2024 National Floriculture Forum

Floriculture educators, researchers, and graduate students met in Biloxi, Mississippi February 22-24, 2024, for the National Floriculture Forum (NFF). For over two decades, dedicated faculty and educators have collaborated in this event to promote unity, communication, and advancement within the floriculture community.

The American Floral Endowment was an event sponsor. The Fred C. Gloeckner Foundation provided travel scholarships to graduate students who presented their research findings and updates.

This year’s Forum was structured to facilitate attendee presentations. All attendees were invited to deliver talks such as overviews of research, projects, or issues associated with floriculture. Faculty and graduate students representing 13 higher education research institutions were in attendance. The group visited LaTerre Farms, a cut flower/agritourism business.

View the 2024 Conference Proceedings

The 2024 program was as follows:

National Floriculture Forum: a History. Mark Bridgen, Cornell University
American Floral Endowment Update. Marvin Miller
Estimate Genome Size Variation in Hibiscus (Rosa sinensis) by Flow Cytometry. Sisi Chen, University of Florida
Nutrient Disorders of Basil (Ocimum basilicum). Danielle Clade, North Carolina State University
Evaluating Long-term Caladium Tuber Storage Potential for Late-season Production in Florida. Gasselle Cordova, University of Florida
State of the Industry. Charlie Hall, Texas A & M University
1087 and the Green Industry Survey. Melinda Knuth, NC State University
Evaluating Gerbera jamesonii Chilling Injury Susceptibility. Danni DelConte, Cornell University
Breeding Cut Flowers in the Tropical Highlands of Colombia. Manuel Gastelbondo, University of Florida
Blue Light and CO2 Concentration Effect in Cutting Water Loss During Indoor Acclimation. Sofia (Ana) Gomez, Purdue University
Blue Perennial Flax as a Specialty Cut Flower Crop: Production & Postharvest Considerations. Liz Goodman, University of Minnesota
The Effects of Blue and Far-red Light on Culinary Herb Seedlings and Their Implications for Greenhouse Production. Bridget Knight, Michigan State University
Reclaim Effluent Irrigation’s Impact on Nutrient Leaching in Greenhouse Settings. Patrick Mcloughlin, University of Florida
Developing a Parallel Extension Professional Development Curriculum for Floriculture Growers. Paul Fisher, University of Florida IFAS Extension
Sustainable Solutions for the Green Industry: High-throughput Identification of Phosphorus Solubilizing Bacteria from Greenhouse Ornamentals. Juan Quijia Pillajo, Ohio State University
Evaluating the Effects of Pruning on Celosia Growth and Flowering. Jenny Ryals, Mississippi State University
Substrate, Production System, and Vase Life Cut Flower Trial in the Northeast. Jacob Schwab, University of Maine
Optimization of Glycerin Rate to Preserve cut Eucalyptus Stems. Greta Berg and Cora Manica, Kansas State University
The Master Floral Designer Program. James DelPrince, Mississippi State University
Evaluation of Commercial Viability of Eco-friendly Alternatives to Traditional Floral Foam and Their Effects on Vase Life of Five Species of Cut Flowers. Cole Etheredge, Mississippi State University
Breeding Vanilla: The Favorite Flavor in the World – a Transcriptomic Approach. Manuel Gastelbondo, University of Florida
Effects of Cold-Plasma and Ozone Water Treatments on Micronutrient Solubility, Plant Pathogens, and Beneficial Microbes. Dharti Thakulla, University of Florida
Arctic Daisy: Expanding the Chrysanthemum Germplasm with Long Day Photoperiodism. Liesl Bower-Jernigan, University of Minnesota
Breeding Impatiens that are Resistant to Impatiens Downy Mildew. Mark Bridgen and Victor Zayas, Cornell University
Making Floral Wine. Haley Williams, Mississippi State University
Bedding Plant Performance in Extreme Southeastern US Weather Events. Shaun Broderick, Mississippi State University
Bridging the Gap: Improving Communication in Floriculture. Brent Breland, Mississippi State University
Addressing Real World Issues in Floriculture—A Facilitated Workshop. Julie Campbell and Ben Campbell, University of Georgia