Source: TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
NURSERY AND GREENHOUSE PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTALS WITH EMPHASIS ON ROSES AND BEDDING PLANTS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1018440
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Dec 27, 2018
Project End Date
Dec 27, 2023
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
750 AGRONOMY RD STE 2701
COLLEGE STATION,TX 77843-0001
Performing Department
Overton-TAMU Agr Res Cntr
Non Technical Summary
The rose industry of northeast Texas occurs within a 50-mile radius of Tyler. Several million rose plants are produced in Smith, Van Zandt and Cherokee County nurseries each growing season (Pemberton, 1992; Pemberton and Karlik, 2015). In all, close to 20 million plants are sold after value added processing with an approximate wholesale value of $50 million. Rose producers must have reliable recommendations based on valid research data for such labor intensive and costly operations as disease and weed control, propagation, irrigation, and fertilization techniques. Cultural recommendations should be developed for field and container production of own-root rose plants, an increasing method of plant production, and for forcing field grown plants in containers. One of the largest impacts on the marketing of rose plants worldwide would be the development of disease resistant varieties for garden use. A major breeding effort is based in College Station and cooperative field trials are needed for evaluating both commercially available germplasm and newly created progeny for field disease resistance.The floriculture industry in northeast Texas is valued at close to $100 million and is centered in Cherokee county. The largest crops are the various species of flowering bedding plants such as impatiens, pansies, petunias, begonias, and vinca. Most major trials of new plant introductions have been traditionally located in other regions of the country. Improvements in the selection of varieties and production methods adapted to local production and gardening conditions are needed. Research is needed to develop methods for height control and environmental manipulation. In addition to bedding plants, many flowering crops are grown such as poinsettias, chrysanthemums, and Easter Lilies, and even cut flowers. For expansion of production for these crops and others that continually emerge onto the market, research is needed to determine which crops can be grown successfully and to generate cultural and marketing recommendations. In addition, the northeast Texas area can be some distance from potential markets. Research on post-production requirements is needed for floricultural crops so that shipping and handling procedures can be optimized. Conserving and reducing the amount of water used for landscape irrigation continues to be a major issue for municipalities throughout Texas and the nation. Landscape irrigation increases dramatically during summer months and contributes substantially to peak demand placed on municipal water supplies. A survey of monthly water use indicated that average peak water consumption increased as much as 3.3 fold during the summer compared to the non-peak months of December, January, and February. Although conservation education programs typically suggest ways to reduce indoor and outdoor water use, information that can provide homeowners and commercial landscape managers with a realistic estimate of the amount of water required to sustain their landscape at an acceptable quality is lacking.
Animal Health Component
80%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
10%
Applied
80%
Developmental
10%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
2022110108015%
2022123108020%
2032199106010%
2042110105010%
2042123105010%
2042122105015%
2122123106010%
5122123310010%
Knowledge Area
212 - Pathogens and Nematodes Affecting Plants; 204 - Plant Product Quality and Utility (Preharvest); 203 - Plant Biological Efficiency and Abiotic Stresses Affecting Plants; 202 - Plant Genetic Resources; 512 - Quality Maintenance in Storing and Marketing Non-Food Products;

Subject Of Investigation
2110 - Ornamental trees and shrubs; 2199 - Ornamentals and turf, general/other; 2123 - Bedding/garden plants; 2122 - Potted plants;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems); 1080 - Genetics; 1050 - Developmental biology; 3100 - Management;
Goals / Objectives
1. Optimize plant selection techniques for disease resistance and heat tolerance and improve cultural practices including irrigation, propagation, fertilization, disease control, and post-production care for growth and marketability of nursery crops including field and container grown rose plants.2. Determine adapted varieties and cultural procedures for the production and post-production care of new and traditional bedding plant and other flowering crops for the northeast Texas area and study the marketability of these crops.3. Determine an appropriate landscape coefficient (Lc) that can be used in combination with potential evapotranspiration (PET) data to improve irrigation scheduling for residential and commercial landscapes.
