American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) news

Soil solarization, a process that uses solar radiation to rid the soil of pests, is most common in regions with high solar radiation and high temperatures during the summer season. An alternative to soil fumigation, the process is used either alone or in combination with fumigants. To accomplish solarization, solar radiation is used to passively heat moist soil covered with clear plastic sheeting, with the goal of increasing soil temperatures to the point where they are lethal to soilborne or

A new, ecologically friendly groundcover for warm-weather landscapes is on the horizon. Rhizoma peanut, a warm-season perennial native to South America, has been used almost exclusively as a forage crop in the United States since the 1930s, but a study in the July HortScience says the perennial has potential as an ornamental groundcover or turf alternative.

"Rhizoma peanut is grown in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 8b and greater of peninsular Florida and the U.S. Sout

Sweetpotato, a warm-season root crop grown across the world, needs heat and humidity to flourish. In the United States, commercial sweetpotato production occurs predominantly in the southeastern states and California, while production farther north is limited. Recently, Oregon State University researchers discovered cultural practices that could help to increase sweetpotato production in the semiarid Pacific Northwest.

According to the authors of a study published in HortScience, grow

Around the world, bananas are one of the most popular tropical fruits. Despite their popularity, bananas have a relatively short shelf life that creates challenges for both producers and consumers. A new study revealed that a postharvest treatment with a natural phospholipid can extend bananas` shelf life, thus enhancing the fruit`s marketability. Scientists Zienab F.R. Ahmed from South Valley University in Egypt and Jiwan P. Palta from the University of Wisconsin-Madison published their rese