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Black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.) might be an attractive forage species in the northeastern United States, since it is generally more heat tolerant and disease resistant than other cool‐season grasses. Black oat is currently recommended for fall and winter production in USDA Plant Hardiness ones 8b–10a, which is beyond the northeastern United States (Zones 2a–6a). The objective was to evaluate 10 black oat breeding lines (referred to as "UF1" through "UF10") for forage accumulation, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (aNDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and in vitro digestible organic matter (IVDOM) concentrations. The experiment was carried out in April–July 2022 in Pennsylvania Furnace, PA. Triticale (× Triticosecale Wittmack cv. TriCal 342) and Legend 567 oat (Avena sativa L.) were included as controls, as well as Haden oat and Gunner triticale, as regionally recommended cultivars. The forage accumulation within the black oat germplasm ranged from 364 to 864 lb dry matter (DM) acre−1, observed in UF7 and UF9, respectively, during the first harvest. During the second harvest, forage accumulation within black oat ranged from 1048 to 1408 lb DM acre−1, from UF8 and UF1, respectively. Crude protein concentrations ranged from 16% to 23% across all black oats, with no differences found within the germplasm. The IVDOM concentrations averaged 78% across all treatments during the first harvest and decreased to 66% during the second harvest. Overall, this study showed that black oat merits further evaluation as forage species in the northeastern United States, but further studies are required to address management of the species. Core Ideas: Black oat is heat tolerant and therefore might be an alternative forage species for the northeastern United States.Further evaluation is required to establish production potential and nutritive value of black oat in the northeastern United States region.Best management practices for black oat are lacking and warranted, especially for future cultivar release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Susceptibility to low-temperature injury and diseases is a major concern associated with ornamental camellia production. To comprehensively understand their growth, cold-hardiness, flowering, and disease resistance, 24 camellia (Camellia spp. and hybrids) cultivars and selections were evaluated inMcMinnville, TN, USA (USDA plant hardiness zone 7a). During Mar 2011, camellias were planted in the field plots. Plant height and canopy width weremeasured annually from 2011 to 2019, and low-temperature damage was recorded in 2014 and 2023. The flowering duration was recorded each year from 2011 to 2020. The Camellia Yellow Mottle Virus, monochaetia leaf spot (Monochaetia sp.), edema, flower blight (Ciborinia camelliae), and flower spot (Botrytis cinerea) severity (% affected) were evaluated from Oct to Nov in 2016 and 2017. The season-long area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) was calculated. Cultivars Arctic Snow and Pink Icicle exhibited the greatest height, and Autumn Spirit, Elaine Lee, Arctic Snow, and Survivor had the widest canopy width, whereas Shishigashira had the lowest height and canopy width. 'April Remembered', 'April Rose', 'Arctic Snow', 'Ashton's Ballet', 'Autumn Carnival', 'Autumn Spirit', 'Elaine Lee', 'Survivor', andC. chekiangoleosa selection were least affected by winter low temperatures, whereas 'Korean Snow', 'One Alone', C. sasanqua selection, 'Pink Icicle', and 'Shishigashira' were severely damaged. 'Arctic Snow' flowered most reliably (6 of 8 years), whereas 'April Remembered', 'April Rose', 'Ashton's Ballet', 'Autumn Spirit', and 'Survivor' flowered five times. 'Korean Fire', 'Classic Pink', 'Maroon Mist', and 'Spring's Promise' displayed the highest virus severity and AUDPC. 'Arctic Snow', C. sasanqua selection, and the C. chekiangoleosa selection had no viral symptoms. C. sasanqua selection and 'Red Aurora' were significantly impacted by edema disorder, with severity ratings of ~43%and 26%, respectively. Monochaetia leaf spot severity was highest in 'Red Aurora' and 'Spring's Promise', whereas 'Anacostia', 'Arctic Snow', 'Ashton's Ballet', 'Autumn Spirit', 'Classic Pink', 'Kuro Delight', 'One Alone', 'Pink Icicle', 'Shishigashira', and'Survivor' exhibited the leastmonochaetia leaf spot severity and AUDPC. Flower blight and flower spot were observed only in 'Arctic Snow' and 'Survivor'. These findings will aid landscapers and nursery growers with selecting andmanaging camellia cultivars effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.) is a cool‐season annual grass with Mediterranean origin. In contrast to other cool‐season grasses, black oat is more heat tolerant and disease resistant, making it an attractive option for the US upper Midwest, since it can be utilized during summer, when there is decreased productivity of cool‐season forages due to photorespiration. Black oat is recommended for USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 8b–10a, far away from the upper Midwest (zones 2a‐5b). The objective was to evaluate 10 black oat breeding lines (referred to as 'UF1' through 'UF10') for herbage accumulation, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and in vitro digestible organic matter (IVDOM) concentrations. The experiment was carried out on May–July 2021 and 2022 in Stratford, WI. Triticale (x Triticosecale Wittmack cv. 