Project Methods
Objective 1Field resistance trials of rose germplasm will continue for evaluating disease resistance and heat tolerance of breeding populations. Lab techniques will be explored for evaluating seedlings for heat tolerance (Greyvenstein et al., 2015). Leaf material will be selected seasonally from resistant and susceptible landscape roses and controlled cross progeny and challenged with the blackspot fungus (Drewes-Alvarez, 1992). The progression of the disease in leaves of cultivars with differing disease tolerance levels will be studied using light microscopy. Efforts will be made to study a putative hypersensitive response (Conti et al., 1985; Wiggers et al., 1997). The fungus will be grown in culture so that effects of leaf extracts from resistant and susceptible types on fungal growth can be evaluated (Drewes-Alvarez, 1992; Walker et al., 1996). In addition, single spore isolations will be made to define races of the fungus for genetic studies (Drewes-Alvarez, 1992).Efforts will be made to determine the optimum digging dates and cold storage requirements for container forcing of bare-root field grown rose plants (Pemberton and Schuch, 2004). Growth chambers and cold storage units can be used to elucidate chilling requirements for commonly grown cultivars.Studies concerning the development of cold hardiness in rose shoots will continue. Cold hardiness levels will be assessed and correlated to visual maturity development and starch and sugar levels as these factors change in response to environmental changes in temperature and photoperiod (Ali, 1992; McBee et al., 1983; Smith, 1969).The effects of N, P, K, and lime will continue to be evaluated in field and nursery container experiments. Soil or media and leaf samples will be analyzed and used to monitor plant nutrient status in reference to published standards for optimum growth (Assoc. of Off. Ag. Chemists, 1955; Sadasivaiah and Holley, 1971). In addition, the Virginia Tech Extraction Method will be used to monitor media nutrient levels in container experiments (Wright and Niemiera, 1987).Objective 2Bedding plant greenhouse and garden evaluations will continue (Pemberton and Roberson, 2001). Web page development will continue as the primary method of information dispersal to producers and consumers in addition to Field Days and presentations at industry events (http://overton.tamu.edu/flowers/; www.texassuperstar.com). Participation in the statewide Texas Superstar® trials will also continue. In addition, bedding plant cultivars will be evaluated for the need for growth regulation during greenhouse production under northeast Texas conditions. Height control programs will be developed employing the use of growth regulating chemicals and light manipulation to control growth both in the plug and the pack/pot finishing stage (Bae et al., 1994). Also, the effects of high temperatures on flowering in poinsettia will be studied. The interaction between photoperiod and temperature will be studied so that management practices in the Texas production environment can be improved (Pemberton et al., 2015).New flowering crops will be grown to determine the feasibility of production in northeast Texas. Crops will be grown in greenhouse and field plots to evaluate cultural procedures such as height control, environmental manipulation, spacing, shading, support, weed control, fertilization, and watering.Postproduction characteristics of traditional and new floricultural crops will be studied to determine how shelf-life can be prolonged. In addition, efforts will be made to correlate postproduction longevity to garden performance.Plants will be grown so that product combination images can be recorded for consumer preference studies. Conjoint analysis will be used to provide insight to the relative importance of product attributes such as flower color and flower size of pansy and viola (Gaasbeek and Bouwman, 1991). Consumer preference studies do not involve Human Subjects at this time, but may be involved in the future.Objective 3 A model landscape will be installed that will include trees, shrubs, turf and annual color with appropriate irrigation and soil moisture monitoring devices. The landscape will be approximately 2000 square feet and will include at least one large tree, turf, and beds with shrubs and annual color bedding plants. Approximately 96 moisture sensors will be placed in the landscape using a grid pattern with some sensors being strategically placed to monitor a specific plant type or species. Each sensor measures moisture levels over an 8 inch span. They will be placed 10 to 15 feet apart and positioned to measure moisture loss at depths of 0 to 8 inches, 8 to 16 inches, and 16 to 24 inches at each point on the grid. Data will be collected from soil moisture sensors every 30 minutes. Soil moisture loss (inches) will be calculated as the difference in volumetric water content at the same predetermined time on successive days. Actual evapotranspiration (ETa) will be determined by adding soil water loss from each of the three depths for each sensor location. Potential evapotranspiration (PET) will be estimated by the Penman-Monteith equation and meteorological data from a Texas ET Network (http://texaset.tamu.edu) weather station located near the site. Crop coefficients (Kc) and Landscape coefficients (Lc) can then be estimated from the daily average ratios of ETa:PET. Efforts will also be made to quantify water use of individual ornamental species.

Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20

Outputs
Target Audience:Producers and consumers of ornamental plants. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Participated in the annual meeting of the Advisory Board for the National Clean Plant Network Roses in July 2020 as a virtual conference. Participated in the Cultivate Trade Show as a virtual conference in July 2020. Participated in the annual meeting of the American Society for Horticultural Science in August 2020 as a virtual conference. Served on the National Strategic Planning Board and the Extension and Outreach Committee for the National Clean Plant Network. Attended regular virtual meetings during the year. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?This project has produced results and information which can potentially improve plant disease resistance, decrease pesticide applications, increase the economic viability of ornamental horticulture enterprises, improve knowledge of ornamental crop production management and improve plant selection for better landscape performance. This information has been disseminated via field days, presentations at public and professional events, and publications. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The East Texas Ornamental Plant Evaluations were continued with several hundred entries being tested for greenhouse and field performance. Research trials were conducted during the spring and fall seasons. Container trials were included. Outstanding entries to the summer trials were designated. Results are maintained on a website at http://flowers.tamu.edu/ for industry and consumer clientele. Research trials and marketing promotions were conducted for plants designated as Texas Superstar® plants. These plant designations are available at www.texassuperstar.com . The Texas Superstar® brochure was used for educational programming and was updated. Availability was promoted through participation in programs and trade shows and through publications. Studies were continued to determine the effects of high temperatures on flowering in poinsettia using a large group of cultivars and breeding lines. The effect of duration of a high temperature period during floral development was studied using several cultivars. This information is important for producers in latitudes that can experience high temperature delay during the usual time for poinsettia crop production. Work as part of a national team to study rose rosette disease in ornamental roses was continued. Disease incidence and flowering characteristic data were gathered on several hundred roses in field plantings that was replicated at other sites by other research team members. Plantings for field phenotyping include commercial cultivars, recent introductions, and breeding populations created by team members. Experiments were also conducted geared toward improving phenotyping for heat tolerance.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Vafaie, E. K., H. B. Pemberton, M. Gu, D. Kerns, M. D. Eubanks and K. M. Heinz. 2020. A comparison of repetitive releases of single or multiple natural enemy species on the suppression of Bemisia tabaci infesting poinsettias. Biological Control 151: 104407. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2020.104407
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Vafaie, E. K., H. B. Pemberton, M. Gu, D. Kerns, M. D. Eubanks and K. M. Heinz. 2020. Whitefly Abundance on Rooted Poinsettia Cuttings and Finished Poinsettias. HortTechnology 30(4): 486-491. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH04532-19
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Pemberton, B., R. Kobayashi, E. Smith and W. Roberson. 2020. High Temperature Differentially Influences Poinsettia Floral Developmental Events. HortScience 55(9):S215-216 (Poster Abstr.).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Wang, Y., B. Pemberton, D. H. Byrne, P. Hornby and E. L. Young. 2020. The Effects of Spent Flower Removal on Reblooming and Branching Architecture of Garden Roses. HortScience 55(9):S223 (Poster Abstr.).
