Connecting Critical Horticulture Research to Those Who Need It
June 2, 2020 
AmericanHort’s Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) has launched a new web-based series that will feature key horticulture research findings designed to help greenhouse businesses grow. The series, called tHRIve, will cover research that is directly funded by HRI, as well as federally funded research.
“HRI was created to improve the horticultural community through research that addresses critical issues and new innovations,” says HRI President Gary Knosher. “HRI trustees recognize that research is critical to help our industry succeed and grow, and sharing new findings is part of that equation. I’m excited to be part of this focus of using videos not only to share new research, but also to engage our community in another way.”
HRI supports research and outreach efforts that prepare the horticulture industry for challenges and opportunities for business success. Connecting the industry to the research is a key component in that endeavor. New tHRIve sessions will be posted throughout the year, with all content available online at HRIresearch.org. The tHRIve sessions will offer everything from bite-sized research clips to researcher interviews to short webinars to live Q&A with researchers.
The first tHRIve content (available now) includes a set of videos focusing on research supported through the Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative (FNRI) program administered by USDA-ARS. FNRI is a noncompetitive, national grants program that greatly benefits environmental horticulture. FNRI plays a critical role in generating scientific research on high priority issues that affect all segments of the floriculture and nursery industry, including postharvest technology, water quality, and pest management.
The set focuses on the FNRI “Resilient Plant Group,” including Dr. John Erwin, University of Maryland; Dr. Jim Faust, Clemson University; Dr. Paul Fisher and Dr. Celina Gomez, University of Florida; Dr. Charlie Hall, Texas A&M; as well as Dr. Roberto Lopez and Dr. Erik Runkle, Michigan State University. This group collaborates to benefit greenhouse production through practical, applied research in areas such as energy inputs, water use optimization, resource efficiencies, economic efficiencies, and lighting. The pre-recorded webinars are available online, and will be followed by a live Q&A webinar with these researchers open to all on June 4 at 11:30 am E T.
An additional set of videos will follow later in June and highlight research directly funded by HRI through bite-sized clips of researchers discussing their key objectives and benefits to the industry. Dr. Jim Owen, USDA-ARS along with collaborators Dr. James Altland, USDA-ARS and Dr. Jeb Fields, Louisiana State University, detail their studies on the impacts of stratified media on crop stress and production in the first release. Dr. Krishna Nemali, Purdue University, will introduce his concept of developing a smartphone app to measure nitrogen status in crops in the second release.
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