ASHS 2024 Conference

Precision Nutrition Management: Finding Optimal Methods for Leaf Nutrient Analysis in HLB-affected Citrus Trees - Meryam Manzoor
Cover Crop Effects on HLB-affected Citrus Tree Growth and Soil Characteristics: Results From a 3-year Field Trial - Lorenzo Rossi
More Frequent Irrigation Increases Yield in HLB-Affected Sweet Orange - Tripti Vashisth
Impact of Different Organic Matter Contents on ‘US-942’ Citrus Rootstock Physiology, Nutrient Uptake, and Root Morphology - Lukas Hallman
Soil Amendment Strategies to Rehabilitate Freeze Damaged Citrus Trees for Sustainable Crop Management - Shad Nelson
Physiological and Metabolomic Changes in Young Citrus Trees Under Elevated CO₂ and High Temperatures: A longitudinal study in Mandarins (C. reticulata.) - Taylor Hornburg
Reports and research on incorporating cover crops in Florida citriculture, 1896 – 2024 - Lorenzo Rossi

Effective fertilizer management and accurate nutritional analysis are critical for healthy tree growth and maximum yield. Citrus trees perform best in the optimum range of each nutrient, and a deficiency or excess can result in poor tree growth and yield. Accurate fertilizer management decisions for citrus trees begin with proper leaf sampling. To accurately assess tree nutrition status, the appropriate time and procedure for collecting leaves for nutrient analysis must be followed. Historically, nutrient management for healthy citrus trees involved annual leaf sampling from July to August, with subsequent year fertilization plans based on single nutrient analysis. Currently, nearly all commercial Florida citrus orchards are affected by Huanglongbing (HLB), a systemic bacterial disease that affects all citrus varieties and rootstocks, causing extensive tree health decline. Studies suggest that a good nutrition program can improve the tree health and production of HLB-affected trees. However, the key is to supply the nutrients that are deficient or low. This widespread prevalence of HLB needs new approaches for managing fertilizer programs by regular leaf sampling to identify tree nutrient status and requirements. Thus, this study focuses to improve and revise the leaf nutrient sampling guideline for HLB-affected trees by determining the optimal time for leaf sampling and adjusting fertilization for increased production and tree health. Key objectives include assessing the frequency of leaf sampling required per year to capture the tree's nutritional status effectively and adjust fertilizer accordingly to establish the correlation of leaf nutrient concentration with the yield, fruit drop, and canopy density. For this study, spring and summer emerging flushes were tagged on HLB-affected ‘Hamlin’ and ‘Valencia’ mild and severe sweet orange trees in a central Florida orchard over two years. The leaves from tagged branches were collected every 3 months for leaf nutrient analysis and the results of both spring and summer leaves were used to adjust the fertilization plan accordingly. It was found that the spring emerging flush was optimal in adjusting the fertilizer for the highest yield compared to the summer emerging flush. With the use of precision fertilization, the improvement in tree canopy density and fruit yield was more obvious in mildly HLB-symptomatic trees compared to severely symptomatic trees. Our results demonstrate the growers should be performing nutrient sampling quarterly and use this information to precisely manage fertilization and improve tree productivity.

Citrus greening, or Huanglongbing (HLB), poses a severe threat to Florida’s citrus industry, impacting tree health and yield. Due to the lack of a known cure, growers employ various strategies to manage its effects, including increased nutrient application. However, in regions like the Indian River District (IRD), characterized by poor soil fertility and organic matter content, nutrient retention is challenging. Consequently, there is growing interest in using cover crops to enhance soil fertility. Despite this, there is limited published data on their effectiveness in the IRD. To address this gap, a collaborative study was initiated in Ft. Pierce, Florida, involving a commercial grower and the University of Florida. A three-year field trial, employing a randomized complete block design with four blocks, included ‘Star Ruby’ grapefruit trees grafted on ‘US-942’ rootstock, ‘Bearss’ lemon trees on ‘Sour Orange’ rootstock, and ‘OLL’ sweet orange trees on 'US-942' rootstock. Two treatments were applied: conventional (without cover crops) and experimental (with cover crops). Cover crops were planted bi-annually (winter and summer), grown, and terminated at each season’s end. Soil nutrient content, organic matter, microbiome diversity, moisture, and temperature, as well tree and root growth parameters were measured seasonally. After three years of cover cropping, significant differences in soil nutrient content, organic matter, and microbiome diversity were observed between the conventional and experimental treatments, suggesting potential impacts of cover crops on soil characteristics. However, there were no noticeable effects on tree growth or physiology. This study is ongoing and aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the long-term effects of cover cropping on soil parameters in HLB-affected citrus groves, informing sustainable management practices in citrus cultivation.

Huanglongbing (HLB) causes a steady decline in tree health. Part of this decline includes root dieback which limits their capacity to take up water. For this reason, affected trees tend to be more susceptible to drought stress. This raises a significant concern during the dry season (Oct-May) when trees are largely dependent on supplemental irrigation for water. Unfortunately, most growers continue using irrigation schedules that were optimized for healthy trees. We hypothesized that irrigating more frequently, but in smaller doses would provide more opportunities for uptake and improve water relations in HLB-affected trees. The control treatment received the standard practice of irrigating every other day for 2 hours (12 gal/hr). The experimental treatment received water every day, 3 times a day, for 20 minutes (12 gal/hr). The two treatments received the same amount of water over the course of a week, but the experimental treatment received water more often. Treatments were initiated prior to flowering in January 2022 and were continued for two years. Tree water status improved in the experimental trees as reflected in higher mid-day leaf water potentials than in the control. This suggests the experimental regime was better able to maintain tree water status than the conventional method. In the second year, flowering was more synchronized in the experimental treatment. The control treatment saw two peaks in bud production with the latter one being consistent with a drought stress-induced flowering event. The experimental trees also saw an increase in fruit set in both years. Trees receiving the experimental and control treatments dropped a similar proportion of their crop load during June Drop and preharvest fruit drop in year 1 and 2. Finally, the experimental treatment resulted in significantly higher yields on average than the control in both year 1 and year 2 (72% and 200%, respectively). Altogether, more frequent irrigation improved tree productivity.