'TriCal 342′) and 'Legend 567′ oat (Avena sativa L.) were included as controls, as well as 'Ogle' oat as a regionally recommended cultivar. Herbage accumulation differed by treatment (P = 0.002) and averaged 5900 lb acre−1 among black oat lines, with 'UF3' and 'UF10' having greater herbage accumulation than oat checks Ogle and Legend 567, and Trical 342 triticale. Crude protein concentration of UF7 and UF3 was 8.5 to 9.5%, respectively. The IVDOM concentrations were above 58% for all black oat. Results indicate certain black oat have the potential to provide forage resources during the early summer in the upper Midwest, but further studies are warranted to evaluate how to best manage this species into cropping or pasture systems in the region. Core Ideas: Black oat might be an attractive forage option for the US upper Midwest for their heat tolerance.Black oat can provide high quantities of forage in 40–60 days in central Wisconsin.Further investigation is warranted to evaluate strategies to incorporate black oat into crop systems in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'DALSA 1618' (Reg. no. CV‐291, PI 702594) is a first‐generation intraspecific St. Augustinegrass [Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze] hybrid developed by Texas A&M AgriLife Research in Dallas, TX, from a cross between a drought‐resistant polyploid female parent, TAES 5384 (PI 300130, GRIN National Plant Germplasm System), and a semi‐dwarf shade‐tolerant diploid pollen donor, 'Amerishade'. DALSA 1618 was formerly tested as 'TAES 5896‐09' and 'TXSA‐156'. Superior performance and quality from 2010 to 2015 in space‐plant nurseries across multiple environments led to advancing DALSA 1618 to replicated trials in 10 National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) locations across the southcentral and southeastern United States. DALSA 1618 was one of the top performers in the 2016 NTEP (2016–2020). It established faster than 'CitraBlue' and similarly to other tested commercial cultivars. DALSA 1618 exhibited high turfgrass quality in standard and ancillary trials and earlier spring greenup, which was generally better than 'Floratam'. Drought resistance of DALSA 1618 was similar to Floratam (a drought‐resistant aneuploid). Tolerance to moderately dense shade was tested in Dallas, TX, from 2017 to 2020, where DALSA 1618 exhibited improved shade tolerance relative to Floratam. This array of environmental testing indicates DALSA 1618 possesses a unique combination of drought and shade tolerance that would allow its use across the southcentral and southeastern United States. Core Ideas: DALSA 1618 is an embryo‐rescue derived intraspecific hybrid of St. Augustinegrass.DALSA 1618 is tolerant to drought stress and moderately dense shade.DALSA 1618 is suitable for use in USDA plant hardiness zones 7b/8a to 10b. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'DALZ 1701' (Reg no. CV‐292, PI 702798) is a third‐generation hybrid resulting from mating interspecific hybrid 'TAES 5723‐47' with Zoysia japonica (Steud.) 'Meyer'. In the 2019 National Evaluation Turfgrass Program, which ran from 2019 to 2022 in 15 locations, DALZ 1701 was put to the test. In 9 of 13 locations, DALZ 1701 established more quickly than Meyer, similarly to Emerald and Zeon but slower than Empire. DALZ 1701's turfgrass quality was generally better than Meyer's and on par with that of Emerald, Empire, and Zeon. Compared with Meyer, DALZ 1701 displays a dark green genetic color. In Dallas, TX, DALZ 1701 maintained its quality under drought stress more effectively than Meyer and similarly to Emerald, Empire, and Zeon; however, it had more wilt avoidance than Emerald and Zeon. Like Meyer and Innovation, DALZ 1701 showed freezing tolerance but had improved fall color retention. DALZ 1701 appeared to have greater tolerance than Meyer to large patch (Rhizoctonia solani Kühn), spring yellowing [take‐all patch (Gaeumannomyces graminis (Sacc.) von Arx & D. Olivier)], hunting billbug (Sphenophorus venatus vestitus Chittenden), and zoysiagrass mite (Eriophyes zoysiae Baker, Kono, and O'Neill) damage. Additionally, DALZ 1701 has shown quality comparable to Diamond and Palisades but superior to Meyer under moderate shade in Dallas, TX. In the transition zone and southern portions of the United States, where zoysiagrass is widely grown, DALZ 1701 is adaptable to a variety of conditions. Core Ideas: Freezing tolerance of DALZ 1701 is similar to Meyer.Drought resistance of DALZ 1701 is better than Meyer and Innovation.Wilt avoidance of DALZ 1701 is better than Meyer and Zeon.DALZ 1701 exhibits superior tolerance to take‐all patch, mites, and hunting billbugs than Meyer.DALZ 1701 exhibited acceptable performance across USDA plant hardiness zones 5b to 8a. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnolias (Magnolia sp.) are economically important woody ornamental plants; however, plant damage associated with frost and powdery mildew (Microsphaera alni and Phyllactinia corylea) disease is a major production challenge. To understand the tree architecture and powdery mildew resistance, 26 yellow-flowering magnolias (Magnolia sp.) were evaluated in McMinnville, TN, USA (USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6b). One-year-old containerized trees were planted in a field plot during Mar 2006, with 4.6-m plant-to-plant and 3.7-m row-to-row spacing. The experiment was a completely randomized block design with three single-plant replications. Plant height and canopy diameter were measured on Dec 2016 and Feb 2018, and the apical dominance ratio (i.e., indicating tree architecture) was calculated by dividing the height by the canopy diameter. Plants were evaluated for powdery mildew severity and defoliation using a scale of 0% to 100% of the total plant canopy affected or defoliated, respectively, from Aug to Oct of 2016 and 2017. The area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) was calculated for the evaluation period of each year. The plant apical dominance ratio ranged from 1 to 3, with 'Gold Cup' and 'Sun Spire' having the highest value, and 'Lois', 'Gold Star', 'Golden Gala', 'Solar Flair', 'Stellar Acclaim', 'Sun Ray', 'Sunburst', and 'Sundance' having the lowest value (i.e., relatively round shape). Of the 26 cultivars, Sundance, Sun Spire, Sun Ray, and Gold Cup had the lowest powdery mildew severity (10% to 33% in 2016 and 40% to 60% in 2017), AUDPC, and defoliation. Cultivars Anilou, Gold Star, Golden Pond, Golden Rain, Golden Sun, Green Bee, Honey Liz, Judy Zuk, Koban Dori, Lois, Solar Flair, Stellar Acclaim, and Yellow Bird were highly susceptible to powdery mildew (>80% disease severity) and had the highest AUDPC values. Results of this research may aid breeders, nursery producers, and landscapers when selecting yellow-flowering magnolia cultivars with desirable tree architecture and resistance to powdery mildew. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 10‐yr, four‐phase collaborative effort among three universities was conducted to develop new hybrid zoysiagrasses (Zoysia spp. Willd.) with improved turf quality, winter hardiness, and pest resistance in comparison to commercial zoysiagrass cultivars, especially 'Meyer' (Z. japonica Steud.). In Phase 1, breeding efforts produced 2,858 new progeny that were evaluated for 2 yr across three sites. In Phase 2, only 60 (2%) of 2,858 progeny were selected for advancement to 10 replicated multiyear field trials (Phase 3). Phase 3 revealed 10 promising progeny (assigned DALZ numbers) that required further intensive field and laboratory testing in Phase 4. Phase 4 revealed differences in establishment rate, and DALZ 1701, 1702, 1707, and 1810 had moderate‐to‐good turf performance across seven sites, whereas DALZ 1808 had similar or slightly lower performance. Meyer consistently performed poorly, and 'Innovation', a recently released hybrid cultivar, had poor‐to‐moderate performance in comparison to the experimental genotypes, which illustrates the improvements achieved in zoysiagrass breeding in the last 10 yr. Freeze tolerance (LT50, lethal temperature killing 50% of the plants) ranged from −9.8 °C (Diamond) to −14.1 °C (DALZ 1812) with a mean of −12.5 °C. Evidence of large patch [Rhizoctonia solani Kühn, anastomosis Group (AG) 2‐2 LP] in the top 10 DALZ genotypes was 15 to 40% lower than Meyer on several dates. Results indicate that there are multiple genotypes for potential release in the future with improved turf color, winter hardiness, freeze tolerance, large patch resistance, and finer leaf texture suitable for USDA plant hardiness zones ranging between 5b and 8a. Core Ideas: Multidisciplinary, systematic breeding efforts effectively improve zoysiagrass.Intra‐ and interspecific hybridization introgressed superior turf traits.Multiple options exist for potential zoysiagrass release for a variety of climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perennial flax (Linum spp.) breeding objectives at the University of Minnesota (UMN) are to develop agronomic (oilseed, fiber) and horticultural (cut flower, garden perennial) varieties that are hardy in Minnesota (USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 3 and 4). The objective of this research was to determine the range of cold hardiness in UMN perennial flax breeding populations compared with wild accessions of L. austriacum, L. lewisii, and L. perenne. Fifty‐three genotypes from seven populations were low temperature acclimated, followed by controlled freezing using a programmable freezer. The observed lethal temperature for 50% plant kill (LT50) ranged from >0 °C (0% survival) to <−12 °C (100% survival), for the test temperatures of 0, −4, −8, −10, and −12 °C. Cold damage was measured after 4 wk of regrowth as the proportion of alive shoots and a root damage rating. Significant negative correlations were observed between LT50 and proportion of alive shoots (r = −.918) and root damage rating (r = −.935). Both L. austriacum and L. perenne had significantly less cold damage than L. lewisii and the breeding populations. This study establishes methods of screening perennial flax cold tolerance that are more cost effective, rapid, and repeatable compared to field evaluations. Core Ideas: Controlled freezing tests were useful to identify hardy perennial flax species and genotypes.Lethal temperatures for 50% plant kill (LT50) were as low as ‐12 °C (hardy in MN USDA Z3–4).Linum austriacum and L. perenne had significantly less cold damage