L.I. greenhouse complex celebrated

Participating in the greenhouse ribbon-cutting ceremony July 28 are, from left, N.Y.S. Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets David Davidsen; State Sen. Kenneth LaValle; LIHRL Coordinator Joseph B. Sieczka; CALS Dean Daryl Lund; Friends of Long Island Horticulture Chair Jack Van de Wetering; and LIHRL Advisory Council Chair Henry Talmage. Cornell University

A ceremony for the new, state-of-the-art research greenhouse complex at Cornell's Long Island Horticultural Research Laboratory (LIHRL) in Riverhead, N.Y., took place July 28.

The land for the LIHRL was purchased in 1922 to address the special research needs of commercial farmers on Long Island, where agriculture is a strong component of the economy. Suffolk County, for instance, ranks first in farm market value in New York state.

Daryl Lund, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, who was keynote speaker at the ceremony, said the facility is a visual example of Cornell's commitment to Long Island agriculture.

The new 13,000-square-foot structure has nine greenhouses, each with computer-run controls for heating, irrigation, shading, cooling and ventilation. The complex is designed to allow much greater flexibility and control over the environment than is typical for production greenhouses. This allows research to be conducted under precise conditions.

Programs at the LIHRL provide research and extension support to commercial agriculture, focusing on ornamental, vegetable and wine-grape culture, as well as development of integrated pest management strategies against diseases, weeds and insects.

Participants at the ceremony included Dean Lund; Joseph B. Sieczka, LIHRL coordinator; Donald Davidsen, New York state commissioner of agriculture and markets; N.Y. State Senator Kenneth LaValle (R-1st Dist.); Henry Talmage, LIHRL advisory council chair; and Jack Van de Wetering, Friends of Long Island Horticulture chair.