Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative

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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative

• A Brief Background
• Second Floral and Nursery Crops Researchers
  Workshop
• Portland, Oregon - June 2006

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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006

• Floriculture and Nursery Industry
• 11 billion farm-gate value roughly
• 11 percent of the U.S. crop agricultural value.
• Third most valuable crop after corn (19 billion)
  and soybean (16 billion).
• Value is increasing at least 7 percent annually.
• Ranks in the top 5 commodities in more than
• 25 states.

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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006

• The Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
  
• A partnership of government, industry, and
  universities to obtain and guide Federal research
  dollars targeted at the industrys needs.
• USDA Agricultural Research Service
• Society of American Florists
• American Nursery and Landscape Association
• U.S. universities and botanical gardens

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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006

• Why spend taxpayers
• on such research?
• Increase U.S. growers efficiency and
  competitiveness.
• Help U.S. urban and rural economies.
• Improve Americans quality of life via better
  plants and flowers.
• Research results may help other segments of
  agriculture.

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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006

• Why spend taxpayers
• on such research?
• More effectively prevent spread of pests,
  invasive species and diseases via trade.
• Protect the environment.
• Enhance environmental restoration.
• Maintain biodiversity through germplasm
  conservation.

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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006

• Research Priorities for Initiative Funding
• eventual 20.7 million total permanent increase
  in ARS budget
• Improve pest (insect, diseases, and weed)
  management practices and strategies.
• Improve production system practices and
  strategies.
• Improve environmental and resource
• management practices and strategies.

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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006

• Improve pest (insect, diseases, and weed)
  management practices and strategies
• 11.9 million funding, or 57 percent of total.
• Entomology research Thrips, mites, root
  weevils, aphid/whitefly, mealybugs, scale
  insects, and IR-4 funding.
• Pathology research Root pathogens, Botrytis,
  viruses, mildews, wilts, rusts, nematodes, and
  bacteria.
• Identify, detect, and control pests and diseases
  in trade.

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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006

• PUT PICTURE HERE

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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006

• Improve production system practices
  and strategies.
• 5.3 million funding, or 26 percent of total.
• Reduce production time and maximize plant quality
  and post-production performance.
• Preserve germplasm.

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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006
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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006

• Improve environmental and resource
  management practices and strategies
• 3.5 million in funding, or 17 percent of total.
• Reduce nitrate use, pesticide use, and runoff
  improve remediation for industry wastes and other
  environmental problems.
• Develop systems for reduction, reuse, and
  recycling of wastes.

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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006

• PUT PHOTO HERE

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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006

• Current Allocation of Research Funding by
  Priorities
• (Current total funding ca. 6.2 million)

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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006

• Funding Mechanisms
• USDA-ARS Recurrent permanent base funding,
  multi-year, reasonably consistent. Supports
  permanent employees, operations, and
  infrastructure.
• Universities, Botanical Gardens Specific
  Cooperative Agreements with ARS, forming
  temporary ARS-University or Botanical Garden
  research teams. Supports temporary employees
  (post-docs, graduate students), and operations.

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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006

• Current Allocation of FNRI Funds

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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006
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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006

• Determining Funding Allocations
• Congress may stipulate.
• Industry recommendations to ARS are consistent
  with the Initiative framework.
• Balance between floriculture-nursery,
  university/ARS, and numerous interests.
• Complementarity, so that Initiative resources
  build on other research.

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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006

• Characteristics of Funded Projects
• Address Initiative priorities.
• Complement industry funded research.
• Leverage other funding sources (NASA, ARS).
• Support long-term, coordinated efforts conducted
  by research teams.
• Other factors, e.g., emerging diseases.

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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006
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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006

• Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative The
  Larger Context
• Industry driven successful unified advocacy to
  Congress, and with setting research agenda.
• Success with
• Winning increases in ARS base funding, and
  leveraging significant additional funds from
  other sources.
• Establishing stronger Industry/ARS/University
  research partnerships based on trust and
  consensus.
• Improved efficiency of communication and decision
  making.

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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006

• Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative The
  Larger Context
• Strong joint industry/ARS commitment to continued
  research.
• Relatively strong coordination of ARS and
  industry research funding
• American Floral Endowment (AFE) and the Gloeckner
  Foundation collectively disburse approximately
  500,000 in competitive grants.
• Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) annually
  disburses approximately 220,000 in competitive
  grants.

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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006

• Future Developments?
• Budgets Effects of hurricane relief, emerging
  diseases, tax cuts, and the wars on USDA research
  budgets (static or decreasing?).
• Additional emphasis on environmental and resource
  management practices and strategies?
• Continue to broaden geographical focus
  (subtropical/tropical, northern regions)?
• Accelerated pace and expanded volume of new
  knowledge generated and solutions developed.

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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006

• The Initiatives continued success depends on
  communication, cooperation, and balance.
• This meeting is the latest of several efforts to
• Communicate and consult with the research
  community and industry
• Foster cooperation and collaboration and
• Maintain an optimally balanced research
  portfolio.

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Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative
June 2006