Grant Allows Research into Potential Untapped Ornamental Horticulture Opportunities
John
Janovec, Amanda Neill, and Fernando Cornejo (BRIT), with John Langevin
(Fort Worth Botanical Garden) were awarded
a grant from the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust of San Francisco.
Established to promote research and teaching in any branch of
horticulture, the Trust's mission includes the creation, development,
and maintenance of botanical gardens; the promotion of the cultivation
and wide dissemination of plants with value to mankind; and assistance
in the publication of books or other works relating to the science of
horticulture. The AABP team will use the support provided
by the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust to document potential
ornamental plant species of the Andes-Amazon region of southeastern
Peru. The work will be carried out in conjunction with ongoing
botanical exploration in the departments of Cusco and Madre de Dios,
Peru.
Intensive
botanical fieldwork since 2001 in the Andes-Amazon region convinced
John Janovec, Amanda Neill, and Fernando Cornejo that new directions
are possible and necessary for the long-term project. One of the most
important new goals is research and education in ornamental
horticulture. Such activities are conspicuously lacking in this region.
However, with increasing urbanization in municipalities such as Cusco
and Madre de Dios, Peru, Janovec believes the time has come to
carefully integrate horticultural investigations with long-term
botanical research in the region.
The Andes to Amazon Biodiversity team has identified and selected ornamental species with high potential. Many of these species are relatives of plants already wildly
popular as ornamentals worldwide, and are likely to experience
widespread success in the horticultural future. The team has begun educate the local communities on the value and importance of using native species in their personal gardens and within the landscaping of their small towns.
During the fall of 2007, we appointed a special internship to an undergraduate student from Texas Tech University, Andrew Lutz. Andrew began to work closely with Horticulture Director, Jason Wells, and Project Director, John Janovec and resided at the projects base in Puerto Maldonado. He conducted intensive horticultural research and helped in the construction of several shade houses and nursery. Currently, Andrew and John are writing a scientific article about the research that he performed. This opportunity was made available through a grant received from the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust.
The goal of this project is to improve the potential for
ornamental horticulture in southeastern Peru by achieving the following
objectives:
- Build a
basic foundation of information about potential ornamental plants
through overlap with ongoing botanical inventory and monitoring at
permanent field sites in the region, including high-resolution imaging
of these plants
- Select ornamental plant species for experimental trials of cultivation and propagation
- Build
technical capacity of Peruvians in the region through hands-on
work-training in basic and applied scientific horticultural protocols
- Promote
ornamental horticulture practice and pride by holding plant sales at local markets and
providing special plant give-away programs for school children and
their families
- Produce scientific reports about the diversity, selection, propagation, and
marketing potential of plants from the region for presentation to the
Peruvian Ministries of Natural Resources and Agriculture,
non-governmental organizations, horticultural-interest societies such
as Garden Clubs, and the internet community
Watch for our upcoming Photo Essay on the project in Peru.