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The limited availability of peat-based substrates, a nonrenewable resource, and the negative environmental impacts associated with their extraction require the conservation of this resource. We assessed the use of cattle dung compost as a stand-alone nursery substrate, replacing peat substrate for the production of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) seedlings. A completely randomized design was employed, using cattle dung compost (C) and commercial peat (P, control treatment) in various combinations (100% P; 25% C/75% P; 50% C/50% P; 75% C/25% P; 100% C) to assess their effects on different growth parameters of lettuce. Twenty-eight parameters (e.g., seed germination, seedling survival, diameter, height, biomass growth) were assessed, corresponding to the time when the seedlings are transplanted. All treatments achieved 100% seed germination and seedling survival; indicating the successful establishment of lettuce seedlings across all tested substrates. However, seedling growth was found to be significantly influenced by substrate type. Seedling diameter was significantly increased by 10.8% in the 50% C/50% P substrate, while seedling height was significantly increased by 7.7, 6.8, and nearly 10%, respectively, within the 25% C/75% P, 50% C/50% P and 100% C substrates, relative to the control. Other substrate treatments were not significant. Similar or significantly higher values than the control were also observed for biomass growth under the tested substrates, indicating the beneficial effect of cattle dung on the initial growth of plants during the nursery phase. Cattle dung compost, used as a growing substrate, demonstrated similar or superior results to commercial peat, suggesting its potential as a viable alternative potting medium for sustainable horticulture.

The underlying therapeutic mechanisms of care farming activities have not been addressed using psychophysiological data. We aimed to understand frontal cortex activation in adults during care farming activities and to explore the psychophysiological effects. Using a randomized crossover study method, 20 adults (average age, 31.3 ± 9.8 years) participated in 10 care farming activities, (four gardening activities, three animal-mediated activities, and three off-farming activities) for 3 minutes each at an actual care farm. Electroencephalography (EEG) was performed during the activity, and emotional states were assessed using subjective emotional questionnaires after each activity. The EEG results revealed that alpha activity increased during gardening activities, such as organizing garden plots and planting plants. Spectral edge frequency 50, which predicts the degree of arousal, increased during interaction with dogs. The results of the subjective emotional questionnaire revealed that participants experienced positive emotions, such as vigor, comfort, naturalness, and relaxation, when participating in care farming activities compared with those while resting. Therefore, this study suggests that care farming activities can induce changes in the frontal cortex activation and positive emotional states in participants. This study elucidates the use of such activities to address mental health-related issues.

Over the past two decades, interest in local specialty cut flower production in eastern South Dakota has grown, with several new flower farms being established across the region. However, there is currently no local, research-based information available to support growers in this new wave of interest. The purpose of this study was to assess the production and quality of four zinnia cultivars grown in eastern South Dakota to support local specialty cut flower growers in their operations. A randomized complete block design was used to evaluate four zinnia cultivars (Zinderella Peach, Oklahoma Ivory, Queen Red Lime, and Benary’s Giant Purple) grown in 2022 and 2023. Zinnias were started by seed in the greenhouse and transplanted into the field in early summer each season. Harvest began each year when flowers reached maturity (July), with one harvest event taking place each week until the first frost. Harvested flowers were rated as marketable or nonmarketable based on categories of stem length (≥18-inch-long, 13- to 17.99-inch-long, 8- to 12.99-inch-long, and <8-inch-long stems), as well as nonmarketable due to defects (curved stems, insect damage, and other damage). ‘Benary’s Giant Purple’ produced high numbers of marketable long stems and had the largest bloom size, whereas ‘Queen Red Lime’ and ‘Oklahoma Ivory’ produced high numbers of marketable medium-length stems and had lower amounts of insect damage. ‘Zinderella Peach’ produced the shortest and most insect-damaged stems and also produced lower numbers of curved stems compared with the other three cultivars. All four cultivars produced high numbers of marketable flowers and would be suitable choices for specialty cut flower growers in eastern South Dakota.

