ASHS 2024 Conference: Full Schedule

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4:00pm HST

Interest Group Session: Climate Ready Landscape Plants

Thursday September 26, 2024 4:00pm - 6:00pm HST

The overall goal of this session is to highlight the latest advancements from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Specialty Crop Multi-State Program funded project titled “Climate Ready Landscape Plants”.

Coordinator/Moderator

Youping Sun, Utah State University, Department of Plants, Soils & Climate, Logan, Utah, United States

Speaker/Participant(s)

Jared Sisneroz, UC Davis
Climate Ready Landscape Plants Trialed in Davis, CA
Summary: To develop landscape irrigation recommendations, a field trial evaluated 22 taxa of landscape plants under three levels of deficit irrigation. Taxa included cultivars of Hibiscus syriacus, Nandina domestica, Rosa spp., and Salvia spp., among other common perennials and shrubs. Taxa were planted in a grid pattern with 2 meters spacing between rows and plants. Several larger taxa were planted in an adjacent field with 3 meters spacing. After an initial growing season of regular irrigation to establish the plants, from April to October 2022, plants were irrigated with one of three deficit irrigation treatments equal to 80%, 50%, or 20% of ETo. Treatments functioned like a crop coefficient in modifying daily ETo values. Irrigations occurred whenever this threshold was reached, with the volume of water applied being equal to 50% of PAW. The volume applied at each irrigation was constant across treatments with the frequency between irrigations varying by treatment. As a result, the 80% treatment was irrigated most frequently with the 20% treatment was irrigated thrice during the deficit period. Monthly during the deficit period, each plant was rated on six categories of aesthetic quality. Aesthetic performance between the treatments was compared using an ANOVA in conjunction with Tukey’s HSD post-hoc test in R. A majority of the taxa evaluated maintained acceptable aesthetic quality ratings on the lowest irrigation treatment. Two taxa evaluated, Lagerstroemia ‘SMNLCIBF’ Center Stage® Red and Rosa ‘ChewPatout’ Oso Easy® Urban Legend achieved high levels of aesthetic performance on the 20% treatment.
Amelia Keyser-Gibson, Allison Fron, Miro Stuke, Hsin-Wu Hsu, and Soo-Hyung Kim, University of Washington, United States
Climate Ready Landscape Plants Trialed in Seattle, WA (20 mins)
Summary: Water conservation through selecting water-wise plants in the horticulture space is fundamental to reduce landscape water use in a changing climate. As part of the Climate-Ready Landscape Plants project, 15 taxa were evaluated in Plot 1 during 2021-2022 seasons and 12 taxa in Plot 2 during 2022-2023 seasons at the University of Washington Botanic Gardens in Seattle, WA. Plants were installed in spring of the first year and irrigated amply at a maintenance level (80% ET0) for the first summer to establish the plants before the irrigation treatments were applied. All plants were subjected to one of three deficit irrigation treatments during the second year from June to September. The treatments were based on the Water Use Classification of Landscape Species (WUCOLS) categories corresponding to high (80 % ET0), moderate (50 % ET0), and low (20 % ET0) water need. Most taxa tested in the trial in Plot 1 exhibited statistically comparable ratings on overall appearance across three irrigation treatments and thus are deemed suitable for ‘low’ irrigation in sites similar to ours in the region. In Plot 2, taxa similarly did not exhibit statistically different overall appearance ratings across the treatment levels, though some significant differences in growth were observed. Well performing plants across the two plots include Lagerstroemia ‘SMNLICBF’ Center Stage® Red, Vitex ‘SMVACBD’ Blue Diddley and Physocarpus Little DevilÔ. These studies contribute valuable datapoints into selecting location specific taxon for reducing landscape water use while achieving satisfactory aesthetic qualities and growth.