than L. lewisii and hybrids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial variability is a prominent feature of various geographic phenomena such as climatic zones, USDA plant hardiness zones, and terrestrial habitat types (e.g., forest, grasslands, wetlands, and deserts). However, current deep learning methods follow a spatial-one-size-fits-all (OSFA) approach to train single deep neural network models that do not account for spatial variability. Quantification of spatial variability can be challenging due to the influence of many geophysical factors. In preliminary work, we proposed a spatial variability aware neural network (SVANN-I, formerly called SVANN) approach where weights are a function of location but the neural network architecture is location independent. In this work, we explore a more flexible SVANN-E approach where neural network architecture varies across geographic locations. In addition, we provide a taxonomy of SVANN types and a physics inspired interpretation model. Experiments with aerial imagery based wetland mapping show that SVANN-I outperforms OSFA and SVANN-E performs the best of all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Geospatial models in weed risk assessments need to be accessible and reproducible. • The Proto4 model provides accurate yet simple to use suitability distributions. • This model will help invasive species prevention and management. "Proto3" is a geospatial model used by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Plant Protection and Quarantine to predict the potential distribution of non-native weed species in the continental U.S. as part of routine weed risk assessments (WRA). While performing as well as other methods, this tool has the benefit of being simple to produce, expanding accessibility and reproducibility. However, it has the tendency to overestimate potential distributions. To address this shortcoming, this paper introduces the "Proto4" model and compares it with the established and mechanistically similar "Proto3" model currently used. Both models overlay Plant Hardiness Zones, precipitation, and Köppen-Geiger climate classes with global distribution of a plant species and rely on semi-qualitative assessments of a plant's affinity for each of the climate categories. However, Proto4 uses more detailed layers of the Plant Hardiness Zones and Köppen-Geiger climate classes, adds elevation as a fourth predictive variable to increase the precision of predictive maps. Additionally, we incorporate uncertainty to spatially distinguish regions of different potential suitability. We compared the performance of both models by estimating the predicted distributions of 30 broadly distributed, invasive plants in the U.S. with Proto3 and Proto4. We found that on average, the Proto4 model produces predicted distributions that are nearly 780,000 square kilometers (an area larger than the state of Texas) smaller than the Proto3, while only failing to capture a median of fewer than 0.5% more georeferenced points. Furthermore, the inclusion of uncertainty classes adds to the utility of Proto4 by distinguishing areas with greater and lesser degrees of evidence that a particular area is suitable for an invasive species, providing more information to help select invasive species prevention and management prioritization strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant hardiness zone maps (PHZMs) are isometric map representations of the continuous extreme minimum temperature surface that are easy to interpret and widely used. Hardiness zone map can have remarkable uncertainty from several sources, e.g. downscaling, climate variability and intermodel/interscenario variability. A systematic review of the literature was conducted that revealed remarkable gaps in the visual communication of uncertainties, mostly related to downscaling and climate variability. Quantification of uncertainties is a requirement for scientific use. It could make plant hardiness zone maps part of rigorous analyses while also serving as applied maps for agricultural/horticultural decisions. To support the quantification, a handful of thematically grouped and compared tools are presented for visual communication of hardiness zones, their differences and their uncertainties. It was based on the systematic review with special emphasis on climate change impact assessment – a key area of application of PHZMs. It is completed with a case study of, and demonstrational maps for, Hungary. These showed that independent sources of uncertainties reveal different spatial patterns, ranging from 1 to 11 zones, and can accumulate and interact with each other. We concluded that for uncertainty visualization, maps based on the continuous extreme minimum temperature are preferred over those based on plant hardiness zones. • Plant hardiness zone maps can have remarkable uncertainties from several sources. • Visualization of the uncertainties provides their solid scientific foundation. • Visual communication tools of hardiness zones and their uncertainties are reviewed. • Fine resolution demonstrational maps and recommendations complete the review. • Sources of uncertainty reveal different spatial patterns, ranging from 1 to 11 zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The southeastern US covers a number of the USDA plant hardiness