PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES OF ALSTROEMERIA AND OTHER ALTERNATIVE CROPS

On 1 October, 1987 a new Regional Research Project was approved by the Cooperative State Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture for the Northeast region. This five year project involving nine research institutions is the first Regional Research Project in the northeast, and one of the first in the country, with primary emphasis on an aspect of ornamental plants. The project has three objectives: 1) develop new cultivars of alstroemeria and determine their production schedules, 2) develop production schedules for lisianthus, gerbera, anigozanthos, and hybrid lilies, and 3) develop detection and control strategies for insects of lisianthus and gerbera, and viruses of alstroemeria and gerbera. Specifics of these objectives, progress to date and preliminary results are presented.