VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Fanning Staff
LANDISVILLE (Lancaster
Co.) Commercial plant grow
ers in Pennsylvania, especially in
the central and southeastern region
where the industry is concentrated,
are to have a greenhouse where
new and of-interest, decorative
plant varieties can be tested for
local performance.
The greenhouse is under con
struction at the Penn State South
east Research and Extension! Cen
ter in Landisville and a ribbon
cutting ceremony and
announcement of the facility was
held Tuesday, in conjunction with
a Penn State flower trial field day
at the center.
The welcome and dedication
was done by Michelle Rodgers,
director of the Capital Region of
Penn State Cooperative Extension
and Outreach; Jay Sheely, chair
man of the Greenhouse Planning
Committee; and John Yocum,
extension specialist and farm
manager.
The facility was the result of
long time discussions among com
merical growers and Penn State
Participants in this week’s two-day Penn State Flower Trail Field Days check out dif
ferent varieties and their performance. It is the seventh year for the trials.
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Cooperative Effort Builds Variety Trial Greenhouse
Extension people.
As it is, Penn State conducts
some limited variety trials through
cooperation with die greenhouse
production industry.
The problem has been in a lack
of consistency of conditions and
technology used in the variety eva
luations, as well as a lack of avail
able and dependable commercial
greenhouse space that can be used
for dedicated variety trials.
After people involved with the
Pennsylvania Flower Growers
Association, the commercial
industry representatives, and Penn
State talked about the idea of hav
ing one, dedicated, leading-edge
facility with a consistent staff and
growing conditions in order to pro
vide more reliable variety trials,
the project began to move forward.
Representatives of the PFGA
and the commercial industry
approached Penn State with a com
mitment of $20,000 in supplies
and some cash in order to build the
facility, and were met a likewise
commitment from Penn State
Cooperative Extension.
Even though Penn State has a
fairly large horticultural trial gar-
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From the left, Dick Berry representing D&L Grower Suplies in Leola, and Alan
Michael, multi-county horticultural extension agent, stand under the frame of the
under-construction plant variety trial greenhouse at the Penn State South East
Research and Extension Center in Landisville. The greenhouse is a cooperative effort
between Penn State, the commercial industry and the Pennsylvania Flower Grower
Association.
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dens at its State College main cam
pus, the Capital Region was
selected as a suitable area for the
new greenhouse facility since the
industry is concentrated in that part
of the state, the plants are to be
greenhouse raised from cuttings
only, and growing conditions
could be assumed to be more
appropriate to those experienced
by commercial growers.
John Yocum and the staff at the
Landisville facility (located along
Auction Road, west of Manheim)
are to maintain the facility. The
research farm is involved in a num
ber of different commercial crop
production research trials, such as
with controlling weeds, raising
tobacco, etc.
The Penn State Flower Trial
Field Days were held from 12:30
p.m. Monday through 3 p.m. Tues
day. The greenhouse ceremony
was done early Tuesday before
guided tours of the trial grounds
were intiated.
Participants, many taking notes
and some photographs, were able
to evaluate for themselves the var
ieties set out under screened areas
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 15, 1998-A33
or in display plots.
They also were able to receive
pesticide applicator continuing
education credits through attend
ing presentations by Gaiy Moor
man, Penn State professor of plant
pathology, who provided an
update on plant diseases; and Ker
ry Hoffman, a pesticide edcualion
specialist (and integrated pest
management specialist) who pro
vided an update on greenhouse
pesticides and regulations.
Field trial organizers were Alan
H. Michael, Penn State multi
eounty horticulture agent based
out of die Dauphin County Exten
sion Office, and Robert Berghagc,
Penn State assistant professor of
horticulture.
Penn State, in cooperation with
the Pennsylvania Flower Growers
and the general industry, has con
ducted the trials for seven years.
According to a list of contribu
tors to the variety trials, commer
cial growers who raised varieties
for this year’s trials were Esben
shade Greenhouse in Lilitz; Green
Leaf Enterprises in Leola and
(Turn to Page A 34)