2018 ASHS Annual Conference

The greenhouse industry is traditionally synonymous with floriculture. This is for good reason: the wholesale value of floriculture crops for the 15 top producing states was $4.37 billion USD in 2015. However, the interest in non-floriculture greenhouse crops is increasing. For example, the wholesale value of food crops grown in protected culture (including greenhouse and hydroponically-grown crops) increased by 47% between 2009 and 2014. Furthermore, the demand for ecological and native plants for use in sustainable landscaping and supporting pollinators is increasing. I strive to create and maintain a synergistic program that addresses the changing nature of the greenhouse industry by integrating all areas of my appointment (60% teaching, 20% research, and 20% Extension) along with service to deliver impactful results.

I have designed the greenhouse curriculum at Iowa State University to provide a modernized curriculum for students by incorporating most up-to-date horticultural science to produce aesthetic, edible, or environmental plants and prepare students for a changing greenhouse industry. Floriculture crop production is thoroughly covered over two courses, Fall and Spring Greenhouse Crop Production, reflecting the value and prominence of floriculture crops in the industry. In response to the rapidly expanding popularity in controlled-environment agriculture and hydroponic food crops, Hydroponic Food Crop Production was created in 2014 to focus on solely on producing food crops in the greenhouse. Finally, production of ecological and native plants has been incorporated into Spring Greenhouse Crop Production, as it is complementary to the production of container-grown annuals and perennials. While I use my greenhouse crop production courses to teach the technical aspects about producing plants in the greenhouse, I also utilize my courses as a vehicle for teaching how greenhouse crop production can positively impact society. I incorporate service learning activities in to demonstrate the value of crops that are aesthetic, edible, and environmental through activities that also positively impact our community and reinforce that value of service to students. When surveyed about their experiences, across all three production courses report they see value in connecting technical skills in class with a service project and that completing the service project enhance the technical skills learned in class. Additionally, students believe their effort in producing crops in lab increase as a result of the projects, while the amount of service learning in the class is appropriate.

In order to respond to the current needs of greenhouse producers, as well as undergraduate and graduate students training to be future leaders in the industry, I have a research program focused on challenges faced in producing both flowers and food. My controlled-environment and greenhouse crop research provides research-based, best-management practices to support commercial producers of floriculture and food crops to improve productivity, profitability, and sustainability. This is achieved by researching the use, management, and manipulation of light, temperature, mineral nutrition, and plant growth regulators to improve plant quality and predictability and reduce or improve efficacy of inputs. To achieve the aims of my research program and to extend my mentorship beyond the classroom, I regularly collaborate with undergraduates students interested in conducting applied research through University research mentorship programs. However, my research ultimately returns to the classroom, as I also conduct scholarship on my approaches to teaching and learning.

Just as the greenhouse industry is changing, so is our approach to Extension, and I disseminate information to the industry using different approaches with the aim of enhancing the support I provide. While I started the Iowa State University Greenhouse Short Course to provide in-person educational experiences to the region (including Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Missouri), remote Extension allows me to provide more support to growers across the country and internationally. I am a member of Electronic Grower Resources Online, or e-GRO. As a group we provide weekly email blasts during the spring greenhouse season, webinars, research reports and podcasts at no cost to users. Additionally, I was one of the co-organizers of e-GRO Edible Alerts, focusing on providing information on challenges greenhouse and hydroponic food crop producers face in the same timely and electronic format as the other Alerts. I also strive to serve audiences of both floriculture and hydroponic food crop producers remotely by writing monthly columns for trade magazines, including Greenhouse Management (‘Production Pointers’) and Produce Grower (‘Hydroponic Production Primer’).

I believe strongly in the in the value of service to our communities and prioritize this as a horticultural scientist, regularly participating in roles that support not only horticultural science in general, but also the greenhouse industry. As a member of the American Floral Endowment’s Vic and Margaret Ball Internship Scholarship Selection Committee, we work together with industry partners to place recipients of this scholarship into experiences that immerse them in the greenhouses across the country. I also am an advocate for supporting graduate students. As president of the Floriculture (FLOR) Professional Interest Group (PIG) last year, I initiated the Floriculture Graduate Student Oral Competition to provide more opportunities and support for future floriculturists. I currently serve as the Chair of the Growth Chamber and Controlled-Environment PIG, Chair-Elect of the Plant Growth Regulation Working Group, and as a member on the Communications Committee. Previously I was a member of the Membership and Member Services Task Force, as well as one of the co-organizers of the Colloquia “Farms of the Future: Controlled-Environment Agriculture” at the 2016 Annual Meeting. As a Consulting Editor for all three of the ASHS journals in the areas of Urban Horticulture and Controlled Environments (HortTechnology), Plant Growth Regulators (HortScience), and Photosynthesis/Source-sink Physiology (Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science), I support the process of publishing research relevant to greenhouse crop production that ranges from fundamental to readily applicable.

As with all of horticulture, the greenhouse industry has an important role economically and societally. I believe my program positively impacts the greenhouse industry by providing students with a broad background in greenhouse crop production, generating science-based solutions to challenges the industry faces, supporting the industry with innovative and accessible information delivery, and proactively engaging its primary professional and academic societies.