Horticultural Field Research Articles

Historical and Legal Aspects of the Use of Land Plots for Horticulture

The article focuses on the peculiarities of legislative support for the establishment and development of land plots for horticulture within a historical context. Given that the current legal regulation of land use in the field of horticulture significantly differs from that which existed before the start of land reform in Ukraine, the article analyses the normative-legal framework that has laid the groundwork for the initiation of this type of land use. As a result of the analysis, the role of gardening and viticulture societies is characterized, which were users of land for collective gardening and viticulture even during Soviet times. Attention is drawn to the fact that the Land Code of the Ukrainian SSR of 1970 enshrined only the collective organizational and legal form of gardening (viticulture) and contained provisions according to which the lands occupied by collective gardens are in permanent use by gardening (viticulture) societies.Land plots were allocated to them from reserve lands, the state forest fund, and vacant lands within populated areas. Membership in the society was limited to citizens who did not own private plots or gardens. The activities of each society as a legal entity were regulated by the society’s charter, which was registered in accordance with established procedures. On the land plots designated for collective gardening (viticulture), members of the society were to establish orchards and vineyards on a collective basis and carry out the construction of summer­type garden buildings. Special attention in the article is given to the analysis of social relations that are formed in the field of gardening, which have undergone significant changes due to the initiation of land reform, as well as the adoption of the Land Code of the Ukrainian SSR in 1990 and its new edition in 1992. The article also analyzes the provisions of the current Land Code of Ukraine that regulate the mechanism for transferring land of general use into private ownership of legal entities of gardening societies. It examines, in a comparative aspect, the legal regime of land of general use and other categories of land in Ukraine.

Electrical resistivity tomography: A reliable tool to monitor the efficiency of different irrigation systems in horticulture field

Water management in agricultural systems is essential for optimal crop yields without incurring excessive water costs and wastage. The choice of irrigation method is crucial for better water management and distribution. The drip system appears to be among the best methods in the field of precision agriculture. In addition to the irrigation system, mulching with ridge plastic film to drain excess water is widely used to increase crop yields in terms of plant water availability. In this study, the time-lapse Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), a not-invasive geophysical technique, is proposed as a simple and reliable method to evaluate the effectiveness of the irrigation systems and to monitor the changes in water content over time and over a volume of soil. ERTs data were compared to moisture ones retrieved from sensors that record continuously over time, but punctually. The ERT investigations were conducted in melon-growing lands in southern Tuscany (Italy). Measurements were carried out on two different fields in two periods: spring and summer. The aim of the work was to evaluate, by means of volumetric measures of the soil conductivity, the effectiveness of three different drip systems and of the mulch ridge. In both the monitored fields the ridge was created in a half portion of the field itself, while the other part of the land was left plat. Geoelectrical investigations associated with humidity sensors have shown that in the summer a too high mulch ridge quickly drains the irrigation water, bringing the root zone into a water deficit. The ERTs also provided good results relating to the irrigation system, demonstrating that a three-lines drip irrigation system, compared to a two-lines one, manages to distribute the irrigation water homogeneously, guaranteeing a constant water content for the plants over time.

Integrative analysis of transcriptome and metabolome provides insights into the mechanisms of leaf variegation in Heliopsis helianthoides

