Molecular phylogeny and DNA amplification fingerprinting of Petunia species

The relationships of four wild species of Petunia (Petunia spp. Juss.) and ten cultivars of the cultivated petunia (P. xhybrida Hort.) were investigated using DNA Amplification Fingerprinting (DAF). Amplification and separation of DNA products of petunia produced reproducible banding profiles. Consistencies were found among profiles of the variable Petunia taxa by bulking the tissue from ten different plants. Each of the ten octamer primers selected for use throughout the study revealed polymorphic loci between the species and cultivars. Among the total 201 bands produced, 146 (73%) loci were polymorphic and these could be used to distinguish between each of the species and cultivars. Scoring for presence and absence of the amplified bands was used to generate a phylogenetic tree and to calculate the pairwise distances between each of the taxa using parsimony (PAUP) analysis. The tree generated using DAF molecular markers was the first study to separate P. axillaris from P. parodii and to distinguish between the violet flowered species, P. Inflata, P. violacea, and P. integrifolia. Petunia parodii was included on the same branch with the ten cultivars of P. xhybrida, indicating it had a major contribution in the development of the cultivars. Divisions within the branch of cultivars were by color. The average genetic distance was 62 among species P. axillaris, P. parodii, P. inflata, P. violacea and P. integrifolia and 44 among cultivars of P. xhybrida. The results demonstrated the utility of DAF for establishing relationships among closely related species and cultivars of petunia

Designing a Low Water Use Landscape

A landscape design should meet the needs of the people who will use and maintain the area while incorporating the site’s existing environmental conditions into the design. Water is a limiting resource in Utah, so designing the landscape to efficiently use water is important. Conserving water in the landscape can be accomplished by selecting low water use plants, designing and scheduling irrigation systems efficiently, grouping plants according to their water requirements, and using hardscaping materials (patios, stone paths, decks, etc.) appropriately to reduce the area requiring irrigation

A Team Approach Enhances Statewide Water Issues Programming

The current drought situation and continued urban development have forced water issues to the forefront in the West. At Utah State University, a team composed of five extension specialists and six agents with expertise in soils, ornamental horticulture, turfgrass, water conservation and quality, and irrigation engineering was formed to respond to water issues. The team developed a drought resources Web site, 15 Extension bulletins on water management and conservation, water auditing workshops and training, and irrigation quality testing information. The team summarizes its approach and accomplishments to provide guidance for future issue teams

Solutions to Soil Problems: IV. Soil Structure

Soil structure refers to the combination of primary soil particles – sand, silt and clay – into larger units called aggregates or clods. Aggregates are commonly seen when a soil is tilled or disturbed

Efficient Irrigation of Trees and Shrubs

In Utah, urban landscape irrigation accounts for 50-75% of the annual municipal water use, and much of it is applied in excess of the plant’s needs. This excess is a tremendous resource waste and the overspray causes substantial damage to hardscape (i.e., decks, patios, fountains, decorative concrete, etc.). Scheduling irrigation according to landscape plant water needs can reduce excess water use. In addition to conserving water, proper irrigation can encourage deeper root growth and healthier, more drought tolerant landscapes

Efficient Irrigation of Trees and Shrubs

In Utah, urban landscape irrigation accounts for 50-75% of the annual municipal water use, and much of it is applied in excess of the plant’s needs. This excess is a tremendous resource waste and the overspray causes substantial damage to hardscape (i.e., decks, patios, fountains, decorative concrete, etc.). Scheduling irrigation according to landscape plant water needs can reduce excess water use. In addition to conserving water, proper irrigation can encourage deeper root growth and healthier, more drought tolerant landscapes

Selection and Culture of Landscape Plants in Utah - A Guide for High Mountain Valleys

What traveler, driving across Utah, has not marveled at its diversity of geography, climate and vegetation? From Joshua-trees in the Mojave Desert, to alpine meadows, to pinion-juniper forests set against the red sandstone of the Colorado Plateau, it is truly a state of contrasts

Association of Hepatitis C Virus—Specific CD8+ T Cells with Viral Clearance in Acute Hepatitis C

CD8+ T lymphocytes play a major role in antiviral immune defense. Their significance for acute hepatitis C is unclear. Our aim was to correlate the CD8+ T cell response with the outcome of infection. Eighteen patients with acute hepatitis C and 19 normal donors were studied. Hepatitis C virus (HCV)—specific CD8+ T cells were identified in the enzyme-linked immunospot assay by their interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production after specific stimulation. The highest numbers of IFN-γ—producing HCV-specific CD8+ T cells were found in patients with acute hepatitis C and a self-limited course of disease during the first 6 months after onset of disease, but these numbers dropped thereafter to undetectable levels. The differences in responsiveness between patients with self-limited disease versus patients with a chronic course were statistically significant (P < .001). Our data show that the number of IFN—γ-producing HCV-specific CD8+ T cells during the first 6 months after onset of disease is associated with eradication of the HCV infectio