DATE: 8-3-01

 

DATE: 7-2-01

CONTACT: Desmond Layne, (864) 656-4961 dlayne@clemson.edu

WRITER: Peter Kent, (864) 656-0937 pkent@clemson.edu

PEACH GROWERS SEEKING TO SAVE PESTICIDES MEET WITH EPA OFFICIALS HOSTED BY CLEMSON

CLEMSON -- Pesticides -- "can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em" -- to borrow a phrase. Eight researchers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency heard last week from growers and Clemson University agriculture experts about the need for chemicals that control pests attacking trees and fruit. Federal regulators must re-certify the insecticides, revising the rules if data points to health risks for orchard workers.

Tightening the current restrictions would be calamitous, say growers. They already have had a number of insecticides rendered unusable because new regulations made the chemicals all but impossible to use during growing and harvesting seasons. Growers now worry if Imidan and Guthion, two key insecticides, will become useless. EPA officials will complete reassessments of the products by the end of August 2001.

Pesticides are chemicals used to control various pests in commercial peach orchards. In South Carolina, depending on the severity of the pest outbreak in an orchard, growers may choose to use insecticides (insect control), fungicides (fungus control), bactericides (bacteria control) or herbicides (weed control). The tools enable producers to provide high quality fruit for the consumer. Without them, peach production in South Carolina would not be possible.

More than 20 thousand pesticide products are registered for use in the United States. Under federal law, the EPA is largely responsible for regulating the sale and use of pesticides, as well as the allowable levels of pesticides in or on food. "We need Imidan," said Kline Cash, when the EPA tour visited Cash Farms in Cowpens. "There is nothing as effective that we can use instead."

When orchards are sprayed with the insecticide, workers must wait three days before they can return to tending the fruit. Three days can seem like a lifetime to a peach grower. Early in the season, young peaches are thinned, keeping the robust fruit and eliminating the undersized ones. The process provides more nutrients for the remaining peaches. The longer the ''runts'' are left on the tree, the less chance for the stronger peaches to grow large. At harvest, peaches left a day too long on the tree can over-ripen, dropping the value. Peaches are shipped "crunchy," ripening when they reach supermarkets.

"That's the crux of the problem," said Lois Rossi, director of the special review and registration division of the EPA pesticide program. "The re-entry interval before it is safe for workers to go back into the orchards is what we must consider. If time is added to reduce the health risk, it may decrease the insecticide's benefit to the grower. We are responsible for setting a balance between risk and benefit.

Finding the balance between protection and profitability involves weighing a number of factors, including availability of less-harmful pesticides, alternative pest management approaches and industry reliance on the chemical. Growers gave the EPA team an earful.

"We don't have effective options," said Chalmers Carr, peach grower from Ridge Springs, S.C. Other insecticides, such as pyrehtroids, kill some insects but allow others to flourish. "And keeping us out of the orchards for a longer time could spell disaster," he said.

In Chesnee, James Cooley talked about how he minimizes using insecticides. "Everyday we walk the orchards, scouting for insects, and when we find them, then we use pesticides," he said.

The practice of targeting insect outbreaks instead of generalized spraying is part of an integrated pest management plan. The approach relies on attacking an insect at specific points in its life cycle, and uses the insect's behavior as a way to defeat it. Cooley uses pheromone strips to combat Oriental fruit moths. The strips send a sexual attraction odor that confuses the male, reducing his chances of finding a female to mate with. Consequently the moth population in an orchard decreases.

Clemson horticulture experts Desmond Layne and Greg Reighard, along with Clemson and University of Georgia entomologists Clyde Gorsuch and Dan Horton, respectively, briefed E.P.A. officials on current peach research projects in the region. Root rots, mites, fungi and bacteria join insects as threats to the peach industry. "The trip was very useful," said Rossi. "It gave us the opportunity to talk to the growers and find out what they are thinking and what problems they face."

A veteran of EPA fact-finding tours, Rossi was especially impressed with the trip to South Carolina. "Focusing on one commodity gave us a chance to understand the impact to the area," she said. "I also noticed the level of expertise of the researchers. It works well for us to get their cards, so we can call them when we need answers."