Ursula Schuch, University of Arizona
Minimum irrigation for shrubs to thrive in an arid climate
Summary: Shrubs growing in Tucson, AZ were irrigated with three levels of irrigation (20%, 50% or 80%) based on local reference evapotranspiration (ETo) to assess growth and plant quality. Irrigation was applied 4, 12, and 21 times between April and October 2023 for the low, medium, and high irrigation, respectively. Vitex x ‘Helen Froehlich’ had the highest overall appearance rating, largest canopy growth, and 100% survival at the low irrigation treatment throughout the season. Other top performers were Lantana x ‘New Gold’ and Lantana camara ‘Bloomify Red’, followed by Calliandra californica ‘Mexicali Rose’, Anisacanthus quadrifidus v. wrightii 'Mexican Fire‘, Leucophyllum x ‘Purple Rain’, and Hesperaloe parviflora ‘Straight Up Red’. Dalea capitata ‘Sierra Gold’, Eremophila glabra ‘Mingenew Gold’, and Caryopteris × clandonensis 'Blauer Spatz' Sapphire Surf had average overall appearance ratings over the season above the minimum acceptable aesthetic rating, however, they had lower ratings during some of the hot summer months. Growth in response to irrigation differed between taxa with some responding to more water with increased canopy growth and others showing no difference regardless of the irrigation treatment. Ten of the 15 taxa studied are recommended to grow in the landscape with 20% of ETo in the low desert in Arizona, but some may benefit from additional irrigation during the hottest time of the year for optimum performance.
Natalie Levy, South Coast Research & Extension Center, The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
Climate Ready Landscape Plants Trialed in Irvine, CA
Summary: As climate extremes, population growth, and agricultural/industrial water demands continue to increase, urban landscapes are an essential area where water conservation efforts must be improved. Deficit irrigation trials of ornamental plants began at the University of California, Davis (UCD) in 2004 and became the University of California Landscape Plant Irrigation Trials (UCLPIT™). In 2016, it was replicated at UC Agriculture and Natural Resources’ South Coast Research and Extension Center (SCREC) in Irvine, California. Researchers observed differences in performance between sites on selected taxa indicating that plant species will have irrigation requirements that vary in different climates. In 2019, the UCLPIT methodology was expanded to multiple western climate zones and soil types in Arizona, Utah, Oregon, and Washington through a USDA Specialty Crops Multi-State Program grant. Two seasons of data were collected in 2022 and 2023. The overall appearance and plant growth of twelve shared ornamental plants to deficit irrigation were investigated. Eight plants per species were randomly assigned to one of three deficit irrigation frequencies, calculated based on 80% reference evapotranspiration (ETo) (high), 50% ETo (moderate), and 20% ETo (low). Overall appearance and plant growth were evaluated monthly during April to October in both 2022 and 2023 at SCREC. There were variations in overall appearance across species under deficit irrigation in both years of the trial. Evapotranspiration rates were higher in 2022 and more irrigation events occurred for all treatments. The Philadelphus madrensis ‘ORSTPHILx2’ (Swan Lake® mock orange) and the Philadelphus lewisii 'Blizzard' (Blizzard mock orange) species evaluated in 2022 had significantly greater overall appearance on the moderate treatment than the low treatment.

