04/24/1996

Cold Weather, Budget Crunch Hamper Cullman Ag Research Program

CULLMAN, Ala.- As if following a legend wasn't enough, Arnold Caylor, interim superintendent of the North Alabama Horticulture Substation in Cullman, has had to deal with one of the worst winters on record and a reduction in State funding for agricultural research.

Caylor, who succeeded long time Station Superintendent Marlin Hollingsworth in September, noted that the recent freezes and ice storm caused considerable damage to the peach crop at the 160-acre Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station research facility. "Most of the peach blooms we checked were killed by freezing temperatures in February and March. We found a few live flower buds on some varieties, however, these will not produce enough peaches to obtain research data this year," Caylor commented.

On a more positive note, Caylor said that a new planting of 63 apple varieties and other apple studies do not appear to be damaged by the extremely cold weather. "We are testing apple varieties from New Zealand, Australia, and Japan as well as other parts of the United that may be well suited to this area of the State. We can grow apples in North Alabama that have better quality than those grown in many other apple producing areas of the country. However, we need to evaluate how these new apple varieties will perform in Alabama. Growing an attractive, high quality apple that the markets and consumers will accept is a challenge," the Auburn researcher said.

Another ongoing project that has been of interest to commercial and home gardeners alike is a planting of trellised apple mulched with processed yard waste that has been composted by the Decatur Landfill. These apples should produce a high volume of high quality apples. Trellised apples can be planted commercially in high density orchards or as attractive hedges in ornamental settings in urban landscapes.

A full compliment of vegetable variety research is planned for the 1996 season, despite budget cuts that plague each of the research units in the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station. "We would like to have more new projects, but due to the budget we hope to be able to maintain about the same number as we have had in the past few years," Caylor noted.

"The budget crunch affects the Experiment Station most by limiting our ability to upgrade equipment used in research. Technology is changing at a rapid pace and the reduced funding hampers our efforts to remain on the cutting edge of this new technology," Caylor concluded.

David Teem, who is an associate director of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, heads the outlying research program. He echoed Caylor's concerns about reduced funding. "The lack of funding for maintaine of facilities and equipment has reached the point of seriously reducing our ability to find answers for producers and the ultimate lesser will be the consumers," Teem explained.

"Despite all the weather problems and funding cuts, we are confident we will have a good year our research program. We have good staff here at the Station and work with some excellent researchers at Auburn, and we are confident good people can overcome these problems," Caylor stated.

Much of the work underway at the North Alabama Horticulture Substation will be on display at a Fruit and Vegetable Field Day scheduled for July 18.

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Office of Ag Communications & Marketing

Auburn University College of Agriculture
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
3 Comer Hall, Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849
334-844-4877 (PHONE) 334-844-5892 (FAX)

Contact Jamie Creamer, 334-844-2783 or jcreamer@auburn.edu
by Roy Roberson

April 24, 1996