Oregon's number one ranked agricultural commodity is looking to rebound in 2011 and beyond. Research may help get the greenhouse and nursery industry back on track. Nearly $180,000 in grants are being awarded this week to research projects that hopefully address some of the challenges facing Oregon growers.
"Oregon has a great reputation for high quality nursery stock," says Gary McAninch, supervisor of the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Nursery and Christmas Tree Program. "The industry counts on that quality to sell plants. Research helps the industry improve and maintain that quality while keeping Oregon competitive in the marketplace."
Whether it's dealing with plant pest and disease issues, improving the nutrient levels of nursery stock, or increasing efficiency of propagation, funds set aside for research have been money well spent over the years. Part of the fees collected by ODA for nursery licenses goes to support a nursery research grant program that annually awards funds to worthy projects.
"Industry is very supportive of this grant program," says McAninch. "It's one of the best ways to resolve key issues and why nursery growers are more than happy to direct part of their money to research."
Out of 17 project proposals for 2011, nine are receiving grants from the nursery research program totaling $177,758. Typically, projects that benefit a large portion of the nursery industry and not just a handful of growers are awarded grants from the research fund. This year is no exception.
The list of grant awards includes projects that generally improve production of nursery plants:
- Harold Pellet and Ryan Contreras of Landscape Plant Development Center (a non-profit research institute based in Minnesota) and Oregon State University (OSU), respectively, to develop new superior cultivars of landscape plants. ($30,000)
- Ryan Contreras of OSU to develop sterile cherrylaurel cultivars ($20,570)
- Jim Owen, Jr. of OSU to study the integration of selected alternative substrates for woody ornamental container production. ($26,932)
- Jim Owen, Jr. of OSU, Reza Ehsani of University of Florida, and James Robbins of University of Arkansas to test unmanned aircraft in the collection of nursery and Christmas tree inventory data. ($13,488)
- Barbara Reed of USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) to study improved mineral nutrition for micropropagation of woody nursery crops. ($22,000)
- Nik Grunwald of ARS to study the spatial and temporal dynamics of foliar Phytophthora species on Rhododendron in nursery environments. ($27,048)
- Chal Landgren of OSU to test various soil additives to increase plant survival and growth. ($8,780)
- The Horticultural Research Institute received funding to support ongoing horticultural research. ($10,000)
- OSU North Willamette Research & Extension Center to support a student intern at the facility. ($18,940)
Of the nine projects, perhaps the most interesting is the one involving the unmanned aircraft.
"It's a small hovering craft with a remote digital camera," says McAninch. "It can fly over a nursery and will transmit a photo back to a computer with a software package that analyzes what is being seen. From that image and analysis, a nursery operator can tell how many plants of a particular variety are on the lot without having to send a person to go up and down the rows and count them individually. There are many other potential applications for this type of program. The industry is excited to see if this pilot project works in Oregon."
Several projects deal with nutrient requirements of nursery stock plants. Other projects focus on developing new varieties and cultivars that may capture the attention of buyers and help Oregon growers differentiate their product in the marketplace. One project aims to develop a cultivar of a fruit tree that actually bears no fruit. It's value comes from its appearance and the fact that no fruit means no fruit insect pests that lead to quarantines. Whether it's breeding a plant with superior fall color or one that is resistant to a certain disease, research dollars are key to any success.
Given the problems of the nursery industry the past couple of years due to the recession, it is more important than ever for research to take place.
"The downturn in the housing market has had a direct impact on the industry and the amount of nursery stock being sold," says McAninch. "Oregon has sold fewer plants the past couple of years. So growers are very interested in producing an even better, higher quality plant and becoming more efficient to successfully compete in a marketplace that now has a lot of growers."
Growers are the first to realize these types of projects will help keep Oregon a leading nursery state.
"Research is such an important part of keeping Oregon's nursery industry at the top," says Mt. Angel grower Tom Fessler, chair of the State Board of Agriculture and a past president of the Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN). "In order to maintain and enhance the quality of our product, we need better ways to deal with production problems, whether they are pests, diseases, conservation challenges, or the way we grow our plants. This research program and the money it provides helps."
Results of the funded research may not pay off this year, but hopefully will make life a little easier for Oregon nursery operators in the near future.
For more information, contact Gary McAninch at (503) 986-4644.
Source: Oregon Department of Agriculture