The disease citrus greening (HLB, Huanglongbing) continues to decimate Florida’s citrus industry, resulting in the lowest yields since the 1940s. With no cure or tolerant rootstock/scion combinations available, growers must manage the disease. Although increased fertilizer applications have been shown to improve tree health, the additional inputs are expensive and decrease operational profitability. As a result, interest has grown in improving soil fertility parameters such as organic matter, with the goal of reducing inputs and increasing horticultural sustainability. Despite the recognized potential of organic matter, little research has been undertaken to establish the optimal contents required to improve citrus root characteristics. The objective of this study was to answer two specific questions: what are the amounts of organic matter needed to significantly affect citrus root growth and physiology? And how does the incorporation of organic matter influence nutrient availability? To answer these questions, a six-month completely randomized greenhouse experiment was conducted to measure the impact of different soil organic matter contents on potted citrus trees. Six different treatments consisting of different organic matter contents (0% - control, 1%, 2%, 3%, 5%, and >10%) were created by mixing different amounts of locally sourced compost with sand. One-year-old ‘US-942’ (Citrus reticulata x Poncirus trifoliata) rootstock plants (n = 6 per treatment) were grown in the different mixtures for six months under controlled greenhouse conditions. During the study, soil moisture, plant height, and stem diameters were assessed every other month. At the conclusion of the study, total plant and root biomass, root nutrients, average root length, and average root diameter were measured. Results from the study indicated that higher organic matter contents (>2%) led to significantly increased plant biomass and stem diameter, and increased root growth. Significant results were also found at the soil level, where increased organic matter contents led to increased nutrient retention and increased root uptake of nutrients. Additional investigation is needed to better understand the advantages of increasing organic matter content, even by marginal percentages, utilizing grafted citrus trees of various cultivars in field trials. Such trials would provide insights into the practical implications of these findings within the industry.

Citrus in key citrus production states in the U.S. have been heavy hit from insect borne and disease pressures. The bacterial disease Huanglongbing (HLB) has had devastating impacts on the citrus industry in Florida. Despite having this threat to the Texas industry as well, the most recent negative impact to decrease citrus acreage has been due to harsh climatic events. In February 2021, citrus groves in south Texas were hit with icy weather that exposed orchards to prolonged freezing temperatures for several hours. The impacts of this one event reduced citrus orchards in south Texas by approximately 25% (over 2,800 ha or 7,000 acres). Climate variability has increased grower awareness to the potential for more frequent extensive drought and freezing winter periods. To better evaluate how to rehabilitate freeze damaged citrus trees, a two-year field study was created aimed at improving tree root health and soil conditions. Compost amendment (CA) was broadcast applied as well as application underneath the tree canopy of grapefruit trees in combination with varying nitrogen fertilizer rate application. Three fertilizer treatments: T1 (base rate = 112 kg N ha-1), T2=1.5x and T3=2x the T1 base rate were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with (11.2 Mg CA ha-1) and without CA in Rio Red grapefruits. Results indicated that root abundance significantly increased under composted trees compared to non-composted trees. Composted trees led to higher yields within 18 months following the freeze event compared to non-composted trees. The impacts of this research may aid Texas citrus growers and other producers looking to improve in-field management strategies that may assist in preparation for post-freeze weather events and extended seasons of water scarcity.

As the atmospheric levels of CO₂ continue to rise, the concentration of carbon sources available for the plants also increases photosynthesis. The rise in atmospheric CO₂ is associated with global temperatures, resulting in an array of plant responses. Studies evaluating plant response to CO₂ treatments of 350 plant species show that plant responses are highly variable and species dependent, with the majority of studies being conducted on vegetable and grain crops, leaving a gap in understanding how tree crops respond. Mandarin (C. reticulata) trees are an economically important crop produced in California subject to climate change. This study used nursery trees of cv. Tango budded on C35 rootstock to determine the effect of elevated CO₂ exposure (400 ppm ambient vs. 800 ppm elevated) at elevated temperature (28°C ambient vs. 45°C elevated) to identify the physiological and metabolomic plant responses associated with each treatment. A longitudinal investigation was conducted over eight weeks in growth chambers (Conviron A1000, Winnipeg, CA) utilizing four treatment groups: ambCO2/Tamb (Control: CO2 400 ppm/Temperature 28°C); eCO2/Tamb (elevated CO2 at 800 ppm/Temperature 28°C); ambCO2/eTemp (CO2 at 400 ppm/Temperature 45°C); and eCO2/eTemp (CO2 at 800 ppm/ Temperature 45°C). Every two weeks, four replicates were collected from each treatment group. physiological measurements, photosynthesis response surveys, and metabolomic analysis were performed. Phenotypic measurements such as plant height, branches, leaf area, and leaf count showed that plant growth was impacted by treatment. Plant height, dry weight, and leaf count were significantly lower in the ambCO2/eTemp treatment as compared to the control (ambCO2/Tamb) as well as the other two treatments, indicating heat stress. Under elevated CO2 levels, trees were able to exhibit similar growth behaviors as the control treatment even under heat stress, signaling that the trees under eCO2 could compensate for a higher burden on carbon balance under heat stress. eCO2/Tamb trees accumulated significantly higher starch than all other treatments, whereas trees under both eTemp treatments showed significantly higher soluble sugars while significantly lower starch levels. This indicates that the trees under supplemental CO2 accumulate higher photoassimilates when they are free from heat stress, and the trees under heat stress exhibit starch conversion to soluble sugars as a stress response. Metabolomics analysis using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) will provide valuable insight into the impact of treatment groups of eCO₂ and eTemp impact on Mandarin trees.

