ASHS 2025 Conference

Overview of Workshop: Horticultural crop production depends on plastic mulch film to suppress weeds, optimize the soil microclimate, and overall improve economic and efficient production of crops within both conventional and organic systems. Unfortunately, the benefits of plastic mulch are often overshadowed by its poor end-of life outcomes with growers frequently landfilling, stockpiling, burying, or burning mulch waste at the end of a production season. Some of this mulch waste can become pollutants of soil and water. The horticultural industry needs new technologies that reduce persistent plastic waste generation with the expansion of extended producer responsibility, circularity, and sustainability initiatives. This interactive workshop will educate participants on promising solutions that preserve the essential functions of plastic mulch while reducing waste generation with an emphasis on soil-biodegradable plastic mulch and new collection, retrieval, and recycling technologies for non-biodegradable plastic mulch.  
The workshop is divided into three interactive sessions that will provide participants with a balance of academic and private industry perspectives. The sessions include: 1) Identifying the problem and possible solutions; 2) Lessons learned and recommendations from industry; and 3) Socioeconomic considerations and future prospects. Each session will have a panel of experts that will provide a brief presentation on a targeted topic. Invited industry speakers will share lessons learned and experience-shaped strategies to reduce plastic mulch waste generation. At the end of each session, samples of materials (e.g., soil-biodegradable mulch, mulch made with recycled resin) will be circulated and questions will be asked from the audience. The moderator will also poll the audience to promote engagement and to gather information about shared experiences related to sustainable mulch management. This information will be leveraged to discuss and design participant-tailored recommendations for sustainable end-of-life mulch management within their regions and communities at the end of the workshop. 
Moderators: Lisa W. DeVetter and Carol Miles

Session 1: Identifying the Problem and Possible Solutions (40 minutes total)
Speakers:

• Lisa DeVetter / Washington State University / Associate Professor of Horticulture
• Carol Miles / Washington State University / Professor of Horticulture
• Gene Jones / Southern Waste Information eXchange/ CEO

Session 2: Lessons learned from Industry (40 min total)
Speakers:

• Shuresh Ghimire/ Vegetable Assistant Extension Educator / University of Connecticut
  Ben Andros / Andros Engineering Cooperation / President
  Hillary Thomas / Naturipe Berry Growers, Inc. / Research and Technical Director  

Session 3: Socioeconomic Considerations and Future Prospects (40 min total)
Speakers:

• Jessica Goldberger / Washington State University / Professor of Crop and Soil Sciences
• Sam Wortman / Associate Professor and Environmental Horticulturist / University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Pierre Sarazin / Polyexpert / Vice President of R&D and Sustainability

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

This workshop will focus on the educational (University) and Technical Programs geared towards Organic Horticulture. Universities vary greatly in their organic programs, student interest in organic programs, and facilities. Similarly, the technical assistance provided from growers varies from state to state. Recent Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) programming, has created more interest in providing this assistance. This workshop will focus on discussing the challenges to organic education both at the undergraduate and farmer level.

Speakers:

• Kate Cassity-Duffey, University of Georgia
• Mary Rogers, University of Georgia
• Christian Stephenson University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Christine Coker University of Mississippi

The goal of this workshop is to bring together Master Gardener stakeholders working to create impactful programs in unique and efficient models and to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas for achieving greater impact through effective program operation. The participants will leave the workshop with partnerships identified between programs of similar needs and change status. The panel for the workshop represents 4 programs that have successfully restructured their programs and serve as models for those considering making a change. Through discussion, we will identify how to build a case for change, present the case to the leadership, manage change, and measure the outcome. Those active in any role of their Master Gardener program are encouraged to attend. Creating impactful programming in this field is directly influenced by the efficiency through which we operate. To achieve greater success, more effort must be invested in advancing purposeful and effective management. However, many of the programs throughout the country have grown into their current forms organically and through grassroots process which are now less effective for larger, statewide programs. Making large-scale changes in a university system can be difficult. Participants of this workshop will leave with a better understanding of the change process and learned about different Master Gardener program models that have successfully implemented change.

Speakers:

• Missy Gable, Director, UC Master Gardener Program, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, mjgable@ucanr.edu
• Jennifer Marquis, Director, WSU Extension Master Gardener Program, Washington State University, jgmarquis@wsu.edu
• Mary Ortiz Castro, Colorado Master Gardener State Education Specialist, Interim Extension Programs Manager, Colorado State University Extension, mary.ortiz_castro@colostate.edu
•  Ruth Carll, State Leader, Consumer Horticulture, Rutgers, ruth.carll@rutgers.edu

This interactive workshop will introduce attendees to the history, science, and industry opportunities related to grafting perennial tree fruits, nuts, and vines. It will be accompanied by a hand-on demonstration and time for attendees to practice with real-time feedback. A liability waiver will be required for participants who wish to handle grafting knives.

Speakers:

• Dr. Rachel Spaeth, post doc Research Horticulturist currently serving as the Interim Curator of Prunus, National Clonal Germplasm Repository, UC Davis, CA
• Dr. John Preece, Supervisory Research Leader of the USDA-ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository Davis, CA