|
Nursery,
Medicinal, and Alternative
Crops
Research Team
Team
Overview
The goals of this team are two fold: (1) to develop and introduce
medicinal and other plants as alternative agronomic crops for small farm
operators. This includes the identification and improvement of selected
genera for their pharmaceutical and other values using conventional and
biotechnological means; and (2) to improve selected plant genera to
broaden their consumer appeal and contribute to the enhancement of
Tennessee's nursery industry and to transfer new knowledge into the
hands of limited resource nursery owners. Among the plant genera
targeted by the team for improvement are Helleborus,
Pulmonaria, Hemerocallis, Castanea, and Ulmus.
Priority
Research Areas
|
 |
|
Evaluation
of purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) for
anti-carcinogenic activity and other pharmaceutical values. |
|
|
|
Evaluation
of St. John's Wort (Hypericum spp.) for pharmaceutical
activity of hypericin. |
|
|
|
Improve
selected plant genera to broaden consumer appeal. |
|
|
|
Enhance
Tennessee's standing as a national leader in the nursery industry. |
|
|
|
Develop
hands-on teaching and demonstration areas. |
|
|
|
Strengthen
teaching and stimulate interest in the plant sciences among high
school students. |
|
|
|
Transfer
new discoveries to limited resource nursery owners. |
|
|
|
Evaluation of poinsettia cultivars. |
|
|
|
Overview