Microgreens are young plants used as ingredients and flavoring in various dishes. Their production time is short, and their production methods can be altered to enhance the nutritional content. To date, consumers’ preferences for microgreens that display different esthetic and nonesthetic traits have not been addressed. Additionally, consumers’ perceived risk of production methods used to enhance nutrition has not been investigated. An online survey and choice experiment involving a sample of 821 consumers in Tennessee were performed to investigate these topics. A mixed logit model was used to analyze the data. Both esthetic and nonesthetic traits influenced the consumers’ preferences. Green microgreens were preferred and valued more than light or dark purple microgreens. When fertilizer was used during production to enhance nutrients, consumers perceived the microgreens as riskier to the environment and for personal consumption relative to microgreens with light-induced nutrient enhancement. Using lighting during production to enhance nutrients generated a $0.47 to $0.79 premium relative to no nutrient enhancement. In general, if participants’ perceived risk aligned with the nutrient enhancement attribute (i.e., light, fertilizer), then their willingness to pay for the microgreens decreased. This was amplified for the fertilizer nutrient enhancement attribute more than it was for the light enhancement attribute. In-state production and microgreen height also impacted consumer preferences for microgreens.

Cold tolerance was measured midwinter in a New Hampshire, USA, orchard collection of 33 peach and nectarine cultivars over 3 years using natural and artificial freezing methods. Flower bud survival and xylem and cambium hardiness were based on the inflection point from nonlinear regression, as well as comparisons of injury at about −20 °C. Flower bud hardiness was greatest in ‘BuenOs’, ‘Contender’, ‘Cresthaven’, ‘Redhaven’, and ‘Scarlet Rose’. The lowest hardiness occurred in ‘Brigantine’, ‘Desiree’, ‘Emeraude’, ‘Evelynn’, ‘Galaxy’, ‘Glenglo’, ‘Jade’, ‘PF5D’, ‘PF23’, ‘Silverglo’, ‘Spring Snow’, and ‘Sugar May’. Other cultivars had either intermediate or inconsistent year-to-year bud hardiness. Bud hardiness in 2021 was weakly correlated with bud hardiness in 2023, but neither were correlated with bud mortality in 2022 after a severe freeze. Cambial hardiness in one year was not correlated with hardiness in other years. ‘August Rose’, ‘BuenOs’, ‘Cresthaven’, ‘Desiree’, and ‘Silverglo’ had the hardiest cambium which was consistent from year to year. Xylem hardiness was greatest in ‘BuenOs’, ‘Contender’, ‘Desiree’, ‘John Boy’, ‘PF17’, ‘Redhaven’, ‘Silvergem’, and ‘TangOs’. Xylem injury was significantly correlated across years indicating that this tissue responds more consistently to midwinter freezing temperatures than flower buds and cambium.

Despite being a legume, snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) lacks nodulation genes, restricting its ability for nitrogen (N) fixation through rhizobia, making N fertilization essential for maximizing yields. However, conventional fertilizer application may lead to N losses due to a lack of synchronization between plant uptake and N availability. A promising option could be controlled-release fertilizers (CRFs), which can be custom-formulated to synchronize nutrient release with plant growth needs, promoting efficient resource use. Field studies were conducted at the North Florida Research and Education Center-Suwannee Valley (NFREC-SV) in Live Oak, FL, during the spring of 2021 and 2022. The experiments also investigated broadcasting and banding application methods of the University of Florida’s recommended N rate (112 kg·ha⁻¹). The experimental design comprised 10 treatments, including five N rates (0, 56, 112, 168, and 224 kg·ha⁻¹ N) and two fertilizer sources (ammonium nitrate and CRF), applied to ‘Caprice’ in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Results showed a significant yield improvement with N fertilization vs. the zero-N control. However, no yield increase was observed beyond 56 kg·ha⁻¹. This finding could be due to the residual N from a preceding peanut crop rotation in both years. No notable variation in quality metrics (pod length and width) occurred above the 56 kg·ha⁻¹ threshold. The results also revealed that the choice between conventional or CRF did not exert any statistically significant differences in snap bean yield. In addition, fertilizer broadcast and banding treatments yielded the same results.

The Salix genus of the Salicaceae family has advantages such as rapid initial growth, a high germination rate, and asexual reproduction; therefore, it is used as a short-rotation energy crop for biomass production. The National Institute of Forest Science created new interspecific hybrid cultivars with superior biomass production by artificially interbreeding Salix caprea L. and Salix gracilistyla Miq. Identifying these hybrids during the seedling stage is challenging because their separate reproductive and vegetative growth stages necessitate prolonged observation of their morphological characteristics. Consequently, a reliable identification method is required to overcome these limitations. This study aimed to develop nuclear DNA markers to distinguish between S. caprea, S. gracilistyla, and their interspecific hybrids. An evaluation of 35 nuclear simple-sequence repeat (nSSR) markers in the Salix genus revealed two markers that distinguish these parent species and their hybrids. A sequence analysis confirmed the presence of insertion-deletion (InDel) regions within the nSSR markers that differed between S. caprea and S. gracilistyla. To effectively identify hybrids, a primer set comprising the InDel region, which exhibited only interspecies differences and no intraspecies differences, was developed. The results of this study will facilitate the genetic resource management of interspecific hybrids between S. caprea and S. gracilistyla, thus allowing for early identification and improved management of hybrids.

