Plant Science Research Center

It’s hard to imagine Alabama without row crops. Whether it’s Cullman County sweet potatoes or peanuts from the Dothan area, these crops seem to define the places they are grown. Several Alabama towns hold strawberry festivals around the beginning of summer. Cities like Enterprise have commemorated the cultural significance of their relationship with crops (and pests) by having monuments built. Needless to say, horticulture is a large part of our state’s culture and history

An Overview

Since its establishment in 1991, the Plant Science Research Center (PSRC) has become a part of that culture and history. Of course, Auburn was founded as an agricultural resource, but the PSRC was a huge upgrade to the university’s research potential. Before the PSRC was opened, greenhouses were housed in the Life Sciences part of campus. They eventually grew outdated and were unable to support all of the research needed.

“Our facility has 12,000 square feet of research space under glass, 10,000 square feet of outdoor turf and nematode research, 800 square feet of micro-plot space and 10 growth chambers,” said Dr. Jane Farr, PSRC Director. “Almost a quarter of our research is done within 22,800 square feet of space.”

Farr doesn’t hide her pride in these numbers. The PSRC is a research powerhouse compared to other facilities with “hundreds, or even thousands of acres,”.

On top of all that, the PSRC provides growth space for horticulture and plant pathology classes.

Plant Research: On the Farm and Beyond

The PSRC’s impact on Alabama farms is easy enough to see. The facility was pivotal in researching and finding solutions to the Cotton leafroll dwarf virus outbreak of 2017. It was the first time the disease had been recorded in the state, and aphids were identified as the carrier.

“Infected cotton plants were harvested from a field in north Alabama, transplanted into pots and quarantined within the PSRC greenhouses,” Farr said. “We provided the research team with a secure site to hold and grow the infected plant material, observe and find solutions.”

Researchers at the PSRC provide guidance on pesticides, planting times, pathogens, fixes for certain weeds and other nuisances and much more.

The PSRC’s research benefits the environment as a whole, not just farmers. In 2010, the PSRC team collected tar from the Gulf Coast after an oil spill. They recreated a small-scale gulf coast ecosystem within the greenhouse. This allowed them to observe the way that plants handled the tar, and provided guidance based on the plants that did well. Coastal plant life is crucial to the survival of marine wildlife.

“This was one of my favorite projects, and is the kind of thing we do every day,” Farr said.

A Look Ahead

In the coming months, the PSRC’s project list will grow from just 45 projects to around 100, according to Farr. As temperatures rise, horticulturists get busier.

“We have a very busy year ahead of us,” Farr said. “The summer is the highlight of our year.”

In April specifically, Dr. Charles Chen will oversee several projects crossing varieties of peanuts. The Market at Ag Heritage Park will be reopening in May. The Market is student-staffed and is managed by PSRC Research Assistant Mark Foshee. The PSRC will also host the E.A.G.L.E Campers, and expects to have hundreds of blueberry plants ready for trials lasting three years.

Students of Any Discipline Can Participate

The PSRC is primarily student-staffed. This mainly includes Auburn students, but according to Dr. Farr, there are Auburn University at Montgomery and Southern Union students who have been involved as well.

“Our students are horticulture, business, engineering, and even health science majors,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if you have greenhouse experience or not, we teach you everything you need to know.”

Perhaps the PSRC’s multifunctionality is its best attribute. It provides crucial research to help farmers and the environment. It draws some of the best researchers in the country to Auburn. It’s not just for career horticulturists, though. It brings horticulture to a multitude of people who have no other outlet to learn about it.