|
|
|
|
What is the best kept secret in horticulture?
The Department of Horticulture’s website! Each year our department produces a huge volume of information from factsheets and presentations to research reports and journal articles. In academics, we have dozens of scholarships, internships and travel and research opportunities for students. But alas, for many years the information was not easy to find, if available at all. Now, however, through the work of Brandon Hopper, the wonderful folks at CALS Extension IT, and many faculty and staff, you can find a wealth of useful information on the Horticulture Department Website. Looking for information on a specific crop, check out our portals, such as the Blackberry and Raspberry portal. Not sure where to find something, try our powerful search engines (lower left corner). Enjoy browsing!
- John Dole, Department Head, Horticultural Science
|
|
|
Remembering Dr. Frank Blazich
On Thursday, March 27, the Department celebrated Dr. Frank Blazich’s life and career with a ceremony at the JC Raulston Arboretum. Frank’s sudden passing on December 16 was a shock to us all. Frank started at NC State in 1978 as an Assistant Professor and built up an international reputation for his research and teaching in plant propagation over his 34 years of service. He was known in the department for his devotion to students, passion for writing (and his infamous red editing pen), exceptional work ethic, attention to his family, and many hobbies and interests. His son, Frank Jr., along with his wife and daughter Joan, wrote an informative obituary. His family has requested that remembrances can be made to the Frank A. and Joan April Blazich Graduate Scholarship Award through CALS Advancement. Watch a slideshow celebrating Dr. Blazich.
|
|
|
CEFS Celebrates 20 Years of Sustainable Agriculture
2014 marks the 20th anniversary of the Center For Environmental Farming Systems. In 1994, a small circle of leaders in sustainable agriculture came together with a single vision: to create a center for the study of environmentally sustainable farming practices in North Carolina. A task force of university faculty and administrators, state and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, farmers, and citizens was charged with developing strategies to build a strong sustainable agriculture program in North Carolina. Out of that effort grew the CEFS Research Facility, a 2,000-acre research farm in Goldsboro. With research and extension programs in production, community-based food systems and local food supply chain development as well as youth engagement and leadership development initiatives, CEFS has grown to become a local, state, national and international leader in sustainable agriculture and the local foods movement. Read the full story here.
|
|
|
Children's Programs at JCRA Blossoms
Since 2011, children and their families have been able to find programs specifically aimed toward them at the JC Raulston Arboretum. Children haven’t always been part of the audience attracted to the Arboretum for programming. They don’t quite fit into a magnolia symposium audience or a workshop on crevice gardening. Just because an hour long lecture on plant collecting in China doesn’t captive a three year old doesn’t mean horticulture is completely lost on that age group. The Arboretum’s children’s program has grown leaps and bounds the past 3 years showing that there is a thirst for being outside, learning about plants and our surrounding environment, and making that connection between plants and people. From 2012 to 2013, there was a 27% increase in participants in the programs offered for children, youth, and their families at the Arboretum. Those numbers will continue to grow as people continue to find “Raleigh’s best kept secret” and the word gets out. Read the full story here.
|
|
A Step-by-Step Approach to Pruning Carlos Muscadine Grapevines
North Carolina Cooperative Extension has provided research-based knowledge that furthers best production practices in agriculture for 100 years. Faculty Emeritus Professor, Dr. Barclay Poling, continues the mission of ensuring growers and homeowners have the best knowledge at their fingertips. Read the latest Extension publication, "A Step-by-Step Approach to Pruning Carlos Muscadine Grapevines."
|
|
|
|
New Redbud (Cercis) Cultivar Released
Expanding upon the redbud cultivars previously released in his research program (‘Ruby Falls’, ‘Merlot’, and ‘Whitewater’), Dr. Dennis Werner has introduced a new cultivar to the line-up of currently available offerings. ‘Pink Pom Poms’ is a unique redbud derived from hybridization of the double-flowered ‘Flame’ (eastern redbud) with a popular cultivar of Texas redbud ‘Oklahoma’. ‘Pink Pom Poms’ has reddish-purple flower color, double flowers, and small glossy leaves typical of the Texas rebud. ‘Pink Pom Poms’ is also female sterile, and sets no unsightly seed pods. ‘Pink Pom Poms’ is a distinct improvement over the cultivar ‘Flame’, previously the only other double-flowered cultivar available. ‘Pink Pom Poms’ was developed in conjunction with Hidden Hollow Nursery in Belvidere, TN.
Plants of ‘Pink Pom Poms’ are available from only a single mail-order source in spring, 2014, but will be available from additional sources in late spring, 2015.
|
|
Undergraduate and Graduate Student News
|
|
|
NC State Horticulture Students Achieve at PLANET
The 24th PLANET Student Career Days team from NC State traveled to Fort Collins, Colorado on Mar. 20-23 to meet industry professionals and compete with other college students from across the country in events such as arboriculture techniques, compact excavator operation, irrigation troubleshooting, and plant identification. The team spent the whole school year raising funds for the trip through projects such as a landscape installation at the State Fairgrounds and a mulberry production model at the ReVenture Park near Charlotte. Seniors Travis Black and Shawn Beam, both of whom have competed in previous years, served as the student leaders for the team. In addition to spearheading the team’s efforts to prepare for the competition, Travis invited all schools at this year’s competition to next year’s event, which will be hosted at NC State.
Out of 65 schools attending the competition, NC State’s team came in 10th place overall. Sam McGowen placed 3rd in Turf and Weed Identification, as well as 6th in Business Management. Caitlin Davis placed 5th for Sales Presentation, and Shawn Beam placed 5th for his Small Engine Repair abilities. Nathan Gantt and Max Alff also came in 5th for their Landscape Maintenance skills.
|
|
|
Dr. Dennis Werner was recently awarded the Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor for 2013-2014 in recognition for exceptional service as a teacher. Since each college within the University may nominate only two faculty that have been Outstanding Teacher Award recipients and whose service in undergraduate teaching is both long-term and distinguished, it is a deep honor to be given the award.
|
|
|
|
Christine Bradish, PhD student won 1st place for the Warren S. Barham PhD Graduate Student Paper Competition for "Phenotypic Evaluations of Yield and Fruit Quality Traits in Segregating Black Raspberry (Rubus Occidentalis L.) Populations in North Carolina." At the Southern Region ASHS in Dallas, TX, held Jan. 31 - Feb. 2, 2014
|
|
|
Dominic A. Gillooly, Masters student with Thomas G. Ranney was awarded 2nd place for the Norman F. Childers M.S. Graduate Student Paper Award for "Ploidy Levels and Relative Genome Sizes of Species, Hybrids, and Cultivars of Kalmia." At Southern Region American Society for Horticultural Science in Dallas, TX, held Jan. 31 - Feb. 2.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
