HortScience publishes horticultural information of interest to a broad array of horticulturists. Its goals are to apprise horticultural scientists and others interested in horticulture of scientific and industry developments and of significant research, education, or extension findings or methods.
Drip irrigation rates tested for eggplant growth and yield
In the southeastern United States, eggplant is often produced with high levels of irrigation water and nitrogen fertilizer. Excessive irrigation rate not only wastes water and contributes to nitrogen leaching, and may also ...
New non-destructive device measures root growth in smaller plants
Researchers from North Carolina State University's Department of Horticultural Science recently introduced a new apparatus called the "mini-Horhizotron", a device used to non-destructively measure treatment and substrate ...
How UFOs can improve sweet cherry production
Sweet cherry growers must address many challenges to producing marketable crops, including high labor costs, pests, diseases, rain-induced cracking, and bird damage. The authors of a new study (HortScience, August 2016) say ...
Nitrogen in reclaimed water can benefit turfgrass
As competition for fresh water increases and fertilizer prices rise, the horticulture industry is looking to reclaimed wastewater as a valuable resource for supplying irrigation and necessary nutrients for urban landscapes. ...
A striking new crape myrtle for Florida's gardens and landscapes
A striking type of pink crape myrtle could soon be gracing lawns and gardens in southern Florida because of a chance discovery by Agricultural Research Service scientists.
Compost establishes growing media pH similar to limestone
As concerns increase about the environmental impacts of harvesting peat and the rising costs of peatmoss used as a growing substrate, researchers are seeking feasible alternatives. Compost can be used as a replacement for ...
Cultivation technologies benefit ultradwarf bermudagrass
Researchers at Mississippi State University say turfgrass professionals could benefit from more research on how new or alternative technologies compare with traditional methods for growing and maintaining ultradwarf bermudagrass ...
Optimizing fertilizer rates for wild blueberry
The authors of a study in HortScience (September 2106) say that wild blueberry nutrient management varies considerably compared with typical tilled crop systems. According to the study, there is a "tremendous amount of uncertainty" ...
Restoring the American chestnut
The American chestnut was once a mainstay in hardwood forests as far north as Maine and as far south as Georgia and Mississippi. A massive chestnut blight in the early part of the 20th century ended the mighty chestnut's ...
Handheld, mobile data technologies compared for turfgrass
Performance testing of natural turfgrass sports fields requires sampling to obtain information on surface properties (e.g., soil moisture, soil compaction, surface hardness, and turfgrass vigor). A study in the September ...