BackgroundIn the field of ornamental horticulture, phenotypic mutations, particularly in leaf color, are of great interest due to their potential in developing new plant varieties. The introduction of variegated leaf traits in plants like Heliopsis helianthoides, a perennial herbaceous species with ecological adaptability, provides a rich resource for molecular breeding and research on pigment metabolism and photosynthesis. We aimed to explore the mechanism of leaf variegation of Heliopsis helianthoides (using HY2021F1-0915 variegated mutant named HY, and green-leaf control check named CK in 2020 April, May and June) by analyzing the transcriptome and metabolome.ResultsLeaf color and physiological parameters were found to be significantly different between HY and CK types. Chlorophyll content of HY was lower than that of CK samples. Combined with the result of Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA), 26 consistently downregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened in HY compared to CK subtypes. Among the DEGs, 9 genes were verified to be downregulated in HY than CK by qRT-PCR. The reduction of chlorophyll content in HY might be due to the downregulation of FSD2. Low expression level of PFE2, annotated as ferritin-4, might also contribute to the interveinal chlorosis of HY. Based on metabolome data, differential metabolites (DEMs) between HY and CK samples were significantly enriched on ABC transporters in three months. By integrating DEGs and DEMs, they were enriched on carotenoids pathway. Downregulation of four carotenoid pigments might be one of the reasons for HY’s light color.ConclusionFSD2 and PFE2 (ferritin-4) were identified as key genes which likely contribute to the reduced chlorophyll content and interveinal chlorosis observed in HY. The differential metabolites were significantly enriched in ABC transporters. Carotenoid biosynthesis pathway was highlighted with decreased pigments in HY individuals. These findings not only enhance our understanding of leaf variegation mechanisms but also offer valuable insights for future plant breeding strategies aimed at preserving and enhancing variegated-leaf traits in ornamental plants.

Multidecadal Ethnoarchaeological Comparisons of Livelihoods and Wild Meat Availability and Consumption in a Central African Rainforest Foraging and Farming Community

We repurpose multidecadal ethnoarchaeological investigations of human hunting, prey availability, and socioeconomics in a rural Central African Republic village in the service of human ecology. Focusing on forest foragers in the village of Grima, initial 1999–2005 (Old Grima) data collection included documentation of hunting technology and offtakes, identification of wild meat bone assemblages, inventories of household material goods, and measurements of horticultural fields. Similar datasets were collected in 2021–2022 (New Grima) and longitudinal comparisons of prey remains and material wealth detected many significant differences. Old Grima house middens contained larger numbers of bones representing an array of wild meat taxa and inventories recorded diverse and abundant collections of material goods. The New Grima comparative data showed a reduction in the consumption of wild meat, increases in guns and especially metal cable snares, and marked declines in local wild meat (notably duiker) populations and forager material wealth paired with increases in debt. In 2022 the New Grima inhabitants were actively pursuing escargot for food and income and house middens were dominated by tortoise remains. All the data point to resource depression from overhunting and a community in jeopardy. The comparisons are also important because they include the transition from traditional nets and spears to more efficient metal cable snares and guns and provide information on the effects of hunting technology. The complexities of evaluating ecological perturbations and sustainability require multidisciplinary datasets and we propose ethnoarchaeology as a valuable tool to help identify subtleties in human food webs and biodiversity loss.

Prevalence of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes in Horticultural Fields of Assam Agricultural University: Jorhat Campus, India

A random survey of the horticultural crops was conducted to assess the nematode community structure in the Experimental field of Department of Horticulture, AAU, Jorhat during Rabi and Kharif season, 2022-2023. Soil and root samples, representing 200 locations were examined. Analysis of 200 soil and root samples collected from the root rhizosphere of different vegetable, fruit and ornamental crops showed the presence of root-knot nematode(Meloidogyne incognita), reniform nematode (Rotylenchulus reniformis), root-lesion nematode (Pratylenchus spp.), lance nematode (Hoplolaimus spp.), spiral nematode (Helicotylenchus spp.), stunt nematode (Tylenchorhynchus spp.) along with Criconema spp., Xiphinema spp, Longidorus spp., free-living nematodes, mycophagous nematodes and predatory nematodes. Among all the isolated plant-parasitic nematodes, root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) was found to be more abundant with prominence value of 136.7, 81.3 and 76.3 in vegetable crops, fruit crops and ornamental crops, followed by Helicotylenchus spp. and Rotylenchulus reniformis. The prominence value of reniform nematode (Rotylenchulus reniformis) was found to be 90.5, 54.1 and 54.1 in vegetable crops, fruit crops and ornamental plants respectively.

