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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » Plant Introduction Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #116421
Title: USDA-ARS NC7 REGIONAL WOODY ORNAMENTAL TRIALS

Author
item Ovrom, Arthur
item Widrlechner, Mark

Submitted to: Plant Propagators Society Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Since 1954, the NC-7 Regional Woody Ornamental Trials have addressed landscape horticulture needs of the North Central Region and parts of the country with similarly challenging growing conditions by conducting long-term evaluations of new and promising trees, shrubs and vines. Goals of the program include collecting and disseminating evaluation data and increasing the variety of useful plants in the region's nursery trade. Currently, trial plants are evaluated at over 30 sites in 16 states. Each year, the NCRPIS ornamentals program offers about 8 to 15 new woody plants for testing. The cooperators establish the plants in the field and observe and evaluate them through the seasons. From their evaluations, cooperators prepare performance reports one, five, and ten years after planting. These reports are sent to the NCRPIS, where the data are recorded and examined for trends. The evaluation data are currently being entered onto the Internet. The NC-7 Trials website contains a list of accessions evaluated from 1984 to the present, completed 10-year evaluation data for plants offered since 1984, plant descriptions, performance summaries, and when available, images of accessions. The website also contains a list of cooperators with links to their homepages. The NC-7 Trials website contains hardiness zone maps of China and the Ukraine. Developed by the NCRPIS horticulturist, Dr. Mark Widrlechner, the depicted zones are based on those found on USDA hardiness maps. The website also includes a moisture balance map for the North Central region. The site can be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ars-grin.gov/ars/Midwest/Ames/trialhmpge.html.