Floriculture Research and Extension

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Floriculture Researchand Extension

• Personnel made up of scientists with 100
  floriculture appointment and those with a
  multi-disciplinary appointment
• Floriculture Drs Allan Armitage, Bodie Penissi.
  Paul Thomas. Mark van Iersel
• Multi-Disciplinary Drs Mark Czarnota, Wayne
  McLaurin, Harry Mills, Peggy Ozias-Akins, Hazel
  Wetzstein

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Facts About The Georgia Floriculture Industry Dr
Paul Thomas
Heated greenhouse production has tripled since
1991 to 11,000,000 sq. ft. Outdoor production
of bedding plants is just under 6 million sq. ft.
in Georgia Industry growth is projected to
continue through 2005.  
Number Of Greenhouses
Members
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Increasing PGR Effectiveness In Non-Responsive
Perennials
Factors that affect PGR efficacy Cuticule
Layer Temperature Nutrition / Form of N
Use of Surfactants Light Levels
Humidity Spacing Stage Of Growth Water
Stress Genetics
Dr. Paul Thomas
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Web Based Teaching
Drs Paul Thomas Doug Bailey
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Water Conservation Assessment
Dr. Paul Thomas Dr. Forrest Stegelin
Economics of Greenhouse Water Conservation
Technology Legislative/Regulation Awareness
Greenhouse Water Audits Drought-Resistant
Inventories Employee Training
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Extension Newsletters Magazines
Dr. Paul Thomas Dr. Bodie Pennisi

• Georgia Floriculture Newsletter
• Bimonthly supplement to Southeastern
  Floriculture. 100 Funded by GFGA
• Georgia Extension Ornamental Update
• Electronic distribution to extension agents
• Southeastern Floriculture Magazine
• 40,000 Annual Budget, 17 State Distribution,
  Southern Region ASHS Publication Award.
• .

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Phytomediated Biomineralization The Role of
Calcium Oxalate Crystals
in Calcium Metabolism
Dr. Bodie Pennisi
Cuticular crystals

• CaOx crystals store calcium ions
• Goals elucidate pathways of crystal deposition
  develop crop guidelines for calcium nutrition
  provide insights to help research of
  hyperoxaluria

Styloid
Druse
Crystal sand
Raphides
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Extension Programs
Dr. Bodie Pennisi
Tri-State Ornamentals Conference

• Organized by floriculture specialists from UGA,
  UF and Auburn University

Interior Plantscape Workshop
Monitoring optimum root zone environment.
Hands-on ID of plant insects and pests, disease
and pest control, plant maintenance. New species
and cultivars for interiorscapes
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Evaluation of Landscape Potential of Foliage
Plants for Shade Gardens in Coastal Regions in
Georgia
Dr. Bodie Pennisi Dr. Paul Thomas

• Foliage Trial Garden established in Savannah, GA
• Many new foliage plant introductions w/ improved
  cold tolerance, successfully used in the
  landscape throughout some southern states, e.g.,
  Florida
• Goals evaluate cold tolerance and overall
  performance raise customer awareness of new
  plant material for shade gardening

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Basic Greenhouse Skills, Greenhouse Management
and Plant Propagation Schools
Dr. Bodie Pennisi Dr. Paul Thomas

• Goals Provide training for start-up businesses
  educate employees and managers about new crops,
  cultural techniques and greenhouse technologies
• In 2003, two 3-day programs are planned Basic
  Greenhouse Skills, Management Skills, Plant
  Propagation School and Local Industry Tour

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GFGA Strategic Planning Conference

• Accomplishments
• The GFGA Web Page
• The Evening Seminar Series
• 120 Increase In Membership
• Two New Faculty Positions
• Improved Political Recognition
• Defeat Of Ad-Velorum Taxation
• Smoother Board Transitions
• Improved Organization Structure

Dr. Paul Thomas Dr. Bodie Pennisi
Board Participants of the Annual Strategic
Planning Conference
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Diagnostic Teams
The more expertise involved the more
comprehensive and effective the solutions become.
Crop Production Thomas - Production Pennisi -
Production Woodward - Pathology Oetting -
Entomology County Agents
Business Management Thomas - Management Stegelin
- Finance Midcap - Production County Agents
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Floriculture Extension Needs
We need administrative support and resource
redirection towards supporting visits to growers
to do analysis of greenhouse problems, both
financial and production based!
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Distorted Growth Of Leather Leaf FernDr Harry
Mills

• Leather leaf fern has been a major foliage plant
  for flower arrangements for over fifty years.
  Distortion of leather leaf fronds has reduced the
  use of this foliage plant significantly as a
  greenery in floral arrangements.

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This distortion results in a leaf that is not
marketable

• Distortion is greater during stress periods such
  as increased temperatures and heavy rain fall.
  An increase in Pseudomonas bacteria in the plant
  and rhizosphere is associated with plant
  distortions. Pseudomonas species that are
  associated with plant distortions are known to
  produce growth regulators that can cause the
  symptoms expressed by leather leaf plants. These
  symptoms are root death, stunted plant growth,
  chlorosis, distorted stems and plant foliage.

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Other plants are affected by Pseudomonas bacteria

• Pseudomonas bacteria and the subsequent
  production of plant growth regulators is not
  plant species specific. Pittosporum plants
  treated with leather leaf fern-Pseudomonas
  bacterial species show severe leaf abortion
  occurring within two days after treatment with
  specific bacteria.

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Use of chemical fungicides to control disease
organisms also have effects on non target
organisms

• The long term effect on the yield of leather leaf
  fern treated with a fungicide that promoted
  growth regulator-producing bacteria compared to
  non-treated control.
• A 40 reduction in marketable fronds occurred as
  a result of the fungicide.

