2017 ASHS Annual Conference

Dr. Hirst works closely with the tree fruit industry to help them adapt to changing times. Within Indiana, he cooperates with growers operating at all scales and levels of expertise to help them be successful. Many fruit growers are conservative and often reluctant to change their practices. He has worked to demonstrate the value of new practices to growers. A few examples of the success of his programs are:

• His "Beginning Apple Growing" workshops have educated over 250 growers over 10 years, 88% of whom said they would change their practices as a result of the workshop.

• He is the Fruit Program Coordinator and overall Conference Chair of the Indiana Horticultural Congress. Since accepting the chair in 2003, attendance at the congress has doubled to approximately 800 people annually, with 80% of respondents rating the congress as valuable to their business or farm.

• He developed a new pruning system for old trees named by growers the "Hoosier Hatchet." Over 75% of all growers have implemented this system, with an estimated savings of around $1 million annually statewide.

• Previously, most apple trees in Indiana were grown on vigorous rootstocks that are dependable, but inefficient and labor intensive to manage. Through his involvement in the NC-140 Regional Research Project, he has developed specific rootstock recommendations for growers and guided growers through the implementation process. Since he began advocating the planting of dwarfing rootstocks, adoption has increased 660%, with an estimated benefit to growers of $8.8 million per year.

Dr. Hirst’s research program addresses the needs of growers by focusing on finding solutions to immediate problems, while also conducting longer-term mechanistic studies to further knowledge of the underlying processes. His three areas of focus are apple flower formation, fruit development, and tree architecture and automation. To conduct this research, he collaborates not only with other horticulturists, but also with molecular biologists, bioinformaticians, engineers, industrial developers, computer graphic modelers, economists, and sociologists. His research has been funded through competitive federal, state, and industry grants (total > $7 million) as well as support from the Indiana tree fruit industry.

Dr. Hirst has been invited to present his research to many national and international audiences. He has been a frequent speaker at fruit and vegetable grower meetings across the country. He has also conducted workshops or given presentations in Australia, Canada, China, Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, and New Zealand.