EKU Researcher Drives Agricultural Innovation

Dr. Prosanta Dash

Eastern Kentucky University faculty and researcher, Dr. Prosanta Dash, recently participated in the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) Annual Conference held in New Orleans, Louisiana, with support from the KCV GOAL Fund. Dr. Dash presented his research on water conservation in hydroponically grown strawberries during the Controlled Environment Oral Session. His work focuses on advancing sustainable practices within controlled agricultural systems.

The GOAL Fund, an initiative designed to support faculty, staff and students from Kentucky Commercialization Ventures (KCV) partner institutions, provides financial assistance for attending conferences and events that foster innovation and commercialization. Recipients of this funding are expected to gain valuable insights, build professional networks and strengthen their entrepreneurial and commercialization competencies. Dash shared more about his experience attending the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) Annual Conference and receiving support from the GOAL Fund.

What is the ASHS Conference?

The ASHS Annual Conference is a premier gathering of horticulturists from a wide range of disciplines. The event brings together experts in plant physiology, pathology, entomology, genetics and plant breeding, molecular biology and biological engineering, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange. In addition to the scientific sessions, the conference featured an exhibition hall where sponsors showcased advancements in products and services relevant to the horticultural industry. A career fair was also organized, providing networking and professional development opportunities for students and early-career professionals.

Why did you want to attend the ASHS Conference and what were your key takeaways?

This trip provided invaluable insights into the latest innovations in horticulture, including water conservation, advanced irrigation management techniques, climate-smart agricultural practices, controlled environment horticulture, vertical farming, integrated pest management and sustainable agriculture. The event also offered a platform to engage directly with leading industry companies such as LI-COR, HOBO, PPSystems and East 30 Sensors, which showcased their latest tools, technologies and software solutions. Attending this conference enabled me to network with these companies, explore their innovations and gather resources to enhance future research in controlled environment agriculture.

The most valuable takeaway was the opportunity to network with researchers, extension professionals, potential funders and industry representatives from across the United States. Engaging with these stakeholders provided insights into their current challenges and research priorities, paving the way for collaborations that can enhance the impact and efficiency of my work. I also had the privilege of presenting our water conservation research findings to an audience of fellow researchers. The constructive feedback received during the Q&A session will help refine future study designs and research execution strategies.

What is the significance of the findings from water conservation research?

Key findings from our water conservation research demonstrated that foliar application of potassium silicate effectively mitigates water stress and enhances both the physiological and phenological responses of the plants. This not only conserves a significant amount of water but also improves overall crop productivity. These findings have important implications for growers facing drought conditions or limited water availability. By adopting our protocol, they can implement a sustainable and efficient water management strategy that supports high yields even under water-constrained environments.

What's next for you after attending ASHS? What are you looking forward to?

We are currently in the final stages of preparing the manuscript and plan to submit it to a peer-reviewed Q1 journal, Silicon, to disseminate our findings to a broader scientific and agricultural audience. Publishing in this journal will help ensure that our research reaches professionals and practitioners who can replicate and adapt our protocol to address water scarcity challenges in various production systems.

Our next step is to secure funding to conduct trials with a range of diverse crops, which will allow us to assess the robustness and scalability of our findings. We are enthusiastic about building on this momentum to refine and expand our water conservation protocol for a wider array of specialty crops commonly grown in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) systems. This progression will validate the efficacy of our approach under different conditions and contribute to the development of more resilient and sustainable agricultural practices in the face of increasing water resource limitations.