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Fattorini, A., M. Cornelius and H.B. Pemberton. 2020 (9 July). Field Day Introduction. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14qOG6uP_Hs&feature=youtu.be . 177 views on 15 December 2020.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Fattorini, A., M. Cornelius and H.B. Pemberton. 2020 (9 July). Classic Annual Color. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7y1kJ8-e7w&feature=youtu.be . 196 views on 15 December 2020.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Fattorini, A., M. Cornelius and H.B. Pemberton. 2020 (9 July). Flowers for the Shade. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uttdWcr8DBU&feature=youtu.be . 189 views on 15 December 2020.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Fattorini, A., M. Cornelius and H.B. Pemberton. 2020 (9 July). Heat Lovers Paradise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oc-Nbg5cQwM&feature=youtu.be . 182 views on 15 December 2020.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Fattorini, A., M. Cornelius and H.B. Pemberton. 2020 (9 July). Big and Bold. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4CvMGylw9I&feature=youtu.be . 119 views on 15 December 2020.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Russell, A. 2020 (27 February). Make pruning an annual part of maintaining your roses. https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2020/02/27/make-pruning-an-annual-part-of-maintaining-your-roses/ . Written about faculty member research.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Russell, A. 2020 (13 July). East Texas Horticultural Field Day Virtual Tour. https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2020/07/13/east-texas-horticultural-field-day-virtual-tour/ . Written about faculty member research.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Russell, A. 2020 (17 March). Tidal Wave Red Velour Spreading Petinia latest Texas Superstar release. https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2020/03/17/looking-for-a-texas-tough-petunia-tidal-wave-series-has-you-covered/ . Written about faculty member research.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Russell, A. 2020 (8 April). Purslane adds color that can take the Texas heat. https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2020/04/08/purslane-adds-color-that-can-take-the-texas-heat/ . Written about faculty member research.
  • Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2020 Citation: Fattorini, A., M. Cornelius and H.B. Pemberton. 2020 (9 July). Novelties and Promotions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJWi7PXd4PU&feature=youtu.be . 98 views on 15 December 2020.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Fattorini, A., M. Cornelius and H.B. Pemberton. 2020 (9 July). Perennial Color. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FakMdIsBosI&feature=youtu.be . 134 views on 15 December 2020.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Fattorini, A., M. Cornelius and H.B. Pemberton. 2020 (9 July). Containers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZaTSOVtHoc&feature=youtu.be . 115 views on 15 December 2020.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Pemberton, H.B. 2020 (18 June). Preview of the Overton Field Day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=met9asaJfT0&feature=youtu.be . 343 views on 15 December 2020. Sponsored by Dr. M. Gu with Chat with Green Aggies.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Pemberton, H.B. 2020 (26 June). Overton Field Day  The Labor Day Report for 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oQdDjQzgps&feature=youtu.be . 235 views on 15 December 2020.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Pemberton, H.B. 2020 (10 September). Exciting New Plants in the Pipeline  Early Bird Results Overton Trials 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ6Zm5rHxd0&feature=youtu.be . 24 views on 15 December 2020. Sponsored by Dr. C. Hall with the Southern Risk Management Education Center and the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Russell, A. 2020 (23 April). Pentas past and present are Texas Superstars. (https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2020/04/23/pentas-past-and-present-are-texas-superstars/ . Written about faculty member research.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Russell, A. 2020 (5 June). Mexican heather makes Texas Superstar list. https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2020/06/05/mexican-heather-makes-texas-superstar-list/ . Written about faculty member research.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Russell, A. 2020 (8 May). Blue Daze named Texas Superstar. https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2020/05/08/blue-daze-named-texas-superstar/ . Written about faculty member research.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Russell, A. 2020 (26 June). New Texas Superstar brochure updates highlighted plants. https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2020/06/26/new-texas-superstar-brochure-updates-highlighted-plants/ . Written about faculty member research.


