Issue to be addressed: Ornamental Crops Program, related to Goal 1                       EFFECTIVE 7/1/04
The ornamental crops program addresses both nursery and greenhouse production systems. Areas of study include irrigation management and water recycling systems to control chemical run-off, the response of nursery crops to water and heat stress, the impact of light on plant growth and development, light management using retractable shade curtains, the use of landscape plants for bioremediation of nutrients and pesticides in run-off water, and the incidence and diversity of Phytophthora species in run-off and irrigation water at ornamental crop nurseries.

Greenhouse crops accounted for some $200 million in cash receipts in South Carolina for 1999 and represented the second largest income-producing crop in the state after timber. Ornamental crop production is expected to continue to expand as demand grows for both residential and commercial landscape applications.

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PERFORMANCE GOALS

Output Indicators:
1. Develop irrigation management protocols to control nutrient runoff through precision water application.

2. Minimize off-site movement of pesticides and nutrients by optimizing water collection and recycling systems.

3. Quantify the response of nursery crops to water and heat stress.

4. Understand the basic mechanisms underlying the control of plant growth and development by spectral composition in light and quantify floricultural crop responses to light. 

5. Develop strategies to manage the light environment in greenhouses using retractable shade curtains.

6. Determine the impact of hanging basket production on the greenhouse light environment.

7. Develop spectral filter technology into a commercially acceptable option for greenhouse plant growth regulation through collaborations/partnerships with the plastics industry.

8. Evaluate marketable landscape plants for on-site bioremediation of nutrients and pesticides in run-off water.

9. Determine the incidence and diversity of Phytophthora species in run-off and irrigation water at ornamental crop nurseries and in natural waterways; on cuttings and liners used to propagate ornamental crops in nurseries; and in soils of natural, undisturbed ecosystems. 

Outcome Indicators
1. Efficient water management systems will assist nursery producers to achieve optimum growth and reduce runoff, which is an increasing concern for public policy makers.

2. Understanding the response of nursery crops to water deficits and heat stress will improve success in transplanting trees in urban installations with low-maintenance conditions. 

3. Identifying strategies for optimizing the delivery of light to crops grown in commercial greenhouses will enhance profitable operations in South Carolina and in the Southeast. 

4. Nursery and greenhouse growers will be able to use photoselective greenhouse covers or shade material to reduce the use of growth-regulating chemicals, thereby reducing production costs and potential risks to human health and environmental quality. 

5. New systems utilizing phytoremediation can help remove pesticides and nutrients from run-off water at nurseries and greenhouses. Excess nutrients, pesticide displacement and water movement are environmental problems related to landscape plant production. Pesticides and excessive nutrient levels have been detected in nursery retention basins in the Southeastern US.

6. Integrated management strategies can be developed for diseases caused by Phytophthora in nurseries in South Carolina and the Southeast.

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