Moderator

Youping Sun

Dr. Sun is an Associate Professor of Landscape Horticulture whose research focuses on understanding the whole-plant response to water stress, with an emphasis on water conservation, and developing protocols to produce native plants. He is the principal investigator for the ‘Climate... Read More →

Speakers

Jared Sisneroz

UC Davis

Mr. Sisneroz is the project manager of the UC Landscape Plant Irrigation Trials (UCLPIT) and the ‘Climate Ready Landscape Plants’ programs. He specializes in landscape plant water-use efficiency research and water resource management.

Amelia Keyser-Gibson

University of Washington

Soo-Hyung Kim

Dr. Kim is a Professor and Plant Ecophysiologist whose research focuses on how plants interact with their environment at the whole-plant scale. He is the principal investigator for the ‘Climate Ready Landscape Plants’ project at the University of Washington.

Ursula Schuch

University of Arizona

Dr. Schuch is a Professor and Extension Specialist in Environmental Horticulture in the School of Plant Sciences. Dr. Schuch’s research focuses on plant selection and management strategies to conserve water, maintain plant health, and aesthetic function. She is the principal investigator... Read More →

Natalie Levy

Soil Health and Organic Materials Management Advisor, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources

Dr. Levy was recently hired by UC Ag and Natural Resources as the Soil Health and Organic Materials Management Advisor serving Orange, Los Angeles, and San Diego counties. She was previously an Associate Specialist for Water Resources at the South Coast Research and Extension Center... Read More →

Thursday September 26, 2024 4:00pm - 6:00pm HST
Lehua Suite

Interest Group Session

SUBJECT Ornamental Landscape Turf

4:00pm HST

Interest Group Session: Crop Germplasm Committees (CGC) – Get Involved in Setting Germplasm Priorities

Thursday September 26, 2024 4:00pm - 6:00pm HST

Kahili

The USDA National Plant Germplasm System (NGPS) is an invaluable resource to researchers and breeders of horticultural crops. Crop Germplasm Committees, with members from academic, private and governmental organizations provide expertise in a variety of topics, including collection priorities and vulnerabilities, identifying important traits for evaluation, and reviewing Plant Exploration and Evaluation grant proposals. The CGCs are a great opportunity for ASHS members to get more involved in setting germplasm related priorities for their crops of interest. This session gives an overview of the activities of the CGC and highlight activities of 3 specific CGCs. The talks will be followed by a 30-minute discussion session on avenues for increased interaction between the ASHS PIGs and the CGCs to ensure that germplasm collection priorities are relevant to the needs of stakeholders.

Coordinator(s)

Cecilia McGregor, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States

Speaker/Participant(s)

Gayle Volk, USDA, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
Introduction to Crop Germplasm Committees: An Opportunity to have an Impact on Crop Collections in the USDA-ARS National Plant Germplasm System (20 mins)
Summary: The USDA-ARS National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) maintains over 620, 000 accessions of more than 200 crops at 22 sites around the United States. Most crop collections have Crop Germplasm Committees (CGC) that provide guidance to the curator with regard to vulnerabilities, acquisitions, maintenance, genotypic characterization, phenotypic evaluations and distribution. CGCs welcome new members to improve the quality and impact of the NPGS collections.
Glenn Wright, University of Arizona - Yuma Agriculture Center, Yuma, AZ, United States
The Rewards and Challenges of Chairing Two Crop Germplasm Committees (20 mins)
Summary: The Citrus CGC and the Date Palm CGC are both affiliated with the National Clonal Germplasm Repository for Citrus and Dates in Riverside, CA. Membership of both committees include representatives of the federal government, academia, and industry. Activities of both committees include advising the NCGRCD on critical issues, including staffing, infrastructure, threats to the genebank, and germplasm backup, acquisition, sanitation, and distribution. We also advise repository staff on project plans, relevant research, and strategic planning. Finally, the committees comment and approve germplasm evaluation, plant exploration and plant exchange proposals.
Kim Shearer, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL, United States
Seeing the Forest for the Trees (20 mins)
Summary: The Woody Landscape Plant Crop Germplasm Committee has a somewhat unique task in that the wild crop relatives can include all of the trees and shrubs of all of the forests. As a group, we found that the task of identifying priorities and vulnerabilities limited to specific taxonomic categories seemed insurmountable. How could we predict an event like the introduction of emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) wiping out native floodplain forests and masses of street trees? What can be lost in an uncertain future with the onset of climate change? And how could we communicate this vulnerability in a way that was politically palatable? In this talk, the strategy for developing a new crop vulnerability statement and QUAD will be presented along with some examples of projects that have been funded and implemented for both plant exploration and evaluation.
Cecilia McGregor, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
Crop Germplasm Committees: An Opportunity for Value-added Research (20 mins)
Summary: The Cucurbit Crop Germplasm Committee (Cucurbit CGC) includes experts from local and global academic institutions and private industries, as well as the federal government. In addition to the routine activities of the CGC, the participation of several Cucurbit CGC members in the federally supported SCRI CucCAP and CucCAP2 projects provided the opportunity for improved coordination and alignment of federally funded academic research and germplasm priorities This contributed to the development of tools and resources that adds value to the existing Cucurbit germplasm collections.