Progress 12/27/18 to 09/30/19

Outputs
Target Audience:Producers and consumers of ornamental plants. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Participated in the California Spring Trials event in March 2019 in several cities in California. Participated in the annual meeting of the Advisory Board for the National Clean Plant Network Roses in April 2019 in College Station, Texas. Participated in the annual meeting of the American Society for Horticultural Science in August 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Served on the National Strategic Planning Board and the Extension and Outreach Committee for the National Clean Plant Network. Attended face-to-face meetings in Sacramento in March and June 2019. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?This project has produced results and information which can potentially improve plant disease resistance, decrease pesticide applications, increase the economic viability of ornamental horticulture enterprises, improve knowledge of ornamental crop production management and improve plant selection for better landscape performance. This information has been disseminated via field days, presentations at public and professional events, and publications. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The East Texas Ornamental Plant Evaluations were continued with several hundred entries being tested for greenhouse and field performance. Research trials were conducted during the spring and fall seasons. Container trials were included. Outstanding entries to the summer trials were designated. Results are maintained on a website at http://flowers.tamu.edu/ for industry and consumer clientele. Research trials and marketing promotions were conducted for plants designated as Texas Superstar® plants. These plant designations are available at www.texassuperstar.com . The Texas Superstar® brochure was used for educational programming. Availability was promoted through participation in programs and trade shows and through publications. Studies were continued to determine the effects of high temperatures on flowering in poinsettia using a large group of cultivars and breeding lines. The effect of duration of a high temperature period during floral development was studied using several cultivars. This information is important for producers in latitudes that can experience high temperature delay during the usual time for poinsettia crop production. Work funded by a research grant from the Specialty Crops Research Initiative as part of a national team to study rose rosette disease in ornamental roses was continued. Disease incidence and flowering characteristic data were gathered on several hundred roses in field plantings that was replicated at other sites by other research team members. Plantings for field phenotyping include commercial cultivars, recent introductions, and breeding populations created by team members.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Kang, S., M. Yan, E. Roundey, J. Lau, H.B. Pemberton, C. Bishop, K. Ong, P.E. Klein and D.H. Byrne. 2019. Resistance of garden roses to cercospora leaf spot. Acta Hort. 1232:221-226.*
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Pemberton, H.B., D.H. Byrne, W.R. Roberson and A. Black. 2019. Categorization of garden roses for field growth response to black spot disease. Acta Hort. 1232:233-239.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Hopkins, K., M.A. Arnold, C.R. Hall, H.B. Pemberton and M. Palma. 2019. Morphological traits of commercial floricultural interest in Ratibida columnifera in Texas. HortScience 54(9):S295-296 (Poster Abstr.).
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Russell, A. 2019 (27 February). Pruning roses promotes growth, adds vigor to plants. https://today.agrilife.org/2019/02/27/pruning-roses-promotes-growth-adds-vigor-to-plants/ . Written about faculty member research.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Russell, A. 2019 (30 May). East Texas Horticultural Field Day June 27 in Overton. https://today.agrilife.org/2019/05/30/east-texas-horticultural-field-day-june-27-in-overton/ . Written about faculty member research.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Russell, A. 2019 (28 June). East Texas Horticultural Field Draws flower, vegetable gardeners. https://today.agrilife.org/2019/06/28/east-texas-horticultural-field-day-draws-flower-vegetable-gardeners/ . Written about faculty member research.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Grassi, M. 2019 (16 October). 9 plant varieties that stood out at 2019 Texas A&M Field Trials. https://www.greenhousegrower.com/varieties/9-varieties-that-stood-out-at-2019-texas-am-field-trials/ . Written about faculty member research.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Byrne, D.H., P.E. Klein, C. Hall, M. Windham, F.M. Ochoa-Corona, J. Olson, M. Paret, B. Babu, G. Knox, R. Jordan, J. Hammond, K. Ong, R. Ochoa, G.B. Bauchan, T. Evans, A. Windham, F. Hale, M.A. Palma, L. Ribera and H.B. Pemberton. 2019. Combating rose rosette disease US national project. Acta Hort. 1232:203-212.*
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Byrne, D.H., H.B. Pemberton, D.J. Holeman, T. Debener, T.M. Waliczek and M.A. Palma. 2019. Survey of the rose community: desired rose traits and research issues. Acta Hort. 1232:189-192.*
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Greyvenstein, O., H.B. Pemberton, G. Niu, T. Starman and D.H. Byrne. 2019. Heat tolerance in garden roses. Acta Hort. 1232:165-170.