ASHS 2025 Conference

Understanding stakeholder priorities helps botanic gardens serve current visitors and develop relevant future programs. A strategic vision planning process investigated stakeholder priorities for university-affiliated Rutgers Gardens in central New Jersey, USA through an online survey conducted February – March 2024. Specific objectives included 1) determining priorities of botanic garden stakeholders to guide vision planning; 2) identifying key learning topic preferences among stakeholders, toward program development; and 3) understanding associations between overall priorities and learning interest to align visioning and programming efforts. Respondents (n=688) included university students (20.6%), faculty/staff (20.1%), and alumni (27.6%); garden visitors, staff, volunteers, members, and donors; and community members at large. The majority identified as white/Caucasian (64.5%), age 50 (50.2%), visit multiple times per year (39.9%), and reside in-state (94.7%). Asked to select their top three priorities, respondents identified Ecology, Conservation, and Biodiversity (41.9%), Display and Demonstration Gardens (34.9%), and Climate Change Resilience (27.3%) as overall leaders. Decreasing in priority were Preservation of Historic Plant Collections (25.0%), Horticultural Research (24.6%), Sustainable Agriculture (20.2%), Public Recreation (17.4%), Horticultural Therapy and Wellness (14.4%), Food Security (11.0%), Culture and Arts (9.2%), and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (6.7%). Respondents identified primary learning interest in Home Gardening

Community gardens provide numerous opportunities and benefits to volunteers, visitors, and communities. While there are many benefits to community gardens, there are also many obstacles, including volunteer struggles. Recruiting, organizing, training, and educating volunteers are among the biggest issues with volunteerism. Signage has the potential to alleviate some of these struggles. Signs can advertise the garden’s presence to attract volunteers, promote events and opportunities to keep volunteers engaged, and provide education through interpretive signage. However, many design elements and content choices for signage in community gardens have not been studied. A survey was sent out to a national sample that reflects the USA’s census data (N= 345) for gender, age, region, and household income with a screening question inquiring if participants had an interest with gardening. Photos and questions were prepared to reflect various aesthetic and functional attributes of signage. Questions asked participants their opinion on which design elements were most likely to gain attention, what information is needed to complete a task, and important information to have on a community garden sign. Results showed clear winners for design choices for attention gathering, those being primary colors, wood material, graphically designed, with a non-serif font, and pictures. Educational signage preferences showed that infographics with text and pictures were preferred overall. Signage element survey questions showed that participants preferred pictures over written text. Interactions between findings with demographics and gardening familiarity were also analyzed. Overall, people who had more experience gardening had more positive outlooks on signage compared to those who do not. These findings will allow community gardens to design more purposeful and engaging signage.

Extension Master Gardeners (EMGs) are volunteer educators trained by land-grant universities to teach their local communities about plants and gardening. While EMGs work on a variety of outreach projects, demonstration gardens are a popular project choice for Master Gardener volunteers. In Georgia alone, there are over 250 EMG projects associated with physical garden locations across the state. However, the geographic location of each garden site is not maintained in the state project database. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have been used to evaluate outreach programs in both public health and environmental sciences, but these techniques have not been applied to EMG programs. This project aimed to determine the location of active EMG demonstration gardens in Georgia using existing project database listings and reported volunteer activity from 2023-2024. Project sites were located using Google Earth keyword searches, and analysis was performed in R Statistical Software. Overall, most EMG garden projects in Georgia could be successfully located, but locatability varied across county programs. Geospatial analysis revealed that multiple garden projects are located outside of their managing program’s county, suggesting actual geographic reach of EMG programs in Georgia may be wider than previously estimated. Collecting and maintaining geographic data associated with EMG projects has many potential applications for program coordinators at local, state, and national levels. These applications include matching new volunteers with conveniently located projects, identifying underserved populations, and visualizing program reach for both public audiences and program stakeholders.

Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) production has been expanding globally, driven by its unique flavor and numerous health benefits. With increasing demand, it is essential to implement techniques aimed at improving yield in commercial blueberry fields. The distribution of blueberries across the canopy profile is a key factor linked to several management aspects, including the efficiency of mechanical harvesting, pest control strategies, and overall fruit quality. Understanding fruit distribution within the canopy is essential to optimize machine calibration, apply precision agriculture techniques for pest management, and incorporate technologies that enhance fruit quality and maximize production by reducing losses caused by uneven vertical distribution. This study aimed to determine the vertical distribution of blueberry fruits using RGB images and the YOLOv8s model. Data was collected from a commercial Southern Highbush blueberry field in Homerville, GA. Using a cellphone camera, a total of 200 images were collected from 40 plant samples, with each plant photographed from the top to the base at a consistent angle. The images were annotated and classified according to the fruit’s position on the plant (upper, middle, or lower third). The YOLOv8s model was trained on the labeled images and evaluated using standard metrics, including precision, recall, and Intersection over Union (IoU). The dataset was divided into 70% for training, 15% for validation, and 15% for testing, over 200 training epochs. The final outputs consisted of annotated images, performance metrics, and a summary table showing the number of plants analyzed and fruit concentration by canopy zone. Using the YOLOv8s model, we successfully mapped the spatial distribution of blueberry fruits across different canopy zones (upper, middle, and lower thirds). The model achieved moderate to high accuracy metrics, demonstrating good performance in fruit detection and localization. These results indicate the model's potential for practical field applications, although performance could be further enhanced by expanding the dataset and incorporating additional training cycles. Future work aims to test the model across different blueberry varieties and integrate it into a user-friendly web platform. These findings highlight the feasibility of using deep learning tools to support data-driven management decisions in commercial blueberry production systems.

Rabbiteye blueberries (RE; V. virgatum A.) are perceived to have poor fruit quality compared to southern highbush (SHB; V. corymbosum L). Comprehensive quality assessments of RE genotypes during storage are scarce. To understand fruit quality differences firmness, general composition and phytonutrient contents in 5 RE (‘Brightwell’, ‘Vernon’, ‘MS1110R’, ‘T-3072’ and ‘T-3075’) and 1 SHB (‘Legacy’) genotype were evaluated. Fruit harvested from E.V. Smith Research Center (Tallassee, AL) were stored at 4°C at 85% relative humidity. Measurements were taken on days 0 and 14 (0d and 14d) in storage. Firmness was measured using a FruitFirm1000 (g/mm). Soluble solids content (SSC, °Brix), titratable acidity (Tacid) and pH were assayed. Total anthocyanins (mg/g), phenolics (mg/100g), and DPPH antioxidant capacity (mM/100g) were quantitated via UV-VIS spectrophotometry. Days in storage*genotype were significant in firmness, Tacid, pH, anthocyanins, phenolics, and antioxidants. ‘T-3072’ had the highest firmness (0d; 289.97 g/mm) compared to ‘MS1110R’ (0d; 130.61 g/mm). ‘Vernon’ (0d; 0.66) had the highest Tacid while ‘Legacy’ (0d; 0.34) was lowest. Conversely, pH was highest in ‘Legacy’ (0d; 3.68) and lowest in ‘T-3075’ (0d; 3.12). Anthocyanins and antioxidants were highest in ‘MS1110R’ on 0d (28.62 mg/g and 29.59 mM/100g) and phenolics were highest in ‘Brightwell’ after 2 weeks of storage (426.97 mg/100g). Genotype differences indicated SSC was highest in ‘Brightwell’ (16.19) compared to ‘Legacy’ (12.03). Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were performed on 0d and 14d among the genotypes to better determine how composition changed during storage. PCA indicated ‘Legacy’ clearly separated from the RE genotypes and was negatively correlated to firmness and all composition and nutritional traits. HCA determined three clusters of interest with similar genotype characteristics from 0d to 14d. In cluster I, ‘T-3072’ and ‘T-3075’ maintained moderate to enhanced firmness. ‘Legacy’ had consistently suppressed SSC and Tacid (Cluster II). While ‘Brightwell’ and ‘MS1110R’ had enhanced anthocyanins, phenolics and antioxidants (Cluster III). Reduced SSC and Tacid are associated with lower perceived sweetness and sourness. RE genotypes demonstrated higher SSC and enhanced nutritional content, making them appealing for health-conscious consumers. Sensory analysis on 4 RE and 2 SHB genotypes will be conducted utilizing a trained panel to determine differences in sweetness, sourness, texture and aroma. We expect analyzing sensory data with physicochemical assays will further provide insightful information helpful in developing acceptable RE genotypes with preferred flavor and texture.