END  

DATE: 4-20-01

CONTACT: Gary McMahan, (864) 656-0681 gmcmhn@clemson.edu

S.C. Peach Growers: Chalmers Carr, (803) 685-5381  chalmers@titanfarms.com

WRITER: Peter Kent, (864) 656-0937  peter.kent@clemsonews.clemson.edu

PRICEY PEACHES SUPPORT AG RESEARCH AT CLEMSON UNIVERSITY

CLEMSON - S.C. peaches typically selling at wholesale for $12 per box soared to $77 recently. What's more, wholesalers bid on the peaches sight unseen: The 2001 crop won't be in for months.

The peach market gone haywire? No. In fact, consumers will benefit from the high prices. These were very special peaches sold at a fund-raising auction, the proceeds from which help to support research at Clemson University to improve peach production and to promote the peach industry.

"We certainly appreciate the support," said Jim Fischer, dean of agriculture and forestry research at Clemson. "The money is a strong investment that will lead not only to scientific advances in the industry but also to increasing prosperity of the state. Making this kind of contribution through research is part of our public service mission to people of South Carolina."

The auction held late last month was part of the 6th annual Peach Auction and Update at the Crown Plaza Resort on Hilton Head Island. Nearly 120 peach growers, packers, industry suppliers, commercial buyers, agricultural researchers and guests met to discuss the business and get a forecast for the upcoming year. Growers expect the 2001 peach crop to be about the same as last year's 75 million pound harvest.

The industry's real gain, however, was in research money. This year's auction netted more than double the amount raised at previous annual meetings, with the amount doubling to $100,000, from $50, 000 last year. Clemson will get about 75 percent of the research money - the university has received about $150,000 total in the last five years - to find ways to help growers from North Carolina to Florida. Clemson scientists have used the money for projects that have enabled growers to reduce pesticide use, prolong the lives of peach trees, improve irrigation practices and combat fruit-tree diseases.

"This year's auction was a hands-down success, giving a big boost to the research effort," said Chalmers Carr, council treasurer and research committee chairman. "Buyers from 17 chain stores along the East Coast, including one from Chicago, generously supported our industry. Also, Georgia Pacific helped out, donating peach packing boxes for the auction worth $15,000. We cannot thank them all enough for their support."

END

 

DATE: 4-20-01

CONTACT: Clyde Gorsuch, (864) 656-5043  cgrsch@clemson.edu

WRITER: Peter Kent, (864) 656-0937  peter.kent@clemsonews.clemson.edu

PEACH GROWERS, UNIVERSITIES REACH HISTORIC AGREEMENT

CLEMSON - For South Carolina and Georgia peach growers, it was the pits. Two years ago, federal officials banned Penncap-M, a pesticide the growers relied on. The result was growers were forced to use less effective chemicals, leading to a dramatic rise of harmful insects and a decrease in peach production.

In a first-of-its-kind pact, growers in the two states and scientists at Clemson University and the University of Georgia (UGA) have joined forces to battle the bugs.

The goal is to find new ways to control the insects - mites and scale - that sap the strength from the trees and the growers' bottom lines. Southeastern peach sales run as much as $75 million annually. The 20 commercial packers in South Carolina and Georgia, along with fewer than 100 smaller peach operations, comprise the bulk of the regional market.

South Carolina and Georgia peach councils will contribute $24,000 each over three years ($8,000 per year) to underwrite the costs for research by UGA's Dr. Dan Horton, a nationally recognized entomologist. Clemson was selected as the research site because it had existing peach orchards at the university's Musser Fruit Farm.

Horton's research and collaboration with Clemson entomologist Clyde S. Gorsuch and other scientists at the two schools will help peach growers pinpoint insect growth cycles and apply pest controls precisely. Researchers also will evaluate chemicals and pesticide practices, ultimately enabling integrated pest management programs. Consequently, less spraying will be needed. It's a win-win outcome for the public, say industry representatives: environmentally, less pesticide is used; economically, growers will be able to hold down their growing costs.

