ASHS 2024 Conference

Growing Together: Enhancing Accessibility, Engagement, and Inclusion in the Horticulture Society

Accessibility, inclusion, and engagement are foundational to any society, including our own American Society for Horticultural Sciences, ensuring that every community member can contribute to and benefit from the diverse array of knowledge, perspectives, and experiences within the fields of horticulture and plant sciences. This special interest group session is dedicated to fostering these principles within the broader horticultural society, the green industry, and the gardening community. The meeting aims to unite ASHS members who share a passion for the art, science, and business of plants, gardens, landscapes, and gardening, making these accessible to everyone, irrespective of their abilities or backgrounds.

Committee members Heather Kirk-Ballard, Assistant Professor of Consumer Horticulture at Louisiana State University and Sam Humphrey, Graduate Research Association at North Carolina State will lead a discussion to address key topics such as strategies for creating more inclusive systems. We will discuss practical ways to interact, cultivate, and enhance diversity within our workforce and society, aiming to break down barriers that can perpetuate disparities.

In this session, we will discuss the findings from the recent ASHS DEIJA committee climate survey that examined the feedback from members regarding the impact of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice within the American Society for Horticultural Sciences. We acknowledge the resistance some may have towards the formation of a diversity and inclusion committee. As many organizations face similar backlash against DEI initiatives, often due to misunderstandings or perceived threats to the status quo, it is essential to engage in transparent and constructive dialogue. Our aim is to clarify the objectives and benefits of DEI, underscoring its role in promoting fairness, opportunity, and representation for all members of the organization.

The session will include discussions about accessible practices, presentations and workshops that can be designed for individuals with physical disabilities or mobility issues. Strategies to increase participation from diverse community members. This could involve outreach programs for schools, collaboration with a greater community, and events that cater to a wide demographic. Developing programs that cater to people of all ages, abilities, and ethnic backgrounds. This may include bilingual garden tours, programs for the visually impaired, and workshops tailored for elderly gardeners. The meeting also provides a platform for members to share their experiences and best practices in creating inclusive environments. There will be networking opportunities to foster collaborations and partnerships among participants, aiming to build a supportive community that values diversity and inclusion in horticulture. The objective of this meeting is to establish clear, actionable steps that the society can implement to enhance accessibility and engagement. This will ensure that all members of the broader community can fully benefit from the opportunities offered by horticulture.

Coordinator(s)

• Heather Kirk Ballard, SPESS, School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences, Baton Rouge, EBR, United States
• Samson Humphrey, NCSU, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States

Meeting new people is one of the best ways to start collaborating. It can be difficult to meet new people even at the annual conference with so many disciplines represented. This  session /event will provide the following impacts:

• Enhance and develop connections of ASHS members with each other.
• Create a structured time and space for low-pressure conversations and introductions.
• Practice elevator speeches and first impressions for aspiring and experienced professionals.
• Increase potential collaborations across disciplines and ASHS members.

The goal of this session is for participants to meet 10 to 15 people at the conference in a fast but low-pressure time.
 
The Partnership Development Committee (PDC) will create a signup sheet for the event to gauge the number of participants so that the room can best be set along with the time each pair has to converse. All members are welcome, even those who did not sign up prior to the conference. 
We will promote this event via social media, the ASHS newsletter, and by members of the PDC personally reaching out to other ASHS Professional Interest Groups. Participants will be encouraged to bring business cards, resumes, CVs, and job opportunities to this event.

1. Introduction (10-15 minutes)
   1. Establish groundwork for the networking event.
   2. Provide tips and potential questions for participants to ask.
2. Networking session 1 (30 to 35 minutes)
   1. Split into two groups.
   2. Pairs have 6-7 minutes (will determine based on # of participants).
   3. 1 person from each pair will stand up and move to the next chair at the end of the designated time.
3. Break (10-15 minutes)
   1. Opportunity for participants to talk more with someone they connected with.
4. Networking session 2 (30 to 35 minutes)
   1. Moving sets from Groups 1 and 2 swap.
   2. Pairs have 6-7 minutes (will determine based on # of participants).
   3. 1 person from each pair will stand up and move to the next chair at the end of the designated time.
5. Recap and discussion (15-30 minutes)
   1. Sharing opportunity for participants.
   2. Promotion of the collaboration center and other collaborative events.
   3. Opportunity for participants to talk more with someone they connected with.

