Welcome to
OSU South Center's
2009 Horticulture Field Night

Over 20 of the participants took
advantage of Sun Safety Viewing
with OSU Extension's FCS Specialist,
Cindy Oliveri

The first stop of the night
was at the drip irrigation
system for a demonstration

In 2008, OSU partnered with
the Ohio-Israel Agricultural
Initiative of the Negev Foundation
to establish a drip irrigation
research and training unit at
the South Centers

Brad Bergefurd discusses the
importance of a drip irrigation
system and demonstrates the
15 different system components

A fertilizer injection system is
new to the drip irrigation unit

Field night participants were
the first to see the fertilizer
injection system and the latest
Israeli micro irrigation and
technology equipment

Following the demonstrations,
it was off to tour the fields.

Shawn Wright talks about 
the primocane blackberry trials,
which began in 2005, and
continues to draw interest from
growers due to their winter
hardiness and low maintenance

Unlike most traditional
varieties that bear fruit on
the second year canes,
primocane blackberries will
bear fruit the first year the
cane becomes established

Maurus Brown talks about the
winegrape trials that are being
conducted on varieties
suitable for growing in
Southern Ohio

Our vineyard is now two years
old and faired well despite frigid
temperatures in January 2009.

 Horticulture Field Night allows
growers to be in the fields with
OSU Extension specialists for
one-on-one training and
demonstrations

Participants finished the evening
with dinner, networking and
a question and answer
session with the specialists.