Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center is a leader in laboratory, greenhouse and field studies that are vitally important to North Carolina’s economy. The 397-acre site is located in the Southern Appalachians in the French Broad River basin with a base elevation of 2,069 feet. The site’s geography and climate are conducive to research on the crops grown in the region, such as apples and tomatoes.
What We Do
Tomatoes
Researchers based at the site are recognized worldwide for their tomato research. The program has yielded more than 30 hybrids, including some of the most widely grown types in the eastern United States. These varieties have superior disease resistance and produce larger, more flavorful and longer-lasting fruit. Research in disease management and insect past management at the center has resulted in major improvements to problems that have plagued tomato producers for more than 40 years.
Apples
Researchers based at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center are leaders in fruit tree research in the Southeast. For apple trees, they evaluate the quality of rootstock and varieties and testing tree spacing and training techniques. For both peach and apple trees, the researchers evaluate new disease and pest management techniques. The results from these studies help inform regional and national growers. The center also hosts evaluations of several other fruits including blackberries and raspberries.
Ornamental Plants
Plant breeders focused on ornamental trees, flowers and shrubs for landscaping working out of the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center have produced more than 50 new cultivars of plants, including a pink hydrangea that has raised over $1,000,000 for breast cancer research, a thornless flowering quince, and landscape grasses that are seedless and thus cannot become weeds.
Researchers focus on developing new nursery crops for North Carolina farmers with superior pest resistance, greater tolerance to environmental stresses and enhanced commercial potential.
Topping-off for Tomato Breeding
The Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center near Asheville, just built a new 1440-foot greenhouse that will boost NC State’s efforts to breed tastier and more disease-resistant tomatoes.
For more than 75 years, the Research Stations Division has worked with the National Weather Service (NWS) to provide accurate, statewide weather data. When you hear and see local and national weather reports, you can be sure meteorologists and climatologists are using information gathered from our stations.
The annual Tomato Field Day is your opportunity to see new up-and-coming varieties and learn the latest about disease, insect, and weed control for staked tomato production and vegetables in western North Carolina.
Apple Field Day
Held every 2-3 years, as needed to share new techniques and tools with apple growers in the region.
Bioenergy Field Day
TBD.
Contact Us
Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center Jeff Chandler, Center Director 455 Research Drive Mills River, NC 28759-3423 (828) 684-3562 jeff_chandler@ncsu.edu
