Circular 55

This report summarizes evaluations of vegetable varieties conducted by the Horticultural Research Program of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. The objective of this research is to select varieties of vegetables that are adapted to the environment of interior Alaska. Vegetable crops whose adaptability may be improved through development of improved cultural techniques are also identified. The selection effort is directed at finding varieties useful to both commercial growers and home gardeners. Varieties are chosen for inclusion in the variety tests on the basis of their description, the latitude of origin, and the record of the plant-breeding programs for producing kinds that have previously been found adapted. Standard recommended varieties are included in the trials for comparison.Introduction -- Weather Summary, 1985 -- Table 1. Climatic Data for the Fairbanks Growing Season: 1984, 1985, and the Long-Term Average -- Figure 1. Daily Weather Data, May through September, 1985, University Experiment Farm, Fairbanks, AK -- Table 2. Artichoke Variety Trial, 1985 -- Table 3. Carrot Variety Trials, Bottomland, 1985 -- Table 4. Celery Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 5. Eggplant Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 6. Broccoli Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 7. Brussels Sprouts Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 8. Cauliflower Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 9. Crisphead Lettuce Variety Trials, Bottomland, 1985 -- Table 10. Green Pea Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 11. Pepper Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 12. Potato Variety Trials, Bottomland, 1985 -- Table 13. Slicing Cucumber Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 14. Summer Squash Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 15. Sweet Corn Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 16. Mulched Tomato Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 17. Unmulched Tomato Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 18. Container Tomato Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 19. Winter Squash Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 20. Pumpkin Variety Trials, 1985 -- Table 21. Miscellaneous Vegetable Trials -- Seed Source

Microphytobenthos of Arctic Kongsfjorden (Svalbard, Norway): biomass and potential primary production along the shore line

During summer 2007, Arctic microphytobenthic potential primary production was measured at several stations around the coastline of Kongsfjorden (Svalbard, Norway) at ?5 m water depth and at two stations at five different water depths (5, 10, 15, 20, 30 m). Oxygen planar optode sensor spots were used ex situ to determine oxygen exchange in the overlying water of intact sediment cores under controlled light (ca. 100 ?mol photons m?2 s?1) and temperature (2–4°C) conditions. Patches of microalgae (mainly diatoms) covering sandy sediments at water depths down to 30 m showed high biomass of up to 317 mg chl a m?2. In spite of increasing water depth, no significant trend in “photoautotrophic active biomass” (chl a, ratio living/dead cells, cell sizes) and, thus, in primary production was measured at both stations. All sites from ?5 to 30 m water depth exhibited variable rates of net production from ?19 to +40 mg O2 m?2 h?1 (?168 to +360 mg C m?2 day?1) and gross production of about 2–62 mg O2 m?2 h?1 (17–554 mg C m?2 day?1), which is comparable to other polar as well as temperate regions. No relation between photoautotrophic biomass and gross/net production values was found. Microphytobenthos demonstrated significant rates of primary production that is comparable to pelagic production of Kongsfjorden and, hence, emphasised the importance as C source for the zoobenthos