For more information, contact Chalmers Carr (803/685-5381) of the S.C. Peach Growers Council; Duke Lane Jr. (912/825-3592) of the Georgia Peach Council; or Bob Tyson (706/542-1060) of the Ga. Cooperative Extension Service.

END

DATE: 4-12-96

CONTACT: Jim Fischer, 803/656-3140  jfschr@clemson.edu

WRITER: Debbie Dalhouse, 803/656-0937  ddalhou@clemson.edu

CLEMSON RECEIVES TRADEMARK ON NEW PEACH ROOTSTOCK VARIETY

CLEMSON -- Researchers with the South Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station at Clemson University have developed a new variety of peach tree rootstock that is saving peach growers millions of dollars each year. Rootstocks are used because of resistance characteristics or horticultural contributions such as size and vigor. Branches of desirable varieties that lack these characteristics are grafted on to the rootstock to produce the peaches seen in grocery stores and roadside stands. This benefits both the producers and consumers by providing more economical and healthy fruit.

Since the mid-1980s, peach growers in South Carolina have lost an average of 86,000 trees and $6.5 million per year because of a condition known as "peach tree short life."  South Carolina's peach industry is valued at about $60 million per year, and represents about one-seventh of the nation's total peach production.  In addition to losses by South Carolina farmers, the disease has devastated peach trees through the Southeast, New Jersey and California, and is also destroying trees in South America, Europe and Africa.

Clemson University researchers in South Carolina worked with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists in Georgia to identify the causes for Peach Tree Short Life and then to search for a solution. They first determined that 10 different management factors could decrease tree death. Then they were able to prove that one of these factors, the ring nematode, was the cause of  peach tree short life. The ring nematode is a worm-like parasite in the soil which feeds on the tree's root system. This damage to the root system weakens the tree and makes it susceptible to two killing agents - cold weather and bacterial canker - that can lead to early tree death and subsequent major losses for the peach grower.

The Clemson researchers discovered the cause of the disease in the 1970s and established that it could be controlled by a nematicide sold as Fumazone or Nemagon.

However, further investigation showed that the active chemical in the nematicide was a carcinogen that could contaminate the environment. Clemson research confirmed that it did cause environmental contamination. The chemical was subsequently removed from the market in 1979. South Carolina tree losses nearly tripled after the nematicide was removed without having an acceptable replacement.

Next the researchers began looking for solutions that would be both safe for the environment and cost effective for peach growers. After more than 15 years of research investigating other possible nematicides, looking for natural controls and testing more than 5,000 types of rootstock, a solution was found. The researchers identified a new rootstock variety that is able to withstand damage from nematodes and contributes excellent vigor to the tree.

Trademarked as Guardian T Brand BY520-9, the variety was developed and released jointly by the South Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station at Clemson University and the USDA Agricultural Research Station in Georgia.

"GuardianT Brand BY 520-9 has been provisionally released for experimental trial and broader industry testing as a result of grower demand," explained Michael Watkins, executive director of the South Carolina Foundation Seed Association which is responsible for distributing seeds for plants developed by Clemson researchers.

Demand for the new rootstock was prompted by the staggering losses that peach growers suffered as a result of peach tree short life. By alleviating those losses, the results of the research have more than paid for the original investment. 

During the period from 1980 - 1992,  nearly $85 million in potential income was lost by South Carolina peach growers because of peach tree short life. This does not include the income lost by growers in other states or countries. A total of $2.4 million in federal grants was used to fund the research that led to development of the GuardianT  rootstock.

"If we assume that the losses would have continued for the next 13 years like they have for the past 13 years, the payback will be $35 for each $1 invested in research just for South Carolina," said Walker Miller, Clemson University plant pathologist and physiologist.

The equivalent of a patent, called Plant Variety Protection, has been applied for to protect the purity of the GuardianT rootstock. Researchers are continuing to test and evaluate the current rootstock in hopes of developing a strain that is culturally acceptable for nurseries and will not experience the variation that is associated with the bulk seed release that is currently available.