Florida is perhaps the state in the U.S. most identified with citrus cultivation. The warm winters, abundant sunshine and significant rainfall are qualities which promote this industry, although other factors make producing these fruits on larger groves more arduous. These include limited nutrient concentrations, problematic drainage dynamics, and low organic matter and cation exchange capacity. Such issues combine to make citrus production in Florida highly dependent on external inputs of labor and material, both of which can be financially burdensome and demonstrate high volatility in price or availability from year to year. Cover crops have the potential to cost-effectively amend many soil issues in Florida citrus groves if they are established and maintained according to certain management practices. This principle was first presented at the Florida State Horticultural Society meeting in the late 1890s, and then clarified by Harold Hume in Citrus Fruits and their Culture in 1904. Later, the non-native legumes Crotolaria pallida and Crotolaria juncea were identified in multiple publications as soil-building cover crops which could be implemented into Floridian citrus production. Florida’s citrus production in the wake of World War II saw a decline in its incorporation of legume cover crops in favor of synthetic fertilizers. More modern research initiatives in Florida focused primarily on the mitigation of transmissible disease like Phytophthora root rot and citrus canker, a trend which has become more apparent following the discovery of citrus greening in 2005 and the stark decreases in yields this bacterial illness has been the primary cause of. In response, a number of Florida citrus growers have adopted cover crop mixes featuring legumes to supply disease-afflicted citrus roots with a sustainable and regular source of nitrogen. This presentation will review past literature and will also discuss current research on legume cover crops that have the potential to bolster citrus operations which is being conducted by individuals in the state of Florida.

Saffron (Crocus sativus) Production in North Central New Mexico - Saeid Zehtab Salmasi
Experiences Cropping Wasabi in Inland Oregon - Clint Taylor
Double-season production of hops (Humulus lupulus L.) with photoperiod manipulation in a subtropical climate - Shinsuke Agehara
Brewing Conditions and UV treatment affect Shelf Life of Cold-brew US-grown Tea - Yan Chen
Withering Duration and Drying Temperature Significantly Affect Postharvest Quality of Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) - Mengzi Zhang
Consumer preference of saffron uses in baked goods and dishes - Hideka Kobayashi

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) holds a high economic value as the world's most expensive spice. It plays a crucial role in many small farm economies in countries such as Iran, India, Afghanistan, Greece, Morocco, Spain, and Italy. In this project the effects of three different corm size (10 ,9 , and 8 ) on saffron stigma’s yield were studied in hoop house and open field production systems in a randomized complete block design with three replications at Certified Organic Farm of the Sustainable Agriculture Science Center of New Mexico State University in Alcalde located in north central New Mexico. Saffron corms were planted 6 to 8 inches in depth and 6 inches apart on September 19, 2023. The saffron flowers were harvested from October 18th until November 6th, 2023, in different treatments. Flowering started earlier and the flowering period was longer in plots planted with bigger corms. Saffron flowers picked up in the morning and then the stigmas were separated and dehydrated at 100 °C for ten minutes. The first-year results showed that the highest number of flowers were obtained from 10 corm size plots. The highest yield of dehydrated stigmas was also harvested from 10 corm size in high tunnel production system with 3.43 Kg/ha (3.06 lbs./acre). The bigger corms of saffron produced significantly higher stigma yield than smaller ones; 2.84 kg/ha (2.53 lbs./acre) for 10 corms vs 0.89 kg/ha (0.79 lbs./acre) for 8 corms, however, the difference between saffron yield in high tunnel and open field production systems was not significant. In summary the outcome of this research shows that saffron can be produced successfully even in open field production system in northern New Mexico and using bigger corms for planting may produce higher saffron in the first year, although the evaluation of winter hardiness and the following years performance will be necessary.

Wasabi (Eutrema japonicum) is a high-value and notoriously difficult crop traditionally cultivated in East Asia. There has been some limited commercial cultivation of the crop in the Pacific Northwest, including in the coastal mountains of Oregon. This presentation shares insights into the challenges and approaches to inland wasabi farming, focusing on environmental conditions, potential growing systems, and media types. Key points include: 1. Environmental Conditions: Wasabi has a narrow range of light, temperature, and water requirements and is prone to a myriad of fungal and bacterial diseases. Knowing this narrow range is essential to the practicality of commercial wasabi production. Balancing the ideal environmental factors for wasabi without creating disease outbreaks is a primary challenge in wasabi production. 2. Growing System

Hops (Humulus lupulus L.) have an ancient history of cultivation in temperate climates primarily as an ingredient of beer. However, growing hops in subtropical or tropical climates has been challenging because of non-optimal day length conditions. We examined the potential of subtropical hop production with photoperiod manipulation. ‘Cascade’ hops were grown in Florida, United States with extended day length (>16.5 hours) using light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs to inhibit flowering until sufficient vegetative growth was achieved. Phenology, plant growth, yield, and cone quality data were collected during the first two years after planting. With as little as 0.47 μmol/m2/s, photoperiod extension was effective in inhibiting flowering, while promoting vegetative growth. Uniform flowering was induced upon the discontinuation of photoperiod extension. As a result, plants achieved two growing cycles per year, with the spring and fall growing seasons running from February to July and July to December, respectively. Yield increased by 92% from Year 1 to Year 2 but decreased by 37% from the spring to fall growing season. The maximum yield was 465 kg/ha in Year 2 Spring. Cone quality was greatly affected by both year and season, with α acid, β acid, and total oil concentrations ranging from 2.7% to 6.2%, 1.9% to 3.2% and 0.14 to 0.53 mL/100 g, respectively. These results demonstrate that, with an aid of photoperiod manipulation for flowering control, ‘Cascade’ hops exhibit high phenological plasticity and acclimation capacity to subtropical climatic conditions. This study provides a foundation for developing the double-season hop production system in a subtropical climate.

