of sewage sludge may result in build up of some trace metals in some other states with initial high metallic content, but in this study, no detrimental effects on soil chemical properties were detected. The possibilities for economically sound application strategies are encouraging, but more and additional research is required to find optimal timing and rates that minimizes negative impacts on soil quality in particular or the environment in general. For proper utilization of sewage sludge, knowledge of the sewage sludges' composition, the crop receiving it, are absolutely crucial, so that satisfactory types and rates are applied in an environmentally safe manner. There is still much to be learned from this study and this investigation needs to continue to determine whether the agricultural and ecological objectives are satisfied over the longer term.
The booming craft beer industry, rising prices of hops, and demand for locally-produced ingredients have recently increased interest in local hop production among growers and brewers. This article ...describes crop management practices and labor inputs required for small-scale hop production in Florida, with the aim of assisting growers with investment and farm management decisions. It is part of a larger series that will review the challenges of hop production in Florida, based on research experience at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm, FL. This new 6-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department was written by Shinsuke Agehara, Mariel Gallardo, Aleyda Acosta-Rangel, Zhanao Deng, Jack Rechcigl, Tianyuan Luo, and Qi Qiu.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1409
•In a subtropical climate, photoperiod manipulation allows two crops of hops a year.•Photoperiod extension with LED (>16.9 hr, <1 µmol m–2 s–1) inhibits flowering in hops.•Hop yield and quality vary ...between spring and fall seasons in the subtropics.•Hops have high phenological plasticity with no chilling requirement for bud break.
Hops (Humulus lupulus L.) have an ancient history of cultivation in temperate climates primarily as an ingredient of beer. However, growing hops in subtropical or tropical climates has been challenging because of non-optimal day length conditions. We examined the potential of subtropical hop production with photoperiod manipulation. ‘Cascade’ hops were grown in Florida, United States with extended day length (>16.5 h) using light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs to inhibit flowering until sufficient vegetative growth was achieved. Phenology, plant growth, yield, and cone quality data were collected during the first two years after planting. With as little as 0.47 μmol m–2 s–1, photoperiod extension was effective in inhibiting flowering, while promoting vegetative growth. Uniform flowering was induced upon the discontinuation of photoperiod extension. As a result, plants achieved two growing cycles per year, with the spring and fall growing seasons running from February to July and July to December, respectively. Yield increased by 92 % from Year 1 to Year 2 but decreased by 37 % from the spring to fall growing season. The maximum yield was 465 kg ha–1 in Year 2 Spring. Cone quality was greatly affected by both year and season, with α acid, β acid, and total oil concentrations ranging from 2.7 % to 6.2 %, 1.9 % to 3.2 % and 0.14 to 0.53 mL/100 g, respectively. These results demonstrate that, with an aid of photoperiod manipulation for flowering control, ‘Cascade’ hops exhibit high phenological plasticity and acclimation capacity to subtropical climatic conditions. This study provides a foundation for developing the double-season hop production system in a subtropical climate.
Hops (Humulus lupulus L.) are an essential ingredient in brewing, adding bitterness and flavor to beer. Driven by the recent craft beer movement, hop production is expanding into nontraditional ...hop-producing states. In Florida, while commercial hop production is almost nonexistent, the number of craft breweries in Florida increased from 45 in 2011 to 285 in 2018, and the economic impact of Florida?s craft beer industry exceeds $3 billion. This new 7-page article, written by Shinsuke Agehara, Aleyda Acosta-Rangel, Zhanao Deng, Jack Rechcigl, and Simon Bollin and published by the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department, provides guidelines and considerations for building a hop yard in Florida, using the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center’s research hop yard as a model.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1354
A new speciation model developed and implemented in Polymath was found to be successful in predicting struvite precipitation in soils. Struvite (NH
4
MgPO
4
) has been identified as a mineral for the ...recovery of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Predicting struvite precipitation potential in soil is important for optimal quantification of nutrient species. Polymath and Visual Minteq models were used for prediction of several solid phases in the soil. One approach to immobilize P for solid-phase formation is by co-blending. Immobilization was achieved through the blending of an Al-based water treatment residual (Al-WTR) and with Ca–Mg-based materials slag and magnesium oxide (MgO). The results suggest that Polymath model revealed solid Phases of dicalcium phosphate pentahydrate (DCPP), magnesium hydroxide (MHO), magnesium orthophosphate (v) docosahydrate (MP22), magnesium orthophosphate (v) octahydrate (MP8), and struvite, which were lacking in the modeling from Visual Minteq. Residual leachate from the co-blended amendments; Soil+WTR+Slag, Soil+WTR+MgO, Soil+MgO, Soil+Slag, Soil+WTR, and the control (without amendment) had struvite of 353, 199, 119, 90, 37, and 12 mg l
-1
, respectively. This implies that struvite, a phosphate mineral can be precipitated in the soil and could be released as nutrients for plant uptake. Struvite precipitation in soil and for reuse may reduce cost and may be a safe practice for sustainable environmental nutrient management.
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