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Meet NC State’s New Plant Breeder
Meet NC State’s
New Plant Breeder
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Hsuan Chen, Ph.D., joined the Horticulture Science team at North Carolina State University earlier this year to support nursery and landscape plant breeding. Ornamental plants developed by their researchers have contributed nearly $400 million in retail value to the largest crop commodity in the state, according to university statistics.
Chen’s research will help breed new cultivars of drought-tolerant, pest-resistant plants that require fewer inputs, grow faster and perform better in the landscape. He is interested in versatile technologies, including conventional plant breeding, cytogenetics, ploidy manipulation, molecular marker–assisted selection and interspecific hybridization.
“We wanted someone who could go from traditional, old-school plant breeding to employing cutting-edge technology,” said Mark Weathington, JC Raulston Arboretum Director and Search Committee Member. “That’s what Hsuan does well: He can work on the high-tech aspects but also knows how to do the work in the field.”
As a doctoral student at Oregon State University, Chen’s research included breeding tree-form rose-of-Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) hybrids that yielded more robust stems with flowers spanning up to two inches larger than usual. In another project, he discovered the molecular markers that identify which lilac cultivars will rebloom, in an attempt to lengthen their short flowering season.
Chen hopes to visit local nurseries this summer to learn what challenges they face, so he can apply his research to crucial issues in the area. In the meantime, he is busy with two ongoing research projects on redbuds and camellias.
Working alongside NC State’s Dr. Dennis Werner, a longtime redbud researcher, Chen hopes to develop his own unique combinations of traits to improve their characteristics and novel features. Ultimately, he would like to introduce desirable redbud genes to other species.
“We’ve found some interesting traits in redbuds, and if we can find the trait’s gene, eventually we can deploy gene editing on other species,” said Chen. “We won’t have to wait to discover the desired gene in every species we want to breed.”
Redbud trees are native to the area, but Chen would like to use polyploidy manipulation to breed an infertile cultivar. An infertile redbud would be easier to control and would allow growers to sell it in regions where it is considered invasive.
Chen is also working with Dr. Tom Ranney, NC State Plant Breeder, to develop a protocol for creating polyploidy in camellias, which will increase the plant’s performance and vigor. Camellia Forest Nursery, a partner in the project, created some interspecific hybrids with yellow pigment that
Advanced PlantBreeding Techniques: Key Terms to Know
Ploidy: The number of sets of chromosomes in a cell, usually represented by x. In humans, this is written as “2x,” meaning two sets of chromosomes. Polyploidy: A state in which the cells of an organism have more than two sets of chromosomes. Most animals cannot survive with polyploid cells. Plants, on the other hand, not only can often survive polyploidy, but it can even produce positive landscape characteristics such as infertility, vigorous growth, and larger or thicker-textured leaves and flowers. Ploidy manipulation: The
science of manipulating the number of sets of chromosomes in a plant to achieve desired improvements. This can be achieved through various highly technical processes but also can be as simple as crossing a naturally occurring tetraploid (4x) of a species with a diploid (2x) of the same species to create a triploid (3x), which may be sterile. Molecular markers: Specific
genes or segments of DNA that can be identified within an entire genome, at specific locations within that genome, and can be used as identifiers or flags for a particular trait or inheritance. For instance, a marker for reblooming in a specific species of plant, once identified, can be checked for quickly in seedlings, negating the need to grow huge populations of seedlings to flowering-size plants.
Chen wants to introduce to other cultivars, but the hybrid is infertile. Once he develops the right protocol to increase the ploidy, which might rescue the fertility, he can introduce the yellow pigment to other cultivars.
Although developing better-performing cultivars is an important objective of plant breeding, Chen knows it can also help growers and landscapers keep up with consumer trends. Homeowners like seeing new colors in flowering plants, and they want to see them bloom multiple times a year. Introducing new ornamentals to the market helps the local industry evolve so that it can compete economically.
A side project for Chen is to uncover methods for controlling invasive plants in the state. After moving here from Oregon, where wisteria is not considered invasive, he discovered that the fast-growing plant can be destructive in this region. He plans to breed an infertile plant that still blooms but does not spread seed, preventing it from quickly overtaking an area.
While Chen is excited about his new role at NC State, he does not want to work without participation from the industry. He encourages growers to contact him to discuss the challenges they face and how his research can help facilitate solutions.
“I want to know what topics matter to people,” said Chen. “I want my research to have a positive impact to help the green industry.”
How NCNLA Members Met the Challenges of 2020
ver the years, the North Carolina green industry has certainly seen its share of unexpected circumstances — like flooding, hurricanes and drought — but no one could have predicted that last year‘s biggest challenge would be a global pandemic. By late March 2020, green industry businesses were deemed essential and could remain open, despite local and state restrictions that temporarily shuttered other companies. In the face of such adversity, North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association (NCNLA) member businesses persevered, and the year actually turned out to be one of the busiest on record.
To understand how the pandemic affected members, we conducted a survey earlier this year. Although only a small percentage of members replied, there was a recurring sentiment among the responses: Business was booming in 2020.
What processes did you put in place to keep employees and clients safe when the pandemic began?