Tea, Camellia sinensis, is grown around the world under diverse geographic and climatic conditions and can be cultivated as a specialty crop in the U.S. U.S. specialty tea growers cater to the high-quality specialty tea niche market, and innovations in mechanization and novel products increase profitability. The objective of this study was to develop a cold brew methodology that would maximize the flavor characteristics and shelf life of cold brew black teas to facilitate the development of new products. 'Black Magnolia' from the Great Mississippi Tea Co. (Brookhaven, MS) was used to determine combinations of cold brew conditions affecting taste and health-promoting compositions (polyphenol and caffeine), including selected combinations of tea-to-water ratio (1, 2, and 3g of tea per cup of water), temperature (40, 45, 50, 55, and 60°F), brewing time (6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 hours), and particle size (whole-leaf, coarse, and fine). Selected conditions were then used in a UV light experiment to compare shelf life (microbial growth at 2, 4, and 6 days after brewing) using hot water-brewed tea as a control. Results indicate that, for this specific black tea, 2g per cup at higher temperatures of 55 to 60°F resulted in comparable polyphenol contents to hot water brew, but lower caffeine concentrations. However, compared to lower temperatures, teas made at this range of temperatures resulted in a higher number of yeast and mold by day 4. Brewing at 45°F for 14 hours resulted in comparable polyphenol contents as hot water brew and was described with more positive words compared to a shorter brewing time during sensory surveys conducted on campus with over 100 students. Initial testing of UV light treatments for 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 hours of duration before cold brew indicated that UV light is insignificant in reducing microbial growth. Further research is needed to improve the UV treatment or use other methods to extend the shelf life of cold brew tea. The best brewing conditions obtained from this study could be of guidance for future large-scale consumer sensory evaluations that will compare the flavor of four U.S.-grown black teas to imported specialty teas and their health-benefiting compounds. This next study will provide essential and important information for U.S. tea growers and consumers on how U.S.-grown tea performs in comparison with internationally known black teas and potential enhancements to maximize the health benefits and popularity of U.S.-grown specialty tea.

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is an ethnobotanical plant with high medicinal value that has been historically utilized in Southeast Asia as a traditional remedy for fatigue mitigation and productivity enhancement. Recently, it has attracted widespread attention, particularly in North America and Europe, for its potential for pain management and alleviating opioid withdrawal symptoms and has become an important source for future drug development. Postharvest processing represents a key step in the kratom farm-to-pharm chain where products undergo chemical modifications before reaching consumers. In this study, we investigated how different withering durations, drying temperatures, and lighting conditions could affect kratom postharvest product qualities. Leaves were harvested from cultivar H and mixed well before randomly assigned to one of four withering durations (0, 12, 24, and 72 h) at 25 ℃ in the dark and subsequently one of five drying temperatures (-40, 25, 40, 60, and 80 ℃). Additionally, leaves were dried at 25 ℃ under either light or dark. Overall, withering at 25 ℃ significantly increased mitragynine concentration. Compared to 0 h withering, a 12 h withering followed by drying at -40, 25, 40, or 60 ℃ increased mitragynine concentrations by 117%, 17-123%, 16-61%, and 43-103%, respectively. The 12 h withering increased the concentration of speciogynine and paynantheine by 27-28% and 35-67%, respectively, when leaves were dried below 40 ℃. In contrast, speciociliatine levels initially decreased during 12 or 24 h withering but subsequently elevated after the withering duration increased to 72 h. Drying temperatures and light exposure generally had little effect on the biosynthesis of most of the alkaloids. However, an alternation in kratom powder color was noticed for those with a short withering duration and subsequently a high drying temperature. Other minor alkaloids including corynoxine A, corynoxine B, speciofoline, isospeciofoline, mitraphylline, and ajmalicine were below the lower limit of quantifications. Taken together, our study shows that withering and subsequent drying temperatures have significant effects on the color and content of bioactive compounds of kratom, and further research on optimizing kratom postharvest processing is needed.

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is a perennial cormous crop, possibly originated in Iran, cultivated in the Mediterranean climate region, including Iran, Afghanistan, Spain, Greece, and Kashmir. Due to the labor-intensive harvesting and processing involved, saffron is known as the most expensive spice. Its production has seen a revival in certain regions of the U.S., and Kentucky State University has been evaluating its potential as a niche crop for small and limited-resource farmers in Kentucky since 2019. One objective of this portion of the study was to evaluate consumer preferences for saffron used in various recipes. Two sets of sensory evaluation were conducted with saffron containing cheesecakes and baked goods (i.e., pound cake and short bread). There were three types of cheesecakes (vanilla, lemon, and persimmon) with and without saffron flakes. Overall, test subjects preferred cheesecakes without saffron, with the lemon cheesecake without saffron being the most popular combination. In contrast, participants showed preference for saffron containing recipes over the ones without saffron for the sensory evaluation of both baked goods, especially shortbread. A preliminary test for taste testing was conducted with pound cake to determine the optimal content of saffron. There were three levels of saffron, which was first dissolved in water, and then added to mixture, for both pound cake and shortbread (0, 0.5 and 1.0 tbsp/recipe). The current findings suggest that consumers are favorable of baked goods when saffron is compatible and used in the correct amount and possibly in the correct form.

Exploring Markets for Horticultural Food Crops in Midwestern United States - Linda Prokopy
An expanded scope of ethnic crops research and outreach in the United States: implications on immigration and urban food - Fernanda Krupek
Youth Sustainable Agriculture Urban Farming Entrepreneurship Program: An Overview and Pilot Results from Urban Farming - Kathryn Orvis
Connecting the Dots: Creating School Garden and Produce Taste Testing Programs in Kentucky - Cindy Finneseth
Garden to Pantry: An Interactive and Interdisciplinary Approach to Growing and Preserving Produce - Rebecca Catalena
Fermented Hot Pepper Sauce as a Model for New Value-Added Opportunities for Local Food Production - Matthew Behrends
The Missouri Produce Growers Video Newsletter – Digestible, Accessible and Impactful Extension Education - Justin Keay
The Center for Sustainability of Farms and Families: Impacts of The Small Scale Farm Grant on Local Foods in Kentucky - Joni Nelson
The Waimānalo Learning Center: Land-Grant Experiment Stations as a Space to Heighten Community Engagement and Advancement - Ilima Ho-Lastimosa

