Develop resources necessary to assist Texas horticultural industries as they move toward the expanding world marketplace. An increased emphasis toward recruitment of high-ability students will be made. The human capital upon which the future of horticulture will be built depends on getting the best and brightest undergraduate and graduate students interested in horticulture as a career. The strategy for achieving this goal involves the implementation of an honors program, developing honors sections of our core courses, and placing a high priority on recruiting outstanding graduate students. Our scientists must team with individuals in the medical community to validate this work, and communicators to relay the information to the consuming public.
Many more families depend upon small plot horticulture to supplement their incomes.
These individuals must be educated concerning the best management practices, integrated pest management, and water use efficient techniques for crop production. These groups are most likely to adapt and benefit from the concepts of sustainable agriculture. The agricultural ecosystem is poorly understood by the public, and misinformation has been used as a powerful tool against production agriculture. Little environmental information is taught in the public schools. As an increasingly large number of children never have exposure to nature and natural systems because they live in urban environments, the need for such education increases.