ASHS 2025 Conference

This session is being co-sponsored by Viticulture and Small Fruits (VSF) and American Pomological Society (APS)

As climate conditions continue to shift, heat stress poses a significant challenge to fruit production, affecting both yield and quality. This session will explore the physiological and biochemical responses of fruit crops to extreme temperatures, highlighting the key impacts on growth, composition, and overall marketability. Experts will discuss innovative mitigation strategies, including vineyard, berry, and orchard management techniques aimed at reducing heat stress impacts. Attendees will gain insights into practical, science-based approaches to safeguard fruit production in the face of increasing heat stress.

Speakers:

• Lee Kalcsits Associate Professor, Tree Fruit Physiology Endowed Chair of Tree Fruit Environmental Physiology and Management Programmatic Lead, Wenatchee Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center Washington State University, Department of Horticulture 
• Lisa Wasko DeVetter Associate Professor, Small Fruit Horticulture Department of Horticulture College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences Washington State University NWREC
•  Everett P. Layton Ashmore, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Researcher Department of Viticulture and Enology College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences Dave Bryla Research Horticulturist USDA-ARS Horticultural Crops Production and Genetic Improvement Research Unit, Corvallis, OR

Everyone working at the university level is expected to evaluate the impact of their programs. The knowledge and practice of evaluation is assumed to be among the skill sets of staff, including early career staff, without the provision of professional development or analysis support. This is not the case. In 2024, Rutgers conducted statewide and national surveys of Master Gardener programs. Of staff and faculty responding to Rutgers national survey, 73% said that they either did not have the time or the knowledge of evaluation processes to successfully evaluate their programs.

This workshop will explore the process and outcome of this research followed by a hands-on activity illustrating the pitfalls of survey creation and how to avoid them. This opportunity to learn about survey data collection and analysis while using data that is current and relative to the Master Gardener program is invaluable. The participants of this workshop will experience designing research surveys, evaluating data and using sound research processes while exploring data collected via the Rutgers study from over 2,000 participants ranging from volunteers to national stakeholders. Unexpected vs. invalid outcomes will be included. The data presented as examples is as important as the learning process. For example, 97% of staff respondents, regardless of organization, did not see the Master Gardener volunteers as “masters of horticulture”. Participants will attempt to determine if this is an indication of survey bias or process issues or is the data valid, revealing training deficiencies, performance issues, or bias toward volunteers as non-professionals. Participants will leave with a better understanding of how to evaluate their Master Gardener programs and with foundation data on which to build future analysis.

Moderator: Ruth Carll, State Leader, Consumer Horitculture, Rutgers

Speakers:

• Ruth Carll, State Leader, Consumer Horticulture, Rutgers
• Belinda Chester, Senior Program Coordinator, Rutgers

Overview Goal:
The goal of this workshop is to bring together professionals who manage Master Gardener programs and, through guided discussion, identify methods for implementing surveys that deliver valid data by examining a current survey project’s development process and outcomes.

Format:

1. Pre-test
2. Group introduction and orientation to the topic
3. Small group activities with real-time reporting
4. Post-discussion assessment
5. Partnership creation
6. Wrap-up and distribution of notes

Ethylene-releasing and ethylene-inhibiting materials are essential tools to manage different aspects of horticultural crop production such as plant growth and development, flowering, stress response, thinning and harvesting. This workshop will focus on two topics related to promoting ethylene and two topics related to inhibiting ethylene in horticultural crop production highlighting aspects of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxilic acid (ACC), Ethephon, aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) and 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) applications in horticulture. Following each of these two broad categories of ethylene related materials, time will be provided for discussion and questions with the speakers and participants. The overall goal of this interactive workshop is to bring together speakers working on methods to influence ethylene related processes in different horticultural commodities to provide an environment for the exchange of information on new uses and management tools of ethylene-releasing and ethylene-inhibiting plant growth regulators.

