Branched broomrape is of growing concern to the California processing tomato industry, with integrated management strategies needed to reduce the impact of the current infestation and mitigate the spread of this highly regulated parasitic weed. Herbicide efficacy research was conducted in 2020 and 2021 in a field known to be highly infested with branched broomrape; however, no broomrape emerged during the 2021 study. Because the 2020 and 2021 field trials had different tomato cultivars, subsequent research was conducted to evaluate the effects of cultivar on broomrape emergence. In the same broomrape-infested field site, several commercial processing tomato cultivars and grafted combinations were evaluated from 2022 to 2024. In addition to field studies, greenhouse cultivar screening studies were conducted from 2022 to 2025, evaluating 25 cultivars for broomrape sensitivity. Results from the 2022 greenhouse screening indicated that all tested cultivars, including the cultivar planted at the infested site in 2021, were susceptible to parasitism after inoculation with preconditioned broomrape seed, but that there was only minor variation in temporal emergence. The results from 2023 greenhouse study supported the 2022 results, with all tomato cultivars parasitized and only minor differences in broomrape emergence. In the 2024 greenhouse study, there was no broomrape emergence in any of the tested cultivars, possibly due to hot conditions in the greenhouse. In the 2025 greenhouse study, there were no significant differences in days to broomrape emergence among the tomato cultivars. Field cultivar studies conducted in 2023 and 2024 showed no significant differences in broomrape emergence among conventional or grafted cultivar combinations ( P = 0.23, 0.74); results for the nongrafted cultivars were consistent with greenhouse studies. Taken together, these experiments suggest that there is negligible variation in broomrape resistance among the tested currently available commercial cultivars; there is now considerable effort in the public and private sectors toward breeding for resistance to broomrape targeting several pathways. In addition, with the advent of high-throughput grafting technology, there is potential for using novel genetics from rootstocks in commercially planted processing tomatoes.

This study systematically evaluated the interactive effects of physical scarification, chemical treatments, and stratification on seed germination in Humulus lupulus , with particular emphasis on optimizing gibberellic acid (GA) application. Seed viability was low (29%), consistent with prior reports. GA significantly enhanced germination across all treatment combinations, independent of stratification duration, whereas liquid smoke exhibited no measurable effect. Physical scarification proved ineffective or deleterious. Although stratification improved germination, GA treatment alone facilitated moderate germination in its absence. Responses were consistent across H. lupulus var. lupulus and H. lupulus var. neomexicanus . GA concentrations ranging from 250 to 2000 ppm increased germination without evidence of toxicity. Collectively, these findings reaffirm GA as the most effective treatment.

This study evaluates two innovative shoot-level interventions targeting medium-length shoots (MLS) in apple. Experiments were conducted on two apple cultivars, Amasya and Golden Reinders, grafted onto M.9 rootstock, to assess how heading cuts applied to flowering or vegetative MLS influence return bloom and renewal shoot quality. At flowering, tagged MLS were subjected to five treatments: untreated flowering MLS (Cont-F), untreated vegetative MLS (Cont-V), heading of flowering MLS (Head-F), heading of vegetative MLS (Head-V), and blossom thinning of flowering MLS (Thin-F). Head-F markedly suppressed return bloom in both cultivars while inducing high-quality renewal shoots, characterized by thicker shoot axes, increased spur swelling below the cut, and well-developed terminal and axillary buds indicative of improved floral bud quality. In ‘Golden Reinders’, Head-V preserved near-complete terminal flowering in the following year while enhancing renewal shoot quality.

Universities vary greatly in their organic agriculture education programs, with differences in student interest in studying organic production and food systems, classes offered, and infrastructure and facilities. The organic agriculture curriculum options are also evolving as a result of departmental or college-level curriculum revisions. Similarly, the technical assistance provided for growers varies from state to state. Recent US Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Marketing Service Transition to Organic Partnership Program programming has created more interest in providing and growing this assistance. The workshop “Where are we today? State of Organic Education and Technical Programs” was conducted at the 2025 American Society for Horticultural Science Conference in New Orleans, LA, USA, and featured a panel of teaching and extension scholars who provided insights into the existing programs and challenges that are currently affecting organic production across the United States. This workshop focused on discussing the challenges to organic agriculture education both at the undergraduate and farmer levels, and opportunities for growth.

