Rossi's Hort Crop Physiology Lab

08/06/2026

Busy Day 3 at the American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference! Two presentations highlighting the pedagogy and experiential learning approaches we use in HORT 201 and HORT 202. Also presented a poster showcasing our work on PFAS and nanoplastics in pecans and grapes, and graduate student Andrew McFarland presented his research on phenotyping grape varieties under salinity stress. The day concluded with the undergraduate poster competition, where Madison Quiroz presented her research on nanoplastic uptake in cilantro. The evening was just as rewarding. I had the opportunity to reconnect with former friends and colleagues from the UF IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department, attend the Texas A&M University Department of Horticultural Sciences happy hour, and wrap up the day with a steakhouse dinner alongside former, current, and teaching assistant students. One last day to go!

08/05/2026

Day 2 at the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) Annual Conference has been outstanding! The opening ceremony and plenary lecture set a great tone for the meeting, and the Career Fair was full of energy with excellent conversations between students, faculty, and industry professionals. One of the highlights of the day was reconnecting with colleagues and meeting new members of the horticultural community.
The welcome reception was truly memorable. Country music, line dancing, and two-stepping created a fun Texas atmosphere and made for one of the best conference receptions I've attended. WHOOP! Today is packed with teaching sessions and poster presentations, and I'm looking forward to learning from colleagues who continue to advance horticultural education and research.

08/04/2026

Day 1 at the American Society for Horticultural Science is off to a great start! We kicked things off by exploring two North Texas vineyards: Square Cloud Winery and Eden Hill Winery, and enjoying a wine tasting, followed by a visit to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. The day wrapped up with a nice dinner showcasing the best of Texas horticulture.
Looking forward to more presentations and connecting with colleagues.

07/24/2026

🍇💧 Just wrapped up a really nice Vineyard Water Management Workshop at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Lubbock, TX!
Big thanks to Dr. Patrick O'Brien for putting together such a nice program. It was great to see so growers, students, along with colleagues from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Tech University, and Texas A&M University Department of Horticultural Sciences.

I really appreciated the interactions, learned something new, had the opportunity to showcase our research, and hopefully planted the seeds 🌱 for some new collaborations.

07/23/2026

🔥 Hot off the press! I am excited to share our new open-access publication: “Physiological Responses of Scion and Rootstock in Grafted Grapefruit Trees under Salinity Stress” This research was completed by Dr. Neus Alcón Bou, former Ph.D. student in my lab at the UF IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department, based at the University of Florida/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center. The paper is presented as a collaborative effort with the Texas A&M University Department of Horticultural Sciences, bringing together colleagues with expertise in citrus physiology, irrigation, and salinity management. Our findings show that salinity tolerance depends on selecting the right scion-rootstock combination, not simply the rootstock alone.

Read the article: https://lnkd.in/gMCni6Rq

07/21/2026

I can hardly believe I’m saying this: the HORT 202 Horticultural Science and Practices Laboratory textbook is undergoing its final checks and is headed to print! This has truly been a team effort. I am especially grateful to Jacob Muras and our outstanding teaching assistants, whose hard work and ideas helped bring this manual to life. Across 15 weeks and 15 hands-on labs, students will explore taxonomy, plant reproduction, drought, salinity, hydroponics, LED lighting, soil composition, and much more.

The manual is dedicated to Dr. David Reed, whose commitment to HORT 201 and HORT 202 for more than 45 years inspired generations of students and laid its foundation.

Horticulture has been part of Texas A&M since its first class. Read my preface to discover more of that history, and consider becoming part of its future by majoring in horticulture or joining our Texas A&M University Department of Horticultural Sciences.

Thanks, and Gig ’em! 👍

07/18/2026

🚨 We will be in Lubbock this Friday! Excited to speak at the Vineyard Water Management Workshop at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center, hosted by Dr. Patrick O'Brien. We will be sharing updates from our Texas Water Resources Institute funded research on PFAS and nanoplastics in irrigation water and their potential uptake by Texas grapes and pecans. If you're in the area, stop by, say hello, and spend the day with us! 🍇💧 See the flyer below for all the details.

07/11/2026

Some people don't just grow plants. They have a gift for it!

Congratulations to Justin Braune on being named the 2026 Texas FFA State Winner in Vegetable Production! 🏆🌱

Justin joined my lab at Texas A&M University Department of Horticultural Sciences in Spring 2026 as an undergraduate student worker to help with HORT 202 lab, and what a difference he has made. The greenhouses have never looked better.

Beyond watering and maintaining student trials, Justin has become an essential part of our research team. He analyzed thousands of microscope images that helped complete a project on sweet orange and grapefruit xylem and phloem anatomy under citrus greening. This project began years ago when I was at the University of Florida/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center, in collaboration with Dr. Lukas Hallman during his Ph.D. in my lab and his research stay at the Eidg. Forschungsanstalt WSL in Switzerland. Thanks to Justin's dedication, we will be presenting this work at the American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference next month.

What impresses me most is not only Justin's talent, but also his character. He has a big heart, an incredible work ethic, and is simply a genuinely good person. He has been a true blessing to my lab.

Congratulations, Justin. This recognition is well deserved, and I am excited to see what the future holds for you.

07/05/2026