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Research Needs in this Area.

• Propagules taken from the stock plants of other
  crops are experiencing slow rooting and growth by
  the cuttings.
• Use of fungicides that promote growth
  hormone-producing bacteria needs to be
  investigated. This is obvious from from the
  reduction in leather leaf fern yield.
• Use of a fungicide that promotes an increase in
  Pseudomonas bacteria can be detrimental over an
  extended period of time for perennial crops.
• It is also apparent that non target effects of
  fungicides is an area of needed investigation for
  horticultural crops.

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Floriculture Nutrition and Physiology, Dr. Marc
van Iersel
Research emphasis has been on - Production
practices for subirrigated crops - determining
the effects of environmental and cultural factors
on the photosynthesis and respiration of whole
plants
light
CO2
O2
nutrients water
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Fertilization Guidelines for Subirrigated Crops

• So far, fertilizer requirements of approximately
  20 subirrigated bedding plant species have been
  evaluated, looking at plant growth and quality
• Efficacy of supplying systemic pesticides by
  subirrigation has been determined

• 210 105 52 26
• ppm nitrogen

Fertilizer may affect growth and quality of
plants very differently. For example, alyssum
has more vegetative growth, but fewer flowers as
fertilizer concentrations increase
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Fertilization and Environmental Conditions

• In addition, the dependence of optimal
  fertilization practices on environmental factors
  (light, temperature) has been studied. Growing
  medium EC turned out to be more relevant than
  fertilizer concentration.

The optimal fertilizer concentration for petunia
depends on the temperature, while optimal growing
medium EC is similar at different temperatures.
Thus, growing medium EC is a better measure to
determine fertilizer requirements.
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Whole-Plant Photosynthesis and Respiration

• Long-and short-term gas exchange studies have
  been done to determine how plant growth is
  affected by
• Temperature
• Light intensity
• Fertilization
• Insect damage
• Pesticides

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Whole-Plant Photosynthesis and Respiration

• Results have been used to
• Determine the physiological mechanism by which
  plants respond to environmental and cultural
  factors (photosynthesis, growth respiration,
  maintenance respiration, Q10 for respiration,
  carbohydrate use efficiency by plants
• Develop practical guidelines related to
• Fertilizer and temperature requirements of
  different crops
• The effects of insect damage on plant growth, and
  when insecticides need to be applied.

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Cooperative and Interdisciplinary Research

• Intra-departmental cooperated with seven other
  faculty in the department
• Interdisciplinary Cooperated with faculty from
  entomology (3), crop and soil sciences (3), food
  science (2), plant pathology (1), and statistics
  (2)
• National Worked with colleagues from Utah State
  Univ., and Univ. of Tennessee
• International Cooperated with colleagues from
  Germany and South Korea

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FloricultureNeeds Research /Extension

• Support for graduate students
• Technical support
• Better greenhouse facilities
• Financial support from Georgias floriculture
  industry

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Apomixis Dr. Peggy Osias-Akin

• apoaway from mixisact of mixing(male and
  female gametes do not fuse)
• Agamospermy
• Asexual seed formation

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• Different forms of apomixis include apospory,
  diplospory and adventitious embryony

diplospory
We are studying this
meiosis

adventitious embryony
apospory
sexual reproduction
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Coordinated Events That Are Required for Obligate
Gametophytic Apomixis

• Disturbance or elimination of meiosis
• Unreduced embryo sac formation
• Parthenogenetic development of the unreduced egg
• Endosperm formation (pseudogamous or autonomous)

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• Variability
• Outcome of
• Sexual
• Reproduction
• Uniformity
• Outcome of
• Asexual
• reproduction
• (Apomixis)

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• Using genomics and molecular cytogenetics,
• the Ozias-Akins lab is studying the region of
  the genome
• associated with apomictic reproduction (green)
  in Pennisetum

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FloricultureNeeds Research /Extension

• Apomixis in crops could precipitate another green
  revolution. To know if we might utilize the
  trait in crops, we must understand much more
  about female reproduction in plants
• People and resources on a genomics scale will be
  required to address the question of how apomixis
  operates in plants and specifically in our model
  of Pennisetum squamulatum

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Reproductive Studies to Enhance Seed
ProductionDr Hazel Wetzstein

• Pollen viability/storage
• Fertilization events
• Diluents to extend pollen use
• Petunia, Alstroemeria, Pansy

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Tissue Culture of New Selections

• Heat tolerant, Dwarf Aruncus hybrid
• Mass clonal propagation
• Field testing and evaluation

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Conservation of Rare and Threatened Species

• Tissue culture of bromeliads
• Physiological studies
• Reintroduction and sustainable harvest

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• Objectives
• 1. New Crop Program
• - Evaluation, introduction
• 2. Environmental physiology of flowering and
  vegetative characteristics
• - greenhouse, landscape crops

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New Crop Program 1. Plant Evaluation

• The Horticulture Gardens
• Provide a research area for thousands of new
  plants from breeders throughout the world
• - Data delivered on website, lectures and papers
  (eg ASHS, Orlando, ISHS, Toronto)

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New Crop Program Plant Evaluation cont

• College Station Road
• Res. on germplasm for the Ecke corp.
• UGA is main source for recommendations for future
  introductions (Flower Fields)

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New Crop Program
Plant Introduction
- source of funding
- good vehicle for environmental research
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New Crop ProgramPlant Introduction cont
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Environmental Physiology flowering, scheduling

• Flowering schedules for
• Ruellia elegans
• Ruellia Groundhugger
• - Acmella oleracea
• Hydrangea PennyMac

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FloricultureNeeds Research

• Plant Breeder for new crops
• Assistantships for new crop research
• Growth chambers (that work)
• Greenhouse foreman for research houses