Training Professionals
in Horticulture
CSREES encourages appropriate land-grant
university curricula to provide trained professionals
for the expanding horticultural professions.
As the need for traditionally trained horticulturists
is increasing, land-grant universities often
replace retiring faculty with new faculty
trained in molecular biological sciences.
The newly hired faculty member's background
and research interests may not match the
horticultural industry's expectation that
the university academic program will provide
trained professionals to fill managerial
and information provider positions in the
horticultural community. A major challenge
for the CSREES Horticulture Program will
be to identify and develop funding resources
that allow departments to maintain a critical
mass of traditionally trained horticulturists
who can function as classroom instructors
and extension specialists. We need researchers
who can understand and apply the results
of basic biological research to problems
faced by growers.
CSREES is challenged to promote increased
emphasis at the universities on ornamental
horticulture research, education, and extension.
We do this because, in terms of value, floriculture
and nursery crops are the third-largest farm
crop in America, and ornamentals are the
fastest-growing segment in U.S. agriculture,
representing 11 percent of total U.S. crop
value.
Since 1999, the Society of American Florists
and the American Nursery and Landscape Association
have worked to develop and maintain federal
funding for the Floriculture and Nursery
Research Initiative. The Initiative is designed
to address the needs of the industry in areas
such as environmental protection, prevention
of plant pests and diseases, and production
efficiency for growers in rural and suburban
economies.
It has also been noted by the American Society
for Horticultural Science that, “... more
than 80 percent of undergraduate horticulture
majors are in ornamental horticulture options.” Attention
is needed to balance faculty strengths and
curricula to ensure the scientific and professional
human capital necessary to address the horticultural
research and education needs of the future,
including global challenges.
Horticultural needs/issues have been identified
in collaboration with CSREES land-grant university
partners, horticultural societies, horticultural
professional associations, and others.
CSREES invites input to assist us in identifying
and prioritizing major needs. Send input
to Jim
Green, CSREES National Program Leader
in Horticulture.
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