Department of Horticultural Science
College of Agriculture and Life Science
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Departmental Newsletter, Summer 2008

  • DEPARTMENTAL HIGHLIGHT
    • by Mary Peet
    • The Distance Education Certificate Program has a new website: http://web.mac.com/kpaigel/certificate/Home.html. See this Fall's course listings: Fruit Quality HS590F taught by Connie Fisk, Environmental Stress Physiology HS707, taught by John Williamson and Permaculture HS590U, taught by Will Hooker. Mary Peet will be on study leave this fall, but will return in the spring to teach HS534, Greenhouse and High Tunnel Food Production. For the fall semester, John Dole will be handling the Certificate Program. Paige Winn will be available in 112 Kilgore Hall or contact her (paige_winn@ncsu.edu) to set up an appointment for help with your existing DE course or help in developing a new DE course.
  • FACULTY NEWS
    • by Todd Wehner
    • Ted Bilderback has returned from his 6-month study leave in New Zealand.
    • Mary Peet will be on study leave until January. Plans include travel to conferences in Santa Marta, Colombia to present a keynote address and poster at an ISHS Symposium on 'Tomatoes in the Tropics', and present a talk and poster at an ISHS Symposium in Tucson, AZ. In addition she will work with collaborators in Arizona, Ohio and Florida on cooperative grafting projects underway at the 3 universities. Chris Gunter will be covering her extension responsibilities and John Dole will be running the DE program. Beth Larrea, a former MS student, will be teaching HS431, Vegetable Crop Production.
    • The Plant Breeding Academy in Davis, CA has graduated its first class of 15 students who have studied there for the last two years. The three lead instructors are Doug Shaw, Larry Teuber and Todd Wehner.
    • Baki Karacay, a visiting scientist from Turkey is just completing 6 months working with Nancy Creamer at CEFS and learning about sustainable agriculture. Baki is a government employee in agricultural engineer working for the Ministry of Agriculture in the Mediterranean city of Antalya. Turkey aims to increase production of organic farming to meet safe food needs, to increase quantity of healthy food, to protect the present structure of natural resources, and to reestablish the ecological balance. CEFS has provided him with the knowledge and experience that will enable him to help establish similar educational and applicable programs that develop and promote food and farming systems that protect the environment, strengthen local communities, and provide economic opportunities in his country. He was funded by the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture.
    • Faculty Awards
      • Congratulations are due to Bryce Lane, Sonya Williams Harris, Simone Keith and others in Communication Services for winning both a Gold and Bronze Award from the Association for Communication Excellence for the "In the Garden With Bryce Lane" videos! The Gold Award was in the 'Video Programs' category and the Bronze Award was in the 'Informational or Non-Credit Educational Video Production' category.
      • At the 25th anniversary of the North American Flowerbulb Wholesalers Association (NAFWA) conference that was held at Cornell University, Dr. Gus De Hertogh (one of its longtime supporters) received a Crystal Tulip Award. De Hertogh started the NAFWA research program at NC State University in 1985. He also received the lifetime membership award and delivered a history of the MSU/NCSU flower bulb research program the next morning. De Hertogh started bulb research in 1965, when Michigan State University received a five-year $100,000 grant for flower bulb research in North America. Even though he was the son of a Belgian immigrant, he had never seen a tulip. De Hertogh’s early research mostly revolved around forcing. In the 1970s, he studied the effects of ethylene and other PGR’s. In 1978, De Hertogh moved to NC State, where he served as Department Head of the Department of Horticultural Science from 1978-1988, but he also continued his research. He retired from NCSU in 2000, since then he has been the Research Coordinator for the American Floral Endowment. NAFWA is a North American organization dedicated to promote the interest of companies whose trade is wholesaling flowerbulbs. They do this by developing programs, services, and networking opportunities that contribute to the overall business success of the flower bulb industry.
      • George Wilson won the 2008 Outstanding International Horticulturist award from the American Society for Horticultural Science.
      • Jim Ballington was chosen as the 2008 B.Y. Morrison lecturer for the American Society for Horticultural Science. His presentation will be: "Toward a More Equitable and Responsible Policy on Intellectual Property as it Relates to Plants".
