MISSION

The mission of the Department of Horticultural Sciences is to serve the horticultural industries of New York and the public by discovering and disseminating knowledge which will advance their ability to produce fruit and vegetable crops in a environmentally sound and profitable manner.

We have 5 major goals through which we intend to fulfill this mission:

1. Provide research, technology and extension required to enhance the fruit, vegetable and seed industry in New York State
2. Continue the development of integrated crop management practices that reduce environmental impact while being sustainable and profitable
3. Develop germplasm and production practices that insure high quality and safety of New York vegetables and fruit products
4. Provide training to present and future horticultural scientists
5. Maintain and enhance a center of excellence in fruit and vegetable science that is recognized regionally, nationally and internationally.

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GOAL 1.
Provide research, technology and extension required to enhance the fruit, vegetable and seed industry in New York State

Situation statement: The fruit and vegetable industry of New York is diverse and has a farm gate value of over $400 million. The unique climate, soils, availability of water and proximity to markets are attributes that favor the production of fruits and vegetables in this State. However, intense competition from other production areas continue to challenge the viability of our industry. Nevertheless, growers who manage the farms producing these crops are experienced and are receptive to the adoption of new crops, varieties and technology that will improve their ability to compete with other production areas.

Strategies
1.1 Maintain a balance of fundamental and applied research that is relevant New York and the region

Actions

• 1.1.1 The faculty will function as a whole to identify faculty positions that are required to maintain this balance
• 1.1.2 The Department will encourage cooperation with other departments to complement areas of expertise
• 1.1.3 A list of equipment and facility renovations required to maintain fundamental and applied research programs will be updated annually. An ad hoc committee will work with the Chair to establish a priority for these items.

1.2 Encourage research programs that produce technology and information that will be used by the industry

Actions

• 1.2.1 Enhance communications between the Department and the industry we serve to insure the relevance of our research and extension programs
• 1.2.2 Seek input from industry organizations, for example, the vegetable commodity advisory committees, Apple Research and Development Committee, NYS Seed Association, Grape Production Research Fund, NYS Horticulture Society, NYS Vegetable Growers Association
• 1.2.3 In partnership with the industry enhance funding opportunities for fundamental and applied research
• 1.2.4 Evaluate research results in an economic perspective with the cooperation of the Department of Applied Economics and Management

1.3 Maintain a commitment to the dissemination of research based information to off-campus extension staff, growers, processors, private consultants and other components of the industry

Actions

• 1.3.1 Maintain a commitment to provide extension FTEs for the major commodities within the department
• 1.3.2 Reward faculty for writing bulletins, producing video tapes or other educational material describing the results of their research
• 1.3.3 Adapt research results and grower recommendations to electronic technology
• 1.3.4 Promote the participation in and organization of in-service training for extension agents and consultants, and in-depth schools for growers
• 1.3.5 Provide leadership for field days
• 1.3.6 Extend an invitation to NY regional fruit and vegetable specialists to participate in departmental activities

1.4 Conduct research that increases the crop diversity of agriculture in NY

Actions

• 1.4.1 Identify potential new crops for NY and the limiting factors in producing and marketing them
• 1.4.2 Provide leadership in variety testing

1.5 Maintain a service program to produce information required by the industry

Actions

• 1.5.1 Strive to maintain a seed testing program of benefit to New York and the department.

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GOAL 2. Continue the development of integrated crop management practices that reduce environmental impact while being sustainable and profitable

Situation statement: The need to preserve and enhance the environment is fundamental to the sustainability of the fruit and vegetable industry in the highly urban state of New York. Because fruits and vegetables have a much higher potential return per unit area than other agricultural crops, producers have traditionally relied on crop protectant chemicals, fertilizers and irrigation to reduce the risk of stress to the crop.

Strategies
2.1 Continue development of insect and disease resistant germplasm that will reduce the reliance on pesticides

Actions

• 2.1.1 Place a high priority on the continued classical fruit and vegetable breeding programs
• 2.1.2 Develop and utilize molecular biology technology in the genetics and breeding programs
• 2.1.3 Increase the cooperation with PGRU in the evaluation of germplasm and to insure the viability of their collections
• 2.1.4 Identify sources of resistance to insects and/or diseases in cooperation with scientists in other disciplines

2.2 Provide leadership for integrated crop management in cooperation with the Department of Horticulture, Ithaca

Action

• 2.2.1 Serve as the integrator of plant protection and cultural practices to form an ICM system
• 2.2.2 Extend an invitation to the IPM fruit and vegetable coordinators to participate in departmental activities

2.3 Develop sustainable production systems that will enhance soil structure, reduce erosion, prevent nutrient leaching and reduce chemical pesticides

Actions

• 2.3.1 Encourage and reward research that contributes to the development of sustainable cropping systems
• 2.3.2 Encourage and reward extension that contributes to the adoption of sustainable cropping systems

2.4 Enhance the understanding of crop physiology and development to provide more effective integrated crop management programs

Actions

• 2.4.1 Study crop responses to pests to discover true relationships between damage thresholds and the risk of yield or quality loss
• 2.4.2 Develop crop production practices that increase root development and enhance resistance to environmental and/or biological stress
• 2.4.3 Identify the mechanisms of crop responses to biotic stresses and evaluate opportunities to ameliorate the stress

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GOAL 3. Develop germplasm and production practices that insure high quality and safety of New York vegetables and fruit products

Situation statement: The production of a high quality and safe food supply for consumers is central to the mission of this department. In addition, high standards of quality are essential if New York fruit and vegetable growers are to successfully compete with other production areas.

