New Crop Opportunities Center Nursery Crop research project

Cut woody stems for the florist trade

To evaluate hydration and preservation solutions on the quality of cut stems from four woody genera.

Rudy Haag burning bush as a non-invasive alternative to current burning bush cultivars for Kentucky nursery production

Compact burning bush (Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’) is one of the most popular shrubs for home landscape use. There are hundreds of thousands of field or container-grown plants produced annually by the nursery industry. However, many states on the East Coast have designated burning bush and its cultivars as invasive plant species, and some Northeastern states are considering legislation to ban the sale of burning bush. Burning bush is an easy-to-grow, profitable nursery shrub and the negative impact of this type of sales quarantine on the nursery industry is obvious.

Rudy Haag burning bush is a nearly seedless cultivar that has the potential to become an acceptable replacement for current burning bush cultivars. It was discovered in Kentucky, and the most cited planting is at Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, Clermont, Kentucky. It represents a significant market opportunity for Kentucky nursery producers if data to support its non-invasive character can be substantiated. Therefore, the objective of this project is to document the potential risk of Rudy Haag burning bush as an invasive plant species.

Sustainable management of insect pests and diseases of nursery-grown maples in Kentucky

Evaluate traditional and new maple cultivars suited to Kentucky production nurseries for simultaneous resistance to major insect pests and diseases.

Evaluate soil systemic insecticides for season-long preventive control of major maple pests (esp. borers and leafhoppers) with reduced costs and chemical inputs.

Clarify seasonal biology of major insect pests of nursery-grown maples to help growers be more effective with control actions.

Hydrangea macrophylla as cut woody stems for the florist trade

To evaluate 150+ cultivars of Hydrangea macrophylla for cut stem floral qualities. Evaluate hydration and preservation techniques on the quality of cut stems from selected cultivars. Evaluate the effectiveness of three standard and novel production techniques for cut stem yield in the Ohio Valley.

Development of a novel production system to enhance the survival and growth of flowering dogwood, Cornus florida, a high value crop with potential for Kentucky producers

Develop a production system for dogwood that is optimized for water use efficiency. This will be accomplished by:

Determining the optimal water relations for three Cornus taxa (C. kousa, C. florida, and C. kousa x C. florida).

Assessing the effectiveness of sap flow technology (heat balance method) in determining water use.

Applying the identified water relations parameters to dogwoods in pot-in-pot production via the sap flow system, creating a demand-regulated irrigation system.

Optimizing pot-in-pot nursery production for Kentucky growers

To develop a model irrigation system for pot-in-pot nursery production that optimizes water use efficiency and maximizes tree growth under Kentucky growing conditions.

Nursery crop development