Agricultural communities in the Midwest face ongoing economic, environmental, and social challenges. A variety of research shows that increasing diversity in an agricultural system can help overcome these challenges. The Diverse Corn Belt (DCB) is a USDA-NIFA funded project focuses on developing an evidence-based framework and vision of how to enable a more diverse agricultural landscape across the Corn Belt (Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana). This interdisciplinary project is exploring and promoting diversity at the farm, landscape, and market levels through Research, Extension, and Education. We have completed 18 focus groups across Indiana, Illinois and Iowa with conventional and diversified farmers, interviews with horticultural growers, and surveys of retailers, processors, and consumers. Last year we presented results from focus groups and interviews. This year, we add results from survey findings to highlight gaps between different stakeholders in the horticultural value chain, as well as the most valuable food labels among consumers, retailers, and processors.

The participation of immigrant, refugee and communities of conflict-displaced former agricultural professionals in urban agriculture and local food systems has steadily increased in the United States over the past decades. Even though production and access of culturally appropriate crops has the potential to nourish the health and social fabric of communities and contribute to the local economy, less is known about the extant literature related to research and outreach on ethnic crops. This presentation will cover preliminary results of an ongoing systematic review collating peer-reviewed and gray literature published from 2000 to the present to identify, map, and describe existing research and outreach efforts on culturally relevant crops in the United States. Our findings will have the potential to offer a greater understanding of the current state of knowledge to inform the focus of future research on innovative models for more sustainable and local urban production.

Urban agriculture initiatives developed for youth have the capacity to motivate learning, include minority groups, and allow participation in activities that foster self-growth, community engagement, and entrepreneurship. This pilot study builds on a partnership between a midwestern university and the Felege Hiywot Center’s (FHC) successful youth urban farming program, now focusing on how that programing could contribute to developing life skills, sustainable agriculture knowledge, and entrepreneurial skills. A mixed methods approach was utilized, including pre/post surveys, student presentations, and observations. Participants were twenty-eight high school aged youth, of which 91% self-identified as African American. Main foci of the project were participants’ life skills, entrepreneurial skills and mindset, sustainable agriculture content, and community collaborations. Key findings from the summer pilot post survey (n=23) indicate that 70% of participants responded that they could develop their own business plan, 83% believe that external changes create opportunities for an urban ag business; and 65% believed they could build connections with people they had not before. Knowledge around sustainable agriculture shows room for improvement where only 30% could identify what percentage of food grown globally is wasted annually, and 43% believed that technology development, adoption and utilization is not a part of sustainable agriculture; however, sixty five percent of participants could identify the three sustainability pillars: economics, environment, and social. The program's influence on participants' future plans was of interest, with 52% self-reporting a change in their outlook. This impact can be attributed to the collaborative efforts of volunteers, professionals, sponsors, and the structured nature of the FHC program, which also emphasizes the importance of individual backgrounds. The potential to impact and enhance life skills, foster self-awareness, improving family communication, and open avenues for future education and career opportunities will allow for a broader development and expansion of this project. This pilot contributes to the broader discourse on youth programs in urban agriculture by highlighting the integrative approach of experiential learning, farm-based education, and student-centered learning within a youth development framework. While early in the project, this pilot shows promise in underlining the critical role of urban agriculture programs in shaping the lives and future prospects of minority youth.

More than one-third of adolescents are overweight or obese in Kentucky. Access to and consumption of fruits and vegetables is important to maintain a healthy weight and reduce disease risk; however, in Kentucky adolescents, 44.6% reported consuming fruit less than once daily and 42.7% reported consuming vegetables less than once daily. Research has shown that farm to school (F2S) activities lead to improvements in student health behaviors, including: an increase in the consumption of and preference for fruits and vegetables, and improved knowledge and attitudes to nutrition. F2S activities have been shown to have strong benefits relative to economic development, public health, education, environment, and equity and community engagement and include 3 core elements – procurement of local food by schools, agriculture, food, health, and nutrition education, and school gardens. The University of Kentucky (UK), the Kentucky Horticulture Council (KHC), Feeding KY, Community Farm Alliance (CFA), and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) partnered to develop a Kentucky F2S Network and awarded 40 schools mini-grants to implement taste testing activities and awarded 5 schools mini-grants to establish school gardens and implement nutrition and food education in the classroom. More than 35 applications for the school garden mini-grants were submitted and 5 schools received $5,000 to install school gardens and conduct related nutrition and cooking education. UK student interns assisted schools and conducted garden/nutrition lessons, reaching over 2,000 students. Garden grantees grew and harvested 35 fruits and vegetables. During the final project reporting period, grantees engaged over 2,000 people in gardens for a total of 3,000 hours collectively spent in the garden with 1,300 of those hours coming from parent and community member involvement. Interns presented 3 school garden educator workshops and developed resources about best practices for school gardens. Over 100 applications were received for $1,000 taste test mini-grants and 40 grants were awarded directly to KY schools to conduct taste test activities of locally-grown fruits and vegetables. The taste testing grantees: purchased $24,369 in produce from 90 Kentucky farms; served 70 different types of fruits and vegetables; and served locally-grown produce to 11,000 students in 55 different schools. The presentation will focus on strategies used to recruit and screen program participants by assessing needs, setting realistic expectations, and increasing production knowledge and skills, with the goal of influencing student food choices and increasing use of locally-grown produce in classroom education and school feeding programs.