The amount of time each pair has to discuss will depend on the number of participants and will be determined shortly before the session.

In the this session, the Nursery LEAP (Labor, Engineering, Automation, and Production) Team will present results culminating from a USDA SCRI planning grant survey and related topics. The team will describe current labor challenges, limitations of the current workforce, and opportunities through multiple visa programs. Team members will also present the correlation between perceived barriers to adoption, nursery business characteristics, and the likelihood of adopting automated technologies; nursery producers’ perceptions and intent to use automated nursery technologies; and an overview of current mechanization and automation levels in nurseries. Founders of Moss Robotics, Inc. will share their approach to developing and commercializing AI, computer vision, and machine-learning-based technology for the nursery industry. The session will conclude with a facilitated panel discussion featuring all speakers.
Coordinator(s)

• Jacob Shreckhise, USDA-ARS, U.S. National Arboretum, McMinnville, Tennessee, United States
• Amy Fulcher, University of Tennessee, Plant Sciences, United States
• Anthony LeBude, NC State University, United States
• James Altland, USDA-ARS, Wooster, OH, United States

Moderator - Natalie Bumgarner, University of Tennessee, United States

• The Nursery Industry’s Labor Dilemma – Dr. Anthony LeBude, NC State University, will provide an overview of the US nursery industry’s labor challenges and the threat that these challenges pose to the sustainability of this labor-reliant industry. 10 min
• The Role of U.S. Temporary Foreign Worker Visa Program in Addressing the Green Industry Labor Needs: Challenges and Opportunities - In this presentation, Dr. Margarita Velandia, University of Tennessee, will give a general overview of the H-2A, H-2B, and the TN NAFTA or TN USMCA visa programs and discuss challenges and opportunities associated with each program in addressing the green industry labor needs. 20 min
• Factor’s Correlated with the Propensity to Use Automation and Mechanization – Several of U.S. nursery industry’s characteristics and actions to address labor issues are correlated with the use of the automated technologies. Dr. Alicia Rihn, University of Tennessee, will explore the correlation between perceived barriers of adoption, nursery business characteristics, and the likelihood of adopting automated technologies. 20 min
• Understanding Nursery Producers Perceptions and Intent to Use Automated Nursery Technologies – Dr. Anthony LeBude, NC State University, will describe collaborative work led by Dr. Laura Warner, University of Florida, on using Diffusion of Innovations theory to understand growers’ perceptions of nursery technology and how these perceptions shape growers’ adoption of automation, as well as results from a Theory of Planned Behavior evaluation of nursery growers’ intent to use automation from 4 technology clusters. 20 min
• Nursery Mechanization and Automation Adoption Levels – Dr. Amy Fulcher, University of Tennessee, will present current nursery mechanization and automation adoption levels and compare the current percentage of individual tasks that are automated with 2006 levels. 20 min
• Scouting and Crop Monitoring with Robotics and AI for the Green Industry – Ms. Di Hu and Mr. Shrijit Singh, founders of Moss Robotics, Inc., will discuss how advancements in autonomous driving and AI have unlocked new possibilities for the green industry. Moss leverages robotics, computer vision, and machine learning to revolutionize field scouting, providing nursery producers with cost-effective solutions for efficient crop management and monitoring. In this presentation Ms. Hu and Mr. Singh will explore Moss’ innovative approach, including a case study demonstrating the transformative impact of their robotic field scouting solution. 20 min
• Speaker’s Panel: All speakers will serve on the panel. Dr. James Altland, USDA-ARS, will facilitate the panel session through thoughtful prompts and questions from the audience to foster enriching discussion. 10 min

