More than 100 ornamental horticulture professionals visited the Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center (OPGC) in Columbus during a special open house held in conjunction with OSU Cultivar Trials at Cultivate ’26, one of North America’s largest green industry events.
On Saturday, July 11, the OPGC welcomed horticulture professionals from across the industry, including company representatives, plant breeders, growers, researchers, and other industry leaders, for tours of the Center’s facilities, greenhouses, and research collections. The event provided Cultivate’26 participants with a firsthand look at the USDA National Plant Germplasm System’s efforts to conserve and provide access to valuable herbaceous ornamental plant genetic resources.
During the tours, OPGC staff shared information about the Center’s mission to acquire, preserve, characterize, evaluate, and distribute ornamental plant germplasm to support research, breeding, and innovation. Visitors viewed diverse plant collections and learned how conserved genetic resources contribute to the development of future ornamental crops.
“The OPGC open house provided a valuable opportunity to connect with the broader ornamental horticulture community and share the importance of conserving plant genetic diversity,” said OPGC Director Yu Ma. “We were excited to welcome horticulture professionals to our facility and showcase how germplasm conservation supports future breeding and innovation.”
By connecting directly with the community, OPGC continues to enhance awareness and use of publicly available germplasm resources that support innovation in ornamental horticulture.