Garden to Pantry: An Interactive and Interdisciplinary Approach to Growing and Preserving Produce Rebecca C. Lee1 and Carmen Flammini2, 1 Alabama Cooperative Extension Service, Jon Archer Agricultural Center, 1070 N. Schillinger Rd., Mobile, AL 36608, 2Alabama Cooperative Extension Service, 302A Byrne St., Bay Minette, AL 36507 Recent research conducted post-COVID-19 indicates that households experiencing food insecurity have escalated their home food procurement activities, including gardening, fishing, canning, and food preservation. These studies propose that transitioning procurement activities into sustainable lifestyles and enhancing fruit and vegetable consumption among food-insecure populations will necessitate technical support and outreach initiatives like Garden to Pantry (G2P). Home gardening and food preservation programs can play a vital role in educating communities about fruit and vegetable cultivation and preservation. The objectives of the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service (ACES) program entitled ‘Garden to Pantry: An Interactive and Interdisciplinary Approach to Growing and Preserving Produce’ aimed to deliver a complete and immersive program from planting to preserving of seasonal fruit and vegetables in a one-day program by offering research-based recommendations for methods of home food preservation. Additionally, the program aimed to provide the community with cross-discipline knowledge and experience from varying disciplines. The pilot program of the ‘Garden to Pantry: An Interactive and Interdisciplinary Approach to Growing and Preserving Produce’ program was presented in five counties in Alabama in 2023 and 2024. Data obtained during the 2023 run of the program revealed the program was positively received by the target community and further interest was expressed in participating in other programs focusing on food safety as a whole concept by integrating all aspects of food preservation. Future challenges of this program include seeking involvement with younger stakeholder demographics as well as individuals interested in the increasing popular homesteading movement.

Development of value-added products by local growers can lead to additional economic opportunities for small farmers by utilization of unsold crops for production of products. Kentucky State University (KSU) received a USDA Capacity Building grant to create a Fermentation and Distillation Sciences Program to train students in this area, but also help local farmers develop new value-added fermented products. There are many job opportunities either supporting or directly involved in the fermentation and distillation sciences in Kentucky and the surrounding region. The goal of the program is to develop new recipes for value-added products for small-scale producers, including pawpaw, hemp, and sorghum beer and kombucha, spirits, and fermented fruit and vegetable products through research supported by new equipment. Hot pepper sauce is of great interest to small producers since it is fairly easy to make and there are many variations in recipes. The objective of this current study was to develop new recipes for fermented hot pepper sauce as new value-added products for small-scale producers. Pepper plantings were established at the Kentucky State University Harold R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm for a range of pepper cultivars including: Shishimai (Shishito Pepper), Sargento (Poblano Pepper), Bottle Rocket (Cayenne Pepper), Mad Hatter (Bishop's Crown Pepper), Roulette (Habanero Pepper), Helios (Habanero Pepper), Carmen (Corno di Toro Pepper), and a number of other peppers over a three year period. Initially, a number of recipes for fermented hot pepper sauce were evaluated and subject to taste trails. These recipes varied in preparation, pepper type, and vinegar addition. Finally, a potential unique fermented hot pepper sauce was developed that would be of interest to local farmer to produce as a value added product. A tasting trail was conducted with 23 individuals on the KSU campus comparing this new recipe to three commercially available hot sauces. There were 14 males and 8 female participants, with 1 participant preferring not to answer. The average age range was between 26 and 45. Hot sauce samples were served on saltines and evaluated from 1 to 5 for color, smell, flavor, heat, and willingness to pay. The individuals were also asked to rank their favorite sauce. Additional data was collected concerning the participants liking of spicy foods. The fermented hot pepper sauce recipe that was developed was well received and should be of interest for production by local farmers.

The Missouri Produce Growers Video Newsletter (MPGVN) was established in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic prevented in-person programming. The MPGVN is a bi-weekly video-based email newsletter targeting specialty crop farmers and is an offshoot of a project consisting of weekly live-streamed remote educational town halls, which lacked sufficient attendance to justify continuation. Maintaining impactful, ongoing digital engagement with extension audiences is challenging due to grower’s time constraints and competition with low time-investment and high reward non-extension educational media, such as video hosting and social media platforms. The 3–5-minute narrated PowerPoint™ presentations and live shot videos comprising the educational content in the MPGVN, are easily consumed, introducing key points on a timely cropping systems or farm management topic, with further topic resource links embedded. The MPVGN also features links to workshops, grants, and partner agency and non-profit resources. The core team of content contributors, 5 University of Missouri Extension Field Specialists in Horticulture, meets bi-weekly to plan content. Additional extension collaborators from various disciplines including agricultural business, natural resources, climatology, plant pathology, entomology, and food safety contribute content. The newsletter is created and distributed using the Dotdigital™ platform. The format and content have driven engagement amongst the 950 subscribers. The MPGVN engagement metrics relative to industry benchmarks for educational email newsletters are higher by 188% for unique opens, 345% for unique clickers, and 177% for click-to-open rate. To measure the impact of the MPGVN, a survey was sent to 948 subscribers in 2023, with a 14% response rate. Survey observations showed that 55% identified as growers “currently growing and selling produce or planning to grow and sell produce”, 45% as extension educators, and 5% as home gardeners. The survey showed that of the growers; 85% indicated knowledge gains; 78% reported adoption or change of farming practices ; 63% attended an extension class ; 56% connected with a partner agency ; 23% applied to grants ; and 10% received grant awards, thanks to information delivered in the newsletter. The MPGVN is a valuable educational tool, driving engagement with extension programming and resources.

