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Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture
 
Application Technology Research Unit
Highlighted Projects


Agricultural Engineering
Water quality for pot-in-pot nurseries
Development of improved air assist sprayer for dense nursery crops
Development of Harmonic Radar Transponders to Track Black Vine Weevil Behavior in Nurseries
Develop a user-friendly computer program to predict drift distances of water droplets
Spray deposits and off-target loss in nurseries
Investigation of drift reduction potential with air-induction nozzles and conventional nozzles
Research Weather Network

Plant Pathology
Impact of application technique on fungicide effectiveness for apple scab control
Control of Botrytis blight on Reiger begonias with soil amendments.

Greenhouse Production Research (Toledo)
Contact persons:
James Locke or Jonathan Frantz
Evaluation of polyacrylamide hydrogel as a soil amendment on growth, flowering, root morphology, and shelf life of New Guinea impatiens and pansy
  • Improving Growth of Calibrachoa × hybrida (Cerv.) in Hanging Flower Pouches
  • Performance and Theoretical Advantages of Polyacrylamide Hydrogel
  • Demonstration of silica uptake in bedding plant species and determination of its role as a nutrient and potential benefit for horticultural quality enhancement, disease and insect resistance, and moderation of micronutrient toxicities
    Determination of critical nutrient requirements of bedding plants to achieve optimum growth, reduce nutrient levels in effluent, and to develop sensor technology for non-destructive monitoring of nutrient levels in plant tissue
  • Applied Nitrogen Concentration Affects Growth of Elatior Begonia and New Guinea Impatiens, and Susceptibility of Begonia to Grey Mold
  • Study the role of boron in bedding plant growth and development and identify molecular signals which can be utilized to monitor boron induced stress due to toxicity or deficiency levels in the plant
    Determine the interaction of greenhouse cultural practices; nutrition, media composition, abiotic stresses, etc. on disease expression in bedding plant production
  • Acclimation of Plant Populations to Shade: Photosynthesis,Respiration, and Carbon Use Efficiency
  • Virtual Grower

    Horticultural Insects
    Subsurface application of insecticides for control of white grubs and black vine weevil in field-grown nursery crops
    Trapping to survey for ambrosia, bark, and other wood-boring beetles
    Development of alternatives to insecticide dips for Japanese beetle quarantine procedures: in collaboration with Tennessee State University
    Study various aspects of white grub and black vine weevil biology, such as behavior and ecology in the nursery ecosystem, and interactions with hosts and natural enemies
    Evaluation of natural enemies for control of white grubs and black vine weevil
    Oviposition behavior of oriental beetle in nursery crops
    Drip chemigation for control of scarab grubs in field-grown nursery crops

    IR-4 Food Use and Ornamentals
    Pesticide registration and label expansion for minor crops


         
    Last Modified: 02/03/2009