"The grower is likely to see some variation in performance with the interim strains of GuardianT rootstock," cautioned Clemson horticulturalist Greg Reighard. "But all GuardianT strains perform better than the current standard rootstock."               

Peach production is just one of many areas being investigated by researchers at Clemson University.

"It is our mission to support the agricultural producers in our state and help them develop new technology and farming practices which can improve their productivity and profitability," explained Jim Fischer, director of the South Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station that has been based at Clemson since 1889.

"To do that, we currently have more than 250 research projects under way for a variety of agricultural products, including peaches, cotton, soybeans, turfgrass, ornamental horticulture, forest products, horses, cattle, poultry and catfish."

END  

DATE: 7-14-96

CONTACT: Greg Reighard, 864/656-4962  grghrd@clemson.edu

WRITER: Debbie Dalhouse, 864/656-0937 ddalhou@clemson.edu

NEW RESEARCH PROTECTS PEACH TREES FROM COLD DAMAGE

CLEMSON -- With nearly 90 percent of the 1996 South Carolina peach harvest lost to a spring cold snap, research by a Clemson University scientist may hold hope for more reliable yields in the future.

Greg Reighard, a horticulture associate professor with the S.C. Agriculture and Forestry Research System at Clemson, has worked since 1988 to develop a method for peach producers to reduce their risk of crop losses from late spring freezes.

"Bloom delay of even a few days can protect flowers from spring freezes by avoiding cold temperatures that are lethal to more advanced flower stages," Dr. Reighard explained.

He found that grafting a section of a cold-hardy peach variety to popular fruit producing trees can delay blooming long enough to make the difference between a viable harvest and a disastrous loss.

Known as "interstem" material because it is inserted between the roots and the main trunk, the graft does not affect fruit size or quality. But the interstem does pass its late blooming characteristics to the fruit-bearing section of the tree, delaying blooms by five to nine days in Reighard's tests.

The interstem variety being tested is called Ta Tao and came to the United States in 1933 from northern China. Until recently, the Chinese peach had not aroused strong interest in this country because it produced very few flowers and was difficult to use in breeding programs. Now however, there is new interest in the variety as interstem material.

The use of interstem material is widespread among apple producers to reduce tree size for easier harvesting. Until now, interstem material has not been widely used by peach producers because research data has been either insufficient or inconclusive.

The Clemson research provides some of the needed information. Reighard found that the use of Ta Tao interstem material did delay blooming enough to reduce the risk of freeze damage. In addition, the technique delayed ripening by two to six days, extending the harvest season. Other benefits of the Ta Tao interstem included increased yield efficiency and reduced pruning costs because fewer non-fruit bearing shoots were produced.

However, there are still more questions to be answered before the interstem material is recommended for general use. "Disease resistance, cold hardiness and the possible presence of a virus have not yet been adequately investigated in Ta Tao interstem trees," Reighard noted.

The promising interstem material will not be available for commercial use until these issues have been addressed.

END  

 

DATE: 4-14-97

CONTACT: Dan Robinson, (803) 284-3343  drbnsn@clemson.edu

WRITER: Tom Lollis, (803) 284-3343  tlollis@clemson.edu

CANOLA CONTRACT GIVES GROWERS PROTECTION

BLACKVILLE - The Calgene Ameri-Can Seed Co. is looking for enough South Carolina farmers to grow 18,000 acres of specialty canola next fall.

That's six times the 3,000 acres planted in the state last fall, which was a ten-fold increase over the 300 acres planted in 1995, according to Dan Robinson, agronomist at Clemson University's Edisto Research and Education Center.

He said the Calgene canola varieties have been genetically engineered to produce laurate fatty acids, a key ingredient in the manufacture of soaps, detergents and chocolate. Most of the lauric oils consumed in the United States come from coconut and palm kernel, grown primarily in Southeast Asia.