The Center for Sustainability of Farms and Families: Impacts of The Small Scale Farm Grant on Local Foods in Kentucky. JONI NELSON*, MATTHEW BEHRENDS, ALLISON NOEL, and KIRK W. POMPER. College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources Cooperative Extension Program, Kentucky State University, Frankfort, KY 40601 Kentucky State University’s Small Farm Grant Program managed through the Center for Sustainability of Farms and Families supports new economic opportunities for limited resource farmers with funding from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board and the USDA-NIFA capacity building grant “Extension Approaches to Support Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Producers”. The Small Farm Grant Program, which began in 2012, has awarded more than $8.5 million through 1,976 applications to farmers from 114 Kentucky counties. This funding has been distributed through mini-grants for categories including Value-Added, Organic, Aquaculture, Food Insecure, and Agroforestry projects. New categories added in 2024 including Food Systems Resiliency and Emerging Agricultural Technologies have been added in addition to a beginning beekeeper program in our ongoing efforts to address the diverse needs of Kentucky producers. These new categories support the efforts of producers to implement innovative practices or technologies that enhance sustainability and resource efficiency on the farm. Program funding supports a wide range of needs such as mobile freezer units, pond aerators, canning equipment for fruits and vegetables, tractor implements to support organic crop integrity, goat cheese and soap making equipment, root cellars, equipment for food banks and farmers markets, agroforestry practices, and numerous others. This program has also assisted many new farmers with entering local markets and education toward production methods as well as aiding their efforts to support local economies and cooperative networks.

The Waimānalo Learning Center (WLC) is a University of Hawai’i (UH) project established in 2012 through seed funding from the UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) and the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation. Located at CTAHR's Waimānalo Research Station, the WLC aims to transform the station into a community learning center that promotes food security, self-sufficiency, and healthy eating, particularly for indigenous and underserved populations. The UH physical facilities supporting WLC include an aquaponics facility and outdoor classroom adjacent to certified organic research plots. A Community Coordinator was added in 2014, and since then the WLC has rapidly expanded its programming through close partnerships with local schools and community organizations. In 2017 the WLC has partnered with a local non-profit, Ke Kula Nui O Waimānalo to run food sovereignty programs including aquaponics (MALAMA), agroforestry (Ulupono Mahi ‘Āina), and backyard egg production (Hui Hua Moa). In a survey of key partners, the vast majority of 75 respondents strongly agreed that: 1) The WLC has been a valuable partner for their organization (98.6%); 2) The WLC plays an important role in serving the Waimanalo community (95.9%); 3) The WLC has helped them elevate their group’s mission and vision (94.5%). Echoing the comments of others, one respondent stated “The Waimānalo Learning Center has served as important ʻāina (land) for our haumana (students) to build pilina (relationship), hana (work), and take on greater kuleana (responsibility) with. The staff and facilities have allowed us to grow and deepen our curriculum of place-based, ʻāina work within our community.” The results from 12 years of activity suggests that the WLC is an effective model for using Land Grant Research Stations to address community needs around food, health and cultural preservation, and increase community engagement and advancement.

Updates on Curation and Standardization of Phenotypic and Genotypic Data for Horticultural Databases - Jill Bushakra
Identification Of Branched-Chain Amino Acid Derived Volatile Loci In Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum) Using GWAS And WGCNA - Austin hart
From 'Agawam' to 'Zinfandel': Fruit Quality And Metabolite Diversity In The USDA Grapevine Repository - Victoria Meakem
Moving Beyond Montmorency: Exploring the Genetic Diversity of Tart Cherry - Benjamin Gutierrez
Population affects growth and plant architecture in wild-collected Hydrangea quercifolia - Lisa Alexander

The Genome Database for Rosaceae (GDR, https://www.rosaceae.org/) and the Genome Database for Vaccinium (GDV, https://www.vaccinium.org/), are databases that support genomics, genetics and breeding in under-represented crops like small fruits. These fruit crops include Fragaria (strawberry), Rubus (red raspberry, black raspberry, and blackberry) in GDR, and Vaccinium (blueberry and cranberry) in GDV. Data include curated genome sequences, genetic maps, markers, QTL, genes, transcripts, germplasm, and publications, made accessible to browse, query and download through easy-to-use web interfaces and tools. One of the objectives of a 2022-funded SCRI- project ‘Advanced National Database Resources for Specialty Crop Research and Improvement’ is to collect, curate, and integrate all types of genomics, genetics, and breeding big data in easy-to-use and robust crop-specific databases. In this presentation, we summarize our progress towards curating and making available phenotype and genotype data for strawberry. We also present a strawberry Crop Ontology we have developed with input from crop researchers and breeders from North America and Europe. Public availability of phenotypic and genotypic data in GDR, GDV, and GRIN-GLOBAL will allow easy access to this data to use in genome-wide association studies. Crop Ontology will enable digital capture and trait data integration across locations and projects.

A major focus in plant breeding has been the improvement of crops through various traits that affect disease resistance and yield. However, the focus on productivity has led to an inattentiveness to other traits that specifically affect produce quality. An example of a critical fruit quality trait is its flavor, contributing to our perception of aromatic volatiles. Even at nanomolar concentrations, aromatic volatiles can be perceived by the olfactory system and influence the liking of the fruit. The focus of this study was to investigate the genetic aspect of the branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) volatiles, derived from L-valine, L-isoleucine and L-leucine, in tomato fruits. It is generally considered that these BCAA-derived volatiles contribute positively to overall liking, because these are essential amino acids required by the human diet. To identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting the biosynthetic pathway for 11 BCAA-derived volatiles, a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) was conducted using a diverse and unique panel of 167 tomato accessions. The GWAS was run using the FarmCPU model in GAPIT-R, with a total of 21,893,681 SNPs, 2,735,297 INDELs, and 154 structural variants across the genome. Furthermore, a weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was conducted in parallel to identify modules of co-expressed genes that cluster with known genes that affect the BCAA-derived volatile pathway. A total of 113 QTLs were identified from GWAS and 3024 co-expressed genes were identified from the WGCNA. Candidate genes were screened based on annotated biochemical function, overlap within the GWAS QTLs, and gene expression in the red-ripe fruits. This led to the identification of two candidate genes, one on the long arm of chromosome 1 and another on the long arm of chromosome 11. These genes are being knocked-out using CRISPR-Cas9, and current progress is aimed to confirm the validity and function of these genes in the near-future.