Speakers:

• Dr. Esmaeil Fallahi – ACC Use on Tree Fruits University of Idaho
• Dr. Garrett Owen – Use of the Ethylene Generating PGR Collate in the Ornamental Industry Ohio State University
• Dr. Shinsuke Agehara – 1-MCP as it Relates to Suppressing Ethylene-Induced Stress Responses in Vegetable Transplants University of Florida Dr.
•  Dr. Jimmy Larson – AVG/Tools to Manage Apple Harvest Utah State University

Workshop Summary for Conference Program
Huanglongbing (HLB), commonly known as citrus greening disease, continues to challenge citrus growers and researchers worldwide. Its devastating impact on tree health, fruit quality, and overall orchard longevity makes it essential to explore adaptive horticultural strategies that can sustain production in affected regions. This workshop provides an in-depth exploration of the horticultural approaches being used to mitigate the effects of HLB, with a focus on real-world applications and current research. The content is designed to equip participants with actionable insights into how orchard management can be adjusted to maintain tree vigor and maximize productivity despite HLB pressure. Topics will include:

Physiological impacts of HLB on citrus growth and development: Understanding how the disease disrupts water, nutrient, and carbohydrate transport, and its implications for tree management.
Nutritional and irrigation strategies: Optimizing inputs to support trees with compromised root systems and reduce stress.

Soil amendments and root health: Exploring the role of organic matter, compost, biochar, soil conditioners, and microbial inoculants in enhancing soil health and nutrient availability to support stressed trees.
Canopy and crop load management: Best practices for pruning, thinning, and canopy maintenance to enhance light interception, reduce disease severity, and promote new growth.
Rootstock and scion selection: Insights into tolerant or better-performing combinations under HLB pressure, and how rootstock choice can influence disease expression.
Replant and tree replacement strategies: Managing orchard renewal while dealing with persistent disease pressure.
Cultural practices integration: How horticultural management intersects with pest control (e.g., Asian citrus psyllid suppression), disease diagnostics, and emerging technologies.

Workshop Format:
This workshop will include:
-Expert presentations from researchers, university extension specialists, and industry professionals sharing the latest findings and innovations.
-Grower case studies detailing the successful implementation of horticultural practices in HLB-endemic orchards.
-Interactive Q&A sessions and moderated discussions to encourage knowledge exchange and problem-solving tailored to regional conditions.
Learning Objectives:

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Identify the key horticultural impacts of HLB on citrus trees.
• Apply practical orchard management techniques including soil amendments and nutrient strategies to mitigate disease effects.
• Make informed decisions about rootstock, scion, canopy, and irrigation strategies.
• Integrate horticultural practices with broader HLB management approaches for sustainable production.

Speakers:

• Chater, John M. jchater@ufl.edu “Cultivar selection, OTC trunk injection, and nutrition are important horticultural strategies under observation for HLB mitigation in Florida”
• Wang,Nian nianwang@ufl.edu  “Genetic determinants underneath the Candidatus Liberibacter-triggered immune disease development of citrus Huanglongbing and its control”
• Killiny,Nabil nabilkilliny@ufl.edu  “Achieving the traditional control strategies through biotechnological approaches for sustainability: Attract-and-Kill and Repellency to control Asian citrus Psyllid”
• Albrecht,Ute ualbrecht@ufl.edu “Integrating trunk injection of oxytetracycline with other practices to sustain tree health and productivity under HLB-endemic conditions”
• Chandrika Ramadugu chandram@ucr.edu “Citrus Huanglongbing - use of disease tolerant and resistant varieties for sustainable cultivation.”
• Vincent,Christopher I civince@ufl.edu “Mitigating the physiological impact of huanglongbing by shading.”
• Dutt, Manjul manjul@ufl.edu “Rooted in Resistance: Breeding the Next Generation of HLB-Resilient Citrus rootstocks”
• Ashraf El-kereamy (ashrafe@ucr.edu) “Cultural practices to control HLB in California”