Climate variability causes unpredictable seasonal weather events during the fruit-growing period. This affects fruit set and quality by affecting ripening and deterioration rates postharvest. The goal of this research was to study how different weather conditions affected fruit quality at harvest and their storage potential. Four sweet cherry cultivars (Rainier, Bing, Skeena, Sweetheart) grown commercially in Central WA during 2021-2024 were harvested at two different times and stored in air (0-1 oC) for 30 days. Maturity indices (weight, color, firmness, soluble solids), stem condition, and defects were evaluated every two weeks plus 2 days at 5-6 oC simulating refrigerated shelf-life. Overall, the seasonal weather had a significant impact on fruit quality at harvest and postharvest. Fruit firmness varied among seasons in all cultivars and increased over time in storage in most cases. Skin color was only affected by harvest time. No clear trends across cultivars were observed with soluble solids content or fruit weight. The stem condition declined with time postharvest, but the rate was season- and cultivar-dependent. Positive correlations between bioclimatic indexes and the rate of deterioration (including pitting and pebbling) were found that need further investigation.

The preservation of bioactive compounds in fruit juices is essential for maintaining their nutritional value and consumer appeal. This study explores the potential of Continuous Flow High-Pressure Homogenization (CFHPH) as a promising alternative to traditional thermal processing methods, such as High-Temperature Short-Time (HTST), in fruit juice production. CFHPH has demonstrated effectiveness in preserving bioactive compounds, including ascorbic acid, carotenoids, anthocyanins, and phenolic acids, while significantly reducing the thermal degradation of heat-sensitive compounds associated with HTST. In this research, we compared CFHPH to HTST in juices from horticultural crops, including watermelon, blueberry, and grapefruit. CFHPH treatment at 300 MPa and an inlet temperature of 4 °C maintained higher levels of carotenoids, anthocyanins, and ascorbic acid during storage, while also reducing the activity of oxidative enzymes such as polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) across all tested fruits. In contrast, HTST processing resulted in a considerable loss of bioactive compounds due to oxidation and thermal degradation. CFHPH not only preserved essential nutrients but also extended shelf life under market-simulated storage conditions by minimizing oxidative damage and reducing particulate sedimentation, making it an ideal solution for the growing demand for minimally processed, nutrient-rich fruit juices. This technology offers significant potential for the horticulture and food industries, ensuring fresh, nutritious, and appealing juices for health-conscious consumers.

Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) texture is a key trait in breeding programs primarily due to its influence on consumer acceptance, machine harvestability, transportability, shelf-life, and overall quality. Variations in firmness have been extensively studied on southern highbush (SHB; Vaccinium corymbosum L.), with little reported on rabbiteye (RE; Vaccinium virgatum) genotypes. Various texture instruments, including FruitFirm1000, FirmTech II, and TA.XT2 Plus texture analyzers, are used, but not all assess multiple mechanical parameters on blueberry fruit. Initial firmness evaluations on 17 RE and SHB genotypes using a FruitFirm1000 identified genotype-specific variations over six weeks of storage (4 °C, 85% relative humidity). At harvest (day 0), ‘Titan’ (RE) had the highest firmness (287 g.mm-1), while ‘MS1110R’ (RE) had the lowest (152 g.mm-1). After 4 weeks in storage (day 28), RE genotypes of ‘Titan’, ‘Vernon’, ‘T-3075’, and SHB ‘Legacy’ maintained high firmness (˃200 g.mm-1). While ‘Alapaha’ (RE), ‘New Hanover’(SHB), and ‘MS1110R’ (RE) did not retain firmness (˂150 g.mm-1). Texture is a complex and multi-component trait; a single firmness measurement cannot comprehensively capture all attributes influencing blueberry texture variations. To further understand blueberry mechanical parameters, our current study utilizes a TA.XT2Plus texture analyzer equipped with 2 mm needle and 2 mm flat probe. The needle probe will measure force parameters across different blueberry tissues: epidermis (Fep), hypoderm (Fh), parenchyma (Fp), and inner pulp (Finner). The 2 mm flat probe will measure mechanical parameters derived from force-distance curves, which relates to skin elasticity, internal firmness, graininess/grittiness, skin strength, and stiffness (Young’s modulus). Ten blueberry genotypes (7 RE and 3 SHB) representing distinct crisp/high, medium, and low firmness levels will be harvested and stored at 4 °C and 85% relative humidity. Texture measurements will be taken at two postharvest timepoints, day 0 and 14. By integrating advanced texture analysis (TA.XT2Plus) compared to FruitFirm1000, a comprehensive understanding of firmness variability and texture changes in RE compared to SHB blueberries will be obtained. The advanced textural assessment will enable data-driven insights to inform breeding selections for improved texture in fresh-market cultivars.

Firmness is an important quality attribute for assessing fruit maturity, postharvest management, and consumer acceptance. Texture profile analyser and penetrometers are two destructive and time-consuming traditional methods for measuring firmness. Hyperspectral imaging presents a potential non-destructive alternative by acquiring the spectral and spatial data of fruits. The ability of hyperspectral imaging to predict firmness of Haskap berries (Lonicera caerulea) at various ripening stages is investigated in this study. Hyperspectral images of the Aurora cultivar were collected at 3 harvesting stages (early, mid, late), 3 growing positions (high, middle, low), and different sunlight exposure conditions (partial shade, full sun). The spectral data was collected for a selected region of interest. The reflectance spectra (396.92-1033.95 nm) were analysed, and different models were developed using neural network (R2= 0.44; RMSE= 0.35), general regression (R2= 0.41; RMSE= 0.36), partial least squares (R2= 0.45; RMSE= 0.35) and bootstrap (R2= 0.63; RMSE= 0.28) predictive modelling methods. The preliminary results of the research study findings imply that hyperspectral imaging is a viable tool for promptly estimating firmness and classifying the ripeness stage of haskap berries. By integrating hyperspectral imaging and data-driven approaches, growers can significantly enhance fruit quality and optimize decision-making processes, enabling better pre- and postharvest management.