Hydrogel Nanocomposite Based Slow-Release Urea Fertilizer: Formulation, Structure, and Release Behavior

To enhance the nitrogen utilization efficiency of fertilizers, we developed a novel slow-release fertilizer hydrogel through free radical polymerization, incorporating lignin-containing cellulose nanofiber (LCNF), clinoptilolite (CL), urea, and acrylic acid (AA)-co-acrylamide (AAm) polymer. Various analytical techniques were utilized to examine the structure, swelling, and release behaviors of the fabricated hydrogels with varying LCNF concentrations. The results indicated that the addition of 10% LCNF led to a decrease in water absorption from 72.44 g g−1 to 24.04 g g−1. However, re-swelling was significantly enhanced, with a reduction in re-swelling capacity loss from 32.91% to 23.52%. Concurrently, water retention capacity notably increased from 18.03% to 39.20%. The hydrogel containing 10% LCNF exhibited a slower urea release over 30 days. The kinetic studies revealed that the swelling and urea release behaviors align well with the second-order kinetics model and the Peppas-Sahlin model, respectively. In summary, the developed LCNF/CL/(AA-co-AAm)/urea hydrogel nanocomposites present a novel strategy for the future production and utilization of slow-release fertilizers in agricultural and horticultural fields.

Assessing the efficiency of the irrigation system in a horticulture field through time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography

AbstractThe characterization by means of geophysical techniques of agricultural soils subjected to continuous irrigation cycles makes it possible to study the heterogeneity of a soil and the preferential pathways of water flows without disturbing soil and plants. A better knowledge of soil heterogeneity enables optimal water resource management in terms of crop, yield, and sustainability. In this study, time-lapse monitoring using electrical resistivity tomographies (ERT) is proposed as a reliable and non-invasive technique to quantify the movement of water flows and thus the variation of soil water content during the irrigation process. ERT surveys have been conducted in melon-growing soils in southern Tuscany (Italy). Five survey campaigns have been carried out between June and August 2022, in which ERT data have been collected by taking measurements before (T0), during (T1), and after (T2) the irrigation phase. The interpretation of the ERT results provided information on the spatial and temporal distribution of water fluxes in the soil and root zone of melons during the irrigation phases. The investigation made it possible to identify the preferential pathways of infiltration of irrigation water, the points where water is absorbed by the roots, and the points where water follows a preferential pathway instead distributing itself entirely below the root growth zone. Thus, this research suggests that the ERT technique can be used to evaluate the efficiency of the irrigation system in order to achieve optimal management of the water resource, avoiding preferential flow paths that lead to less water availability for the plant.

Role of gamma-irradiated sodium alginate on growth, physiological and active components of iceberg lettuce (Lactuca sativa) plant

BackgroundOne of the most widely recognized biostimulators of plant development; is oligoalginate, which regulates the biological processes of plants and was used in horticultural fields as a plant growth regulator. The plan of the current research was to study, however, the foliar application of un-irradiated and irradiated Na-alginate (UISA and ISA) to improve the growth, physiological activity, and other active components of the Egyptian iceberg lettuce plant. Degraded Na-alginate is equipped with exposure of sodium alginate in its solid state to gamma-rays at different dose levels (0.0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 kGy). The characterization of the oligo-alginates achieved by γ-radiation deprivation at different dose levels was performed by FTIR, XRD, TGA, SEM, and TEM. Different concentrations of irradiated sodium alginate at dose levels of 100 kGy (200, 400, 600, and 800 ppm, as well as deionized water used as a control) were sprayed with a hand sprayer every week after transplanting the iceberg lettuce seedlings in the field until the harvest stage. Morphological traits were evaluated, as well as pigments, ascorbic acid, phenols, flavonoids, soluble proteins, and antioxidant activity.ResultsIrradiated Na-alginate resulted in the depolymerization of Na-alginate into small molecular-weight oligosaccharides, and the best dose to use was 100 kGy. Certain chemical modifications in the general structure were observed by FTIR analysis. Two absorbed bands at 3329 cm−1 and 1599 cm−1, were recognized that are assigned to O–H and C-O stretching, respectively, and peaks achieved at 1411 cm−1 represent the COO-stretching group connected to the sodium ion. The peak obtained at 1028 cm−1 was owing to the stretching vibration of C-O. The results of TGA provided that the minimum weight reminder was in the ISA at 100 kGy (28.12%) compared to the UISA (43.39%). The images of TEM pointed out that the Na-alginate was globular in shape, with the particle distribution between 12.8 and 21.7 nm in ISA at 100 kGy. Irradiated sodium alginate caused a noteworthy enhancement in the vegetative growth traits (leaf area, stem length, head weight, and leaf number). By spraying 400 ppm, ISA showed a maximum increase in total pigments (2.209 mg/g FW), ascorbic acid (3.13 mg/g fresh weight), phenols (1.399 mg/g FW), flavonoids (0.775 mg/g FW), and antioxidant activities (82.14. %). Also, there were correlation coefficients (R values) between leaf area, stem length, head weight, and leaf number values with total pigment content, antioxidant activity, total soluble proteins, and ascorbic acid.ConclusionsThe outcomes of the recent investigation demonstrated that the application of spraying irradiated Na-alginate (100 kGy) resulted in an improvement of the considered characters.