If Calgene's plans to commercialize laurate canola work out, 400,000 acres of the crop could be growing in Southeastern states within five years, and a fourth of that could be in South Carolina, according to Robinson.

He said canola is best grown in the state's coastal plain. Cold damage is too much of a threat in the Piedmont. Calgene is targeting the counties of Allendale, Barnwell, Bamberg, Aiken, Edgefield, Orangeburg, Calhoun, Clarendon and Sumter. Contracting agents are already at work in these counties.

Alan Barbre, regional production manager for Calgene, expects the contract for 1997 to be around $7.50 as a floor price. This means that growers will be paid no less than $7.50 per bushel for all the acres they contract. If the price rises during the season, they will receive the higher price. The contract for the current crop started at $7.50 and now stands at $8 per bushel.

"Under the acreage contract, growers won't have to worry about buying back any shortages or selling overages in production," he said. "If you yield 30 bushels an acre, we buy it all. If you make 42 bushels an acre, we buy it all at the contract price."

In addition, Calgene will reimburse each producer $3 per acre for each acre scouted by a certified canola crop consultant.

Robinson said research at Edisto and demonstrations at the Canola Production Center in the Vance area proves good canola yields can be made in the state.

"We've averaged around 37 bushels in plots at Edisto REC, and one grower has made yields of 60 bushels an acre," he said.

To assist growers with production problems, Calgene has stationed Tim Covin, an agronomist, in the Santee-Vance area.

Three delivery points have been established for the specialty canola -- Gold Kist facilities in Vance and Johnston and the Williamson Ginnery in Denmark.

END  

 

DATE: 10-14-98

CONTACT: Jim Frederick, (843) 662-3526 jfrdrck@clemson.edu

WRITER: Tom Lollis, (803) 284-3343 tlollis@clemson.edu

NEW CROPPING SYSTEM BOOSTS SOYBEAN YIELDS

FLORENCE -- With low prices and stagnant yields, growers on the Southeastern Coastal Plain are beginning to wonder how much longer they can economically afford to produce soybean and other row crops. Without question, the region's growers need new practices that will result in higher crop yields and lower production costs.  During the past 20 years there has been interest in using narrow row widths (distant between rows less than 30 inches) for producing soybean.  Due to the more equidistant spacing between plants within the row, higher yields should occur with narrow row widths. 

Since soybean leaves shade the soil surface sooner with narrow row widths, greater weed control should also result.  Unfortunately, researchers have only found small yield increases with narrow row widths, usually with late plantings.  Since the soil could not be cultivated, weed problems were sometimes worse with narrow row widths.

During the early to mid 1990's, a trend began towards more double-cropped soybean in S.C. (soybean planted after wheat harvest) and less full-season soybean.  Since double-cropped soybean is planted later than full-season soybean, double-cropped soybean should respond more to production practices that favor late plantings, such as narrow row widths.   During the early 1990's there was also a push to eliminate wheat residue burning before planting double-cropped soybean due to the increased concern for the environment and due to the growing liability associated with smoke blowing onto highways during the burning process.                 

Although using conservation tillage was recommended as a means to eliminate the residue burning problem, there was little data to show that switching to such practices would be more economical than using conventional production practices.

Several Clemson University and USDA-ARS scientists met in 1993 to discuss developing more sustainable cropping systems for late-planted double-cropped soybean.   At that time, new genetic technologies were on the horizon that would make crop plants resistant to broad-spectrum herbicides, a potentially big boost to grower weed control programs.  Therefore, the challenge was to develop a system that would build upon and take advantage of the weed control benefits of these new genetic technologies. 

The answer to most of these problems appeared to be narrow row widths.  Higher plant populations are generally recommended with narrow row widths. Therefore, soybean grown with narrow row widths should respond more to production practices that improve soil water conditions, such as conservation tillage.  Since cultivation is not used with narrow row widths or conservation tillage, the new herbicide-resistant crop varieties would be a big asset for weed control when these practices are used.

The problem with narrow row widths was how to deep till the soil.  Most Coastal Plain soils have hardpans that form just above the clay subsoil and restrict deep rooting.  The need for deep tillage was expected to be even greater with narrow row width systems because of the higher plant population and greater water requirement associated with these systems.  