Genetic resources are the foundation of American agriculture’s ongoing success—the diversity, security, health, and genetic integrity of these resources must be safeguarded. However, in contrast to other crops, protecting, managing, and using collections of woody landscape plant genetic resources present significant challenges. These include conservation of at-risk populations that have high genetic diversity, evaluation of taxa with an unknown potential to invade, and management of large specimens that have long generation times and often recalcitrant or difficult-to-store seeds. The wide diversity of taxa and the limited number of specialist curators and scholars present further challenges. Thus, effective collection, preservation, evaluation, and distribution of woody landscape plant germplasm require substantial and specialized resources. The most fundamental challenge is simple: too many built landscapes have low taxonomic diversity and are often dominated by a single taxon, or monoculture. In turn, these taxonomically and genetically depauperate landscapes are vulnerable to a host of biotic and abiotic threats and are less likely to provide ecosystem and societal services for which they were designed. To develop more resilient landscapes, there is an urgent need to expand taxonomic diversity, which requires the horticultural community to effectively acquire, curate, evaluate, distribute, and use diverse woody landscape plant genetic resources. The role of the US Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) Woody Landscape Plant Crop Germplasm Committee (WLPCGC) is to identify vulnerabilities and threats that compromise WLP crops in the United States and make recommendations for prioritization of germplasm acquisition, evaluation, research, and management priorities through regular interaction with stakeholders. Due to the breadth of genera and shifting plant genetic resource needs of the nursery industry, it is impractical to list specific threatened or priority genera in a broadly applicable crop vulnerability statement. Instead, the WLPCGC has identified themes of threats and vulnerabilities providing a foundation upon which to support prioritization as threats to specific genera emerge.

Cover crops have a long and significant history in Florida’s citrus industry. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, they were widely used to enhance soil quality, boost fertility, and manage pests; therefore, they served as a critical agricultural tool before the widespread adoption of synthetic fertilizers. However, during the middle of the 20th century, a decline in the use of cover crops occurred as synthetic fertilizers and chemical pest control methods became more prevalent. Despite this decline, a resurgence of interest in cover crops has occurred among Florida’s citrus growers. This renewed interest is driven by the urgent need to increase soil fertility while reducing inputs, particularly in the context of managing citrus groves affected by citrus greening [huanglongbing (HLB)], which is a devastating disease that threatens the viability of the citrus industry. Citrus greening has created a growing interest in the use of management practices that can help mitigate the increasing cost of inputs needed to manage the disease. This literature review delves into the historical use of cover crops in Florida’s citrus industry and highlights their early adoption and subsequent decline. Additionally, it examines current cover crop management practices and focuses on key components such as seed selection, planting techniques, and termination methods. Finally, this review discusses the challenges and limitations associated with integrating cover crops into modern citrus production systems.

Local variety trial data are necessary for informing growers how a specific variety might perform on their farm but there is a growing deficiency in these data, particularly for specialty crops. To address this issue, an online decision-support tool named the Vegetable Variety Navigator (VVN) was developed in 2020 to compile, analyze, and visually communicate publicly available broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica), cucumber (Cucumis sativus), and sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum) variety trial data. To validate the accuracy and predictive potential of the VVN, we conducted 16 on-farm variety trials for broccoli, cucumber, and sweet pepper between 2020 and 2022. Yield of each variety in a trial was compared with the mean of all other varieties in the same trial to calculate a mean relative yield (MRY). The difference between observed relative yield in the field and predicted relative yield from the VVN (ΔMRY) was used to assess the accuracy of three different VVN prediction strategies. Strategies included using data from the following: 1) the single geographically nearest trial, 2) the mean of the three geographically nearest trials, or 3) the mean of all available trial data regardless of location. Compared with random predictions of MRY for each variety (from within a normal distribution of MRY values in the VVN database), the VVN predictions reduced ΔMRY and improved the accuracy of relative yield predictions across varieties by up to 21% in broccoli, 51% in cucumber (depending on strategy), and 51% in sweet pepper. Results confirm the value of the VVN as a decision-support tool for growers facing an ever-increasing number of crop variety options with less variety trial data. Future research and development are needed to improve the accuracy of the VVN by accounting for possible effects of crop types, management, and location on relative yield and quality.