Department of Horticultural Science
College of Agriculture and Life Science
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Departmental Newsletter, Summer 2007

  • Tree breeding photoDEPARTMENTAL HIGHLIGHT
    • by Todd Wehner
    • The Plant Breeding Coordinating Committee (SCC080) was established at a meeting hosted by NC State horticulture and crop science departments in February 2007.  Its mission is to promote plant breeding at the federal level, to increase the number of public plant breeders, and to fund the training of graduate students in plant breeding for U.S. agriculture.  The website is run by Todd Wehner and is located at: http://cuke.hort.ncsu.edu/gpb/pr/pbccmain.html
  • INTERESTING WEBSITES
    • by Mary Peet
    • Procrastinators, You can still get good airfares to Phoenix for the ASHS Annual Conference 16–19 July 2007, Westin Kierland Resort and Spa, Scottsdale, Arizona! Don’t miss the great program and other activities in Scottsdale this year! Check out the program at:
      http://www.ashs.org/conferences.html!
    • And don’t forget to check Southwest Airlines for fares: http://www.southwest.com/. Southwest doesn’t show up in Expedia or most of the other travel search sites. However it offers 10 flights a day to Phoenix and 8 return flights, including 2 non-stop flight each way. Fares can be as low as $84 one way, or as high as $339, but you are able to use a search tool to pick dates with the lowest fares. A promotional fare of $149 each way should be available for the Conference. Although Southwest does not allow reserve seating, you can print out a boarding pass 24 hours before the flight and board with the first group. Southwest is also better than most airlines about allowing you to change dates or times without penalty as long as the original fare is still available.
    • If Southwest doesn’t work for you or you want to try to get lower fares, go to http://www.shermanstravel.com/. You can enter your dates and times just once in Quick Search  and it will take you to 7 or more sites to search for low fares without having to re-enter your travel information! Orbitz, for example, was showing a $303 flights on American and Continental with only 1 stop. Kayak shows rate history to this destination over a 90 day period and low fares of $375. Or if you want to track fare prices, go to http://www.farecast.com/ and enter your destination. Farecast predicts that the lowest fares are dropping $45, and shows fares on multiple airlines of $335. It also shows the time of day that fares are lowest and will connect to Southwest, although it doesn’t list fares on Southwest. You can also set up a daily or weekly alert on Farecast to tell if prices are expected to go up or down if you want to take a chance!
    • Housing is available at the Westin Kierland, which is a full-service resort and spa http://www.kierlandresort.com/golf_spa/index.html. Bring the family to enjoy the pool, waterslide, golf, and spa! Supervised activities are also available for kids and teens! Conference rates of $99 are available until June 13 or whenever they fill up.
  • FACULTY NEWS
    • by Todd Wehner
    • Mark Weathington, Director of Horticulture at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, Norfolk, VA, has accepted the position of Assistant Director of the JC Raulston Arboretum, effective July 23, 2007. Mark earned BS degrees in Horticulture and Sociology at Virginia Tech University in 1995, and MS at Virginia Tech in 1999. He has been at the Norfolk Botanical Garden since 1999, and has been Director of Horticulture since 2003. Mark is also an adjunct faculty member at Tidewater Community College, Chesapeake, VA, where he teaches two courses in landscape plant materials and an introductory horticulture class.  Mark has regularly contributed horticulture articles for the Virginian-Pilot newspaper, Virginia Gardener magazine, and HR magazine. Prior to his appointment at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, Mark was the Horticulture supervisor at the Virginia Marine Science Museum (1998-1999), Horticulturist at the Atlanta Botanical Garden (1996-1998), Assistant Manager of Laurel Creek Nursery, Blacksburg, VA (1991-1995), and a graduate assistant at Virginia Tech University (1995-1996).  Please join the JCRA staff in welcoming Mark to the JC Raulston Arboretum.
    • Hyung-Jun Kim from Korea was a visiting scientist with Mary Peet this spring, working on development of an organic fertilization system for greenhouse tomatoes.