With narrow row widths, almost the entire topsoil would have to be loosened because of the close plant spacing between rows.  There would also have to be minimal soil surface disturbance if conservation tillage was to be used.  Winged deep tillage devices that lift and drop the soil were identified as a possible solution to the deep tillage dilemma for narrow row widths since these devices loosen almost the entire profile while leaving most of the surface residues undisturbed.

Beginning in 1994, a research study was initiated at Clemson University's Pee Dee Research and Education Center to compare the yield of double-cropped soybean grown using a narrow row width, conservation tillage, and deep tilled (winged device used) system to the yield of soybean produced using the conventional production system of most farmers at that time.   Money was obtained from the S.C. Soybean Board to support this research.  Results from this 3-year study showed that double-cropped soybean yields can be as much as 80% greater with this new type of cropping system in good growing seasons, compared to the conventional system.

Subsequent on-farm trials conducted by Clemson University scientists found one-third higher average yields with this new type of production system.  Georgia on-farm tests conducted by University of Georgia Extension specialists showed similar results.   Due to this research, "soybean planted with narrow row widths has jumped from almost none just 3 or 4 years ago to more than 50% of the S.C. soybean acres in 1998 " says SC soybean Extension specialist Jim Palmer.

These research results laid the foundation for the Agroecology Program, a collaborative team project initiated in 1997 involving 19 Clemson University and USDA-ARS scientists.  The Agroecology program centers on multi-disciplinary research, Extension, and teaching activities pertaining to developing new production systems for several agronomically important crops grown in the region.  These new systems are focused on increasing grower profitability, enhancing environmental conservation, improving pest management strategies, and utilizing new genetic and mechanical technologies.  Much of this program is being supported by two new state-funded initiatives that were begun to support research oriented towards examining the harmonic relationships' that occur between agriculture and the environment. 

As Dr. John Kelly, Vice President for Clemson University's Public Service Activities, points out "this type of research is critically needed because of the important role agriculture plays in our state's economy and because of the close proximity of our agricultural land to our state's tourism industry along the Coast".

"One of the important objectives of the Agroecology Program is to obtain a better understanding of the ecological and environmental benefits of these new cropping systems" states Dr. Jim Fischer, Dean/Director of Public Service Activities.  "We know that there are environmental benefits to these new systems, but we don't know how much and under what conditions they occur". 

Agroecology research scientists are examining how new cropping practices affect the quality of both our surface and ground waters and how growers may better manage their soils to improve their soil's chemical, physical, and biological properties.  Other areas of emphasis include how these systems affect pest insect population, as well as beneficial insect populations (even fire ants).

By way of an advisory panel, the Agroecology Team is establishing partnerships with those in the agriculture industry.  "It's great to see our scientists at the forefront of ag industry, and I am proud to be a part of it" says Sam Parker, advisory panel member and technology representative for Stucky Brothers Equipment in Lake City, SC. 

"It's great to see Clemson University developing new cropping systems that will help our growers financially and, at the same time, maximize the benefits of new technologies being developed by the agricultural industries" notes regional Monsanto technical representative Stu Sherrick.  Scientists from the University of Georgia and Virginia Polytechnical Institute are also serving on the Agroecology Advisory Panel so they can learn first hand the progress the Team is making, thus avoiding any duplication of research efforts among Southeastern universities. 

"I really appreciate the team approach that Clemson University has undertaken, and I know Georgia farmers are eager to hear about the Agroecology Team's accomplishments" says Dr. Dewey Lee, Univ. of Georgia Extension Agronomist.

The procedures used to make narrow row widths a success story for soybean production in South Carolina were nothing new to the Land Grant University system:  the problem was identified, partnerships were formed, solutions were developed, Outreach programs were conducted, and the end users adopted the new technology.  And the Agroecology Program is still building upon these successes.             