Provide personal protective gear (masks, etc.) for employees Use signs to promote social distancingamong employees or customers Offer alternative ways of shopping (online, pick-up, delivery) Change work practices to reduce groups of employees Require temperature scans upon entry Hold meetings online with staff or clients
27.78% 47.22% 83.33%
75.00%
36.11%
33.33%
None of the above 2.78%
“Our retail sales and wholesale sales increased,” said Hope Ciferni, Nursery Manager at Five Oaks Nursery. “People had to stay home, so they decided to invest money in their yards.”
Unable to experience much of the outside world in person, consumers sought the help of the green industry to beautify their outdoor spaces and provide a respite from the boredom of being largely stuck at home.
“After a few months of lockdown, we had many people come to the nursery just to walk around. Parks were closed at that time, so we became a kind of field trip,” said Mark Gantt, Plant Protection Manager at Hefner‘s Nursery. “And lots of people bought something while they were here.”
Cultivating New Ways of Doing Business
During 2020, essential businesses could remain open if they followed safety protocols to protect employees and clients. The NCNLA members surveyed said they provided personal protective gear to employees, used signage to promote social distancing and modified work practices to reduce the number of employees working closely together.
Some members took business transactions outside, so they could accommodate client visits without increasing the risk of transmitting the COVID-19 virus.
“We closed the office to customers and moved outside to a pop-up tent,” said Gantt. “We are still using it now, and we may build a covered deck to replace the tent permanently.”
According to Ciferni, Five Oaks Nursery also closed their office, creating a checkout window for retail and an outdoor checkout tent for wholesale. Going forward, she said, they may not reopen the office to foot traffic.
Members also turned to technology to transform how they worked. From adding e-commerce to their websites for online ordering, to communicating with clients via telephone instead of in person, members adapted their usual work styles to help ensure that their employees and customers could continue to do business safely.
Mark Tamn, CEO and Founder of Freedom Lawns USA, said his franchise owners began using the company‘s mobile app to communicate with clients, provide service alerts and process payments. They also used the app to receive photos from customers to diagnose lawn and plant issues without having to visit their homes.
“The app was available, but no one had really taken advantage of it before COVID-19,” said Tamn. “The pandemic helped us realize the benefits of being able to communicate with clients and disseminate useful information without social contact.”
The onset of the pandemic gave Carolina Native Nursery the push they needed to launch an e-commerce site for their wholesale buyers, according to President Bill Jones.
“We upgraded our whole website at the beginning of 2020, with the intent of being ready to launch online ordering when the time was right,” said Jones. “After the initial shutdown in March, we decided to set it in motion.”
While the e-commerce project was not completed until fall 2020, Jones is happy to have made the transition. Wholesalers now can view inventory and make purchases any time of the day and from any location, opening new avenues for doing business.
Big Demand, Big Shortages
Although last year‘s increase in demand for plant and services was a win for the industry, the rush of business did impact the 2021 supply chain, resulting in shortages and delays.
Tony Evans, District Sales Manager at Wyatt Quarles, a supply wholesaler, said delays began in February 2021. For instance, while the turnaround for supplies like nursery containers is typically three weeks, such orders were projected to arrive in three months.
Manufacturers are also behind on production due to closures early in 2020. When they reopened with social distancing protocols in place, fewer employees returned to work, which reduced productivity and resulted in fewer goods.
“In some cases, the products were just floating offshore on a container ship,” said Evans. “If someone on the ship had COVID-19 and needed to quarantine, the ship couldn‘t dock, so product deliveries were delayed.”
Dana Massey, President of Plantworks Nursery, was disappointed to see some of her vendors canceling or shorting supply orders early in 2021. Although some manufacturers have offered product substitutions, not having the code for a new item in their computer system, for instance, can present logistical problems in day-to-day operations.
“One of the hardest things for us is to know our customer‘s needs for large quantities of things a season in advance, so we can plan accordingly,” said Massey. “The increased demand, combined with lower supply, will continue to cause these hardships until the supply can catch up.”
Jeff Allegood, General Manager of Old Courthouse Nursery, had gaps in plant production due to the increased demand, even though they have kept production at the same level, or even higher than normal.
“The ripple effects of getting behind on production will be felt throughout the rest of the year and beyond,” said Allegood. “We have taken orders from existing and new customers for as far out as spring 2022.”
He added that factories can increase staffing levels or work overtime to catch up after delays, but plants grow at
their own speed and can only increase in size over time.
Shortages, delays and higher prices are going to continue to affect businesses across the industry. While there isn‘t an easy solution to the problem, wholesale clients and customers are encouraged to order materials early, be flexible with what is available and expect higher costs.
Anticipating a Return to Normal
If COVID-19 cases continue to trend downward and vaccination rates increase, a return to a new type of “normal” may occur by the end of 2021. Members are looking forward to seeing restrictions ease.
“During the shutdowns, there were fewer options to build in-person relationships with new and existing clients,” said Leslie Herndon, President of Greenscape, Inc., and NCNLA Board President. “Zoom definitely did not replace that experience, and we can‘t wait for the opportunity to meet people in person again.”
Planning is underway to hold NCNLA‘s annual event, Green & Growin‘, in person next year. Last year‘s cancellation of the Marketplace was the first time in the event‘s history that members were not able to see each other face to face to kick off the new year and impending spring season.
“We are eager to return to Greensboro next January to reconnect after an unusual year,” said Herndon. “Green & Growin‘ has been a staple in the industry for decades because it gives people a chance to meet with friends and cultivate new relationships with colleagues. We will have a lot of catching up to do after a year like 2020!”
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