Sustainable lunar crop production will likely require coarse-textured media to mitigate waterlogging under reduced gravity, although larger particle sizes reduce water retention and availability. Maintaining a target root zone water content via sensor-based irrigation may improve plant water status in such media. For harvest management, the standard multiharvest “pick-and-eat” method enables continuous production, whereas a single-harvest “cut-and-sow” alternative may limit root buildup. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of sensor-based vs. time-based irrigation on growth, physiology, mineral content, and palatability of Lactuca sativa ‘Little Gem’ using pick-and-eat and cut-and-sow harvesting techniques in a coarse calcined-clay medium (Turface) to quantify interactions among plant performance, rhizosphere water availability, root zone salinity, and sensory outcomes. Forty-eight greenhouse-grown plants and 24 nonplant controls were randomly assigned to either sensor-based irrigation (maintaining a volumetric water content of 0.40 m³·m − ³) or time-based irrigation (daily application until leaching occurred). Within each irrigation treatment, the plants were subjected to either the pick-and-eat or the cut-and-sow harvesting technique. Plant growth and physiology were recorded throughout the experiment, and a sensory evaluation was conducted at termination. Within the pick-and-eat technique, sensor-based irrigation increased photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and transpiration and lowered leaf–air temperature, resulting in higher cumulative fresh and dry mass and larger leaf area and leaf mineral contents, including phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium, than time-based irrigation. In the cut-and-sow technique, reseeding into the same medium promoted salt accumulation, particularly under sensor-based irrigation due to lack of leaching, and subsequently depressed gas exchange, total leaf area, and leaf dry and fresh weights compared with the pick-and-eat technique. The lowest palatability was reported on lettuce receiving time-based irrigation with pick-and-eat due to unpleasant mouth feel and flavor, which was attributed to early bolting. Overall, pairing sensor-based irrigation with a pick-and-eat harvest strategy maximized yield, stabilized physiology, limited premature bolting, and preserved sensory quality in coarse Turface media. Cut-and-sow harvesting technique under nonleaching irrigation minimized the risks of salinity buildup and performance impairment. These results highlight the importance of closed-loop water management and harvest strategy codesign when translating crop systems to reduced-gravity, regolith-based agriculture.

Hardneck garlic varieties are the preferred types grown in cold climates, and they are typically planted in the fall, so that low winter temperatures promote bulb induction. Storage recommendations for garlic vary widely in the popular literature, and data-based storage recommendations are based on publications from the 1950s using softneck varieties. To learn how hardneck garlic shelf life is affected by storage temperature, on-farm and laboratory-controlled comparisons of ‘Chesnok Red’ and ‘Music’ bulb weight loss at 4 and 0 °C were done in studies conducted from 2022–24 and 2023–25. ‘Inchelium Red’, a softneck garlic, was also grown and stored in 2022–24 as a comparison with the hardneck types. In both years of the study, all garlic bulbs stored at 0 °C lost 5% to 7% of fresh weight, whereas bulbs stored at 4 °C or higher temperatures lost 35% to 40% fresh weight. Most bulbs stored at 4 °C, and none of those stored at 0 °C, started to sprout after 9 months in storage in 2023–24. In the following year of the study, only one ‘Music’ bulb stored at 4 °C sprouted. When transferred from 0 °C to room temperature after 9 months of storage from 2023–24, less than 10% of the ‘Music’ bulbs sprouted, whereas none of ‘Chesnok Red’ bulbs sprouted, even 2 months after transfer to room temperature. Fresh weight loss was greater after transfer to room temperature of bulbs stored previously at 4 °C than at 0 °C. Farmers who are selling hardneck garlic for consumption should store garlic at 0 to 4 °C. Farmers selling garlic for planting should store cured hardneck garlic at >4 °C, which can include room temperature (20 °C), as the time between curing and planting is usually about 3 months.

This study presents the first report on the postharvest responses of ‘Gold Delight’ muscadine as newly developed bronze cultivar compared with three bronze commercial muscadines ‘Granny Val’, ‘Triumph’, and ‘Hall’ during 28 d of cold storage at 4 °C. Weight loss differed markedly among cultivars, with ‘Gold Delight’ showing the lowest final loss (2.11% ± 0.05%) and ‘Hall’ the highest (3.29% ± 0.11%). Firmness decreased in all cultivars, with reductions from 190.8 ± 3.0 to 171.9 ± 1.6 g·mm −1 in ‘Gold Delight’ and from 202.9 ± 3.2 to 159.8 ± 4.0 g·mm −1 in ‘Triumph’, confirming the greater firmness retention of ‘Gold Delight’. Total soluble solids (TSS) remained relatively constant, titratable acidity (TA) decreased gradually, and pH increased slightly during storage. By day 28, ‘Triumph’ showed the highest TSS/TA ratio (27.04 ± 0.45), followed by ‘Hall’ (25.47 ± 0.50). Total phenolic content showed slight reductions by day 28, with final values of 33.11 ± 0.54 mg·L −1 gallic acid equivalents (GAE; (‘Gold Delight’), 26.03 ± 0.63 mg·L −1 GAE (‘Granny Val’), 35.98 ± 0.75 mg·L −1 GAE (‘Triumph’), and 39.40 ± 0.62 mg·L −1 GAE (‘Hall’). Total antioxidant activity decreased moderately across cultivars, ending at 54.42 ± 1.35, 49.20 ± 1.22, 66.65 ± 1.24, and 77.35 ± 1.87 μmols TE·L −1 for ‘Gold Delight’, ‘Granny Val’, ‘Triumph’, and ‘Hall’, respectively. Color parameters showed only minor changes across cultivars. Overall, this evaluation demonstrated clear cultivar-dependent differences in postharvest behavior, providing practical guidance for selecting muscadines best suited for fresh-market consumption and cold-storage handling.