    • Urszula Klosinska from the Research Institute of Vegetable Crops in Skierniewice, Poland will be working at NC State as a visiting scholar this summer.  Her research is with downy mildew resistance in cucumber with Todd Wehner.
    • Mr. Shengping Zhang from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing, China will be working at NC State as a visiting scholar this summer.  His research is on watermelon breeding with Todd Wehner.
    • Nancy Creamer was invited by the European Commission to review a European-wide organic agriculture project which was funded by the European Commission in 2004 for $18 million euro ($24 million dollars). Nancy was in Brussels on the project review May 8-12.
    • The Center for Environmental Farming Systems brought Carlo Petrini, founder of the International Slow Food Movement, to Raleigh to celebrate local foods. While on a two week tour of the US promoting his latest book Slow Food Nation, Petrini, a native of Italy, was interested in tasting the culinary delights of our region. Thus, the idea of a barbeque picnic was born. On May 22, NC Choices, a CEFS sponsored program, Slow Food Triangle and SEEDS sponsored a picnic which partnered local chefs and local farmers. The 400 picnic attendees enjoyed amazing food from some of the regions most notable chefs, including Andrea Reusing (Chef and owner of Lantern in Chapel Hill as well as a CEFS Board member), Ashley Christensen (Enoteca Vin) and Bret Jennings (Elaine’s). For a complete list of chef and farmers, please visit: http://www.slowfoodtriangle.org/pages/petrini.htm
    • On May 23, CEFS supporters got the opportunity to meet Petrini at the Friends of CEFS reception held at the Joyner Visitor Center. Guests enjoyed the opportunity to mingle with Petrini and have books signed while they enjoyed a reception featuring a 100% local menu. Following the reception, Petrini was the featured speaker of the CEFS Inaugural Sustainable Agriculture Lecture. Petrini spoke, through his interpreter Erika Lesser – Executive Director of Slow Food USA, on the Slow Food philosophy of good, clean and fair food: that the food we eat should taste good; that it should be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health; and that food producers should receive fair compensation for their work. The audience, which numbered over 850, enjoyed the opportunity to ask questions as well as have books signed following the lecture.
    • Sarah M. Miller (wife of Dr. Conrad Miller) passed away on May 12, 2007.  Conrad is a Professor Emeritus in our Department.  He was a member of our Department from August 1, 1957 - December 31, 1989 working on cultural investigations with cucurbits, sweetpotatoes, peppers and crucifers.  Sarah loved her flower garden, cooking for her family, and enjoyed every moment she had to spend with them, especially her beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
    • Faculty Awards
      • Dennis Werner was named the second J.C. Raulston Distinguished Professor effective April 1, 2007.  This professorship was established in 1998 by C.D. and Meredith Spangler in honor of the late J.C. Raulston.  Dr. Werner is a professor in the Department of Horticultural Science and Director of the J.C. Raulston Arboretum.
      • Jerry Baron won the Horticultural Science 2007 Outstanding Alumnus award.  He is the Executive Director of the IR-4 Program and a Ph.D. graduate of our department (with Tom Monaco).  Ceremony will be September 28 in 121 Kilgore Hall.
  • STAFF NEWS
    • by Dolores Lawson
    • Luz Reyes left the department on May 31 to join her husband in Indiana.
    • Jennie Ferrell left the department on May 31. Anitra Hill joined the department in May to take on Jennie's responsibilities.
  • GRADUATE PROGRAM
    • by John Dole and Rachel McLaughlin
    • Angela Post won the NACTA Graduate Student Teaching Award 22 June 2007 at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
    • Elizabeth Meyer received the Outstanding Teaching Assistant award from the University Graduate Student Association.
    • Antonia Tetteh received a $500 travel grant form the American Society for Horticultural Science to attend their annual convention in Scottsdale, AZ.
  • UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM
    • by Bryce Lane and Betty Coleman
    • The spring graduation ceremony and reception for the department was held on May 12, 2007 at the Ruby McSwain Education Center at the JC Raulston Arboretum. We had a total of 30 undergraduate students receive their diplomas. Dr. Julia Kornegay, our department head, presided over the ceremony. Mr. Trey Warrick and Mr. Cody Yandle were awarded Outstanding Senior awards for their scholastic achievement, departmental leadership, and involvement in horticulture.
    • Summer school is in full swing. Pat Lindsey is teaching a landscape design course for non-design majors and Will Hooker is teaching his Permaculture studio.
  • Arboretum photoNEWS FROM AROUND NORTH CAROLINA
    • JC Raulston Arboretum (Raleigh)
      • by Dennis Werner
      • Dennis Werner, director of the JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University has sent a summary of the major Arboretum activities and accomplishments of 2006.  Please consider becoming a member of the JCRA, and visit your Arboretum often (see photo).  See the website at:
        http://www.ncsu.edu/jcraulstonarboretum/
      • The Arboretum offered 18 Friends of the Arboretum lectures and 4 workshops in 2006,  covering a diversity of topics and speakers.  Special events included our first annual JCRA Summerfest,  offering numerous educational programs for the gardening public.  Over 400 people attended to hear presentations on earth-friendly gardening, beekeeping, turf management, herbaceous perennials, irrigation, designing for small spaces, attracting wildlife to the garden, and other topics.  The highlight of the 2006 educational programs was the JCRA 30th anniversary symposium entitled "Plan and Plant for a Better World", in honor of the late founder of the Arboretum, Dr. J.C. Raulston.  One hundred seventy five attendees were treated to a terrific educational program, highlighted by keynote speaker Roy Lancaster.
      • The Arboretum provides a valuable teaching resource for numerous faculty at NCSU.  Students in Plant Identification, Plant Systematics, Nursery Management, Tree and Grounds Management, and Plant Propagation classes benefited from the availability of the Arboretum's diverse collections.  The Arboretum's extensive collection of Aesculus is supporting a systematics study of this important plant group by a graduate student in the Plant Biology Department.  Researchers in the Forestry Department make use of the collection of Abies species in their research aimed at developing rootstocks for Fraser fir, Abies fraseri.
      • Thanks to the generous contributions of Alan McIntyre, Bobby Wilder, The Raleigh Garden Club, The North Carolina Association of Nurserymen, and the North Carolina Commercial Flower Growers Association, the Arboretum was able to host four student interns in summer, 2006.  These student interns obtained a broad range of experiences in the care and management of the Arboretum collections.
      • Plant breeding efforts conducted by the Arboretum staff focus on Buddleia, Cercis, and Stokesia laevis.  Final evaluation of two compact Buddleia selections with low fertility was completed in 2006 in anticipation of formal release in 2007.  Numerous exciting redbud (Cercis sp.) selections are being evaluated in advanced trials and have elicited considerable interest from the nursery industry.  A significant percentage of the royalties collected from sales of future Arboretum cultivar releases will go into the JCRA Endowment for Excellence to generate income to support the long-term care and development of the gardens.
      • We began a new changing sign program to highlight particular gardens and plants during the changing seasons.  This effort complements our already excellent program of plant labeling, and helps visitors interpret the collections.  Our goal is to provide more informal educational experiences for arboretum visitors.  A grant from the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust was obtained to assist in this effort.
      • The Arc of Wake County, NC, is a non-profit organization whose mission is to assist people with disabilities secure  employment  experiences in the community.  The Arc of Wake County offers a summer internship program entitled Project SEE (Supported Employment Experience) that provides opportunities for young people with disabilities to work in a variety of job settings.  The JCRA was pleased to be a part of Project SEE in summer 2006 by hosting  an intern.  Our Project SEE intern, Ms. Cassie Cunningham, kept our Visitor Center, White Garden, and Rooftop Garden container plantings watered and looking great, as well as participating in a number of other garden activities.