      • Calvin (Cal) E. Lewis, Jr. will be the recipient of the Horticultural Science 2008 Outstanding Alumnus Award. Mr. Lewis received his BS degree from the department in 1977. (His father, Calvin Lewis, Sr. graduated from the department in 1948!). Cal Lewis is the owner of Lewis Nursery and Farms, a second generation farm. They specialize in quality production of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and pepper plants as part of their wholesale nursery. They have two retail locations and a Pick Your Own operation. They also farm 500 acres and have a shipping operation. Mr. Lewis is active in the NC Vegetable Growers Association and the NC Strawberry Association. He is also a leader in the use of high tunnels for off season strawberry production.
  • GRADUATE PROGRAM
    • by John Dole and Rachel McLaughlin
    • Lis Meyer has been selected to receive the 2008 NACTA (North American Colleges & Teachers of Agriculture) Graduate Student Teaching Award. She will receive a plaque at the 54th Annual NACTA/SERD Conference at Utah State University campus during June 10-13, 2008. The purpose of the NACTA Graduate Student Teaching Award is to recognize and reward graduate students who excel as teachers in the agricultural disciplines. The award is for NACTA graduate student members who are involved in classroom instruction.
  • Undergraduate trip photoUNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM
    • by Bryce Lane and Betty Coleman
    • The HS international field trip to Italy and France was a great success! Eight students from Horticultural Science spent 2 weeks in Italy and the south of France visiting gardens in late May and early June. Helen Kraus and Bryce Lane led the trip. The group visited 8 gardens and many other natural and not so natural attractions. A good time was had by all.
  • NEWS FROM AROUND NORTH CAROLINA
    • JC Raulston Arboretum (Raleigh)
      • by Dennis Werner
      • The JC Raulston Arboretum has received a $2,000 grant from the North American Rock Garden Society to support further development and educational interpretation of the scree and rooftop gardens. This grant will allow for the continued development and improvement of these popular garden spaces.
      • In the past month, the JCRA has been host to some noteworthy groups. The Society for Economic Botany held their annual conference at Duke University in early June, and the JCRA was proud to be a co-sponsor. Over 150 U.S. and international scientists attended the conference, and as part of their activities, the attendees visited the JCRA for an evening dinner and tour of the collections. Later in June, the Garden Centers of America held their annual "Summer Tour" in North Carolina. The JCRA was pleased to host this group of over 100 garden center operators from across the U.S. for their evening program, dinner, and Arboretum tours on Monday, June 23. Attendees in both groups commented on the wonderful diversity and the professional appearance and presentation of the Arboretum collections, a testament to the efforts of all of our staff and volunteers.
      • We are making progress on the master plan. Renovation and expansion of the old southwest garden was completed this spring, and this area has been renamed the "xeric garden". We have had some challenges with water movement and soil erosion after some of the heavy rainfalls this spring, but our garden crew has worked hard to address these problems. We are proceeding with the establishment of an exciting collection of drought tolerant plants in this garden, and hundreds of plants have already been established, including numerous species of palms, agaves, yuccas, and woody lilies. Please visit the Arboretum to watch the development of this exciting garden. Also, we are nearing completion of the new main pathway that will parallel the perennial border. The pathway will extend from the brick walkway in front of the geophyte border, and run the entire length of the perennial border to the "Necessary". This path will allow for easier movement from the rooftop garden to the Necessary, particularly for our handicapped guests.
      • Over a 2-week period, numerous JCRA supporters from around the state hosted Summer Solstice parties to raise funds for the JCRA, specifically the JCRA Endowment for Excellence, and the Master Plan. Hundreds of arboretum supporters attended these parties, and I am pleased and excited to share that about $30,000 was raised to support these Arboretum initiatives. The entire staff and I are very grateful to all of the special people who hosted a Summer Solstice party, and to all that attended a party and contributed to this fund raising and arboretum awareness effort. One of my goals as Director is to enhance the long-term financial stability of the JCRA by building the endowment fund, while at the same time moving forward with the Master Plan. These funds will help us accomplish both goals. Again, special thanks to each of the hosts, and to Helen Yoest, who conceived and coordinated the Summer Solstice fundraising activities.
    • Horticultural Crops Research Station (Clinton)
      • by Allan Thornton
      • The Clinton area is hot and dry. Many of the crops without irrigation will suffer major yield losses. Fortunately, the research station seems to have an excellent water supply for the crops.
    • NC Research Campus (Kannapolis)
      • by Todd Wehner
      • The department has completed its interviews with the 13 candidates for the four positions to be located at Kannapolis. The positions will be on molecular genetics, postharvest physiology, vegetable breeding, and fruit breeding. We will offer the positions to our top candidates in July.
    • Dilip Panthee photoMountain Horticultural Crops Research Station (Fletcher)
      • by Tom Ranney
      • Dilip Panthee has officially started his position here breeding tomato and strawberry. He is getting his feet wet and hands dirty (see photo below) while getting settled in. Dilip has recently moved here with his wife Sarita and two children, Jyotsna (13) and Jwalant (9) and have started building a house. Welcome!
    • Muscadine Grape Program (Kenansville)
      • by Connie Fisk
      • Interest in fresh muscadine grapes continues to grow. Two meetings have been held at the Duplin County Cooperative Extension Office to bring together existing and potential growers and interested buyers. Kildeer Farms in Cleveland County owned by Ervin Lineberger produces muscadine cultivars for fresh-eating that are sold in Wal-Mart and a few other grocery chains. Most small grocery stores in North Carolina carry Carlos, a cultivar suited to wine and juice production but not for fresh market. Carlos turns brown on grocery shelves after refrigeration and has a tough skin. The top five fresh cultivars recommended for NC production are Nesbitt (black, self-fertile), Summit (bronze, female), Supreme© (black, female), Tara (bronze, self-fertile), and Triumph (bronze, self-fertile).
      • At their February Board Meeting the NC Wine & Grape Council voted to support the re-establishment of North Carolina's muscadine breeding program. Dr. Jim Ballington will use the money received in 2008-2009 to begin collecting germplasm for use in future breeding efforts. The NC Muscadine Grape Association surveyed their membership and identified breeding priorities that include cold-hardiness, flavor, disease resistance, and antioxidant activity. The need for cold hardy cultivars is apparent in both the fresh-eating and processing market segments. Most of our fresh-eating muscadines were bred in Georgia and may not survive winter in NC, especially in the western part of the state. The wine and juice cultivar, Carlos, is known for its cold tolerance and accounts for >90% of the acreage statewide. It is also one of the earliest to break bud and was devastated by the 2007 Easter freeze. Thus, it is important to breed cold tolerant, fresh-eating cultivars, as well as new wine and juice cultivars with high yield and fruit quality to rival Carlos so that the industry can survive and continue to grow with the changing market and weather conditions.
      • In March a new publication, Propagating Muscadine Grapes, was posted on the web with step-by-step instructions and photos for collecting softwood cutting (now is the perfect time of year) and rooting them under intermittent mist. Cuttings taken during preparation of the publication were planted in a small replicated trial at the Clinton Research Station in March for use in future research projects. Check out the 8 page pdf at http://www4.ncsu.edu/~clfisk/muscadine/propagating_muscadines.pdf
        The cover photo also won second place in the Extension photo contest, Economic Development and Opportunities category.
      • In April a muscadine acreage survey was sent out to a mailing list of 350 growers across NC, from hobbyists with just a few rows up to our largest vineyard at 75 acres. So far, one third of the surveys have been returned. If you did not receive a survey, you can get it on the web at
        http://www4.ncsu.edu/~clfisk/muscadine/survey_08.doc
        and return it to Connie at the address given on the form. The information collected will be used to adjust programming and influence the path of muscadine research, breeding and marketing efforts in North Carolina.
      • Connie Fisk has a new muscadine webpage at http://www4.ncsu.edu/~clfisk/muscadine.htmlwith links to production, pest management, cultivar, and freeze damage information as well as an archive of past issues of musc-mg and links to other extension specialists with muscadine responsibilities.
    • Vernon James Research and Extension Center (Plymouth)
      • by Mark Clough
      • Gary Hansen joined the James Center faculty in January, he replaces Richard Lichtenwalner, our former Animal Science specialist.
      • For 2008, the Potato Breeding Program is running 14 yield trials, 8 breeding/selection trials, 3 Colorado Potato Beetle resistance trials, and 3 trials associated with the physiological disorder referred to as internal heat necrosis.
  • HORTICULTURE FACILITIES
    • by Todd Wehner
    • Office, classroom and laboratory door signs have been updated in the Department of Horticultural Science buildings of Kilgore Hall, Partners II (Centennial Campus), and the Marye Ann Fox Science Teaching Lab. Thanks to Wesley Turner for producing and installing the new signs!
  • 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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Created by T.C. Wehner and C. Barrett 5 September, 1996; design by C.T. Glenn;
maintained by T.C. Wehner; last revised on 16 April, 2009