zones and is therefore quite versatile in the forages that can be grazed. Many of these forages have excellent nutritional values if utilized at the proper growth stage. Generally speaking, forage nutritional value is greater from cool-season vs warmseason forages and annual vs perennial forages and declines with forage maturity. However, these nutritional differences may be offset by other factors such as greater persistence, earlier grazing or harvest, a longer growing season, adaptation to adverse environments, etc. Therefore, when evaluating forages to improve the nutritional opportunities for grazing livestock, numerous factors should be included in addition to forage chemical composition. These factors include ease and cost of establishment, longevity, productivity, palatability, adaptability to a range of soil types and environments, tolerance to grazing, and compatibility with other plants in the ecosystem either concurrently or in subsequent growing seasons. Additionally, long-term sustainability and environmental benefits should be considered. Without considering a number of these and simply focusing on nutritional values, information and recommendations may be quite misleading and result in disappointment and ultimately a loss of trust by producers. Therefore, collaboration among disciplines and agencies and the ability to monitor key factors listed above over an extended timeframe will be required. Longer-scale studies, even when evaluating annual forages, across a range of weather conditions and seasons, will provide needed information that will ultimately help producers reduce risk. Therefore, we will discuss the necessary information required to allow us to make more useful recommendations for nutritional improvement for pastures in the southeast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the Itasca, a new grape cultivar for winemaking, has been bred for use in cold climates due to its ability to survive and produce high-quality fruit in the hardiness zone of U.S. Department of Agriculture. It mentions wine production specifically a reduction in total titratable acidity (TTA) compared with other cold-hardy, white wine cultivars. It also mentions high wire cordon system in fertile soils and the pruning not collected due to vineyard practice.

We present 50-year updates for two plant hardiness models (maps), developed originally by Agriculture Canada and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), that are widely used for plant selection decisions in Canada. The updated maps show clear northward shifts in hardiness zones across western Canada. Shifts are less dramatic in southeastern Canada, with modest increases in zone values associated with the Canadian map but modest declines associated with the USDA approach. Species-specific climate envelope models are an alternative to generalized hardiness zones. We generated climate envelopes for 62 northern tree species over the same 50-year interval and found an average northward shift of 57 kilometers. These changes signal an increase in the productivity and diversity of plants that can be grown in Canada. However, late spring frosts and other factors discussed herein may limit the extent to which this potential is realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many regions of the world, the extremes of winter cold are a major determinant of the geographic distribution of perennial plant species and of their successful cultivation. In the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) is the primary reference for defining geospatial patterns of extreme winter cold for the horticulture and nursery industries, home gardeners, agrometeorologists, and plant scientists. This paper describes the approaches followed for updating the USDA PHZM, the last version of which was published in 1990. The new PHZM depicts 1976-2005 mean annual extreme minimum temperature, in 2.8°C (5°F) half zones, for the conterminous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Station data were interpolated to a grid with the Parameter-Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) climate-mapping system. PRISM accounts for the effects of elevation, terrain-induced airmass blockage, coastal effects, temperature inversions, and cold-air pooling on extreme minimum temperature patterns. Climatologically aided interpolation was applied, based on the 1971-2000 mean minimum temperature of the coldest month as the predictor grid. Evaluation of a standard-deviation map and two 15-yr maps (1976-90 and 1991-2005 averaging periods) revealed substantial vertical and horizontal gradients in trend and variability, especially in complex terrain. The new PHZM is generally warmer by one 2.8°C (5°F) half zone than the previous PHZM throughout much of the United States, as a result of a more recent averaging period. Nonetheless, a more sophisticated interpolation technique, greater physiographic detail, and more comprehensive station data were the main causes of zonal changes in complex terrain, especially in the western United States. The updated PHZM can be accessed online (). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the 2012 U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone Map which is used by gardeners and growers to determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location.