Hort 2030 | Foshee | Final Exam

Which of the following are cucurbits?

Watermelon, squash, cucumbers, melons

Monoecious plants have what characteristic?

Male and female flowers on the same plant

Male flowers contain what?

Pollen only (no ovary)

Female flowers contain what structure?

Ovary

What does the ovary develop into?

Fruit

How many bee visits are needed for proper pollination?

About 7

What happens with poor pollination?

Bottlenose fruit (misshapen)

How are seedless (triploid) watermelons created?

Crossing diploid (2x) × tetraploid (4x) plants

What chromosome number is a triploid watermelon?

3x (sterile)

Why are triploid watermelons seedless?

They are sterile and cannot produce viable seeds

Triploid watermelons must be planted with what?

A pollinizer (diploid watermelon)

Triploid watermelons are direct seeded.

False

What is the most common foliar disease of watermelon?

Gummy stem blight

How are most foliar fungal diseases controlled?

Cover sprays (fungicides)

What disorder is caused by calcium deficiency?

Blossom end rot

Which watermelon types are more prone to blossom end rot?

Oblong types

What insect vectors bacterial diseases in cucurbits?

Cucumber beetles

Watermelons are highly susceptible to bacterial wilt.

False

What is a key harvest indicator of watermelon?

Yellow belly (ground spot)

What does a dried tendril indicate?

Maturity

What sound indicates a ripe watermelon?

Hollow sound

Squash is what type of crop?

Warm-season

Squash is planted how?

Direct seeded

What are the two main squash bush types?

Crookneck and straightneck

Which squash types are bush types?

Crookneck and straightneck

What insect tunnels into squash stems?

Squash vine borer

What is a sign of squash vine borer?

Frass at base of stem

What insect injects toxic saliva into squash plants?

Squash bug

What pest prefers squash and attacks fruit?

Pickleworm

Squash commonly has severe foliar diseases.

False

What is one fungal disease squash may get?

Powdery mildew

Cucumbers are sensitive to what condition?

Wet feet (poor drainage)

Cucumber spacing is what?

1 ft x 3 ft

What is the #1 pest of cucumbers?

Pickleworm

Pickleworms attack what part?

Fruit

What are the two types of cucumbers?

Slicing and pickling

Cucumbers mostly suffer from what type of diseases?

Foliar diseases

Cantaloupe has what type of rind?

Netted

Honeydew has what type of rind?

Smooth

Which melon is more nutritious?

Cantaloupe

Melons require what pH?

6.0-6.5

Why do melons require higher pH?

Low pH reduces perfect flower production

What insect vectors bacterial wilt in cucurbits?

Cucumber beetles

How is bacterial wilt diagnosed?

Cut stem and pull apart → white slime string

Angular leaf spot is spread by what?

Beetles

What does angular leaf spot look like?

Angular-shaped lesions on leaves

Peas are what type of plant?

Legume

What is a legume?

A plant that fixes nitrogen using bacteria in root nodules

What bacteria is responsible for nitrogen fixation?

Rhizobium

Southern peas require nitrogen fertilizer.

False

Southern peas are used as what type of crop?

Green manure crop

What is the #1 pest of peas?

Cowpea curculio

What is a trap crop?

A crop planted to attract pests away from main crop

Which insect produces honeydew?

Aphids

What damage do thrips cause?

Mouse ear (leaf curling)

Butter beans are also called what?

Lima beans

Butter beans are what type of legume?

Weak legume

What is the toxin in wild lima beans?

Cyanogenic glucoside

Butter beans are susceptible to what soil pest?

Nematodes

What are nematodes?

Microscopic roundworms that attack plant roots

What damage do nematodes cause?

Root knots and reduced growth

Okra is related to what crop?

Cotton

Okra is grown under what conditions?

Dryland (low water)

Okra seeds should be treated how?

Soaked 6-8 hours before planting

What is the #1 problem in okra?

Nematodes

What is ratooning?

Cutting plants back to regrow for second harvest

Sweet potatoes are what type of structure?

Storage roots

Sweet potatoes are planted using what?

Slips

What is the #1 pest of sweet potatoes?

Sweet potato weevil

What is curing in sweet potatoes?

Holding at high heat and humidity to convert starch to sugar

Sweet potatoes should be washed before storage.

False

Sweet potatoes should be stored in what?

Paper or cardboard (not plastic)

Soil is made of what three components?

Sand, silt, clay

What does soil pH measure?

Hydrogen ion concentration

What problem occurs at low pH?

Aluminum toxicity

How is low soil pH corrected?

Add lime

What do the numbers on a fertilizer bag represent?

Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium (N-P-K)

F1 hybrids can be saved for seed.

False

Open-pollinated seeds grow true to type.

True

How deep should soil samples be taken?

6-8 inches

When should nematode samples be taken?

August-September

What is soil solarization?

Covering moist soil with plastic to kill pests with heat

What is hardening off?

Gradually exposing plants to outdoor stress

What is the planting depth rule?

2.5 times the seed diameter

What two crops could you survive on?

Sweet potatoes and collards

How is compost made?

Mixing brown and green material with moisture

What drives composting?

Microorganisms breaking down organic matter with heat

What is frass?

Insect manure

Fertilizer should be applied to wet foliage.

False

What is BT?

A bacteria used to kill caterpillars

Which of the following are cucurbits?

Watermelon, squash, cucumbers, melons

What does monoecious mean?

Male and female flowers on the same plant

Male flowers produce what?

Pollen only

Female flowers contain what?

Ovary (develops into fruit)

How many bee visits are needed for cucurbit pollination?

About 7 visits per flower

What happens with poor pollination?

Bottlenose fruit (misshapen)

What is the origin of watermelon?

Egypt

Watermelon pH range?

5.8-6.5

Watermelon spacing?

6 ft x 8 ft

Watermelon planting method?

Direct seed (triploid = transplant)