By: Kristin Kite
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) – The Arkansas Clean Plant Center for Berries at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station is moving into a renovated laboratory, expanding to assure that nurseries have clean, healthy plants.
The center’s new facility will host an open house from 2 – 5 p.m. Oct, 26. The center is located in the Crawley Warren Building at the Milo J. Shult Agricultural Research and Extension Center.
“Having this regional center in Arkansas speaks volumes about the quality of the research and outreach of our scientists, the respect they have among their peers nationally and the confidence that our agricultural communities place in them ,said Jean-François Meullenet, senior vice president of agriculture – research for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.
The Clean Plant center helps make certain that plants grown in Arkansas are safe country-wide, Meullenet said.
Director Ioannis Tzanetakis said the center provides testing and clean-up to help the certification process of nurseries.
The United States ranks second worldwide in berry fruit production, according to FAOSTAT, a collection of databases covering international agricultural statistics for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
New equipment in the Arkansas Clean Plant Center for Berries will allow for faster speeds for checking the berries. The machines will be scanning for any diseases, viruses or pathogens that could be harmful if congested.
About the Division of Agriculture: The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices.
To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: aaes.uada.edu.