SustainableSubstrates.Com: An Extension Outreach Tool

A new resource has been created to collect a significant number of publications and resources related to alternative substrate research for ornamental nursery crop production. This has been an important avenue of inquiry for the last 60 years. Recent investigations have centered on the use of wood-fiber and biomass-based materials as alternative substrates and pine bark extenders. This information can be difficult for the layperson to locate online. Thus, www.sustainablesubstrates.com was created to meet the needs of horticultural professionals across the United States. The website contains a compilation of research reports, popular press articles, resources, and learning opportunities for growers and extension professionals. Resources include SlideShare (www.slideshare.net) presentations, recorded video presentations, substrate research procedures, links to related nursery production websites, frequently asked questions, and substrate news. Images of a variety of tested materials are available on the site including: clean chip residual, WholeTree, culled shadetrees, Douglas Fir slash, chipped Christmas trees, eastern redcedar, switchgrass, bamboo, and poplar. The site is updated whenever new publications and resources are released. This extension outreach tool was developed on the browser-based platform www.weebly.com with evaluation tools installed (Google Analytics^TM, www.google.com/analytics) to measure growth and use of the website. This project is collaboration between the USDA-ARS, Kansas State University and Oregon State University and is funded by the Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative.