Horticulture

Horticulture is the science and art of producing, improving, marketing and using fruits, vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants. It differs from botany and other plant sciences in that horticulture incorporates both science and aesthetics. Production and consumption of high quality fruits and vegetables allows us to maintain a healthy, balanced daily diet. Flowers and ornamental plants enrich our homes and communities, and contribute to our sense of well-being.

Horticultural scientists at the Tifton campus work on many crops important to Georgia agriculture including blueberries, muscadine grapes and pecan trees, and vegetables such as broccoli, collard, cucumber, eggplant, kale, muskmelon, peppers, sweet corn, sweet onion, tomato and watermelon. This department is involved in basic and applied research in the plant sciences as well as providing expert technical assistance to growers throughout the state.


Visit the department's website:

Horticulture


Research, Extension, Instruction Coordinator

Patrick J. Conner Professor & Tifton REI Coordinator; Emphasis: Pecan & muscadine breeding


Tifton Personnel in the Department of Horticulture

Nirmala Acharya PhD GRA; Vegetable production (Dr. McAvoy, advisor)
Tearston J Adams Administrative Associate, Tifton
Sailaja Bhogireddy Postdoctoral Research Associate (Dr. Ozias-Akins)
Akshaya K. Biswal Assistant Research Scientist; Emphasis: Peanut Genetics, Breeding, Genomics, Genetic Engineering & Genome Editing
Stephanie Botton Research Technician & IPBGG-MS student (Dr. Ozias-Akins, advisor), peanut breeding
Melissa Brannon Research Technician III
Lilian Carcamo PhD GRA; Postharvest physiology of blueberries (Dr. Rubio Ames, advisor)
Carlos Cardon Postdoctoral Research Associate (Dr. Peggy Ozias-Akins)
Ye (Juliet) Chu Assistant Professor, Emphasis: Blueberry breeding
Joann Conner Associate Research Scientist; Emphasis: Apomixis, plant reproduction
Patrick J. Conner Professor & Tifton REI Coordinator; Emphasis: Pecan & muscadine breeding
Ramsey Corn MS GRA; Postharvest physiology in blackberry (Dr. Deltsidis, advisor)
Lesa Cox Lead Administrative Associate, Tifton
Angelos Deltsidis Assistant Professor & Post-harvest Extension Specialist; Emphasis: Post-harvest fruit & vegetables physiology
Juan Carlos Diaz-Perez Professor; Emphasis: Vegetable production & plasticulture
Natalia Espinoza PhD GRA; Blueberry (Dr. Rubio Ames, advisor)
Jodi D Figgatt Business Manager, Tifton
Regimar Garcia dos Santos PhD GRA; Precision Agriculture (Dr. Oliviera, advisor)
Orestis Giannopoulos MS GRA; Post-harvest physiology (Dr. Deltsidis, advisor)
Amit Godara MS GRA; post-harvest physiology (Drs. Deltsidis & Rubio Ames, co-advisors)
Mike H. Hudson Agricultural Research Assistant III
Hua Kang Research Professional II
Manisha Kumari Postdoctoral Associate (Dr. Ted McAvoy);; Vegetables
Tiffany Lanier Business Manager, Tifton
Ted McAvoy Assistant Professor & Vegetable Production Extension Specialist; Emphasis: Vegetable production
Wanda McCranie Agriculture Forestry Technican
Hayley Milner MS GRA; Vegetable production (Dr. McAvoy, advisor)
Amol Nankar Assistant Professor; Emphasis: vegetable breeding
Taiwo Owolanke PhD GRA; Post-harvest fruit & vegetable physiology (Dr. Deltsidis, advisor)
Peggy Ozias-Akins Distinguished Research Professor; Emphasis: Molecular genetics of plant development, peanuts
Luan Oliveira Assistant Professor and Precision Ag Extension Specialist
Elvis Pulici MS GRA; Vegetable production (Dr. McAvoy, advsior)
Bailey Rayfield MS GRA; Enhancing sustainability of pecan production (Dr. Wells, advisor)
Zilfina Rubio Ames Assistant Professor and Small Fruit Extension Specialist; Emphasis: Blueberry, small fruits
Emilio Suarez Romero MS GRA; Soil amendments (Dr. McAvoy, advisor)
Dana Sumner Administrative Associate, Tifton
Gregory Thomas Agricultural Research Assistant II
Chad Walker Research Technician III
Emily Walter MS GRA; Blueberry breeding (Dr. Chu, advisor)
Lenny Wells Professor & Pecan Extension Specialist; Emphasis: Pecans
Lina Flor Paclibar Young Lead Business Manager, Tifton