Residential Rooftop Urban Agriculture: Architectural Design Recommendations

It is evident that, due to population growth, future urbanization and urban growth are inevitable. It is estimated that the food supply demand of future urban centers will grow, which will place an additional burden on the agriculture sector to produce more food. It is projected that securing the food supply chain for future urban centers will be a challenge. Urban agriculture can be regarded as a remedy for possible future challenges that the global food system will face. It might be able to reduce the future burden on the agriculture sector. This research proposes that urban rooftop agriculture, as a subset of urban agriculture, can produce local fresh food in dense urban environments. The principal aim of this research is to suggest a series of design recommendations for architects interested in designing residential buildings capable of rooftop food production. This research attempts to highlight the specific design recommendations and the principal limitations regarding designing residential rooftop farms. To extract the data for developing the proposed design recommendations and limitations, a review of the literature within the fields of urban agriculture, building-integrated agriculture, and horticulture was conducted. Based on the literature review results, this research suggests that the following three types of farming methods can be developed on residential rooftops: (1) open-air rooftop food production, (2) “low-tech” rooftop greenhouses, and (3) “high-tech” rooftop greenhouses. In addition, factors that can be considered principal limitations are suggested. In sum, this research proposes that current and future residential buildings can be designed so that their rooftops are utilized as farms. In this way, such buildings can contribute to delivering local fresh food to current and future metropolitan dwellers.

Advancements in Genetic Engineering for Enhanced Traits in Horticulture Crops: A Comprehensive Review

Genetic engineering has emerged as a powerful tool in the field of horticulture to enhance the traits of crops, leading to improved yield, quality, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. This comprehensive review explores the recent advancements in genetic engineering techniques applied to horticulture crops, providing a detailed overview of the innovative strategies employed to manipulate plant genomes. The review begins by discussing the evolution of genetic engineering in horticulture, highlighting key milestones and breakthroughs that have paved the way for current advancements. It covers a range of techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9, RNA interference, and synthetic biology, shedding light on their applications in modifying specific genes responsible for desired traits. The main focus of the review is on the enhancement of key horticultural traits, including disease resistance, pest resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, and post-harvest attributes. Examples from various horticultural crops, such as fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants, illustrate the success stories and potential applications of genetic engineering in each category. The ethical and regulatory aspects of genetic engineering in horticulture are also explored, addressing concerns related to environmental impact, biodiversity, and consumer acceptance. The review emphasizes the importance of responsible and sustainable practices in the application of genetic engineering to ensure the long-term benefits without adverse consequences. Furthermore, the review delves into emerging trends and future prospects in the field, including the potential of genome editing for precision breeding, the use of omics technologies for targeted trait improvements, and the integration of genetic engineering with other breeding techniques. It also discusses the challenges and opportunities associated with the global adoption of genetically modified horticulture crops.

