In a perfect world, growers would have the funds, room, equipment and time to test the newest pesticides and biological controls while identifying every bug that lands on their crops. With the help of a new $50,000 greenhouse, members of the Northeast Texas Nursery Growers Association (NTNGA) can now do just that.

The new greenhouse, built on the grounds of the Texas Agrilife Research and Extension Center in Overton, Tex., will be used to conduct research on integrated pest management techniques. Researchers are expected to investigate, for instance, how the use of chemical pesticides can be reduced by correct timing of applications, pest identification and biological controls.

"Everyone is really excited," says Jade Hopson, owner of Circle G Nursery in Grand Saline and president of the NTNGA.  "It gives [Agrilife Extension researchers] a space where they can conduct their own experiments. It gives them a place where they can find solutions for us."

Association members in four counties will benefit directly from the greenhouse, but experts say the high-tech facility could help the overall economy in Texas. The greenhouse and nursery industry rank third in terms of cash receipts (about $300 million) in Texas agriculture, behind cattle and cotton.

"In 2007, the Northeast Texas greenhouse and nursery growers were responsible for about three quarters of a billion dollars of cash receipts for their industry," Scott Ludwig, AgriLife Extension entomologist and integrated pest management specialist, said in a press release. "This amounts to about 40 percent of the state's total greenhouse and nursery output."

The NTNGA funded the greenhouse through the Northeast Texas Nursery Growers Association Memorial Fund, and many relatives of deceased members attended the July 10 dedication.

"It's a really cool way to remember our friends and everything they gave to the industry," Hopson says. "At the same time, it's benefiting us."

Read more about the facility's dedication and its research plans.

--Kori Kamradt
kkamradt@safnow.org

 

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