NCARS recognizes the impact recent COVID-19 precautions have on the hand watering needs of Method Road Greenhouse projects. At present, most plants in the greenhouses are watered by hand, and each individual project is responsible for watering their plants during weekdays. On weekends, about half the projects are watered by project staff and half by student workers.

With fewer students on campus to assist with these efforts, Wayne Holder and his crew of ‘essential personnel’ will continue their work at the greenhouses, but cannot keep up with all the watering requirements and their regular maintenance and repair work.

We suggest that each Department designate 1 to 3 essential employees who can water in the unlikely event that only essential personnel are allowed on campus. Those employees would water all projects in their department that would normally be watered by non-essential employees in their department. These employees may want to establish a rotation among themselves in case the emergency persists for an extended time period.

To give you a time estimate, it may take 5 to 7 hours a day to water all the greenhouses occupied by Crop and Soil Science. The time estimate is similar for Plant Pathology and Entomology. Other Departments occupy less greenhouse space at present and the time required would be reduced.

Thank you for your assistance.

John Reid Evans
Interim at NC Agricultural Research Service
Office: 919-515-4057
Cell: 919-302-9254