BTI Co-hosts Greenhouse Curators Conference

A view of the greenhouses at the Boyce Thompson Institute.

This summer, Boyce Thompson Institute will come alive with greenhouse curators.

A group of up to 150 greenhouse professionals from research institutions all over the U.S. and Canada will come to the Cornell University campus July 18-21 for the 2016 Association of Education and Research Greenhouse Curators annual meeting. BTI’s greenhouse manager, Brian Bell, is planning the conference in collaboration with greenhouse professionals at Cornell and Binghamton University.

During the conference, attendees will spend one morning at BTI where they will receive a tour of the greenhouse facilities and learn about the history of the institute from Director of Executive Affairs Vanessa Greenlee. Visitors will also hear talks from the faculty: Assistant Professor Joyce Van Eck will speak on her research into tissue culture techniques, Professor Georg Jander will present his work on plant-insect interactions and Professor Jim Giovannoni will discuss his investigations into tomato fruit ripening.

“It gives people a view of BTI—a little about our history and a little about our science,” said Bell, an expert in integrated pest management who has kept the BTI greenhouses running for almost 29 years.

Facilities Manager Don Slocum and a representative from Argus Control Systems Ltd. will present the cost-effective strategy they have developed to retrofit the control systems on aging greenhouse chambers.

Throughout the rest of the conference, researchers and greenhouse professionals from Cornell and Binghamton University will present research and advances in greenhouse management. Attendees will also visit the greenhouse facilities at both schools.

Conference goers will also get a taste of the Finger Lakes before they leave. They will visit Tioga Gardens in Owego and have dinner at Wagner Vineyards in Lodi. The conference will culminate with dinner and exploration at Robert Treman State Park.