Commodity and Discipline Specialties for Graduate Study in Horticulture at WSU
Environmental Horticulture Program
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Environmental horticulture deals with the science and practice of producing, marketing, and maintaining greenhouse and nursery-grown plants. Landscape trees and shrubs, bedding plants, foliage plants, flowering potted plants, and cut flowers have long been appreciated for their contributions to the quality of the environments in which we live and work. Ornamental plants are used to conserve energy, to improve the quality of the air, water, and soil, to form visual barriers, and more. New advances in biotechnology will further increase the variety and utility of "ornamental" plants. It is the mission of the Environmental Horticulture Group to develop and provide new knowledge that emphasizes sound environmental practices, improved production efficiency, and enhanced quality of human life.
Washington is a major producer of a wide variety of ornamental crops. Roses and bulb crops are the major cut flowers in the state. Tulip, daffodil and iris bulbs are produced in the Puyallup and Skagit valleys and are shipped worldwide. Several acres of greenhouses produce bedding plants, poinsettias, lilies, chrysanthemums, foliage and several other potted plant varieties. The nursery industry is especially strong in the production of conifers and broad-leaved evergreens such as rhododendrons. Production is located both in the mild western part of the state and near the metropolitan areas east of the Cascade Mountains. The nursery and greenhouse products industry ranks in the top ten agricultural commodities in the state of Washington and is valued at more than $250 million annually.
Personnel researching ornamental crops are located at the Pullman campus and in Puyallup, Mount Vernon and Vancouver. Research problems encompass several physiological areas including nutrition, water usage, photosynthesis and respiration, growth regulators, tissue culture, and biological disease control.
Small Fruit Commodity Programs
Washington's small fruit industry is comprised primarily of wine and juice grapes, red raspberries, cranberries, strawberries and blueberries. Each of these crops consistently ranks in the top 40 agricultural commodities in the state.
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Washington currently ranks first in 'Concord' juice grape production and is continuing to grow. Growth is primarily due to increased demand for fruit juices in general at both the national and international levels. Wine grape production ranks second nationally, but a distant second from California. Growth in this industry is being stimulated by the growing national and international recognition of the very high quality of Washington wines. Major production problems continue to be associated with low temperature injury and pest management. Processing problems currently being examined are associated with the influence of crop load and irrigation on fruit maturation and quality and how these affect wine quality.
Washington is number one in red raspberry production, most of which is used in the production of ice cream, yogurt, jams and jellies, and other dessert and frozen fruit products. Nearly all of the red raspberries are produced on the west side of Washington State. A major production problem is associated with a labor shortage, and therefore the development of a cultivar suitable for machine harvesting is important. A second problem is the continuing search for a superior quality fruit for processing. A growing concern over the use of pesticides is also stimulating the search for more disease and pest resistant cultivars. Raspberry breeding is a well-established and ongoing research priority in Washington State.
Cranberry production in Washington is restricted to the higher rainfall regions west of the Cascades where it takes six to eight years to establish a fully productive cranberry bog. Weed control is essential to maintain bog productivity, and is currently an increasing problem as herbicides are being withdrawn and not re-registered. This will continue to be a major research focus. Control of insects and fungi are the next highest priorities.
Tree Fruit Commodity Programs
There are unique opportunities for graduate study in pomology at Washington State University that arise because of the following factors:
- The size and scope of the tree fruit industries in Washington; Washington ranks first in the production of apples, sweet cherries and fresh market pears, and is an important producer of prunes, plums, apricots, and peaches.
- An expanding appreciation of the Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Department's opportunities and responsibilities to a worldwide community of scholars seeking opportunities for advanced study.
- The combination of expertise and experience available both at the main campus and at outlying research stations; i.e., in addition to WSU personnel, leading USDA research workers hold appointments as WSU collaborators and as members of the graduate faculty.
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There are many opportunities for specialization in the graduate program, including orchard efficiency and productivity, water relations, mineral nutrition, cold hardiness, growth regulators, harvesting, handling and storage, post harvest physiology, physiological disorders, rootstock effects on tree growth and fruit quality, tissue culture, metabolism and others. Cooperation within the department and with off-campus research units is excellent. If desired, students may conduct research at the stations and return to the main campus for course work.
