Uark Horticulture

Researchers have pinpointed the genetic region that controls primocane-fruiting in blackberries, a discovery that helps speed development of improved varieties with better yield, fruit quality and regional adaptability.

Read more: https://aaes.uada.edu/news/primocane-blackberry-genetics/

Join extension horticulture specialist Dr. Amanda McWhirt as she demonstrates the best method for harvesting strawberries and shares some surprising facts about this beloved fruit.

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, UAEX Fruit and Vegetable Production

Arkansas Division of Agriculture 1 like. "How to Pick Strawberries"

Happy Finals Week, everyone! With commencement just around the corner, we couldn’t be more excited. Take a look back at some of our favorite moments from last spring’s celebration.

As a reminder, Bumpers College Commencement will be held on Friday, May 8 at Barnhill Arena at 2:30 PM. Best of luck on your finals—we can’t wait to celebrate with you soon! 🎓

Congratulations to graduate student Sharandeep Singh Chahal on being named a 2026 scholarship recipient from the Bill Rose Foundation. This recognition highlights Sharandeep’s hard work and dedication to advancing the turfgrass industry. We’re proud to see him recognized by an organization committed to supporting the next generation of turfgrass leaders through professional growth, networking, and career advancement opportunities. Join us in congratulating Sharandeep on this outstanding achievement!

Thank you to our awesome turf team for putting on our first Spring Turfgrass Field Day and to everyone who came out to participate! We enjoyed sharing our research, highlighting best practices, and talking all things turf.

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Uark Turf

Congratulations to graduate students Itunuoluwa Adegbite, Rhys Brock, Sharandeep Chahal, and Isabella Vaughn for representing our department at the AFLS Research Symposium! 🌱

Their research presentations showcased the innovation and hard work of our students—well done!

Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Big smiles for Spring Volunteer Day! 🌱☀️

Thank you to everyone who came out to lend a hand—your hard work made a huge difference. The gardens outside the Rosen Center are refreshed with new spring plantings, and our turf space got a fun new putting green!

We appreciate you helping keep our spaces beautiful and thriving. 🌸

Principles of Horticulture students in Hort Instructor Sarah Paschal’s class recently stepped outside the classroom for hands-on learning at the University of Arkansas Herbarium and Arthropod Museum 🌿🐞

At the herbarium, students explored the value of plant collections, practiced collecting and mounting specimens, and learned about ongoing efforts to digitize the collection—while getting an up-close look at rare and unique specimens.

At the Arthropod Museum, they put their estimation skills to the test by guessing the number of Japanese beetles in a jar (a surprising 16,000!) and learned how pheromone traps are used in insect management. They also encountered one of the most notoriously painful stinging insects.

A special thank you to Ms. Jennifer Ogle and Dr. David Bowles for sharing their time, expertise, and passion for education!

Fruit breeders like Margaret Worthington can tell in advance whether vines will be self-pollinating or bear seedless fruit, saving years of time and valuable resources in pursuit of new varieties like seedless .

Read more: https://aaes.uada.edu/news/grape-phenotype-prediction/

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, American Society for Horticultural Science

Genetic Markers Fast-Track Breeding of Seedless Muscadine Grapes Using new genetic markers, fruit breeders can now tell whether grapes will be seedless and self-pollinating even years before vines bear fruit. The approach will save time and resources in the pursuit of creating flavorful new grape varieties...

REMINDER: Happening Next Thursday! 🌿

Join us on April 9, 2026, for our annual Department of Horticulture Entrepreneurship Lecture & Student Awards at the Mullins Library event space!

Doors open at 3:30 PM, with student research posters from 4–6 PM, dinner at 6 PM, and our guest lecture at 7 PM featuring horticulture alum Mark Bray, owner of Airship Coffee. Student awards will follow.

We look forward to celebrating our students and welcoming you for an inspiring evening!