For example, several scientists from different disciplines are beginning to work together in hopes of developing varieties specifically adapted to these new production systems.  Most of SC recommended varieties were selected for production under wide row width culture and probably do not have the traits needed for high yield with narrow row widths. 

And narrow row widths may also aid in improving the profitability and environmental conservation of other crops.  For example, the team is developing a narrow row, conservation tillage, deep-tilled production system that has the potential to increase corn yields by 25% or more. 

Much of the Team's environmental work is currently aimed at quantifying the amount of improvement that has been made with these new practices.  This information will allow the Team members to identify areas where further improvement can be made not only in soybean, but also in other crops.

And others can learn from the Team's experiences.  For example, such a diverse program presented itself to be a golden opportunity for student training.   This past summer, the Agroecology Team initiated an undergraduate student internship program to give students working experience in multi-disciplinary research.  Both Clemson University and Francis Marion University students participated in the program.  As all the interns noted, it quickly became apparent that there was so much more potential for progress to be made when scientists work together.  Team members are also in the initial planning stages to develop an undergraduate class in Agroecology, using the team's research results as the foundation for the class.

One of the main reasons the Agroecology Team came about was due to the success of the narrow row soybean. The Team members are excited about the many opportunities that exist for even more successes in the future.  In future issues of the Agroecology Newsletter, we will keep you informed of these successes and how they came about.

END

DATE: 11-24-98

CONTACT: Merle Shepard, (843) 766-5761 mshprd@clemson.edu

WRITERS: Tom Lollis, (803) 284-3343 tlollis@clemson.edu

Debbie Dalhouse, (864) 656-0937 ddalhou@clemson.edu

NEW CLEMSON - USDA VEGETABLE RESEARCH FACILITIES BEING DEVELOPED

CHARLESTON - Construction begins early next year on new research facilities for vegetable scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Clemson University in Charleston. Research findings from these scientists are used by growers throughout the Southeast, from North Carolina to Texas and Puerto Rico.

The $17 million facility will replace structures built in the 1930s and will provide space for 20 on-site scientists and support staff, as well as visiting scientists. The 69,500-square-foot laboratory and office building is expected to open in about two years, then work will begin on 43,100 square feet of greenhouses.

At a recent groundbreaking, Merle Shepard, resident director at Clemson's Coastal Research and Education Center in Charleston, said, "The new facilities will provide an atmosphere of synergy for us. Scientists from both Clemson and USDA will all be together, which will allow for a better exchange of ideas and information, as well as better planning for programs and research projects. It will be much better than being in separate buildings the way we are now."

The researchers include plant geneticists, physiologists, pathologists, entomologists, nematologists and weed scientists who develop improved varieties, environmentally sensitive pest management programs and more effective post-harvest handling strategies for vegetable crops.

"As we look to what's facing us for health, nutrition, food and the environment, we never want to give up our ability to conduct good science and good research to answer important questions," said Jim Fischer, director of the South Carolina Agriculture and Forestry Research System based at Clemson.

"The Clemson center and the USDA laboratory are already internationally recognized for distinguished research programs in vegetable crops," said Edward Knipling, associate administrator for USDA Agricultural Research Service. "The new facility will expand their capabilities for research on important vegetable crops."

The USDA laboratory has developed more than 140 improved vegetable varieties and breeding lines, and the Clemson center more than 40. They include Charleston Gray and Congo watermelon, Planter's Jumbo cantaloupe, Goldcoast snap bean, Homestead tomato, Wando pea, Charleston hot pepper and Ranger squash.

"The South Carolina vegetable industry has the potential to expand to $220 million in annual income over the next decade, compared to current income of around $70 million," said Senator Ernest F. Hollings who spearheaded federal funding for the facility. "The potential is outstanding."

END  

Home    |   Public Service    |   Extension   |   CAFLS   |   SC Growing   |   Clemson
Questions or  comments: Webmaster    ©2004 Clemson University Public Service
Clemson University Experiment Station, 104 Barre Hall, Clemson, SC 29634-0151
Clemson University Experiment Station is an affirmative action and equal opportunity educational institution.