ASHS 2024 Conference

Growers in Kentucky are increasingly interested in adding small fruit crop enterprises to their farming operations. While consumer demand is high, available capital and limited production knowledge are known barriers for small- and mid-scale producers interested in growing and selling these crops. The Kentucky Horticulture Council (KHC) and the University of Kentucky (UK) partnered on a financial and technical assistance support program for Kentucky growers with an interest in producing these crops. Over the 4-year project, more than $936,000 was invested in on-farm projects, working with 275 existing and 76 pre-commercial growers in 89 different counties across the state. Blackberry, blueberry, and strawberry were the highest demand crops. Irrigation, trellising, and netting were the most requested non-plant material inputs. The expected farm impact over the next 10 years will exceed $7.4M, based on yield and sales price estimates. The funding model providing financial assistance to current and prospective growers along with extension’s role in delivering research-based information and providing technical assistance will be discussed. The presentation will also focus on strategies to recruit and screen program participants by assessing needs, setting realistic expectations, increasing production knowledge and skills, with the goal of fostering satisfaction and meeting the intended project objective of increasing small fruit crops profitability for commercial sales over the next decade and beyond.

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) integrates technology to optimize crop performance. The project goal was to inform the development of CEA curriculum by understanding CEA workforce training needs and gauging student interest at the University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC). CEA industry surveys determined the knowledge/skills needed for employment and educational expectations. A second survey was sent to UMKC students to gauge their knowledge of/interest in a CEA educational program. The top five positions in demand by the CEA industry were: (1) manager, (2) worker, (3) research

Adherence to the Florida Department of Agriculture's (FDACS) Best Management Practices (BMP) program is crucial for sod producers to protect water quality. Challenges arise due to perceived low fertilization rates and accelerated production cycles, particularly in South Florida. Challenges are exacerbated by the nutrient export that occurs when harvested sod carries away soil-bound nutrients and residual fertilizer. The sod BMP manual is undergoing revision, with a proposed emphasis on achieving a nutrient balance of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) inputs/exports in sod operations. However, current published data on nutrient export needs to be more comprehensive, necessitating research efforts to fill this knowledge gap. This project, funded by a 2022-2023 FDACS BMP grant, aims to educate and improve sod producer BMPs by assessing current practices and quantifying nutrient inputs/exports through sod slab analysis. A Qualtrics survey was designed to measure sod producers' current BMP practices. Visits to sod farms were employed to collect sod slab samples for nutrient inputs/exports data processing. Results, particularly regarding N and P export, revealed variability across turfgrass species, highlighting the need for further research to determine nutrient sinks and explore the influence of soil depth on nutrient export during harvest. The project's future focus involves providing targeted training based on results to Florida sod producers and exploring additional funding opportunities to address remaining key questions. Results of this project will improve nutrient management inputs/exports budgeting by sod producers and facilitate adoption of practices that improve nutrient management for sod production statewide.

The US landscape industry comprises 632,000 businesses with >1 million employees in 2022. The most common service landscape service providers (LSPs) perform is pest management. Over the past 25 years, consumers have increasingly requested that LSPs use more holistic approaches to pest management, including nonchemical and less toxic chemical control methods. Integrated pest management (IPM), specifically scouting, may be useful for LSPs to manage pests more sustainably and market new services, such as biological control releases. Little published literature details LSP scouting practices or consumer acceptance of scouting services. The goal of this study was to determine if IPM-aware consumers were more likely to purchase a scouting program offered by a LSP. A third-party panel service distributed an online survey across the United States. The final sample included 928 usable responses. Data were analyzed using a binary logistic regression model. Fifty-seven percent of respondents reported having some knowledge or that they were very knowledgeable of IPM. Increased consumer knowledge of IPM increased purchase likelihood. Respondents who self-reported “some knowledge” (5.6%) and “very knowledgeable” (8.6%) of IPM were more likely to buy scouting services. Respondents 65 years of age and older were 13.1% less likely to purchase a scouting service, regardless of IPM knowledge level. Consumers open to purchasing a scouting program, may also be more willing to allow a LSP to use a combination of chemical and nonchemical methods to manage pests. Further research is needed to determine consumer willingness to pay for scouting programs as well as non-chemical treatment options offered by LSP.

Native plants are becoming increasingly popular choices for low-input ornamental landscapes in residential and commercial applications. Many nurseries and landscape professionals are currently growing or offering at least some native plants in response to this increasing demand. However, supplies are still limited and there are specific best management practices associated with growing, marketing, and maintaining native plants that need further development. In response to this need from the green industry, replicable, applied programming focused on supporting growers who are currently producing or have an interest in producing native plants was developed. To first prioritize the needs of the industry, a state-wide native plant needs assessment survey was developed and disseminated to nursery and landscape professionals. The survey received 60 responses and indicated that native alternatives to invasive species, deer resistant native plants, and new cultivars of native plants were among the top priorities, in addition to IPM practices, stress tolerance, and propagation protocols. Based on this direction from stakeholders, extension programming was developed to meet these needs and support the green industry in their production and marketing of native plants. Educational programs focused on commercial native plant production and management were developed and delivered both in-person and virtually through webinars, while twilight meetings, including sessions at established native plant nurseries, facilitated grower-to-grower learning and interaction. Program evaluation surveys indicated strong metrics for knowledge gain, incorporating more native plants in their operations, reducing inputs, and achieving better pest control measures. Field trials comparing cultivars of deer-resistant native ornamental grasses offered growers and landscapers a chance to observe how these plants performed throughout three growing seasons, while offering a low-input alternative to non-native species in the landscape. Propagation trials were conducted to begin optimizing protocols for both vegetative cuttings and seed propagation of locally collected native ornamental plants, with success rates documented for each species using standard propagation protocols. A video was also created and shared with stakeholders showcasing a virtual tour of a commercial golf resort that has successfully incorporated native plants into their landscape, thus serving as an example for how to achieve an ornamental landscape aesthetic using native species. While native plant species may vary among ecoregions, this comprehensive approach is replicable and has been met with a high degree of satisfaction from commercial horticulture professionals.