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With the current climate of consolidation in academia, maintaining viable discipline-oriented curricula requires concerted effort. In the past 8 years, the horticulture program at Texas Tech reduced the number of degree programs and faculty while it increased the course offerings available and quadrupled the enrollment in horticulture courses. This increase in productivity and program security came about through the efforts of the College and the Department. The designation of the Introductory Horticulture course as a core curriculum lab science elective dramatically raised enrollment. The introduction of horticulture as a minor within the College and across the University resulted in many of the horticulture courses being accessed by students previously not reached. In addition, efforts to create articulation agreements with and actively recruit students from 2- year institutions are beginning to show some success. The greatest future impact appears to be in the creation of mutually beneficial distance education alliances with other 2- and 4-year institutions. Areas of continued concern include balancing faculty teaching and research loads, frequency of upper level course offerings, and identifying large classroom facilities during peek hours. Support facility space utilization, pressing time constraints and “faculty burn-out” are also current problem areas associated with increased faculty productivity levels.
Many segments of private industry use data gathered from public attitude and opinion research as an integral part of the planning, program development, and evaluation process. These basic techniques were used to determine public perception of five species of Texas native plants grown at three irrigation rates under xeriscape conditions. Nearly half of the average annual residential water costs go to lawns and gardens. Minimizing the amount of water used in irrigation could provide significant savings of money and a precious natural resource. The complexities of measuring social attitudes, how to develop a valid survey instrument, methods of analyzing survey data, and appropriate interpretation will be discussed. Use of public perception could be a powerful tool in developing water conserving technologies.
Distance education is an area of rapid expansion in higher education today. Unfortunately, the development of distance education efforts, like all new programming, is fraught with numerous barriers. Frequently, technological advances precede internal policies necessary to support these activities, and because of the nature of distance education, concerns over expense, workload, intellectual property, conflict of interest and teaching methodology may impede progress. Funding distance education efforts also requires long-term vision and commitment. It is essential that a clear vision, including identification of existing needs and benefits, be developed before equipment and personnel are secured. Finally, some distance education efforts by their nature involve collaboration between other institutions of higher education. These schools may view participation in these programs as opportunities for their advancement or possible encroachment on their educational market. Establishing strong relationships is essential for ultimate success. At Texas Tech Univ., the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources along with the Dept. of Plant and Soil Science have committed to the development and implementation of distance education as an educational tool providing enrichment and access to high-quality programming for its on campus and place-bound students. Some of the success stories as well as the frustrations behind these efforts will be discussed.
The oil of evening primrose (Oenothera sp.) is an important source of gammalinolenic acid (GLA). GLA [C18:3Δ6,9,12] is an unsaturated fatty acid in demand for its nutritional and pharmaceutical application. Oenothera biennis L. is the primary commercial source of evening primrose oil. A study was conducted to determine if species of Oenothera, adapted to Texas, produce GLA levels comparable to O. biennis. This project identified and evaluated the fatty acid composition of eight species of evening primrose native to Texas. GLA levels of 54 accessions evaluated from collected seed ranged from 0.0% to 11.0%. Field experiments were then conducted to determine oil content, fatty acid composition, seed yield, and potential adaptation to commercial production of selected accessions. Mean GLA levels of cultivated seed from these accessions ranged from 0.0% to 10.1%. Mean seed oil content ranged from 7.3% to 21.7%. Of the species examined, O. elata subsp. hirsutissima (A. Gray ex S. Watson) W. Dietrich and O. jamesii (Torrey & Gray) demonstrated GLA levels and seed yields adequate for commercial production. Based on these results, O. elata subsp. hirsutissima and O. jamesii demonstrated sufficiently high GLA levels, oil content, and seed yields to be considered for commercial production.
The oil extracted from seed of selected accessions of Oenothera, also known as the wildflower evening primrose, has documented medical applications. Evening primrose oil contains from 0.0 to 12.0% gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) (C 18:3, delta 6, 9, 12). This unique fatty acid, which occurs in only a few plant species, can correct deficiencies in the delta 6 desaturase enzyme. Low levels of this enzyme prevent formation of the long chain fatty acids responsible for the production of prostaglandins and thromboxanes. Supplementation of the diet with evening primrose oil rich in GLA ensures adequate levels of these essential products. Inconsistent seed germination, poor emergence, and small seed size of accessions containing higher levels of GLA have limited commercial production of this crop. Currently, most producers establish their field through transplants. In this project, methods of improving seed germination have been explored. Seed coatings using diatomaceous earth were shown to facilitate handling and improve germination in the laboratory. Osmotic priming and red light exposure were also evaluated as means of improving germination.
Interactive video conferencing provides a useful medium for distance education. Due to the highly visual nature of many horticulture courses, the multimedia techniques utilized in video conferencing provide a rich platform from which to conduct many aspects of these efforts. Video conferencing also requires an overall evaluation of which common teaching techniques work and what possible modifications may be necessary to accomplish the desired teaching goals. Some of the topics for consideration in utilizing interactive video conferencing include encouraging participation of remote students, overcoming the feeling of viewing television, identifying the desired level of involvement by the students with the technology, considering alternative methods to reach desired course objectives, coordinating evaluation and testing, implementing classroom management techniques, and adding high touch to the high tech medium. Texas Tech and Texas A&M Universities have utilized interactive video conferencing at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Some of the successful techniques as well as identification of a few of the pitfalls will be discussed.