Department of Horticultural Science
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Departmental Newsletter, Fall 2006

  • Hort substrates photoNEWS FROM THE DEPARTMENT HEAD
    • by Julia Kornegay
    • This summer, two new faculty members joined the Department of Horticultural Science:
    • Dr. Lucy Bradley is the new Urban Horticulture Extension Specialist (100% Extension). She completed her Ph.D. in the Department of Plant Sciences at Arizona State University in 2006. Her thesis was on web-based distance education and the development of a Plant Biology course and lab for non-majors. Dr. Bradley has two MS degrees: one in Botany from Arizona State University in 1997 and the other in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Purdue University in 1985. Her BS degree was in Psychology from Florida State University in 1981. Dr. Bradley worked 11 years as the Urban Horticulture Extension Agent in Maricopa County, Arizona, one of the largest metropolitan counties in the country. She has extensive experience in working with Master Gardeners and other professional and volunteer groups. She is the author and co-author of four books and several refereed journals articles, as well as numerous popular publications. She also developed and managed two websites in the area of urban and youth horticulture. Dr. Bradley is active in the American Society of Horticultural Science, and has been an invited speaker at both professional and public meetings. She has also received numerous awards for her work in urban and youth horticulture. In addition, Lucy is a Certified Group Facilitator in the area of strategic planning and change management.
    • As Urban Horticulturist, one of Dr. Bradley’s primary responsibilities will be to establish and coordinate a state-wide advisory council of county extension agents, university faculty, industry professionals, and state and local government personnel to prioritize and assist in the development and implementation of urban and community horticulture programs. She will also develop publications, training materials and in-service training events for county extension agents and other groups in priority program areas, and establish applied research and demonstration trials to develop and promote ‘best management practices’ in the area of environmental horticulture and urban natural resource management. Much of this work will be done through interdisciplinary partnerships with university faculty, extension agents, and local community leaders, with the goal of providing up-to-date and usable information to the public.
    • Hort substrates photoMs. Liz Driscoll is the new 4-H Extension Associate for Youth Programs in Plant Science (100% Extension). This position is shared with the Departments of Crop Science and Soil Science, and is administered through the Department of Horticultural Science. Liz received her MS and BS degrees from the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University in 2004 and 2001, respectively. Her MS thesis was ‘Fostering wonder and curiosity: Immersion field trips in the Michigan 4-H Children’s Garden’. During 2003-06, Liz was the Education Coordinator at the Michigan 4-H Children’s Garden in East Lansing. While there she developed an innovated garden curriculum for school education programs that linked informal education program with state and national science learning standards. She used thematic, hands-on learning methods to teach children, as well as web-based learning opportunities. She also assisted with the 4-H horticulture workshops and student contests. In 1999, Liz also worked as an intern at the Cheyenne Botanic Garden in Wyoming.
    • As the 4-H Extension Associate in Plant Sciences, Liz will be responsible for developing age-appropriate 4-H youth educational programs in horticulture, crops and soils, including the Horticulture Judging Contest; Plant, Soils & Environmental Youth Seminar; National Junior Horticulture Association; Junior Master Gardeners, and others. Use of the internet and other media forms will be critical in the delivery of plant science information to today’s youth. Liz will work with the public school system to develop a third grade enrichment program consistent with the Department of Public Instruction Standard Course of Study. She will also train extension agents and volunteers in use of the new youth educational programs. Implementation will be carried out in collaboration with agents, teachers, and volunteers.
    • The Department is in the midst of developing a 2007-2010 Compact Plan that outlines our priority initiatives for this period. With over 300 students enrolled in our 2-year, undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as horticultural research and extension programs across the state, the department has never been more active and productive. These are very exciting times.
  • DEPARTMENTAL HIGHLIGHT
    • by Todd Wehner
    • The NC State Plant Transformation Laboratory (PTL) opened on May 1.  The PTL staff includes Dr. Sergei Krasnyanski, who has joined us from Purdue University, and George Allen.  Dr. Krasnyanski has over 20 years of tissue culture experience and has worked on the transformation of sunflower, canola, mint, apple, tomato, rose, Arabidopsis, tobacco, and soybean. The PTL was created in response to an increasing demand for value-added plant traits to enhance new cultivars for North Carolina.  Although the production of transgenic plants is expensive and requires a combination of molecular biology, transformation, tissue culture, and plant breeding, it will provide new protection of crops from diseases, insects, and weeds.
    • Hort substrates photoTraits of interest include Roundup Ready soybean, BT maize, and Golden Rice (having increased levels of provitamin A).  While researchers at NC State have been producing transgenic plants for many years, many programs have focused on answering basic research questions, using easily transformed model plants, such as tobacco or Arabidopsis.  The PTL adds a new level of capability to our programs.  The goal of the PTL is to collaborate scientifically with other campus researchers to contribute to the North Carolina economy while improving agriculture and the environment.
