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Nov 9, 2017
OPGC Director, Dr. Pablo Jourdan, was an invited speaker at the 7th International Symposium on the Production and Establishement of Micropropagated Plants held in Lavras, Brazil, 24-28 April 2017. He presented information about the use of short- and medium-term in vitro storage of plant germplasm in the National Plant Germplasm System.
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Nov 9, 2017
Amanda Lima Vilela, an undergraduate student at the Universidade Federal de Lavras in Minas Gerais, Brazil joined the OPGC in August 2017 for a 5-month internship. Her work focuses on seed quality parameters in Phlox. Amanda is carrying on studies initiated by Juliana Espindola and Sibelle Santanna da Silva on characteristics of seed in perennial species of Phlox. These seeds have presented a challenge to standard germplasm preservation practices. First, it is difficult to obtain sufficient seed for basic characterization and analysis.
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Aug 25, 2015
An article in the 16 August 2015 Columbus Dispatch tells the story of the OPGC's contribution to the preservation and propagation of a rare and endangered plant in central Ohio, Arabis patens, or rock cress. Through the efforts of curator Susan Stieve and OPGC staff and students, plants of rock cress were grown in the greenhouses and seed was produced by hand pollination. The seeds are being stored at the OPGC.
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Jul 17, 2015
As in previous years, the OPGC had an informational booth at Cultivate'15, the largest horticultural trade show in North America, sponsored by AmericanHort. The theme of the booth coincided with our focus on 2015 as the Year of Rudbeckia. The booth provided an opportunity to make contact with many stakeholders that already work with OPGC materials as well as to introduce the importance of genetic resources and germplasm preservation to a wider audience. The trade show typically receives about 10,000 visitors.
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Jul 17, 2015
A group of faculty from the Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA) in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, paid a visit to the OPGC and The Ohio State University to discuss mutual interests in research and educational activities. The OPGC has hosted various visiting scholar students from UFLA and the visitors had an opportunity to meet the various students from Lavras currently on campus. The visiting faculty were: Dr. Patricia Duarte de Oliveira Paiva, current chair of the Department of Crop Science and an expert on floriculture and landscape design; Dr.
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Jul 1, 2015
Sibelle Santanna is a PhD student from the Universidade de Sao Paulo in Brazil. She studies seed physiology at the Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz in Piracicaba. Sibelle will spend 9 months at he OPGC assessing seed quality in different species of Phlox. The research will focus on comparisons of tests for seed viability such as germination and tetrazolium chloride; it will also examine seed dormancy and methods to efficiently overcome it for rapid germination.
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Jul 1, 2015
Baptisia is one of the genera maintained at the OPGC. This native North American genus consists of approximately 30 species distribued mainly in the Eastern and Southeaster USA. The collection had originally been developed at the North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station in Ames, Iowa, but has since be transferred to the OPGC. Recently, the last shipment of seeds were received and curation of the collection moves forward.
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Jul 1, 2015
Juliana Espindola from the Universidade Federal de Lavras in Brazil has joined the OPGC as a visiting scholar for 9 months to study seed development in Phlox. Juliana is a PhD candidate in Brazil and is pursuing studies on seed quality and germination. Her work at the OPGC will focus on documenting the development of seeds from flower formation to seed maturation. Phlox seed production is a challenge and availability of high-quality seed is very limited. Juliana will help define the key parameters involved in seed production and maturation.
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Jul 31, 2014
Every July, the OPGC participates in the largest horticultural trade show and educational event, Cultivate'14 (formerly the OFA Short Course and Trade Show). Our presence at the trade show and in educational sessions provides us with a forum to promote our activities and maintain connections with our stakeholders. Our small booth highlighted Phlox as our theme genus for this year. We also contributed presentations on the opportunities and challenges in Phlox as garden plants as well as on the contributions the OPGC makes to the floriculture and nursery industry.
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Jul 31, 2014
The genus Lilium is one of our priorities for conservation and study. Last year (2013) we initiated a collaborative study with Prof. William Miller of Cornell University to assess the garden performance of selected lily cultivars that have previously shown some potential as perennial garden plants in different parts of the USA.
