prompts for final exam

describe how f. x ananassa strawberries were developed? what were wild relatives? when and where were the first modern f. x ananassa strawberries discovered?

accidental hybrid of f. chiloensis and f. virginiana.

f. chiloensis and f. virginiana.

first discovered in france.

describe how and why the california strawberry industry was able to come to dominate american strawberry production over the past 50 years? what climatic factors and innovations in breeding and production technology enabled this development?

discolls, the main strawberry company located in California, dominates the industry by producing 89% of the US crop. plasticulture short-day strawberries in California to create double cropping seasons. longer production season because of the Mediterranean climate along the coast.

influence of soil fumigants, labor, and water. influence of new cultivars. California has a longer growing season compared to other regions.

what are the three photoperiodic response groups for strawberry? which of these types is most important for arkansas strawberry production?

short-day/june bearing, day nuetral, and long day/everbearing cultivars

short-days are most important for arkansas

what 2 disadvantages and 2 advantages of matted row strawberry production compared to annual plasticulture?

advantages: 1. relatively low cost system

2. perennial, 5 years

disadvantages: 1. lower yield

2. weeds and pests are a problem

when should strawberry growers in northwest arkansas plant ideally? what are the potential consequences of planting too early? what are the potential consequences of planting too late?

early-mid september in north arkansas

planting too early: lots of runners

planting too late: reduced fruit production in the spring

amanda mcwhirt gave us a tour of her strawberry variety trial testing production in the open field vs in a tunnel. what is one potential advantage of planting in a tunnel and one disadvantage that dr.mcwhirt has seen?

advantage: protection from extreme weather, especially the sun

disadvantage: more disease and pest problems?

if you were to find a wild grape vine in the woods in central arkansas, what are 2 ways that you could easily tell if it was a muscadine or bunch (vitis) grape based on looking at it?

1. muscadine unstable color

2. thick leathery skin on muscadines

what disease is most limiting to production at peach picking paradise and what are 2 ways the morgans try to prevent or mitigate the effects of this disease?

peach tree short life

1. disease resistant cultivars

2. ensure well-drained soil

why do pecan trees require pollenizer varieties?

the catkins on each cultivar usually do not shed pollen at the same time that the female flowers are receptive

explain the steps you would take to prune a pecan orchard in the year of planting, in the second growing season, and in a 20 year old mature planting?

year of: prune ½ of the top of the tree and remove any branches

second growing season:

20 year old planting: remove trees shading any other out

how and why might pecan growers change the density of their orchards over the years? how many trees per acre might a progressive pecan growers plant in the year of establishment and how many trees would the growers want to have in a mature 40 year old orchard?

growers will start with high density to maximize early yield. then gradually start thinning at year 20. too many tree will limit production, they need a lot of sun to produce.

24-35 trees per acre when established

7-8 trees per acre when fully mature

both dennis mcgarrah at rivercrest orchard and bill reagan at reagan family farm complained about ‘pick your own’ strawberries. why do they find ‘pick your own’ to be frustrating and how have they each developed strategies to market strawberries in fayetteville?

‘pick your own’ lets people easily eat the strawberries without paying for them.

rivercrest orchard: has an entrance fee and employees that do they’re best at keeping an eye out on pickers

reagan family farms: usually just do drive-through

describe at least 2 crop load manipulation techniques used by grape growers and the advantages of each?

flower cluster thinning: cluster weight increased, often lengthened

cluster thinning: results in larger berries

berry thinning: more uniform

describe the process of spur pruning a mature muscadine grape plant. what kind of cuts would you make?

prune during dormancy. 2 permanent cordons opposite of each other. prune down to the old spurs during the winter, then allow new lateral shoots to grow in the spring. results in higher quality fruit at maturity during the summer

what is an example of a french-american hybrid grape? what was the original reason for developing these hybrids in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s?

opportunity

solution to the phylloxera outbreak that devasted the french wine industry. american rootstocks were used because they were resistant to the disease

what is the limitation to growing muscadine grapes north of arkansas and north carolina?

they cannot tolerate winter temperatures

what is the name of the most common form of seedlessness in table grapes? name at least one cultural practice that table grape producers use to increase berry size in table grapes?

stenospermocarpy

girdling

dr. worthington is breeding wide vitis x muscadinia hybrids. name at least 2 valuable traits from muscadines that could benefit v. vinifera grapes and 2 valuable traits from v. vinifera grapes that could benefit muscadine grapes. what is the major barrier to creating these wide hybrids?

grapes: 1. texture

2. warm climate adaptability

muscadines: 1. nutrients

2. unique flavor

what is the grape training system used at ranallis and why was it chosen (list at least one major advantage)

umbrella kniffin

results in larger clusters