      • Completion of the McSwain Educational Center and the accompanying Visitor Center in 2002 significantly changed the physical map of the JCRA.  Recognizing that no formal master plan existed for developing the paths and garden spaces in the area immediately surrounding the new buildings, nor for integrating the paths and garden spaces in the remainder of the Arboretum to the new buildings, a Grassroots Master Plan was initiated.  This effort, led by a team of volunteer landscape designers and landscape architects, is aimed at developing a physical master plan for the JCRA, with emphasis on the path systems, handicapped accessibility, garden spaces, and enhancing the visitor experience.  The team has solicited suggestions and ideas from all members of the JCRA community, and is currently in the final stages of developing the Master Plan.
      • The creative students in Mr. Will Hooker's landscape design class channeled their energies into designing and creating a collection of bamboo fish that have been placed at various locations around the JCRA.  This project provided students an opportunity to develop their design skills using bamboo, using the Arboretum as the palette.  Children visiting the Arboretum have enjoyed "fishing" in the gardens.
    • Apple blossom photoMountain Horticultural Crops Research Station (Fletcher)
      • by Tom Ranney
      • Steve McArtney reported that much of the apple crop was lost during the record Easter freeze (see photo)
    • Horticultural Crops Research Station (Clinton)
      • by Allan Thornton
      • Vegetable production in southeastern NC got off to a rough start due to cool temperatures and strong winds. Plantings at the HCRS were delayed but are doing well now. Seedless watermelon projects with nitrogen at Clinton and grafting at Kinston are off to a good start. 'Covington' sweetpotato trials are also underway.
    • Muscadine Grape Program (Kenansville)
      • by Connie Fisk
      • This spring was certainly a busy one for the muscadine program. The Easter freeze devastated Carlos vineyards in the SE corner of the state (where temperatures dipped as low as 16 degrees in some vineyards and the tender new shoots were 4-6 inches long) with varying levels of damage to other varieties and other locations.  Efforts have focused on damage assessment and pruning and management recommendations to bring the SE vineyards back into production and encourage long-term vineyard health. We expect to see more damage and disease pressure as time goes on, and may not know the extent of the damage for months or even years.  Updates will continue to be posted to the Cooperative Extension Service's freeze damage website www.ces.ncsu.edu/disaster/freeze
    • Vernon James Research and Extension Center (Plymouth)
      • by Mark Clough
      • The New Faculty tour came to the TRS on May 17, and Mark Clough gave an overview of the potato breeding program. On May 19, the Potato Festival was held in Elizabeth City and Mark Clough set up a display showcasing the breeding program. On May 21, the annual North Carolina Potato Association meeting was held in Elizabeth City; Mark Clough, Craig Yencho and Jarred Driscoll participated in the meeting as well as a field tour.
      • As of May 25, NCDA has not named a new superintendent for the TRS but they have said they are in the process of making offers.
  • OPPORTUNITIES
    • by Todd Wehner
    • The Center for Environmental Farming Systems is seeking highly motivated undergraduate students with a strong interest in sustainable agriculture. Summer Research Interns will work closely with a CEFS faculty member.  There will be a core 8-week period (June 4-July 27) where all interns will participate in a more formal learning program in addition to their association with the particular faculty mentor.  Research interns will work in their selected field of study, focusing on mentoring with research faculty on a targeted project(s) and possibly undertaking a carefully supervised research project of their own four days per week. One day a week, all Research Interns will meet as a group with a CEFS research leader and associated faculty members to learn about various aspects of sustainable agriculture. A written report and presentation will be due upon the completion of the research internship. For more information please visit: http://www.cefs.ncsu.edu/internship2007.htm or contact Lisa Forehand (lisa_forehand@ncsu.edu or 919-513-0954) for more information.
  • HORTICULTURE FACILITIES
    • by Todd Wehner
    • A building ventilation system has been installed in Kilgore Hall to ensure proper air exchange on each floor of the building.
  • 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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