The Michigan State University Department of Horticulture lease a fresh supporter prof specializing in weed skill in ornamental crop product . Debalina Saha join the section in July of 2019 and is help the landscape , nursery , greenhouse and Christmas tree industries . She has a 50 % Extension , 35 % research and 15 % teaching appointment .
Prior to joining the department , she earned her bachelor ’s and master ’s of scientific discipline degrees at University of Calcutta in India with a major in Botany . Saha take in her doctor’s degree at University of Florida in May 2019 . Her dissertation was on assessing the influence of mulch strong-arm and chemic properties on preemergent weed killer and pot ascendence for decorative crop production . In her enquiry , she assessed herbicide preparation ( granular and liquid state ) , moisture levels , mulch types and depth on weed command .
She has studied preemergent herbicide motion through dissimilar organic landscape painting mulch materials , evaluated forcible properties of mulch and their effect on weed control , and has also valuate allelopathic properties of different organic mulch materials and their result on skunk control . Other projects she worked on in Florida were : controlling artillery sess with preemergent and post - emerging herbicides , using post - emerging weed killer to keep in line bittercress and oxalis , and fertiliser arrangement and its effect on sens species turn in containers .
In her new role , she will be working with the large ornamental horticulture industry in Michigan . Michigan is the third - largest manufacturer of floriculture crops ( behind California and Florida ) with 569 producers with at least $ 10,000 in sales , accord to the 2018 Floriculture Crops Summary by the National Agriculture Statistics Service . The reported sweeping time value of the floriculture industry in Michigan is $ 486 million , up from $ 409 million report in 2015 . According to the latest nursery report card , Michigan is the fourthly - largest producer of Christmas Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in the United States and grade 11th in the nation in glasshouse stock sell , which is worth $ 1.2 billion .
The decorative gardening industry is very supportive of her Modern role with MSU . In fact , the Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association , Michigan Christmas Tree Association , Western Michigan Greenhouse Association and Metro Detroit Flower Growers Association all pledge bulge - up funding to serve insure the raw specializer ’s status on the staff .
Saha is await forward to meeting with stakeholder this downslope to fix the areas of gravid motive in the industriousness , and how to best address those needs . She is already project on developing fact sheets in coordination with MSU Extension on controlling vulgar problematic gage in cosmetic crop production for release in 2020 .
Source : MSU Extension Floriculture & Greenhouse Crop Production