The USDA National Plant Germplasm System is a network of germplasm repositories dedicated to conserving genetic diversity of crops and their wild relatives. The USDA grapevine (Vitis) repository contains 5000 unique accessions representing 36 species, and is divided between two locations: Davis, CA and Geneva, NY. While this material is available for distribution to researchers and breeders, there is currently limited characterization data to help requestors identify accessions with unique and valuable traits, particularly for fruit quality. Thus, we began a germplasm screening project to measure fruit quality traits of 481 unique accessions from both locations spanning three years (2022-2024). Fruit samples were juiced, filtered through cheesecloth, and analyzed for Brix, titratable acidity, and available nitrogen. Additionally, composition of phenolic compounds was assessed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and aromas were detected using solid phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Overall, there was a wide range of diversity in fruit quality traits across the collection. Brix values ranged from 8.5 to 30.1 (average=17.8), and titratable acidity ranged from 2.7 to 25.6 g mol-1 Tartaric acid equivalents (average=8.2). The phenolic compounds commonly detected in grape juice included the anthocyanins malvidin 3-O-glucoside and peonidin 3-O-glucoside, the hydroxycinnamic acid caftaric acid, and the flavonols quercetin 3-O-glucuronide and isoquercetin. Analysis of aromatic compounds revealed accessions that contained higher amounts of linalool, β-myrcene, and geraniol, which are associated with a “Muscat” flavor profile, while others contained methyl anthranilate, which is associated with a “Foxy” flavor profile. We hope this fruit quality dataset not only proves to be a valuable asset to researchers utilizing the USDA Vitis repository, but may also open new directions of exploration into improved grape flavor, nutrition, and quality.

Genetic diversity is invaluable to the sustainability of American horticulture. In the case of tart cherry, production in the United States is precariously reliant on a single cultivar, ‘Montmorency.’ Our research explores diverse genetic resources in tart cherry to promote utilization of high quality and locally adapted cultivars for plant breeding and improved production. Tart cherry nutritional quality is of particular interest to consumers. The United States Department of Agriculture Tart Cherry collection in Geneva, New York maintains 100 cultivars of tart cherry, including their wild relatives. Over a five-year period, we assayed fruit quality traits, including Brix, titratable acidity, and phenolic content. Total soluble solids (TSS) ranged from 10.9 to 20.7% (average=14.8%) and acidity (TA) ranged from 5.3 to 32.1 g/L (average=16.3%). The sugar/acid ratio ranged from 3.7 to 27.6 (average=10.2). Individual fruit weight ranged from 0.2 to 8.6 g (average of 5.0 g) and pit weight percentage ranged from 6-32% (average=11%). Total anthocyanin content varied from 75.2 to 3760.0 μg/g, with an average of 771.4 μg. We also evaluated bloom phenology over a three-year period. The distribution of bloom ranged from 56.7 to 134.4 GDD, with an average value of 86.0 Growing Degree Days (GDD ). ‘Montmorency’ bloom was above average with values around 95.8 GDD. Sweet cherries (63.5 – 90.6 GDD) tended to bloom much earlier than tart cherries (64.9 –118.0 GDD) and P. fruticosa, the wild progenitor of the tart cherry, bloomed the latest with a range of 85.3 to 134.4 GDD. For Brix, acidity, and phenolic content, ‘Montmorency’ falls significantly below average, though it has a balanced sugar/acid ratio. ‘Montmorency’ is lacking in anthocyanin content which is increasingly relevant for the juice industry. It tends to bloom later than other tart cherries evaluated, though there are some more extreme late bloomers. This data will be available through GRIN-Global, the USDA germplasm database to facilitate future research and breeding.

Hydrangea quercifolia, oakleaf hydrangea, a flowering shrub native to woodlands of the southeastern United States. Oakleaf hydrangea has immense ornamental potential with four-season interest, including traits like showy panicles, striking foliage textures, red fall color, and exfoliating bark. Cultivars are often derived from wild selections either directly or only a few generations removed. Full genetic and phenotypic variation has not been evaluated for the species, and little is known about the diversity in horticulturally important traits for oakleaf hydrangea. For this study, growth and plant architecture of wild-collected oakleaf hydrangea seedlings were observed at the Otis L. Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville Tennessee over a 3-year period. Seedlings from 14 populations of oakleaf hydrangea spanning the species’ native range were planted in a randomized complete block design containing six blocks and nine replications per block. Two-way ANOVA was used to partition variation in height, width, growth rate, and number of stems into sources attributable to block, population, and block × population. There were significant differences among populations for growth rate, size, and number of stems in all years. Southern populations were smaller than northern populations and showed a slower growth rate. Genetic and phenotypic variation shown among populations will guide conservation efforts and supplement breeding efforts for oakleaf hydrangea.

The agricultural production system and the education system in Indian subcontinent and US are very different. Thus, students and post docs coming to US to pursue research and career encounter dilemma and challenges in selecting right career path. For example, in Indian subcontinent higher emphasis is given to research and teaching whereas extension and administration are not fully understood. The goal of this special session will be for students to have open dialogues with experts in the field of research, extension, teaching, and administration with Indian sub-continent background, so the panel understands the challenges faced by incoming students. This session will benefit all the graduate students and researchers who are preparing to for the next step in career.

Coordinator(s)

• Tripti Vashisth, University of Florida, Lake Alfred, United States

Speaker/Participant(s)

• Bhimu Patil, Texas A&M University, Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center, College Station, Texas, United States
• Ajay Nair, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States
• Rajasekaran Lada, Dalhousie University, Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada
• Pradeep Marri, Pairwise Plants, Associate Director, Controlled Environments and Trait Testing, United States

Competition participants must bring your poster pdf on a thumb drive or the physical poster to your assigned room. You will be lined up to present to the judges in order of arrival. You will enter the room one at a time.

Students will be given 5 minutes to make a presentation to the judges, followed by a 2 minute period of questions and answers.

This competition is open to graduate students that have a poster presentation scheduled during the ASHS conference AND have also signed up to participate in this competition (Note: This is separate of the assigned time to present your abstract during the conference program).

Please note that if you do not also present your poster during the regularly scheduled Poster session, you will be disqualified from the Poster Competition.