Strategies
3.1 Develop varieties and/or germplasm with increased quality, consumer appeal, nutrition and market value

Actions

• 3.1.1 Develop a program in cooperation with other departments within CALS to assess health benefit of germplasm, advanced selections and genetically engineered material

3.2 Develop cultural practices that increase product quality and marketability

Actions

• 3.2.1 Develop guidelines defining quality in each commodity and develop programs to overcome deficiencies
• 3.2.2 Evaluate plant growth habit and physiology interactions with production practices and the environment to optimize quality and yield

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GOAL 4. Provide training to present and future horticultural scientists

Situation statement: As other Land Grant Universities reduce or eliminate their training in pomology, viticulture, vegetable crops and seed science, it is important that the Department of Horticultural Sciences maintains a strong commitment to training scientists in these disciplines. Cornell University has an excellent reputation of training horticultural scientists who have significantly improved the ability of growers to produce high quality food in the United States and the world. Future horticulturists are going to face food production problems of increasing complexity and are going to require the intense, broad-spectrum education that Cornell University can provide.

Strategies
4.1 Maintain a commitment to a strong departmental research program which will attract quality students and scholars

Actions

• 4.1.1 Encourage faculty and student to participate in regional, national and international meetings
• 4.1.2 Conduct research that gains the respect and attention of prospective students and scholars

4.2 Train outstanding graduate students and post doctoral associates

Actions

• 4.2.1 Take a pro-active role in recruiting graduate students and post doctoral associates
• 4.2.2 Support graduate student's and post doctoral associate's attendance at appropriate scientific meetings
• 4.2.3 Encourage graduate students to attend conferences and to do a study period overseas

4.3 Provide a mutually beneficial experience for students and visiting scientists

Actions

• 4.3.1 Involve students and visiting scientists in discussion groups which address research issues important to NY agriculture
• 4.3.2 Implement activities that will improve the Geneva experience and quality of life

4.4 Provide classroom teaching support in areas where departments at the Ithaca campus lack expertise

Actions

• 4.4.1 Engage in more team teaching with Ithaca based faculty
• 4.4.2 Utilize modern communications technologies to facilitate teaching
• 4.4.3 Explore ways to recognize contributions to teaching

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GOAL 5. Maintain and enhance a center of excellence in fruit and vegetable science that is recognized regionally, nationally and internationally.

Situation statement: As a center of excellence we represent a major source of new knowledge and new solutions, as well as, the primary center for information and guidance. The center of excellence developed by the faculty of this department is to be accomplished in cooperation with our sister department in Ithaca (Department of Horticulture) and the other departments at Geneva and Ithaca working with fruits and vegetables. There are four core areas in the department: 1) fruit and vegetable breeding and genetics, 2) viticulture, 3) apples and tree fruits, and 4) vegetables.

Strategies
5.1 Foster an academic atmosphere that encourages intellectual exchange and creative thinking

Action

• 5.1.1 Publish research results in refereed scientific journals
• 5.1.2 Encourage faculty participation in and hosting of symposia and workshops
• 5.1.3 Encourage faculty to obtain external funding sources from regional and national competitive grants programs
• 5.1.4 Encourage faculty to obtain patents and copyrights
• 5.1.5 Encourage consulting to enhance professional development and recognition of expertise
• 5.1.6 Maintain and reward programs with innovative approaches to horticultural problems
• 5.1.7 Make GRA's available to new faculty members

5.2 Integrate technology from plant protection, horticulture, food science and economics into production systems

Actions

• 5.2.1 Apply advances in basic biology to horticultural science
• 5.2.2 Encourage multidisciplinary collaborations that can address complex problems

5.3 Hire outstanding faculty and support staff

Actions

• 5.3.1 Critically review new faculty job descriptions and develop an appropriate funding package to establish a research program
• 5.3.2 Provide an environment that retains the most successful faculty
• 5.3.3 Hire 3 faculty position in the next 5 years

5.4 Provide leadership to the horticultural science community

Actions

• 5.4.1 Encourage faculty to serve and lead professional societies and their major committees. Represent our disciplines in national and international policy making organizations
• 5.4.2 Initiate workshops to address challenges facing horticultural science
• 5.4.3 Provide peer review for other universities or agencies

5.5 Maintain and enhance international relationships

Actions

• 5.5.1 Make our activities and strengths easy for potential collaborators to understand by maintaining a web site with links to other programs
• 5.5.2 Develop long term projects with other departments both nationally and internationally
• 5.5.3 Seek ways to fund international travel
• 5.5.4 Document production systems and germplasm that are sustainable and profitable in New York, so that they may be tested internationally

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