Making a Difference Commercial Horticulture 2016 Outcomes and Impacts

C R O P P R O D U C T I O N

►The Commercial Horticulture Program provides research-based information to nurseries, landscape companies, and fruit and vegetable growers with conventional or organic production systems through regional meetings, advanced workshops, webinars, exhibitions, and field events. The program emphasizes environmental stewardship, best management practices, and economic viability of communities across Alabama.

Sustainable Horticultural Crop Production Reactive Programs

Goal: Provide research-based answers to production-related issues in commercial horticulture. Provide reactive programs in the form of websites, emails, and phone calls in response to queries; develop new publications and edit annual crop production guides; provide on-site and off-site direct consultation to farmers and crop advisers for critical issues; develop promotional material to increase consumer awareness.

Outputs: Regional Extension agents, Extension specialists, and Extension coordinators answer more than 8,000 phone calls and 19,000 emails and make 400-plus field visits annually to support the rapidly growing commercial horticulture industry. Field agents and specialists produce more than 45 public service announcements and email alerts to producers and gardeners. The Alabama IPM Communicator newsletter releases 15 pest alerts and crop production updates annually to 2,440 subscribers (36,000 emails). The Commercial Horticulture Team has also completed several collaborative projects with Extension teams in other states including Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The efforts resulted in cross programming, shared experiences, and several joint publications popular with producers.

Statewide Annual Impact Estimate: More than $18 million in direct programing by REAs. The fruit, vegetable, and tree nut production in Alabama is valued at $161 million with value addition of $103 million. The demand for local foods is at an all-time high. The commercial horticulture industry supports more than 1,100 jobs and is one of the fastest growing industries in the state with rapid urbanization of many counties.

Beginning Farmer/Small Farm IPM ProjectProject Leader: Ayanava Majumdar

Background: Funded by the USDA Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development (BFRDP), and Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) programs, this project provides hands-on training and grassroots networking opportunities to beginning farmers, with special emphasis on underserved communities and military veterans interested in agriculture.

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2 Alabama Cooperative Extension System Commercial Horticulture: 2016 Outcomes and Impacts 3

Collaborators: Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network, Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, Farmscape Solutions, Crotovina, Inc.

Number of Participants: 933

Audience Diversity: 88 percent white, 10 percent African American, 2 percent other

Evaluation Techniques: Direct on-farm case studies, event surveys, pre- and post-tests, IPM newsletter e-survey

Adoption Rate for Recommendation Among Producers: 90 percent for direct consultation

Conservative Direct Impact Estimate: $1.8 million per year

Return on Investment to the State and Alabama Extension: 36:1

Key Project Resources: Southeast Vegetable Crop Production Handbook, High Tunnel Crop Production Handbook/iBook, Alternative Vegetable IPM Slide Chart, Plant and Pest Diagnostic Centers at Auburn University and in Birmingham.

Conventional Vegetable IPM ProjectProject leader: Ayanava Majumdar

Background: This project supports all producers using conventional production systems and improving the sustainability of production practices. Special emphasis is provided on intensive crop scouting and pest identification, use of selective insecticides, incorporation of pest prevention practices, and reduction of insecticide resistance/pest resurgence in the long run.

Collaborators: Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association

Number of Participants: 1,133

Audience Diversity: 63 percent white, 33 percent African American, 4 percent other

Evaluation Techniques: Event surveys, case studies for on-farm assistance, IPM newsletter e-survey

Adoption Rate for Recommendation Among Producers: 70 percent

Conservative Direct Impact Estimate: $4.9 million per year

Return on Investment to the State and Alabama Extension: 59:1

Return on Investment to USDA-NIFA Grants: 107:1

Key Project Resource: Alabama Vegetable IPM Project website

Produce Market Demands and Food SafetyProject Leader: Kristin Woods

Background: Market demands and regulatory requirements for food safety training are significant challenges facing Alabama produce growers. The Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule (FSMA PSR) went into effect in January 2016. This law requires that a representative from each farm attend a Produce

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Safety Alliance (PSA) or equivalent training course. The PSA training held in Montgomery, Alabama, included 52 attendees who are now PSA trainers and able to conduct training for growers. Alabama trainers attending included representatives from Auburn University, Alabama A&M University, Tuskegee University, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, industry groups, nonprofit groups, and tribal nations. The volume of trainers now available will ensure that Alabama growers are able to maintain competitiveness in the market and meet the FSMA PSR requirements.

Impact Estimate: This is a new, multiteam educational activity that benefits whole farms. The number of farms with produce safety compliance is on the rise.

Key Project Resource: Produce Safety Alliance Curriculum

Best Management Practices: Impact on Peach ProducersProject Leaders: Gary Gray, Edgar Vinson, Elina Coneva

Background: This program promotes best management practices within commercial horticulture industries, concentrating on optimization of proper cultivar selection to enhance economic, environmental, and community sustainability.

Collaborators: Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association

Audience Diversity: 90 percent white, 7 percent African American, 3 percent other

Evaluation Techniques: Event survey

Adoption Rate for Recommendation Among Producers: 61 percent

Impact Estimate (Regional): $3.8 million

Return on Investment to the state: 67:1

Key Project Resource: Southeastern Peach and Southeastern IPM guides

For commercial horticulture personnel and program listings, refer to EX-0162, “Commercial Horticulture: Programs and People.”

Ayanava Majumdar, PPT Coordinator

www.aces.edu

For more information, contact your county Extension office. Visit www.aces.edu/directory.

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Everyone is welcome!

Revised November 2017, ANR-2185

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