In the depth of winter, plants are growing in the warmth of the UNH MacFarlane Greenhouses. This is a good time to hold a Research Field Day for the NH Agricultural Experiment Station.  You are invited to join us on Friday, February 15, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for a showcase of agricultural research at the University of New Hampshire. These research projects rely on greenhouses, which are an essential component of the agricultural infrastructure at a land-grant university.  

The MacFarlane research “field day” will include a tour and informal talks about research projects underway this winter.  You will meet our newest faculty in the agroecology research cluster, Kirk Broders (plant pathologist) and Iago Hale (plant breeder) as well as our all-star veterans, Tom Davis (strawberry geneticist) and Brent Loy (squash breeder and All-American Selections Breeders Cup Trophy winner in 2009, 2010 and 2011).  David Berlinsky will on hand to talk about a demonstration aquaponics project that his aquaculture class will be running this winter. Cooperative Extension faculty, Brian Krug, Cathy Neal and Becky Sideman will also be on hand to talk about their projects directly impacting agricultural and horticultural industries in the state and region.  Learn about our efforts to become the first university research greenhouses to be certified as sustainable by MPS greenhouse certification organization based in the Netherlands.

Presentations at the Field Day will include:
•    Testing root cold tolerance of woody ornamental plants.
•    Strawberry cultivar development.
•    Breeding hanging basket tomatoes.
•    Research into disease dynamics affecting apple, strawberry, pine, and squash.
•    Increasing crop productivity and fruit quality in squash through the use interspecies hybridization  
•    Hardy kiwis in New England: exploiting the economic potential of new plant genetic resources for our region.
•    Co-culturing hybrid striped bass and salad greens

The MacFarlane Greenhouses are located on Mast Road and parking is available across the street at the Visitor Information Center, 295 Mast Road (http://www.unh.edu/transportation/visitor/visitorparking.htm).  Light refreshments will be available when you arrive.  Please R.S.V.P. to Laurrie.Malizia@unh.edu.  Since this is February in New Hampshire, we have scheduled a backup date, February 22, in case of heavy snow on the 15th.  If in doubt on the morning of the 15th, please call the UNH Storm Information Line at 603-862-0000.

This will be a great opportunity to learn about the important contributions our researchers make agriculture and the ornamental and horticultural industries in the state and region.  I hope you will be able to join us!

Sincerely,


Jon Wraith, Dean, College of Life Sciences and Agriculture and
Director, New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station
http://www.colsa.unh.edu/aes