An invasive plant survey was developed in 2025 that replicated a 2007 survey of the Connecticut Nursery and Landscape Association (CNLA) membership to assess changes in knowledge, practices, and policy preferences regarding invasive ornamental plants. The survey, distributed through e-mail and in person at the 2025 CNLA Winter Symposium, yielded 73 responses. Results revealed an increase in self-reported knowledge about invasive plants and substantial declines in sales of prominent invasive plants, including Japanese barberry, Norway maple, Japanese silvergrass, and winged euonymus. Industry support grew for native plant promotion, point-of-sale invasive plant labels, and voluntary removal of invasive plants from inventories, with openness to statewide bans and allowing for the development and sale of sterile cultivars. These findings signify a substantial shift toward proactive invasive plant management in Connecticut’s green industry. For continued industry participation in invasive plant control measures, future efforts should focus on emphasizing noninvasive alternative plants, educating consumers, encouraging voluntary removal of invasive plants from inventory, use of sterile cultivars of invasive species where permitted, and promoting native plants over exotics.

White sage, Salvia apiana Jeps., is ecologically significant to chaparral ecosystems and of cultural importance to indigenous communities. Wild populations are declining due to habitat loss and overharvesting. Current propagation protocols are inadequate. Development of reliable propagation protocols would benefit restoration efforts and potential commercialization. This study investigated seed germination responses to heat- and fire-related cues, as well as vegetative propagation to support conservation and sustainable cultivation. Seeds were exposed to heat treatments (60 to 100 °C) for varying durations (5 to 60 min), smoke, and ash treatments. Heat treatments at 70 and 85 °C significantly increased germination and mucilage excretion ( P = 0.001), although mucilage removal did not affect germination ( P = 0.871). Terminal cuttings were treated with indole-3-butyric acid (K-IBA) at 0 to 4000 ppm via basal quick dip or foliar application (0 to 1500 ppm) with and without Tween 20 surfactant. Basal quick dip at 4000 ppm K-IBA achieved 100% rooting and was significantly greater than other treatments in terms of root number, quality, and average root length. Foliar application at 1500 ppm with Tween 20 achieved 87% rooting with improved root quality compared with foliar applications without surfactant. A lower concentration of K-IBA (1000 ppm) applied by foliar application was similarly effective but had lower root quality. Cuttings sprayed without surfactant had significantly lower rooting success and quality. Both basal quick dip and foliar K-IBA applications provide effective vegetative propagation, with surfactant addition improving foliar application efficacy. These protocols support sustainable white sage production for restoration and cultural use.

Strawberries ( Fragaria ×ananassa ) are commonly grown on fruit and vegetable farms in the lower Midwest. Farmers are interested in exploring plasticulture strawberry production with more than 1 year of harvest to offset the high cost of planting materials. However, key questions remain, including the selection of plastic mulch color and cultivar. This study evaluated 15 June-bearing strawberry cultivars for yield, ripening pattern, and runner production in a 2-year plasticulture system using white and black plastic mulches at two locations—southern and northern Indiana—from late Summer 2022 through Summer 2024. Across cultivars, strawberries grown on black plastic mulch generally produced higher yields than those on white. Plants grown on black plastic accumulated less runner biomass in the summer, which could lessen the labor required for runner removal. However, black plastic mulch may advance the onset of flowering, potentially increasing the risk of spring frost damage. Additionally, plants established on black plastic mulch, when subjected to extreme cold weather and without frost protection in the winter, may have been more adversely affected, resulting in reduced yield and plant survival. When comparing cultivars, Flavorfest and Chandler consistently produced the highest yields at both locations. However, the small fruit size of ‘Chandler’, particularly in the second year, may limit its suitability for the 2-year plasticulture system. ‘AC Valley Sunset’ exhibited low survival and yields, indicating it was not well-suited for this production system. Likewise, early-season cultivars such as ‘Sweet Charlie’ and ‘Sensation’ may not perform well in the Midwest due to the high risk of spring frost damage.