Although sunlight is crucial for optimal apple production, excessive sun exposure can negatively impact appearance and alter internal quality of the fruit. Sun stress-related disorders are the primary cause of economic losses in major apple-growing regions. Granny Smith, the third most produced variety in Washington State, is notably prone to sunscald, a postharvest disorder manifested by the superficial darkening of the peel, rendering the fruit unmarketable. Lower chlorophyll and higher carotenoid concentration in Granny Smith peel is associated with increased sunlight exposure and a higher likelihood of sunscald development. In this research, the chlorophyll-to-carotenoid ratio measured non-destructively with a hyperspectral imager at harvest was used to categorize apples according to sunscald susceptibility: high, moderate, low, and very low. The quality parameters for apples in each sunscald risk category were evaluated to determine whether pre-storage sorting based on sun exposure could enhance the consistency of cold chain quality and performance. It was hypothesized that relative sun exposure has a significant influence on apple quality parameters and ripening patterns during storage. Apples were harvested from three orchards over three consecutive years and subsequently stored in air for six months before quality analyses. During the final year, additional assessments were conducted at four and five months of storage to monitor the progression of ripening and sunscald incidence. A multi-year analysis including firmness, soluble solids, titratable acidity, greenness (Iad), peel lightness (L*), and the chromatic shift from green to yellow (a/b) resulted in similar classifications among categories. However, changes in internal quality parameters attributable to relative sun exposure were evident when analyzing fruit from a single location and season. Overall, apples classified as having high and moderate sunscald risk exhibited elevated soluble solids and reduced titratable acidity compared to those in lower sunscald risk categories. Additionally, these quality parameters were more variable for fruit with high and moderate sunscald risk. The ripening pattern was similar for fruit in the low and very low categories, with a more homogeneous data distribution. The incidence of sunscald increased over time and with increased sun exposure, resulting in 11% fruit loss after 6 months of storage. Although the primary benefit of the sunscald susceptibility index is to enhance commercial viability by enabling apples in high-risk categories to be sold before sunscald symptoms render them unmarketable, sorting and grouping fruit based on relative sun exposure rendering a more homogenous storage outcome, potentially reducing economic losses for growers and packers.

The primary form of propagation of ornamental woody nursery liners (young plants) is through stem cuttings to maintain genotypic and phenotypic uniformity. However, high rates of rooting failure in propagation remain a significant challenge, leading to economic loss. Greenhouses offer opportunities to leverage the environment for specific plant growth responses. Manipulation of the daily light integral (DLI) has been used extensively to hasten adventitious rooting and increase propagule quality in annual bedding plants, herbaceous perennials, and culinary herbs. Thus, there is a critical need to also identify the optimal DLI to improve and maximize adventitious rooting in woody taxa. Therefore, this study aimed to quantify the impact of DLI on root growth and development of ornamental woody nursery cuttings. Unrooted stem cuttings of four ornamental nursery taxa were obtained from commercial nurseries and individually inserted into 6.4-cm diameter containers filled with a propagation substrate. Cuttings were placed in a diffused glass-glazed greenhouse under a propagation environment with 20 °C air temperature, 80% relative humidity, and ambient daylight supplemented with ≈120 µmol·m–2·s–1 delivered from light-emitting diode arrays from 0600 to 2200 hr. Cuttings were rooted under fixed 4-mil clear construction film covered with one of four different fixed-woven shade cloths providing ≈72%, 52%, or 30% diffuse shading or no shade (0%). After 14, 28, and 42 d, data was collected including callusing and rooting percentage, root number, longest root length, stem length and caliper, leaf area, and shoot and root dry mass. The results of this study determined the optimal DLI, across an array of important woody taxa, to hasten adventitious rooting and improve liner quality.

Ornamental woody nursery plants are primarily propagated from stem cuttings to maintain genotypic and phenotypic uniformity. However, high rates of rooting failure in propagation remain a significant challenge, leading to economic loss. Greenhouses offer technologies to precisely control the environment. Thus, there is a critical need to identify cost-effective strategies, such as providing root-zone heating, to improve and maximize adventitious rooting. Root-zone heating has been used extensively to hasten adventitious rooting and increase root density in various plant species. However, optimal root-zone temperatures are largely unknown for many woody nursery crops. Therefore, this study aimed to quantify the impact of root-zone temperature on root growth and development of ornamental nursery cuttings. Unrooted stem cuttings of four ornamental nursery taxa were obtained from commercial nurseries. Cuttings of each taxon were individually inserted into 6.4-cm diameter containers filled with a propagation substrate. Cuttings were placed in a glass-glazed greenhouse under a propagation environment with 20 °C air temperature, 80% relative humidity, and ambient daylight supplemented with ≈120 µmol·m–2·s–1 delivered from light-emitting diode arrays from 0600 to 2200 hr. A closed-loop root-zone heating system circulated hot water (49 °C) across greenhouse bench-tops. Forty-eight cuttings of each taxon were placed in root-zone heating environments with set points of 21, 24, 27, 30, and 33°C. After 14, 28, and 42 d, data was collected including callusing and rooting percentage, root number, longest root length, stem length and caliper, leaf area, and shoot and root dry mass. The results of this study determined the extent root-zone temperature can be leveraged to hasten adventitious rooting and improve liner quality.