Fertigation frequency is a useful tool for nitrate management in intensive open-field agriculture

The main source of nitrogen for most cultivated plants is nitrate. Agriculture has overused this nutrient, resulting in serious environmental problems in various parts of the world. The common practice in open intensive horticultural fields with clay-loam soils with a high water retention capacity (e.g., high percentage of clay) is to irrigate two to four times per week. Technically and logistically, this is much easier than one or more irrigation events per day. However, the loss of nutrients and water below the root zone may occur, with the consequent loss of efficiency. In this work, two cultivation cycles in an open-field endive crop were carried out under plastic soil mulching. We compared three fertigation strategies based on different frequencies of fertigation events; low fertigation frequency (LF, two to three fertigation events per week that simulates common farmer practice), medium fertigation frequency (MF, one fertigation event per day), and high fertigation frequency (HF, three fertigation events per day). The three fertigation strategies applied equal water and fertilizers doses per week. The high fertigation frequency increased volumetric water content in the upper soil profile, while the low fertigation frequency in the lower soil profile. The results demonstrated that HF fertigation increases shoot fresh weight (harvest yield) by increasing shoot water content, but did not improve shoot nutrient uptake or nitrogen nutritional status. The important finding, from the environment point of view, is that high and medium fertigation frequencies decreased nitrate concentration in the root influence zone, where it may be prone to leaching due to heavy rain events.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LEVEL OF HIGHLAND HORTICULTURAL FARMERS' COMPLIANCE IN PESTICIDE APPLICATION AND THE PRESENCE OF PESTS AND DISEASES

Currently, many farmers are still very unfamiliar with using pesticides correctly and appropriately which lead environment pollution, population reduction of natural enemies and people health. The aims of this research were to determine the impact or influence of farmers obedience in applicating pesticide on the incidence of pests and diseases on highland horticultural cultivation, the presence of natural enemies, and level of pesticide residues in their horticultural products. This research was conducted in highland horticultural cultivation areas in Pagar Alam, South Sumatra. Data on farmers obedience in applicating pesticide was collected by interviewing eligible farmers by using questionnaires. Data on pests and disease incidence was collected by direct observation on the interviewed farmer's horticultural field. The variable measured were pest population and the in-tensity of damage of each pest, incidence and intensity of each disease and natural enemy type and population. The relationship between the level of farmer obedience in applicating pesticide and incidence of pests and dis-ease on their respected lands was determined by calculating their correlation coefficient. The results showed that there were significant correlations between the level of farmers obedience in applicating pesticide and the incidence as well as intensity of pests and diseases of highland horticultural crops.

A global dataset of experimental intercropping and agroforestry studies in horticulture

Intercropping and agroforestry systems have been increasingly well studied and documented. Yet, so far, no dataset has provided a systematic synthesis of existing data on intercropping experiments in the specific field of horticulture. A systematic literature search was carried using search terms and applied to Web of Science. The resulting dataset includes data from field experiments published in 191 articles covering experiments worldwide, between 1982 and 2022. The selected experiments cover five continents and involved 118 different crop species. Through manual extraction of information from publications, the dataset includes (i) general information on the articles; (ii) experimental site soil and climate conditions; (iii) descriptions of intercropping designs; (iv) crop management practices; (v) measurements of sole crop and intercrop yields and (v) Land Equivalent Ratios. The dataset is arranged in an easily reusable spreadsheet with columns as variables (n = 45) and rows as treatment (n = 1544). The dataset is freely reusable and updateable. We expect that it will provide valuable information for statistical analysis, modeling and innovative farming system design based on intercropping.

Modeling stabilizing the of orchard managers on the shores of Lake Urmia against late spring frost.

Despite the adverse effects of late spring frost on the ecological and economic impact on agriculture, the management of these events are poorly investigated. Therefore, the grounded theory was used for extracting the livelihood stabilization model of orchardists on the shores of Lake Urmia against late spring frosts. The statistical population of this study in the qualitative part included 22 experts in the field of horticulture. In the quantitative study, they included all orchardists in the villages along with Lake Urmia, comprising 341 people, of which 236 were randomly selected. By carefully examining and linking the concepts and subcategories, the most important subcategories that were included six subcategories. The results of all calculated goodness-of-fit indexes (chi-square [P > 0.01], RMSEA = 0.000, NFI = 0.95, CFI = 0.91, and GFI = 0.92) showed the model provided an excellent fit for the data. Standardized regression coefficients showed that interfering factors had the greatest impact on the livelihood of orchardists against late spring frosts (β = 0.47). Also, the background factors (β = 0.43) and causal factors (β = 0.39) were found to affect the livelihood of the orchardists in encountering late spring frost. The results of multiple square correlations of dependent variables also indicated that about 41% of the livelihood variance of small-scale orchardists was explained by the predictor variables (i.e. causal conditions, background factors and interfering factors). The findings of this study can assist policymakers, planners and relevant managers while paying more attention to orchardists in the region, so as to support decisions in order to achieve sustainable development.

