Everglades Station Mimeo Report 59-19
EXPERIMENTS INVOLVING PETIOLE CRACKING IN EMERALD CELERY
AND CELERY SEEDBED pH ADJUSTMENT WITH SULFUR
H. W. Burdine and V. L. Ouzman
Cracking in Emerald Celery
Perhaps the most serious limitation to wide usage of Emerald Celery variety
is its tendency to crack during the winter months of December, January, February
and even March. Growers have tried increasing boron content of fe:-i.izer but
this has not seemed particularly effective. Experiments involving is. applica-
tions of varying levels of boron were severely damaged during the cold winter of
1957-58, and consequent slow growth resulted in no differences in the amount of
cracking observed.
Table 1 gives summarized results of experiments conducted during the 1956-
57 season involving applications of fertilizers that might increase brittleness.
Table 2 summarizes results of a 1958-59 experiment involving rates of
nitrogen sidedressing. Treatments B, C and D involve all the nitrogen applied
in two applications. Treatments E, F and G involve equal total amounts of
nitrogen with applications on a weekly basis.
In general supplementary nitrogen seers to add to severity of cracking when
a corresponding growth response occurs.
Foliar applications of boron have decreased percentage of cracking plants
as well as severity of cracking. Emerald in its present form grown for December,
January and February harvests remains, however, something of a risk.
Sulfur Applications on Celery Seedbeds Involving Utah 52-70 and S. pascal 259-19.
Data in Table 3 gives results of four seedbed experiments with two varieties
of celery grown on beds with pH adjusted to varying levels with sulfur. Plants
of these two varieties of celery have shown little response to pH adjustment as
will be noted.
Celery varieties have been shown to differ greatly in their response to
varying levels of boron, magnesium, sodium and nitrogen in the nutrient media.
One, therefore, might expect to find variety differences in respoale to pH
environment. It also follows that one should not necessarily assume that all
green celery varieties will give this response.
May 6, 1959
Table 1. Effects of Extra Sidedress Application of Nitrogen and Potassium with Foliar Applications of Boron
on Cracking in Emerald Celery.
Duda's Harvested 1/1/57 Duda's Harvested 2/8/57 Wedgworth' s-Farvested 3/19/57
No. No. No.
Crack. Total 1 Crack. Total Crack. Total
Crack Petioles fresh Crack Petioles Fresh Crack. Petiole fresh
Treatment Plants Per Plant vt. Plants Per plant Weight Plants Per Plant Weight
Nitrogen sidedress 40 2.7 102 80 2.9 159 84 2.8 166
4 Boron Foliar app. 17 1.9 99 75 2.5 156 59 1.3 161
Potassium sidedress 16 1.9 57 88 2.5 157 90 4.6 160
4 Boron Foliar app. 7.6 2.1 63 6 0 2.4 152 70 3.1 161
Nitrogen 4 Potassium 36 2.8 104 79 2.9 162 86 2.9 152
4 Boron Foliar app. 30 2.5 108 70 2.8 172 73 2.3 154
No additional treat. 13 1.4 65 77 3.1 152 87 3.7 165
Boron Foliar app. 2 0.8 58 72 3.1 151 56 1.7 159
N = sidedressed 6 & 9th week after setting total 100 Ibs. N/A.
K sidedressed 6 & 9th week after setting total 100 lbs. K/A.
Boron 6 weekly foliar applications totaling 12 Ibs./A boric acid
(equiv. to about 18 lbs. of borax, or about 10 Ibs. Solubor.)
Table 2. Effects of Rates of Nitrogen Sidedress Application and Foliar Applications of Boron on Cracking
in Emerald Celery, at Duda's, Fall 1958.
% No. crack.
Foliar Av. Total Crack. Petioles
Nitrogen Treatment Boron Aft. per plot Av. Plants Av. Per plant Average
None
None
33 Ibs. N 2 app.
33 lbs. N 2 app.
66 lbs. N 2 app.
66 lbs. N 2 app.
99 Ibs. N 2 app.
99 Ibs. N 2 app.
33 Ibs. N-5.5 Ibs. per week
33 Ibs. N 5.5 lbs. per week
66 lbs. N 11 Ibs. per wk.
66 lbs. N 11 Ibs. per vk.
99 Ibs. N 16.5 Ibs. per wk.
99 lbs. N 16.5 lbs, per kk.
60 Ibs. urea 6-10 Ibs. app.
to foliage (27 lbs., N)
Boron applied as boric acid, a
Nitrogen as ammonium nitrate.
no
yes
no
yes
no
yes
no
yes
no
yes
no
yes
no
yes
no
yes
111
113
123
115
112
121
123
125
118
109
123
124
117
124
111
119
112
119
116
125
112
2.2
1.8
2.8
2.5
2.5
2.4
4.0
2.8
2,5
1.7
2.3
2.2
2.7
2.2
2.7
2.2
121
115
total of 12 Ibs. in 6 app. (equiv. to about 18 lbs. borax or 10 Ibs. Solubor).
2.0
2.7
2.5
3.4
2.3
2.5
2.5
Table 3. Response of Celery Seedlings to pH Adjustment with Sulfur, Fall 1957 and 1958.
1. Evans & Rogers Variety 52-70H
2. Chase & Co. Var. 259-19
Sulfur rate
Final
DH
Wt.-grams Sulfur rate
Sq. foot
Final
pH
Wt.-grams
Sq. foot
0
500# ac.
1000# ac.
1500# ac.
1. 0
2. 100#/A.
3. 2000/A.
4. 3000#/A.
3. Vandergriff & Williams Var. 52-70
4. Chase & Co. Var. 259-19
Sulfur rate
Final Wt.-grams Sulfur rate
DH Sq. foot
Final
DH
WS.-grams
So. foot
215
223
221
210
1. 0
2. 1000# ac.
3. 2000# ac.
4. 3000# ac.
6.11
5.89
5.54
5.26
354
348'
348
387
LSD .05 = 24
EES 59-19
250 copies
6.44
6.30
6.18
6.12
300
291
300
297
6.37
6.08
5.71
5.33
0
2000#
4000#
6000#
426
460
454
438
7.03
6.70
6.23
5.81
-"
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= q l -.II f I I i I I
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