Tea (Camellia sinensis) was first grown commercially in the Pacific Northwest in Salem, OR in 1988 (Minto Island Growers), and cv. Minto Pacific, selected at that site, was established in a small-scale planting in Burlington, WA in 1997. To test other cultivars for production in the Pacific Northwest region, the successful Washington State University (WSU) vegetative propagation method for ‘Minto Pacific’ was carried out with 14 tea cultivars at WSU Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center (NWREC): BL1, BL2, Large Leaf, Small Leaf, Christine’s Choice, Dave’s Fav, Sochi, Black Sea, var. Assamica from Mississippi State University; Yukata Midori, Benikaori, Yabukita, Bohea from the USDA National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) in Hilo, Hawaii; and Minto Pacific from Burlington (year 2 only). For this 2-year greenhouse propagation trial, tea shoots arrived at WSU NWREC on 16 Aug (Mississippi) and 14 Sept 2023 (Hawaii) for year 1, and 16 Sept (Mississippi), 23 Sept (Hawaii) and 25 Sept 2024 (Burlington) for year 2. Both years, shoots were processed into one-node cuttings within 1 day of arrival, the bottom stem of each cutting was scored with a knife, dipped into a rooting hormone for 5-10 seconds, then placed into a treepot filled with a propagation medium (peatmoss, vermiculite, perlite, 5:3:2 ratio). Cuttings were placed in a misting chamber in the greenhouse for 1 year, then moved to a greenhouse bench for 7 months. In February 2024 (Year 1), overall plant survival was 83%, average plant height was 1 cm, plants had 2.5 leaves on average, and the average plant health rating was 4.9/5. Cv. Large Leaf (100%) had the highest survival followed by Dave’s Fave (98%) and Black Sea (98%), while Benikaori (60%) and BL1 (62%) had the lowest survival. In October 2024, the final overall plant survival was 31%, average plant height was 35 cm, plants had 19 leaves on average, and the average plant health rating was 3.6/5. Cv. Christine’s Choice (46%) had the highest survival followed by Large Leaf (43%) and BL2 (42%), while Benikaori (13%) and BL1 (15%) still had the lowest survival. In January 2025 (Year 2), overall plant survival was 73%, average plant height was 2 cm, plants had an average of 1.2 leaves, and average plant health rating was 4.2/5. Cv. Minto Pacific had 100% survival followed by Large Leaf, Christine’s Choice, and Assamica (all 95% survival), while Benikaori (40%) and Sochi (51%) had the lowest survival.

Plants evolved with roots in the soil, providing a temperature buffer to the root zone most of the year. However, as the nursery industry has primarily moved plants out of the ground and into thin plastic containers with very coarse organic substrates, we are faced with added challenges of managing substrate temperature to ensure healthy plant production. Moreover, resource efficiency, particularly regarding mineral nutrients, is a critical factor in the long-term success of the nursery industry. Fertilizer release is controlled by water and temperature in container-grown ornamental nursery production systems. Thus, it was hypothesized that pragmatic management of substrate temperature and moisture could extend the longevity of controlled-release fertilizer in a container system. This study was conducted to determine the effect of irrigation scheduling, container color, and stratified substrates on substrate temperature management, crop health and development, and fertilizer longevity. ‘Limelight’ Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) were grown in either black or white containers and subjected to a single daily irrigation or the same volume applied in three increments throughout the day (cyclic). Hydrangeas grown in white containers with cyclic irrigation increased plant growth by up to 50% compared to those grown in black containers with single-application irrigation, and stratified substrates reduced phosphorus leaching by 30%. Across all treatments, plant health, root development and fertilizer efficiency were improved with substrate temperature management strategies. The results indicate growers should pursue root zone temperature mitigation strategies to enhance crop growth and salability, increase fertilizer use and efficiency, and decrease phosphorus leaching from nursery containers.

