The Fred C. Gloeckner Foundation Research Fund of the American Floral Endowment (AFE) has announced its funding of 10 research projects for 2024, totaling $134,592. The projects focus on floriculture and related fields, aiming to address key industry challenges and advance scientific knowledge.
The foundation, which joined AFE earlier this year as a named fund, continues its mission of supporting research and education. “We are proud to carry on the legacy of the Fred C. Gloeckner Foundation through these impactful projects,” said Jim Daly, chairman of the AFE board.
Selected projects include research from universities across the U.S. Topics include developing standards for floriculture leaf tissue, investigating disease resistance in roses, and improving greenhouse practices.
This year, the Committee selected the following 10 projects totaling $134,592 to receive funding:
- North Carolina State University, Brian Whipker, North Carolina Department of Agriculture, Kristin Hicks, and Consumer Services, University of Kentucky, Garrett Owen. Establishing Comprehensive Floriculture Leaf Tissue Standards. $4,400
- North Carolina State University, Brian Whipker and Patrick Veazie. Establishing Automated Diagnostic & Interpretation Tools for Floriculture Leaf Tissue Standards. $2,300
- Kansas State University, Kimberly Williams. Overwatering and Nutrient Deficiency in Spring Crops: Making Connections and Defining Parameters for Greenhouse Growers. $15,880
- Colorado State University, Chad Miller. Investigating Achimenes Propagation Protocols to Optimize and Increase Commercial Production. $12,000
- University of California, Berkeley, Mary Wildermuth and Hang Xue. Reducing Powdery Mildew Disease and its Impact on Plant Photosynthesis. $22,000
- University of Minnesota Stan Hokanson and Diana Lopez Arias. Development of DNA Markers Linked to Rose Black Spot Resistance Locus Rdr5: Towards a More Efficient Breeding for Disease. $18,396
- University of Florida, Paul Fisher and Dharti Thakulla. Ensuring Water Treatment Technologies Are Compatible with Beneficial Microorganisms. $16,914
- North Carolina State University, Brian Jackson. Aging Wood Fiber Substrates to Alleviate Phytotoxicity. $10,100
- National Floriculture Forum. Supporting Graduate Student Participation. $6,000.
Additionally, the foundation designated two projects for the New York Florists’ Club Grants. These awards support research on enhancing plug quality in plants and developing disease-resistant impatiens.
- Cornell University, Mark Bridgen. Using In Vitro Techniques to Generate Double-Flowered Impatiens Plants that Are Resistant to Impatiens Downy Mildew. $11,602
- University of Tennessee, Kelly Walters. Ethylene Pre-Germination Treatments: A New Technique To Improve Plug Quality and Stress Tolerance. $15,000
Applications for the 2025 Gloeckner Foundation funding are due by April 1, 2025. More information can be found at endowment.org/gloeckner.
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