Experimental study of the impact of using hybride machine translation engines on the quality of translation of texts in the field of ornamental horticulture

The article is devoted to the study of the impact of using hybrid machine translation engines (Onlinedoctranslator and DeepL Translate) on the quality of translation of texts in the field of ornamental horticulture. Within our experimental study the quality of translation was determined by the number of errors and quality of rendering horticultural terminology. Machine translation is gradually evolving, the market is extremely active and proposes many new engines uniting most promising algorithms, but it is important to determine the effectiveness of hybrid machine translation engines in translating texts of various fields, especially in the field of ornamental horticulture. In the course of conducting our research, we formulated a research hypothesis, selected a text in the field of ornamental horticulture rich in horticultural terminology and consisting of more than 30.000 printed characters without spaces, compiled a bilingual glossary based on the selected text, consisting of 200 terminological units, selected machine translation engines (Onlinedoctranslator and DeepL) and the procedure of evaluating errors, having distinguished three main types of mistakes, analyzed translated texts in terms of general quality and in terms of transferring horticultural terminology, processed the experimental data, represented the results in the form of tables providing an expert assessment of the empirical data and formulated conclusions. In the process of conducting the experiment, the hypothesis formulated at the beginning of the research was confirmed: different hybrid machine translation engines offer translations of the same text in the field of ornamental horticulture of varying quality, which we tracked by determining the overall percentage of errors in each translation performed, as well as by calculating the percentage of correct transferring of horticultural terminology. According to both indicators, DeepL showed the best results, and therefore it is advisable to recommend it for translating texts in the field of ornamental horticulture.

The Effect of Adding Whey and Spraying with Silicone on the Chemical of Chinese Cabbage Plant Brassica campestris var. Pekinensis

The experiment was conducted in the fields of horticulture and Garden Engineering at the College of Agriculture - University of Kerbala for the agricultural season 2022-2023 with the aim of knowing the effect of spraying with silicon in the form of potassium silicate (K2Sio3) and adding the by-product (whey) in improving the growth indicators of the Chinese Cabbage plant. The experiment included 16 treatments that included four concentrations of silicon (0.1.2.3) ml L-1 and four concentrations of whey by-product (0.8.16.24) L ha-1 and were in three batches between one batch and another 10 days. It was carried out as a factorial experiment with two factors according to the randomized block design and with three replications, and the least significant difference test (l.s.d) was used to compare the means at the probability level of 0.05. Silicon spraying treatment led to a significant increase in all yield traits, as the concentration of 3 ml L-1 was significantly superior in each of Nitrogen percentage, phosphorus percentage, potassium percentage and ascorbic acid. As for the treatment of whey addition, the concentration of 24 liters ha-1 was significantly higher in Nitrogen percentage, phosphorus percentage, potassium percentage and ascorbic acid. 2.547 ‘0.316‘ 1.403‘ 64.61 respectively. The bilateral interaction between the two experimental factors showed significant superiority in all the traits under experiment.

Effect of Bio Char and Amino Acid (Steam) on Growth and Green Yield of Onion (Allium cepa L.) Variety (Karbala)

The experiment was carried out in the vegetable field of Horticulture and Landscape Department / College of Agriculture and Forestry / University of Mosul, during 2021-2022 season to investigate the effect of administration of bio char in three doses (0, 3.5, 7, 10.5 t. Ha-1) and three Concentrations of Amino acid(Steam)(0, 10, 15 ml.L-1)on growth and green yield of onion variety (Karbala) The experiment was designed according to randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The results showed that : Adding the bio char in doses of 7 t. Ha-1 to the soil significantly increased several growth and yield properties(bulbs number, leaves number, bulb diameter, fresh and dry weight of leaves and roots, plant yield, and biological yield). Spraying amino acid (Steam) at 15 ml.L-1 doses gave the highest values of plant height, fresh and dry weight of leaves and roots per plant, diameter of bulb neck. But highest values of average weight of bulb and biological yield was from spraying amino acid (Steam) at 10 ml.L-1 doses. The combination treatments between bio char and amino acid (Steam) show a significant effect in some vegetative growth and yield parameters of onion.