Moderator

Cecilia McGregor

University of Georgia

Speakers

Gayle Volk

Glenn Wright

Kim Shearer

Thursday September 26, 2024 4:00pm - 6:00pm HST
Kahili

Interest Group Session

SUBJECT Genetics and Germplasm, Citrus, Vegetable Breeding, Federal Partners

4:00pm HST

Interest Group Session: Impacts of Horticultural Practices to Improve Soil Health

Thursday September 26, 2024 4:00pm - 6:00pm HST

South Pacific 2

With soil health and regenerative agriculture continuing to gain interest, the Hort Industry Professional Interest group invites you to join our session exploring the research behind soil health and how soil health is impacting horticulture today. This session will have speakers from across various horticultural disciplines discussing their research and the implications for soil quality, horticultural productivity, regenerative agriculture and environmental sustainability.

Coordinator(s)

Holly Little, Acadian Plant Health, Technology, Walnut Grove, Ca, United States

Moderator(s)

Derek Woolard, Valent Biosciences, United States

Speaker/Participant(s)

Justin Moss, Oklahoma State, United States
Urban Soil Health and Small Farm Soil Health (15 mins)
Noa Lincoln, UH Mānoa, Hilo, Hawaii, United States
Long Term Effects of Mono-Crop Conversion to Diversified Agroforestry (15 mins)
Amjad Ahmad, University of Hawai'i, United States
Organic Farming and Soil Health (15 mins)

Moderator

Derek Woolard

Research Scientist - Plant Physiologist - PGRs, Valent BioSciences

Plant Growth Regulators and BiostimulantsSalinity ToleranceApplesPeachesBud Dormancy

Speakers

Noa Lincoln

Associate Professor - Indigenous Crops, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Noa Kekuewa Lincoln is an Associate Professor with a focus on Indigenous Crops and Cropping Systems, in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, and the PI of the Indigenous Cropping Systems Laboratory. He is the President and... Read More →

Holly Little

Director, research and development, Acadian Plant Health

Justin Moss

Amjad Ahmad

Thursday September 26, 2024 4:00pm - 6:00pm HST
South Pacific 2

Interest Group Session, Industry Related

SUBJECT Hort Industry

4:00pm HST

Interest Group Session: Sensing the Plant, for the Farmer's Benefit! A Historical Perspective Reflecting on the Work of Marc van Iersel

Thursday September 26, 2024 4:00pm - 6:00pm HST

Nautilus

The recent loss of our colleague Marc van Iersel reminds us of the reasons our work in horticulture is so important. Marc's career was devoted to developing processes that judiciously utilized sensors to create efficient strategies to optimize crop quality and production for the grower. By examining the path of van Iersel’s work, we can understand how directed, mindful research can move quickly from the hands of the researcher to the farmer. Marc’s early work centered around developing smart irrigation systems utilizing biofeedback to measure soil moisture, with the goal of reducing water usage. More recently, Marc’s work integrated LED lighting with sensors including light sensors, moisture sensors, and low cost canopy and fluorescence detection to generate strategies for precise, energy efficient control of lighting in greenhouse and vertical growing platforms. Marc frequently consulted with growers to understand their needs and challenges, allowing the grower’s needs to frame his research. Marc also mentored the development of students, fellows, and colleagues in their own research, helping them discover how their programs could unfold in directions which would be most valuable. In this session we will examine the history of Marc’s research and continued work by colleagues, to ensure his lessons in how to provide practical answers for commercial horticulture are not lost. This two-hour session will include presentations from Marc's students and colleagues, and conclude with a 30-minute moderated Q&A/discussion.

Coordinator(s)

Jennifer Boldt, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Toledo, OH, United States
Neil Mattson, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States
Melanie Yelton, Grow Big, United States

Bruce Bugbee, Utah State University, Plants, Soils, and Climate, Logan, Utah, United States
A Life Filled with People, Plants, Photons, and Perseverance (15 mins)
Stephanie Burnett, University of Maine, School of Food and Agriculture, Orono, Maine, United States
Impact on Sensor Automated Irrigation and Student Mentoring (15 mins)
Rhuanito Ferrarezi, University of Georgia, Horticulture, Athens, Georgia, United States
The Man Behind the Legend (15 mins)
Andrew Ogden, University of Georgia, Griffin, Georgia, United States
Shuyang Zhen, Texas A&M University, United States
The Light He Shined: Translating Plant Physiology into Smart Lighting Control Strategies (15 mins)
Leonardo Lombardini, University of Georgia, Horticulture, Athens, Georgia, United States
Honoring Marc's Legacy (15 mins)

