 "IALR's initiatives that involve the VIRginia International Raceway have already, even in the formative stages, brought in new business that would never have come to Southside Virginia. VIPER is bringing tomorrow's motorsport technologies to the heart of Virginia's racing region today. Motorsports is a fast growing industry and one this area can embrace and benefit from easily as new teams and suppliers locate here to be near VIPER at VIR, its test facilities, and IALR expertise." -- Connie Lee Nyholm, managing partner, VIRginia International Raceway |
| Growing Flowers Could Grow Jobs |
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By Tara Bozick Reprinted from Danville's Register & Bee
One of the daylilies being characterized by Dr. Zhiwu Li, growing in the ISRR Greenhouse.
These flowering plants started as tissue cultures in a lab at the Institute for Sustainable and Renewable Resources (ISRR) at the Institute. Eventually, they would go to the commercial market. The Institute is negotiating contracts with the Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association (VNLA) to bulk up tissue culture production for triploid daylilies and different varieties of azaleas.
Dr. Barry Flinn standing between two of the bioenergy crops currently under study by ISRR faculty, switchgrass (left) and poplar (right)
The commercial lab would be a business run through the Institute Foundation where profits would support jobs and further research. Ultimately, the work at ISRR could bring more work to local farmers. The VNLA, a trade association, needs growers to raise the plants from tissue culture to liner size — about an inch or two tall. The plants would then go on to nurseries where they would be grown larger for sale to customers. About two weeks ago, the association held a meeting in Danville to recruit tobacco growers to participate in that step, said VNLA Executive Director Jeff Miller. It could take two to three years before a consumer could buy the plants as marketed through VNLA’s Beautiful Gardens plant introduction program, Miller said. The program helps get new plants to market to meet consumer demand and to show what grows well in Virginia. First, VNLA will take the tissue cultures from ISRR and grow them in test sites in different climactic zones managed by Virginia Master Gardeners, Miller said.
ISRR scientists also test plant growth, needed conditions and note best practices. The 4,200-square-foot greenhouse that finished in January plays a vital role. “It makes life so much easier,” Flinn said. “It’s phenomenal.” Before the greenhouse, plants were kept in a small space inside the Institute, but mainly at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Local scientists would ask others to check their plants, but would still drive five hours roundtrip regularly.
“The greenhouse saves me an incredible amount of time,” Holt said. The Virginia Tobacco Commission awarded more than $250,000 for the greenhouse in 2007. That along with other state funding helped make it a state-of-the-art facility equipped with electronic control systems. Researchers at the Virginia Tech’s mechanical engineering department are working to build “smart tables” that can probe for temperature and pH and allow a researcher to log online and remotely view their plants with a camera and even add water. The Institute plans to use that remote capability to enable more local middle and high school students to participate in the horticulture projects, Flinn said. Five students with the Governor’s School are working on projects this summer. Learn more • For more information about the Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association program, visit beautifulgardens.org. If you are an interested grower, call (800) 476-0055. Related Stories Why the “Winter Rose” May Grow the Southside Economy 1.27.10 3.3.10 Add this page to your favorite Social Networking websites         |
