This project is funded by a grant entitled “Production, Shipping and Postharvest Techniques to Maximize Sales and Sell-Through while Minimizing Inputs (including labor)” through the USDA-ARS Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative.

The overarching research objective is to increase plant resilience in floriculture products to reduce crop losses at production, retail, and consumer phases.

Resilient plants are less susceptible to a variety of stresses that can lead to production and post-production losses. Example methods to improve plant resilience include:

• Calcium and silicon sprays
• LED lighting
• Water and nutrient stress and supply
• Plant growth regulators
• Activating plant defense mechanisms and biological control
• Managing costs, improved forecasting, and increasing sell-through rate

Our research team includes the USDA-ARS, and university colleagues at Clemson, Florida, Maryland, Michigan State, and Texas A&M.

The majority of this funding from the USDA-ARS Floriculture and Nursery Research supports graduate student research to prepare the next generation of horticulture R&D experts.

You can view our published articles here.