Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

MINUTES OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SERA-27 Nursery Crops and Landscape Systems June 5 & 6, 2008 Richmond, VA Participants ADVISOR: Dewayne Ingram (University of Kentucky, Research) OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVES (according to NIMSS official list: http://nimss.umd.edu/homepages/member.cfm?trackID=9176): Winston Dunwell (Extension, University of Kentucky), Ed Bush (Research, Louisiana State University), Allen Owings (Extension, Louisiana State University), Eugene Blythe (Research, Mississippi State University), Donna Fare (USDA-ARS), Anthony LeBude (Extension, North Carolina State), Todd West (Research, West Virginia University), Jim Robbins (Extension, University of Arkansas), Rumen Conev (Virginia Tech University), Alex Niemiera (Research, Virginia Tech University), Gene Blythe (Research, Mississippi State University) STATES NOT REPRESENTED: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas Business Meeting 1. Welcome: Allen Owings, President 2. Introductions of Attendees and Guests: Allen Owings Action Item 1: Robbins/Ingram Contact participants on unofficial list to verify their interest in SERA-IEG 27. Encourage participants to register officially using an Appendix E (http://nimss.umd.edu/homepages/home.cfm?trackID=9176 ). Officially, no representative from Auburn, Oklahoma State, and Virginia Tech. Verify interest by Lindstrom (Arkansas), Scheiber (Florida), Chen (Louisiana), Adelberg (Clemson), and Klingeman (Tennessee). Knight/Blythe (Miss.) need to clarify as official participant. 3. Current Officers and Official State Representatives Review: President: Allen Owings (Louisiana) Secretary: Jim Robbins (Arkansas) Executive Committee: Alex Niemiera (Virginia) 4. Review of 2007 Minutes: Allen Owings Minutes accepted as written; motion by Ed Bush, seconded by Donna Fare; Motion passed unanimously. 5. SERA-IEG 27 Group Renewal: Dewayne Ingram Although the project was renewed for another five-year period, feedback suggests the group needs to address two items: 1) increase detailed measures of success in the objectives, and 2) document outcome and impact (e.g. what plants are increasingly used in the industry that this group evaluated?). Action Item 2: Dunwell: Document the SERA 27 plants evaluated that have been mainstreamed. Jon Jon Magnolia? Pocomoke crapemyrtle? Emerald Pagoda? Action Item 3: group: needs to strengthen justification and strengthen specific objectives. How do you know if you have succeeded versus simply being an active SERA? 6. State Reports: Individuals breifly update the group on their universities and departments. 7. Election of Officers. 2008-09 Officers: President: Jim Robbins (Arkansas) Secretary: Alex Niemiera (Virginia) Executive Committee: Anthony LeBude (North Carolina) Motion Win, second by Donna; Motion passed unanimously. 8. Plant Evaluation Committee: (Bush, Dunwell, Lindstrom) Report: Ed Bush Ed reported on the paper that will be presented in the Breeding/Selection section at the 2008 Southern Nursery Association Research Conf. on the 43 taxa current being evaluated by the group along with a contact person for each plant and a listing of states were each plant is currently being evaluated or has been evaluated. Ed noted that the group needs to do a better job of putting pictures and information for any new plant added from this point forward. The group also needs to do a better job of evaluating and reporting data to cooperators. Ed asked the group if we should consider a marketing brochure like the VTI Beautiful Gardens brochure? Committee: Ed Bush  chair; Win Dunwell; new: Todd West and Gene Blythe Action items #4: Robbins to develop draft of a master Excel spreadsheet to enter data. This draft will be routed to group for input. Action items #5: Dunwell to request any outstanding concluding reports. 21 potential reports: 18 + 2 new plants. Action items #6: group. Alan recommends that in the future a formal update or status report is given on each plant during this annual meeting. At least one picture and then a BRIEF status report. 9. Status 2006 and 2007 Plant Evaluation Plans: 2006: none 2007: Callicarpa (Duet beautyberry (Callicarpa dichomata) from USDA-NA ) and Syringa (Betsy Ross lilac (Syringa) from USDA-NA )from Donna 2008: VA0801: Alex Niemiera: Parrotia persica Jennifer Teates. Fast growing and fastigiate. Most similar to Vanessa. KY0801: Win Dunwell: Hypericum ??? Blue Velvet: blue foliage even in summer KY0802: Win Dunwell: Hypericum olympicum. Dwarf form, outstanding flowers Action items #7: Mike Arnold. status of Taxodium distribution?? 10. New ideas: Allen Owings. Federal Specialty Crop funding. Long discussion about cooperative projects that might qualify. 11. Future Meetings: a. Fayetteville, AR: June 2009 b. Athens/Watkinsville, GA: 2010? 12. Other Business: a. Discussion about website maintenance. Previously handled by Ken Tilts assistant, Bernice. Allen Owings volunteered to host this group on an LSU server and will move material with help from Auburn. Current URL: http://www.ag.auburn.edu/hort/landscape/SERAreports.html Action Item #8: Owings to explore moving website server from Auburn to LSU Action Item #9: Ingram to prepare Thank You to Bernice for her years of website support. Action Item #10: Ingram to recommend Patricia Knight as a co-administrative advisor. 13. Adjourn: The group thanked Alex Niemiera and Rumen Conev from Virginia Tech for hosting an exceptional meeting and for providing todays lunch. Being no further business the meeting adjourned. Respectfully submitted, Jim Robbins, Secretary, SERA-IEG 27

A number of the plants evaluated by the group have gained common status by the gardening community. These plants include Cephalotaxus harringtonia (1998), Lagerstroemia Pocomoke (1999), Lagerstroemia Chickasaw (1999), Illicium mexicanum Aztec Fire (1999), Styrax japonicus Emerald Pagoda, and Ceanothus x delilianus 'Gloire de Versailles' (2005)

A paper that will be presented in the Breeding/Selection section at the 2008 Southern Nursery Association Research Conf. on the 43 taxa current being evaluated by the group along with a contact person for each plant and a listing of states were each plant is currently being evaluated or has been evaluated.