Since 1969 the tree fruit industry producers have voluntarily assessed themselves on all fruit produced. The funds collected through this assessment have been dispersed by the Tree Fruit Research Commission and have been utilized to support research. Research projects and assistantships may be supported from these funds and involve research on particular industry problems. The Washington State Horticultural Association (a fruit growers' association) also encourages graduate programs through scholarships.
If you are interested in an advanced degree in pomology, Washington State University has much to offer and provides an opportunity to become part of an active and continually developing research effort.
Vegetable Commodity Programs
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Unique and varied opportunities exist for graduate study and research in vegetable crops at Washington State University. Positive influences supporting strong graduate programs include a growing appreciation within the state for advanced study, faculty expertise and research programs available, the size and scope (including diversity) of the vegetable industry in Washington State, and the cooperation and promotion from industry and grower organizations.
The vegetable and specialty crop industries of Washington State are composed of a large variety of crops produced, in some cases in very local geographical areas, and in other cases, in broad general production areas. Important crops in the state of Washington are dry peas, spearmint oil, hops, potatoes, asparagus, and processed peas. Other important crops grown in the state include sweet corn, carrots, onions, cole crops, lettuce, cucumbers, and vegetable seed crops.
Olericulture, the science and art of growing vegetable crops, is a field with vast opportunities for specialization in a graduate program. Faculty at Washington State University are involved in all aspects of field, laboratory, and greenhouse production research, teaching and extension, as well as harvesting, handling, storing, processing, marketing and distribution of field grown and greenhouse vegetable crops.
Efforts are directed toward better utilization of agricultural lands through improved cultural practices, and improved harvesting, storage and processing techniques. Faculty expertise and research programs relate to plant breeding for the development of disease, drought, and insect resistant cultivars, mineral nutrition, water relations, growth regulators, growth analysis and modeling, photosynthesis and metabolism, tissue culture, physiological disorders, post-harvest physiology, and others. The growing interest in home gardening has created more opportunities for research and professional employment.
More
people are conscious today of the environment in which they live
and the food that they eat than at any time in the history of our
country. This is especially true of the production and consumption
of fresh and processed vegetables. Interest in pursuing graduate
study and an advanced degree in vegetable crops can be fulfilled
at Washington State University through our continually developing
instructional and research program.
Plant and Postharvest Biotechnology Programs
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The advent and applications of molecular, genetic and cell biological techniques have created a revolution in the biotechnology industry. The advances in genetic engineering have brought diverse disciplines such as microbiology, cell biology and genetics together to form an integral part of most plant science research programs within colleges of agriculture. Conventional plant breeding and other approaches such as protoplast fusion are being used to manipulate the genetic makeup of plants. However, they lack the precision of the gene transfer methods that are becoming popular. For crop improvement, it would be advantageous to introduce desired genes into already useful varieties of plants. This would involve two basic steps. First, obtaining particular genes and second, devising ways of inserting these genes into plant chromosomes so that they can function. These steps are no longer an insurmountable problem; scientists have devised methods to clone and to transfer genes. Our department offers graduate programs that allow students to acquire the necessary skills to prepare themselves in various aspects of biotechnology including cell and tissue culture.
Biotechnology faculty are researching the mechanisms by which genes are expressed, mechanisms and vectors that allow foreign DNA incorporation into cells, cell and tissue culture techniques that allow plant regeneration. Examples of research areas include (1) Regulatory genes controlling fertilization, fruit development, ripening, and senescence. (2) Molecular and genetic analysis of calcium signal transduction. (3) Isolation and characterization of genes involved in flavor, pigment, and other quality attributes in fruit and vegetables.
Graduate study at Washington State University in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture offers many exciting opportunities. The horticulture industry in the state of Washington is diverse, with production and utilization of ornamental products, fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, and vegetable seed production. Opportunities for research in all of these areas are available in the department.
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