horticulture science News
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USDA Awards Over $52 million in Grants to Grow Organic and Local Food Economies
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the award of over $52 million in support of the growing organic industry and local and regional food systems through five U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant programs. The Secretary made the announcement during an event with Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe and First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe and local farmers at the Virginia State Fair. ...
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Cation exchange capacity analyzed for nursery pine bark substrates
A new study contains valuable recommendations that can inform container nursery fertilization practices in the northeastern United States. In this region, most nursery substrates are comprised primarily of pine bark and sphagnum moss, with minor additions of other components such as compost, sand, gravel, and humus. According to the study authors, cation exchange capacity--an important factor ...
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How container-grown plants capture sprinkler irrigation water
As the container nursery industry faces severe restrictions on water use, researchers are looking to identify ways to minimize watering needs and eliminate excess watering. The authors of a new study say that understanding container-grown plants' capacity to "capture" sprinkler irrigation water can give growers important tools that help them adjust irrigation rates, reduce water use, and produce ...
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Management Strategies to Reduce Catfacing in Peaches
For producers of peaches and other orchard-grown produce, managing the orchard floor can present challenges. Unwelcome vegetation on the orchard floor competes with trees for water and nutrients reducing tree growth and productivity, and can be a host for pathogens and insect pests. Utilizing best practices for irrigation and vegetation management in the orchard helps growers to optimize tree ...
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New irrigation strategies for pecans in humid climates
Georgia is the largest pecan producing state in the U.S. Although this humid region receives an average of 127 cm or more rainfall annually, periods of moisture stress can occur during the pecan growing season, particularly during August and September when pecans are in the kernel-filling stage and water demand is at its peak. Pecan producers throughout the region depend on irrigation strategies ...
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Early protection, fungicide effectively reduce downy mildew in basil
Sweet basil, a consumer favorite culinary herb, has a tough adversary. Downy mildew caused by the fungus Peronospora belbahrii has become the most devastating disease of basil plants grown in the United States. Discovered in Uganda in 1933, the first outbreak of downy mildew in the U.S. occurred in Florida in 2007. The disease has since spread to more than 30 states in the U.S., making many ...
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End-of-production LED Lighting Increases Red Pigmentation in Lettuce
Growing vegetables in greenhouses extends crop production seasons in northern latitudes, but the greenhouse environment is far from ideal for providing plants with optimal photosynthetic light. In fact, available photosynthetic daily light in greenhouses can be reduced by up to 50% or more by the structures' glazing material, superstructure, and shading. In northern latitudes, low light is ...
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Light-emitting Diode Sole-source Lighting Effective in Bedding Plant Seedling Production
In northern latitudes, producers of bedding plants depend on supplemental lighting during the late winter and early spring growing seasons. Unfortunately, these peak times for young plant production are also the darkest. Researchers have determined that a minimum amount of photosynthetic light (daily light integral; DLI) is necessary to produce high-quality young plants in greenhouses. In ...
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Clove Oil Tested for Weed Control in Organic Vidalia Sweet Onion
Weed control is one of the most challenging aspects of organic crop production. Most growers of certified organic crops rely heavily on proven cultural and mechanical weed control methods while limiting the use of approved herbicides. A new study of herbicides derived from clove oil tested the natural products' effectiveness in controlling weeds in Vidalia sweet onion crops. "Cultivation with a ...
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New treatment extends shelf life of bananas
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 ...
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Participatory breeding program assists organic tomato growers
Organic tomato production is growing rapidly in Midwestern states in the US, as evidenced by a USDA study that found certified organic tomato production increased more than 277% in the region from 2007-2011. The authors of a report in the September 2015 issue of HortScience say that to keep up with high consumer demand, organic tomato growers need to identify cultivars that are well-adapted to ...
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Fertilizer placement affects nutrient leaching patterns
Controlled-release fertilizers (CRFs) are a widely used method of delivering nutrients to nursery container crops. The fertilizers contain encapsulated solid mineral nutrients that dissolve slowly in water, and are then released into substrates over an extended period of time. Although the use of CRFs is an accepted practice, growers and researchers are always looking for ways to decrease ...
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Effective season extension technologies identified for strawberry production
Fruit growers in the U.S. Intermountain West (the region including the states of Montana, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado) are faced with challenges that include decreased agricultural land availability, harsh climatic conditions, and significant competition from both domestic production and imports. In order to keep fruit production viable in the region, growers need to adopt strategies that ...
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Conventional, compost, organic production compared for strawberry
A team of researchers from North Carolina State University set out to provide strawberry growers in their region with information that could help them transition to more sustainable soil and pest management production practices. Their study, published in the August 2015 issue of HortTechnology, compared conventional, compost, and organic strawberry production systems in the southeastern United ...
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Rotating Trellis Boosts Profits for Blackberry Growers
A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist developed a specialized trellis system to help blackberry growers boost profits. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) horticulturist Fumiomi Takeda of the Appalachian Fruit Research Station in Kearneysville, West Virginia, developed a rotating cross-arm (RCA) trellis and cane-training system to help growers overcome environmental challenges, ...
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Three new ornamental dogwoods introduced
In the nursery and landscape industries, flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa), and their hybrids are the most popular and economically significant members of the genus Cornus. The deciduous trees are highly valued for their spring display of pink, red, or white bracts, brilliant red fall foliage, and exfoliating bark. In the United States alone, retail and wholesale ...
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Fertilization regimen reduces environmental impact of landscape palms
Palms are an important part of the environment in subtropical and warm temperate climates. Palms' aesthetics and small "footprints" make them desirable in a variety of landscapes throughout the southeastern United States. Unfortunately, palms also have some of the highest nutrient requirements of any plants. Timothy Broschat, a scientist from the University of Florida's Fort Lauderdale Research ...
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Forage crop promising as ecologically friendly ornamental groundcover
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. ...
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Nitrogen Management Studied in Greenhouse Pepper Production
As consumer demand for year-round fresh produce increases, vegetable and fruit producers are facing significant environmental and sustainability issues, and are being challenged to examine traditional production practices in order to improve product quality while limiting environmental impact. A recent focus on both the positive and negative effects of nitrogen applications has researchers across ...
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Organic mulch lets insect pollinators do their job
As interest in organic agricultural and horticultural practices continues to grow, so does the need to identify alternative weed control practices. Mulching, a common practice used to control weeds and reduce the need for tillage, can also reduce insect pollinators' exposure to harmful pesticides; however, finding the right mulch materials that allow pollinators to flourish can be challenging. ...
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