Moderator

Jennifer Boldt

Research Horticulturist, United States Department of Agriculture

Neil Mattson

Cornell University

Melanie Yelton

GrowBig Consulting

Melanie Yelton, Dr. Yelton leverages over 25 years of plant science leadership to guide controlled agriculture entities towards climatically resilient food systems. Via her consultancy company, GrowBig, she advises controlled environment agriculture farms, lighting partners and R... Read More →

Speakers

Stephanie E. Burnett

University of Maine

Bruce Bugbee

Rhuanito Ferrarezi

Associate Professor, University of Georgia

Andrew Ogden

Shuyang Zhen

Leonardo Lombardini

ASHS International Division VP

Thursday September 26, 2024 4:00pm - 6:00pm HST
Nautilus

Interest Group Session

SUBJECT Growth Chambers and CE

4:00pm HST

Interest Group Session: Using AI in Teaching: Examples and Methods

Thursday September 26, 2024 4:00pm - 6:00pm HST

Coral 1

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues development at a rapid pace, our current teaching and learning methods are also swiftly transforming. AI itself is often combined with various technologies such as image recognition, virtual reality (VR), machine learning, adaptive learning algorithms, and gamification. With the merger of existing technology, AI and education will change the way we teach as well as how students learn. Some examples for teaching Horticulture, Landscape Architecture or Plant Science include individualized teaching, deep learning, adaptive learning environments, AI-based assessment and image recognition. In this Professional Interest Group Session speakers will provide examples of how they are using AI in their teaching methods, followed by an open discussion with the audience that should provide additional examples and applications.

Coordinator(s)

Kathryn Orvis, Purdue Univ, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States

Speaker/Participant(s)

Mary Rogers, University of Minnesota, Department of Horticultural Science, St Paul, Minnesota, United States
How to Incorporate Generative AI in Teaching a Writing Intensive Urban Agriculture Course (15 mins)
Summary:
Aaron Thompson, Purdue University, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, West Lafayette, IN, United States
Teaching with AI in Landscape Architecture (15 mins)
Summary:
Cynthia Haynes, Iowa State University, Horticulture, Ames, Iowa, United States
Potential benefits and pitfalls of using AI software in Horticulture teaching. (15 mins)
Summary:

Moderator

Kathryn Orvis

Professor, Purdue Univ

Speakers

Aaron Thompson

Mary Rogers

Cynthia Haynes

Iowa State University

Thursday September 26, 2024 4:00pm - 6:00pm HST
Coral 1

Interest Group Session

SUBJECT Technology, Teaching, Ornamental Landscape Turf

4:45pm HST

Engaging those who fund our work, a job for all horticultural scientists

Thursday September 26, 2024 4:45pm - 6:00pm HST

Coral 2

Sponsored by National Issues Committee
Our work in horticulture is made possible to a great extent by Federal funding. That funding will only be available if Congress continues to value the work that we do with it. Therefore, all ASHS members should regularly let their representatives know how the funds are helping in your state or district. This session provides an understanding of how to confidently and effectively contact your Congressional district office about the value of programs that you know and use. This program is designed to be of particular value to members in the Western US, who are not likely to come to Washington DC for policy discussion.

This session will be a panel discussion to understand the perspective from the various offices involved and how they interact. The panel includes the actual people involved in this Congressional district.

Kendra Oishi, District Chief, Office of U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda, Hawaii 2nd District.
Anthony Ching, Director of Federal Relations for the University of Hawaiʻi System.
Thomas Björkman, ASHS National Issues Committee and Cornell University
Russell Galanti, Extension Educator, University of Hawaiʻi.

Moderator

Thomas Bjorkman

Professor Emeritus, Cornell Horticulture

How do you move from adequate cover cropping to excellent cover cropping? What fine tuning improves carbon, nitrogen, weeds, percolation, tillage goals?We all need to advocate for horticultural research and education with those who decide to spend money on our work. It is not difficult... Read More →

Speakers

Interest Group Session

SUBJECT Federal Policy, Federal Partners