    • For those of you who missed the open house, please visit the new laboratory, located in 3900 Partners II on Centennial Campus, or visit our website http://www.planttransformation.ncsu.edu/
  • INTERESTING WEB SITES
    • by Mary Peet
    • Need good ecoregion maps of the US or the Carolinas?  Recently a request came in for a labeled map showing physiography and topographical features (primarily, the mountains, piedmont, coastal plain, sandhills of the US Southeast) to use in a presentation. Since this type of map could be useful to anyone trying to explain where plants grow well and why, this newsletter features sites with the best ecoregion maps. Ecoregions are areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources.
    • EPA publishes the best ecoregion maps currently available. You can see the EPA region III map at http://www.epa.gov/wed/pages/ecoregions/level_iii.htm. This map has only numbers, which makes it hard to interpret, but you can also download a full size or page size .pdf version of the map from links at the bottom left of the map. The .pdf versions show the labels on the map, but beware, these are large files (4.5 MB) and might need to be compressed before inserting into a PowerPoint presentation.
    • For those interested in more details on the ecoregions of the Carolinas, a good site is http://www.epa.gov/wed/pages/ecoregions/ncsc_eco.htm. This site also offers a downloadable .pdf version of the map, fortunately, not quite so large (380 kb).
  • Hort substrates photoFACULTY NEWS
    • by Todd Wehner
    • Tom Ranney won the 2006 Porter Henegar award presented by the Southern Nursery Association.
    • Gerald Holmes, Jonathan Schultheis and Todd Wehner hosted the Cucurbitaceae 2006 conference in Asheville at the Grove Park Inn September 17-21.  It was the largest cucurbit conference to date.  The conferences are held every 4 years.  See http://cuke.hort.ncsu.edu/cucurbit/meetings/ccrbtceae06mtg.html
  • GRADUATE PROGRAM
    • by John Dole and Rachel McLaughlin
    • Emily Bland.  Emily was born in Sumter, South Carolina.  She received her BLA from Clemson University majoring in Landscape Architecture.  Emily did an internship with Dargan Landscape Architects in Cashiers, NC the summer of 2005.  She also studied in Greece and Turkey (Spring 2004) and then Barcelona, Spain (Fall 2005).  During 2005 Emily pursued research in sustainability and therapeutic gardens.  For this research she received the 2005 Healthcare Environmental Award Student Category.  Emily will be working on her MHS degree with Pat Lindsey.
    • Colleen Sparks.  Colleen was born in North Wilkesboro, NC.  She received her BS from NCSU majoring in Horticultural Science and minoring in Agricultural Business Management.  Currently she is a Commercial and Consumer Horticulture Agent in Davie County located in Mocksville.  Colleen will be working on her MHS degree with Wayne Buhler.
  • UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM
    • by Bryce Lane
    • Fall semester in the department of Horticultural Science is going strong. Our undergraduate enrollment is similar to previous years. We have 190 4-year and 85 2-year students. The Horticulture Club assisted PAX with the fall plant sale, and spruced up the Fairgrounds Garden for the State Fair.
    • Ten students just returned from a field trip to the Delaware Valley area where they visited Longwood Gardens, Chanticleer and other horticultural attractions.
    • In December, we will have 18 students graduating from our 4-year program.
  • Hort substrates photoNEWS FROM AROUND NORTH CAROLINA
    • Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station (Fletcher)
      • by Tom Ranney
      • Following the resignation of both our maintenance man and housekeeper this summer, the air conditioning system promptly failed.  Fans and casual attire had to be adopted.  However, things are looking up with the delivery of a new air conditioning chiller -- just in time for the first fall freeze last weekend!
    • Muscadine Grape Program (Kenansville)
      • by Connie Fisk
      • The NC Muscadine Grape Association held their annual meeting and bus tour August 3 and 4 and provided growers and Extension Agents with current information on all aspects of the muscadine industry.  If you missed it, plan to join us next year in early August.
      • Being new to the area and to muscadines, I have spent the last 6 months traveling around the state visiting with as many muscadine growers and processors as possible; an interesting trip.  We now have muscadines growing commercially in counties from Surry and Cleveland in the west, all the way to the east coast.  And preliminary survey responses suggest that acreage has doubled within the last two years, to approximately 1200 acres of muscadines in NC!  If you know a grower, especially in the fresh market, please encourage them to keep their county Extension Agents informed of their growth so I can keep track of the most accurate numbers and better know the needs of NC's growers. Thanks.
      • The 2nd annual NC Muscadine Harvest Festival will be September 29-30 in Kenansville.  Visit http://www.muscadineharvestfestival.com for more details.  It promises to be an educational and entertaining event.
      • Muscadine harvest for the wineries has begun in the Coastal Plain.  Be on the lookout for fresh NC muscadines at your local grocery store and farmers market and support local agriculture by taking some home with you.
  • HORTICULTURE FACILITIES
    • by David Monks
    • Kilgore Hall is having some more asbestos removed.  As a result, we now have some renovated storage areas and labs.
  • DEPARTMENTAL NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE
    • Editor: Todd Wehner
    • Assistant: Rachel McLaughlin
    • Send items for the newsletter to Todd Wehner (todd_wehner@ncsu.edu)
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maintained by T.C. Wehner; last revised on 14 April, 2008