Efficient and accurate counting of plants is critical for nursery inventory management to support yield prediction, sales forecasting, and monitoring. Current practices in nurseries depend heavily on manual methods, which are labor-intensive and prone to errors. Researchers have made efforts in utilizing computer vision and deep learning to address these issues, yet a seamless solution for plant counting and inventory management remains unavailable. Image-based counting systems often struggle with classification accuracy in diverse, real-world scenarios, while tracking plants in videos faces challenges such as identity switches, misclassifications, and varying field conditions, limiting the reliability of existing methods. To overcome these challenges, we developed a cloud-based complete solution specifically for ornamental plant nursery inventory management. Our system introduces a novel tracking algorithm KBTrack, optimized for precision and scalability. At its core is an ensemble deep learning model that combines a transfer learning-based YOLOv11 and a CutMix-enhanced YOLOv11 model for plant detection. The KBTrack was developed on top of ByteTrack multi object tracking framework by adding a layer that compares segmentation masks across multiple frames for long term matching of the objects. This addition addressed identity switches and misclassifications, ensuring accurate plant counting even in complex field conditions. The segmentation capabilities of YOLOv11 are also utilized to generate masks for individual plants, enabling customizable plant-specific quality assessments through an interactive dashboard. The system utilizes GPS to allow users to monitor nursery plant beds on a map making it easier to monitor and track changes and updates across the plant beds. The platform is deployed in cloud with a microservice architecture where users can upload field videos and access results through an intuitive interface designed to ensure scalability. To evaluate the capabilities of the proposed framework, data was collected using an autonomous ground vehicle equipped with an OAK-D Pro camera, capturing 4K resolution videos. Experiments conducted on Azalea and Sunshine plants demonstrated the system's effectiveness, achieving a high mAP@50 of 0.982 for detection and 0.981 for instance segmentation on the ensemble model, MOTP 0.916 in the KBTrack multi object tracking algorithm and counting accuracy of 0.988 with an RMSE of 0.669. This confirms its ability to accurately detect and track plants. This solution provides a robust framework for addressing the limitations of current methods, offering an effective and scalable approach to modernize ornamental plant inventory systems.

Eastern redbuds (Cercis canadensis), valued for their vibrant flowers and heart-shaped foliage, are economically important trees in Tennessee nurseries. However, large-scale production is challenged by fungal canker pathogens that compromise tree health and marketability. In 2023, field and container-grown eastern redbuds in Tennessee exhibited dieback, dark, sunken necrotic lesions, and vascular discoloration. Fungal isolates from diseased tissue exhibited morphological and microscopic characteristics consistent with members of the Botryosphaeriaceae family. Molecular identification was done by amplifying the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS), β-tubulin (TUB), and translation elongation factor (EF1-α) gene markers. The phylogenetic analysis of concatenated ITS, TUB, and EF1-α sequences confirmed the pathogen as B. dothidea, and the pathogenicity test further established its pathogenic nature. Currently, there is no effective strategy for managing Botryosphaeria canker in redbuds. This study aimed to identify the causal agent and assess the efficacy of fungicides and biofungicides for canker disease management. Greenhouse trials were conducted from May to November in 2023 (Trial 1) and 2024 (Trial 2) using a completely randomized design with 14 treatments, which included non-treated, inoculated control, non-treated, non-inoculated control, and wound control, with six replications per treatment. Treatments included chemical fungicides (Avelyo, Pillar SC_LR, Pillar SC_HR, Postiva, SP2700WP, SP2478, and Kleengrow) and biofungicides (BotryStop WP, RootShield PLUS, Stargus, and Tril-21). These treatments were applied as foliar spray, wound treatment, drench, or sprench at 14-day intervals. One-year-old container-grown healthy eastern redbuds were wounded and artificially inoculated with fungal mycelial plugs, followed by fungicide applications. Disease progression was monitored over a six-month period by measuring plant height, width, lesion length, and pathogen recovery. All tested fungicides and biofungicides significantly reduced canker lesion length and pathogen recovery compared to the non-treated, inoculated controls. The most effective treatments in reducing Botryosphaeria canker severity were BotryStop WP (Ulocladium oudemansii strain U3), RootShield PLUS (Trichoderma harzianum T. virens G-41), and Pillar SC (triticonazole pyraclostrobin). However, no significant difference was observed in plant height and width among different treatments. These findings provide nursery growers with an idea of the causal agent and effective management strategies for reducing the severity of Botryosphaeria canker in redbud production.

Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) is a widely cultivated ornamental nursery crop, but its vigorous shoot growth often necessitates labor-intensive pruning or repeated applications of plant growth regulators (PGRs) to achieve saleable quality. As a result, methods to reduce reliance on pruning or PGRs are highly desirable to growers. One potential alternative is the use of shade netting, which is commonly used in nursery production to protect sensitive plants from excessive solar radiation. This includes hydrangeas which are frequently grown under 30–50% black shade netting. Beyond reducing light intensity, shade nets can also alter the light spectrum, adjusting the relative quantities of blue (400–499 nm), green (500–599 nm), and red (600–699 nm) light, which may affect plant morphology. Blue shade nets, which primarily absorb green and red light, are often marketed as tools to produce more compact shoot growth and thus could serve as an alternative to pruning or PGRs. However, little information exists on the use of blue shade netting to control hydrangea shoot growth. This study evaluated the effects of shade color (black, blue, red, and grey) and blue shade percentage (40–75%) on the growth of hydrangea ‘Twist and Shout’ in a nursery and a greenhouse trial. In the nursery trial, hoop houses were covered with either 30% black, 30% blue, 30% red, or 45% grey shade netting. In the greenhouse trial, chambers were covered with either 40% blue, 50% blue, 75% blue, or 50% black shade netting. Growth parameters including canopy height, width, volume, projected canopy area, leaf length, and chlorophyll concentration were measured repeatedly over a 49-day growth period. Results from the nursery and greenhouse trial showed that shade percentage, not shade color, was the dominant factor influencing shoot growth. Thus, colored shade netting did not suppress plant vigor or reduce the need for pruning or PGRs. These findings suggest that 30% black shade was ideal for hydrangea production, and altering the color of shade netting provided no additive benefits. While ineffective for hydrangea production, nursery crops that benefit from higher percentages of shade such as Hosta plantaginea, may benefit more from colored shade netting.

Nursery and greenhouse growers and dealers in the United States contribute significantly to the economy, environment, and food systems. Nursery and greenhouse operations provide a wide range of plants critical to residential and commercial landscaping, habitat creation for pollinators, and essential planting materials for fruit, vegetable, and ornamental crop production. The sustainability of these operations, as with other agricultural productions, highly relies on water availability, making it significant to evaluate the future of water and climatic risks throughout the United States. This study focuses on the critical part of this evaluation, developing a map of licensed greenhouse and nursery growers and dealers throughout the United States, using information received directly from state officials and agency websites. Texas, Florida and California were revealed to have the most HRI operations (growers and dealers), but the latter two states have the most growers. Region-wise, the Southeast and Northeast regions have the most nursery growers, with the Northern Rockies and Plains and the Southwest regions having the lowest numbers, although states like Utah, Arizona, and Idaho are currently missing in our analysis due to data unavailability and complexity. This mapping exercise will be followed by overlaying climatic indices such as precipitation, temperature and drought forecasts, to evaluate growers' state and regional vulnerability to water and climatic risks. This will aid in assessing climate-related risks, guide adaptive strategies, and support sustainable nursery management across diverse environmental zones.