2006 Annual Report 1.What major problem or issue is being resolved and how are you resolving it (summarize project aims and objectives)? How serious is the problem? Why does it matter? This Project is aligned with National Programs 305 and 303 and addresses the improvement of greenhouse crop production to increase productivity through reducing water, labor and agrochemical inputs while limiting environmental impacts. Improvements in greenhouse crop production, which represent one of the largest commodity groups in American agriculture, will be required to enable American producers to remain competitive in the marketplace. This Project is a joint venture between the USDA-ARS and the University of Toledo. Research is focused on soilless crop culture addressing the most important stress management issues, including nutrition, water management, disease, and insect pests, determined through interaction with the commercial greenhouse production industry. Improved management of stress related problems will enhance profitability and competitiveness of American growers. 2.List by year the currently approved milestones (indicators of research progress) 6-month milestones. Polyacrylamide hydrogel: Complete final study investigating the effect of polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel on growth and flowering of New Guinea impatiens. Complete physical characterization of PAM with different water qualities including hydration properties, water retention, re-wetting capacity and SEM evaluation of structure. Silica nutrition: Begin evaluation of seedling stage uptake of silicic acid in 12 bedding plant species (including Pansy, Petunia, Begonia, Salvia, Celosia, Geranium, Verbena), evaluating uptake in mature New Guinea impatiens of two forms of silica: potassium silicate and silicic acid (K2SiO4 and SiO2 x 4H2O); Harvest seedlings for evaluation of Si content. Complete disease evaluation with Botrytis on plants demonstrating Si uptake (ie. New Guinea Impatiens). Begin Si uptake and foliar application studies on Verbena and its resistance to powdery mildew. Geranium pH drop: Begin evaluating Geranium germplasm and deducing genetic relationships between susceptible cultivars for sudden pH drop. Also begin evaluating the environmental factors that play a role in initiating sudden pH drop. Biomonitoring of nutrient stress: Protocol developed for performing molecular tools (i.e. 2-D gel electrophoresis) on geranium and other bedding plants (Pansy, Petunia, Begonia, Impatiens). Develop hydroponic technique for growing large root masses of A. thaliana. Graduate students begin evaluating proteonomic differences in bedding plants exposed to boron deficiency and toxicity. Post-doctoral candidates hired. Genes and proteins identified through microarray techniques to target in bedding plant species involved in nutrient deficiency and toxicity. Nutrient deficiency: Hydroponic Geranium deficiency study growth phase finished. Geranium deficiency study tissue analyzed, hydrangea deficiency growth study begun. Hydrangea deficiency growth study completed and tissue analysis begun. Gerbera deficiency growth study begun, hydrangea tissue analysis completed. Equipment and facility: Complete leachate collection system in greenhouses at TBG and finish calibration of leachate collection system. Modeling project: Research Technician hired with primary involvement on the modeling aspect of this project. Existing models for plant growth and greenhouse management will be acquired and components of these models will be integrated into a single software application. Gaps identified during this process will be addressed through both the use of literature information and lab-scale experiments on the individual basic plant responses to both biotic and abiotic stress. Databases for weather data will be incorporated so that the user can choose their location and estimate energy usage of their greenhouse. Users will be able to design their own greenhouses with size, style, materials and orientation information. From the weather and greenhouse style information, fuel cost estimates will be predicted over the requested time frame. Using the set points of temperature inputted from the user or temporarily "hard coded" based on what crop the grower has, and the weather database, likelihood of sprays will be calculated and costs associated with that management can be predicted. The first opportunity for grower feedback will occur during this period. 12-month milestones. Polyacrylamide hydrogel: Evaluation of the effect of PAM on soil disease and pathogen incidence and severity. Biomonitoring of nutrient stress: Proteins of interest for nutrient deficiency studies purified and sequenced and antibodies against them are raised to develop Boron-test kit. Nutrient deficiency: Gerbera deficiency growth study finished and tissue analysis completed. Cyclamen deficiency growth study begun. Cyclamen growth study completed and tissue analysis begun. Begin temperature, light, and nutrition studies and how each interacts with disease incidence, type, and severity. Modeling project: Model validation will be extended to include simultaneous multiple stresses and how integrated plant management can control these. Throughout the validation process, additional information will be gathered regarding existing management practices on the control and, in some cases, spread of disease and worker exposure to agrochemicals. Monitoring of commercial greenhouses will be conducted to track labor, energy, nutrient flux, agrochemical inputs, waste (excess or unsaleable plant material and agrochemical runoff), sales, and product turnover. Grower feedback from the initial 6 months will be incorporated. Model will be "dressed up" with graphics designed to provide the growers with real-time intuitive feedback of model and greenhouse operation based on the current settings. Labor costs, market, and plant growth phases of the model will be incorporated based on either hard coded description of crop needs and databased weather or crop- and market-specific user inputs, Weather database will be expanded to include more locations. Initial version of the model will be given to growers and tested at their facilities. 