Identifying faculty opinions about implementing an online, non-thesis master’s degree

IntroductionAlthough distance education is a growing field, there are benefits and challenges in creating and implementing new online degrees. Faculty play a critical role in forming new online programs and hold differing perceptions about online learning. The purpose of this research was to identify faculty opinions about implementing an online, non-thesis master’s degree as an alternative to the existing thesis-based degree.MethodsIn this study, 17 faculty members in the field of horticulture were surveyed at a major university in the southeastern United States. Q methodology was selected as the research tool to identify the primary opinions faculty held about an online, non-thesis master’s degree. Once participants were surveyed, factor analysis was used to reduce the responses into three perspectives.ResultsThree distinct perspectives were summarized as: (A) in-person instruction is more effective than online education, (B) online programs increase accessibility to graduate degrees, and (C) successful online programs require independent learners. Participants holding the first perspective believed an online program would not benefit student learning and would increase the workload of faculty. Participants with perspectives B and C agreed that an online program would be beneficial in reaching a broader audience of students. Although perspective C placed a high importance on independent learning, perspectives A and B indicated engaging with students was critical to student learning.DiscussionAll factors agreed an online degree would help our department reach non-research-oriented students. However, there was discrepancy in faculty willingness to support the program. Based on the identified faculty perspectives, it is believed that an online, non-thesis master’s would be successful if faculty who are willing to participate in the online degree were trained to be effective online educators and if they encouraged students to hold a deeper level of engagement with the content.

Notes towards a pedagogy of be‐longing: Rewilding art and design education

AbstractThis article reflects on 4 years of research activities in the fields of horticulture and creative praxis. The initial project was a personal one and set out with a simple methodology of collecting, observing, and recording a specific genus of plants, that of Mentha. But as the specific question of whether a garden can, or should, be thought of as a work of art was raised it developed into an interactive, more‐than‐human dynamic between the researcher and multiple species. Ultimately, this led to a consideration of the positionality and interactions of the creative practitioner as critical, in order to develop a transdisciplinary praxis that explores the ecological and transformative potential of learning and healing through gardening. Through a reflexive narrative approach, the role of gardening in education, therefore, is positioned as an art and design praxis and as a partial remedy for several salient, contemporary global issues and challenges. A praxis that if not the complete remedy might at least help, in part, to remedy the damaging ecological experiences of adult and child learners alike, and as such, this article concludes with a provocation for teachers as artists and activists.

Transformative Role of Remote Sensing in Advancing Horticulture: Optimizing Sustainability, Efficiency and Resilience

The field of horticulture, vital for addressing global challenges like food security and sustainable agriculture, has been revolutionized by remote sensing technology. This comprehensive review explores the transformative impact of remote sensing on horticulture, emphasizing its role in optimizing resource utilization, promoting environmental sustainability, and mitigating the effects of climate change. Remote sensing, encompassing a range of sensors, satellites, and data analysis techniques, enables the collection of critical information from a distance, providing insights into crop health, soil conditions, water availability, and more. Precision agriculture, including the use of GPS and GIS, is integrated with remote sensing to enhance agricultural efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts. Site-Specific Crop Management (SSCM) is highlighted as a key component of precision agriculture, enabled by geospatial technologies, including remote sensing. It discusses how remote sensing systems, with their multispectral and multi-temporal capabilities, support various horticultural applications such as crop yield estimation, abiotic and biotic stress management, crop classification, canopy measurement, crop area estimation, and even crop insurance validation. The use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the Global Positioning System (GPS) in tandem with remote sensing is explored in the context of spatial analysis, mapping, and precise navigation.