Improving the Initial Landscape Performance of Container-Grown Plants
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abstract
In the field of nursery or greenhouse crops and landscape plant selection we spend a large proportion of our time and resources focusing on the production process with the endpoint of a saleable production (production oriented approach). With other crops much of the emphasis has become focused on the ultimate appeal and performance of products or practices for the end consumer (post-harvest approach). For instance, most research into the effects of growth regulators, fertilizers, alternative substrates, pruning, etc. have ended with the achievement of a margetable size or quality of landscape plant in the greenhouse or nursery, ignoring the impacts of these production or establishment practices on the plants' post-transplant qualities (landscape establishment resource requirments and viability), Plant selection and breeding programs in the past focused on ornamental traits, often selecting from exotic (non-native) species, while the industry is now facign issues concerning ivasive species, water or other resource use requirements, and green footprints which may rival a plant's ornamental traits in terms of landscape desirability and market appeal. With so many factors that can influence transplant establishment and early performance in built urban and suburban environments it is necessary to begin to investigate the factors in a few key areas, preferably those in which practices of relatively few individuals and/or a few key steps in the process can affect the largest number of plants being established in commercial and home landscapes (built environments). This project will investigat ways to improve the post-production landscape establishmnet of container-grown plants by concentrating on 1) alternations in the container production process, which will potentially impact large numbers of transplanted plants, 2) key transplant establishment practices that whill have major impacts on initial plant survival, efficiency of input resource requirements, plant survival, and aesthetic qualities, and 3) evaluation and development of genotypes that will be adapted to specific challenges associated with establishment of plants in the changing climates of our regional built environments.