18-month milestones. Nutrient deficiency: Begin test phase for the initial test kit for detecting Boron deficiency and toxicity. Gloxinia deficiency growth study begun and Cyclamen tissue analysis completed. Biomonitoring of nutrient stress: Modeling project. Weather database for all of the US, Puerto Rico, and Guam will be completely integrated. Grower feedback from the on-site testing will be incorporated. Ease of use and report generation (output style) will be enhanced. Validation of integrated model will occur at grower sites. 24-month milestones. Nutrient deficiency: Gloxinia tissue analysis completed. Biomonitoring of nutrient stress: On farm testing of nutrient deficiency test kit for Boron. Modeling project 3rd opportunity for grower feedback at the Ohio Short Course and through state extension agencies. Grower feedback will be incorporated. Validation of integrated model will occur at grower sites. 30-month milestones. Nutrient deficiency: Complete plant nutrition-disease predisposition relationship studies. Geranium pH drop: Complete geranium pH drop project. Modeling project. Latest version given to growers for their use. Feedback from this version can be incorporated in future CRIS projects. 4a.List the single most significant research accomplishment during FY 2006. There have been no single most significant accomplishments completed during the first six months of this newly approved Project. 4b.List other significant research accomplishment(s), if any. None. 4c.List significant activities that support special target populations. Greenhouse producers and farm market operators for ornamental and vegetable crops have been included in Liaison Committee activities which provide assistance in understanding grower needs, provide a mechanism for technology transfer, and give credibility to the research mission. 5.Describe the major accomplishments to date and their predicted or actual impact. Proteins have been identified, purified and sequenced and antibodies against them were raised in the Boron nutrition studies. These proteins of interest will be evaluated as potential markers to be utilized in test kits that will be useable by growers to determine Boron levels in crops prior to symptom expression. This research addresses the National Program Component Integrated Production Systems. Non-destructive sensors have been demonstrated to be useful in determining plant stress initiated by root diseases. Further development of this methodology, which addresses National Program Component Agroengineering, Agrochemical, and Related Technologies, will enable growers to more precisely monitor plant development and provide information on which to base management decisions. The Virtual Grower software development to assess energy aspects of greenhouse production has been released and is already being used by growers and Extension researchers to determine the economic potential of management decisions. 6.What science and/or technologies have been transferred and to whom? When is the science and/or technology likely to become available to the end-user (industry, farmer, other scientists)? What are the constraints, if known, to the adoption and durability of the technology products? The greenhouse management model, Virtual Grower, was released as a software package both on CD and in downloadable form from the internet. A total of over 1000 copies have distributed or downloaded so far. A major distribution was made at the OFA Short Course and Trade Show using our Unit's booth as the platform to launch this technology transfer. In addition to this forum, the project has had excellent exposure via grower meetings, trade shows, and at Professional meetings (ASHS in New Orleans and APS in Quebec City). Nutritional information on geraniums has been conducted and distributed to growers through a full color booklet and a hands on demonstration at the growers winter meeting. An excerpted version of this booklet was published in a national growers newsletter. 7.List your most important publications in the popular press and presentations to organizations and articles written about your work. (NOTE: List your peer reviewed publications below). Locke, J.C. 2006. In the greenhouse - An update on USDA research projects at TBG. Toledo Botanical Garden Cultivation. Vol. 5. Issue 2. Page 7. April 2006. Review Publications Frantz, J., Pitchay, D., Locke, J.C., Krause, C.R. 2005. Evaluating silicon uptake in common floriculture plants. Silicon in Agriculture Proceedings. p.125. Frantz, J., Pitchay, D., Locke, J.C., Krause, C.R. 2005. Actual performance versus theoretical advantages of polyacrylamide hydrogel throughout bedding plant production. Hortscience. 40:2040-2046. Frantz, J., Buckingham, L.A., Locke, J.C., Krause, C.R. 2006. Virtual grower [CD-ROM]. Version 1.1. Wooster, OH: U.S. Department of Agriculture. Frantz, J., Locke, J.C., Krause, C.R. 2006. The new computer program virtual grower will help in greenhouse management. Ohio Floriculture Online Volume 13; Issue 1. Available: http://floriculture.osu.edu/archive/feb06/Virtual%20Grower.html Frantz, J., Krause, C.R., Locke, J.C., Ghose, S., Smiser, R., Buckingham, L.A. Virual grower manual version 1.1. Available: http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/36071000/Publications/ManualforVirtualGrower1.1.pdf Locke, J.C., Omer, M.A., Widrig, A.K., Krause, C.R. 2006. Delay of expression of powdery mildew on zinnia grown hydroponically in Hoagland's solution fortified with silicon [abstract]. Phytopathology. 96(6):S70.