Photos Courtesy of Rebecca Sloan
Gathered at the dinner table, a family is celebrating their recent graduate of Texas A&M University. They opened a bottle of wine to continue their celebration throughout dinner and paid some attention to the pairing the wine had with the food. Grape and wine quality can be traced back to vineyard practices, says Justin Scheiner, Ph.D., assistant professor and extension viticulture specialist at Texas A&M. Scheiner notes those practices come straight from the textbook with citations that can sometimes represent 10 years of research or an entire career.
Researchers in the horticulture department at Texas A&M want to solve problems and help people. All of the research relates to things that grow, whether it is growing crops for food that’s nutritious and delicious, so people want to eat it, or creating beauty in the world, but not at a costly expense. These research efforts also relate to people who want to attempt to be home gardeners for a low-impact food supply close to home. Researchers are looking for ways to provide all of this and more to people.
Many of the researchers have a focus on creating produce that is more nutritious and flavorful so more consumers will want to buy it says Kevin Crosby, Ph.D., professor and plant breeding/genetics specialist.
“By making the vegetables more nutritious, which shows they have more antioxidants, they have more cancer-fighting compounds; they have more vitamin C and things like that. People will get that health benefit,” says Crosby.
Variety is important in the peach studies conducted by David Byrne, Ph.D., professor and Basye Endowed Chair. He says his personal goal was to get his varieties produced commercially.
“When I started 30 years ago, we had one or two varieties available,” says Byrne. “I have since released 20-some varieties and there are another 10 to go.”
Byrne says it is only now that efforts to get them out to the growers are being made. He stressed that growers are always slow to accept new varieties.
“Variety is the spice of life,” says Andrew King, Ph.D., lecturer and nursery/ornamentals specialist. “That is what my research motto is, which is, I would like for the people to know after I am finished that I brought a lot of plant material to the table.”
Having a wide variety of plant genotypes is what King says helps make resilient, sustainable, and beautiful plants last.
“We enjoy creating beautiful things like gardens, and we enjoy creating wonderful things like wine, and we enjoy creating the beautiful floral arrangements for weddings and funerals,” says Dan Lineberger, Ph.D., professor and head of the department of Horticultural Sciences.
Lineberger says he wants for the beauty of horticulture to go home with consumers. He adds that part of the research done helps develop varieties of plants that are easier for consumers to grow so this may be achieved.
Byrne says his research is fully focused on the consumer since it is done with garden roses.
“We are trying to get a variety that works for sustainable landscapes,” says Byrne. “Ones that are easy to maintain. That’s why the emphasis is on adaptation to get things that are resistant to the common diseases, so you don’t have to spray them. They look good.”
According to Lineberger, having varieties in plants ends up making a more sustainable product. He adds that the horticulture department is similar in that way.
“The first thing you need to know about the horticulture department [is] the faculty that we have is very diverse,” says Lineberger. “I think the diversity is very important in achieving our goals.”
According to the horticulture department’s website, one of the many goals the department has is to deliver research-based knowledge about the ways horticulture improves the environment. Tim Davis, Ph.D., professor and senior scientist for the Borlaug Institute of International Agriculture, says he agrees with this in his personal goals.
“My personal goal is probably mostly to give back,” says Davis. “I have been very fortunate in my career to have the opportunity to do a lot of research that’s been interesting to me. But now I would like to help others be able to accomplish that.”
Davis says he knows horticulture is not part of most people’s daily vocabulary and therefore they might not completely understand the term.
“I’m not so concerned about the definition, but I’d like people to know the impact horticulture has globally,” says Davis.
Plants are just a daily backdrop to people says Charlie Hall, Ph.D., professor and Ellison Endowed Chair.
“They are not the main actors, but plants offer a tremendous number of economic, environmental, and ecosystem services benefits and health and well-being benefits,” says Hall.
According to Hall, in order for full success to exist for the department’s breakthroughs, it is important for everybody to be able to understand what was found.
“It’s not just doing the research but being able to convey the findings from that research in a manner so that people without a Ph.D. get it,” says Hall.
Scheiner says the importance of the relationship people have with horticulture is growing.
“The general public’s interest in where their food comes from and how to grow their own food will lead more people to be more interested in horticulture,” says Scheiner.
According to Lineberger, he wants to make sure that his department does whatever it can to improve the lives of others with their research.
“Horticulture is the part of agriculture that is targeted for the people,” says Lineberger. “We need to always make the public aware of the good things we do. Information that is generated by our extension specialists and researchers will be made instantly available to everyone.”