ASHS Intellectual Property Interest Group Session
Proposal Proposed by: Fruit Breeding Interest Group and Intellectual Property Interest Group

Plant intellectual property is an important topic for plant breeders, universities and private companies who handle the release and exchange of plant materials. On the one hand, properly protecting new cultivars is critical to protect the genetic integrity of the genotype and credit the developer. On the other hand, understanding the types of intellectual property laws relevant to plants is important for breeders/researchers to exchange materials for collaborative evaluation and development. Therefore, this interest group session will focus on plant intellectual protection and material transfer. We will invite speakers from public and private plant breeding programs as well as experts on intellectual property laws to share their knowledge and advice on following areas: Domestic plant protection, International plant protection, Domestic plant material transfer, and International plant material transfer. The topic of intellectual property was voted by members of both interest groups (Fruit Breeding Interest Group and Intellectual Property Interest Group) as a high priority area. This session will greatly benefit plant breeders, researchers, and intellectual property officers.

Coordinator(s)

• Sushan Ru, Auburn University, Auburn, United States
  
  Moderator(s)
• Julia Harshman, Duda Farm Fresh Foods, United States
  
  

Speakers/Participant(s) (15 minutes talk, 5 minutes Q & A)
4:00 – 4:10 pm Introduction and Welcome & Presenting the Outstanding Fruit Cultivar Award

4:10 – 4:30 pm Matthew Clark, Associate Professor & Apple and grape Breeder, University of Minnesota

4:30 – 4:50 pm Neil Anderson, Professor & Ornamental Crop Breeder, University of Minnesota

4:50 – 5:10 pm Fred Gmitter Professor & Citrus Breeder, University of Florida
Title: University of Florida Citrus Breeding Team Experiences and Lessons in IP Management.

5:10 – 5:30 pm Megan Bowman, Corporate Patent and Trademark Lead at Ball Horticultural Company
Title: Intellectual Property in Horticulture: Industry Insights

5:30 – 5: 40 pm David Karp, University of California, Riverside.
David will likely give a summary of his talk on Pomological Nomenclature: Recent Developments and Problems.

5:40 - 6:00 pm Group discussion

Leveraging the inherent genetic diversity conserved in plant resource collections is key to new crops, new cultivars, and adapted germplasm with improved traits that provide food security for a growing population, remain productive amidst rapid climate change, meet shifting consumer demands, and enhance sustainability and efficiency. The USDA National Plant Germplasm System manages large and genetically diverse plant collections representing crop plant species and many of crop wild relatives (CWR) that have significant impacts on crop production. In this Special Topic Session hosted by the Federal Partners Interest Group, scientists of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) will discuss the current efforts and future perspectives on the restoration and utilization of germplasms and CWR at the USDA with a special focus on fruit, nut, and beverage crops.

Coordinator(s)

• Lisa Tang, USDA-ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station, Kearneysville, WV, United States

Moderator(s)

• Lisa Tang, USDA-ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station, Kearneysville, WV, United States
• Matthew Mattia, USDA-ARS U. S. Horticultural Research Laboratory, Fort Pierce, FL, United States

Speaker/Participant(s)

• Lisa Tang, USDA-ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station, Kearneysville, WV, United States
  Introduction of the Federal Partners special session (5 mins)
• Gayle Volk, USDA, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
  The USDA-ARS National Plant Germplasm System Strategic Plan: A roadmap to conserve and utilize U. S. plant genetic resources (15 mins)
  Summary: The USDA-ARS National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) conserves more than 620, 000 accessions of plant genetic resources of crops and crop wild relatives which annually distribute 200, 000+ samples globally. As directed by the 2018 Farm Bill, an NPGS Strategic Plan was developed to address the backlogs in maintenance, characterization, and to enhance utilization. This presentation will provide information about the impacts of the NPGS and details about the NPGS Strategic Plan, which, when funded, will result in: 1) More plant germplasm maintained disease-free, securely backed up, and readily available; 2) Expanded knowledge of the intrinsic genetic variation and high-value traits in NPGS collections; and 3) New plant germplasm with valuable traits acquired, safeguarded and developed. This presentation is authored by Gayle M. Volk (USDA), Marilyn L. Warburton (USDA), Moira Sheehan (Cornell University), Christina Walters (USDA), Stacey Estrada (USDA), Glenn Hanes (USDA), Jim McFerson (USDA), and Peter K. Bretting (USDA-retired).
• Chris Gottschalk, USDA-ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station, Kearneysville, WV, United States
  Into the wild: utilization of wild crop relatives the USDA ARS apple pre-breeding program (15 mins)
  Summary:
• Nahla Bassil, USDA-ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository, Corvallis, OR, United States
  Crop wild relatives of temperate fruits at the Corvallis Genebank: Uses and prospects (10 mins)
  Summary:
• Michael Hardigan, USDA-ARS, Corvallis, OR, United States
  Crop wild relatives of temperate fruits at the Corvallis Genebank: Uses and prospects (10 mins)
  Summary:
• Tracie Matsumoto, USDA-ARS Daniel K. Inouye Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Tropical Plant Genetic Resources and Disease Research Unit, Hilo, HI, United States
  Sub-Tropical/tropical Fruit, Nut, and Beverage Clonal Repository in Hilo, Hawaii (15 mins)
  Summary: The National Clonal Germplasm Repository for Tropical Fruit, Nut and Beverage Crops is located in Hilo, Hawaii and is a part of the National Germplasm Repository System and USDA ARS DKI PBARC Tropical Plant and Genetic Resources Unit. The repository is responsible for collecting, maintaining, evaluating, and distributing germplasm of tropical/subtropical fruit and nut crops. Crops include Pineapple (Ananas), Breadfruit (Artocarpus), Starfruit (Averrhoa), Peach palm (Bactris), Pili nut (Canarium), Papaya (Carica and Vasconcellea), Coffee (Coffea) Longan (Dimocarpus), Litchi (Litchi), Macadamia (Macadamia), Acerola (Malpighia), Rambutan and Pulasan (Nephelium), and Guava (Psidium). In addition to the field and greenhouse collections, we are actively investigating new methods to propagate and effectively manage the collections. We work to characterize the collection for resistance to pest and diseases and genetically characterize the germplasm to determine potential gaps for future collections.
• Qingyi Yu, USDA-ARS Daniel K. Inouye Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Tropical Plant Genetic Resources and Disease Research Unit, Hilo, HI, United States
  Exploring germplasm diversity to understand the domestication process of papaya (15 mins)
  Summary: Papaya (Carica papaya L.), originating and domesticated in southern Mexico and Central America, is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions due to its nutritional benefits and the commercially significant proteolytic enzyme, papain. While wild papaya yields small, seedy fruits with minimal edible flesh, domesticated papaya varieties can weigh over five pounds. Wild papaya populations are exclusively dioecious, whereas cultivated papaya is predominantly gynodioecious, although certain dioecious cultivars exist. In this study, we conducted whole-genome resequencing of 86 diverse papaya accessions, comprising 63 cultivars and 23 wild accessions. To identify regions undergoing selection during domestication and improvement, we scanned for areas exhibiting a drastic reduction in nucleotide diversity in cultivars compared to wild accessions. Our results suggest that papaya domestication involved selecting fruit quality traits such as taste and flesh color. Moreover, we re-sequenced the male-specific region of the Y (MSY) in 24 wild males and the hermaphrodite-specific region of the Yh chromosome (HSY) in 12 cultivated hermaphrodites. The Yh sequence is highly similar to one Y haplotype (MSY3), exclusive to wild dioecious populations in the north Pacific region of Costa Rica. The low MSY3-Yh divergence suggests that hermaphrodite papaya resulted from human domestication.